How Many Different Powders Do You Keep On Hand ????

Zappa

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I've been reloading since the mid 80's and I finally decided to take a real inventory of my powder cabinet, I discovered that I had 18 different powders, which is interesting because I reload 18 different calibers, plus 12 gauge shotgun.

Here's what I found:

Clays
Trail Boss
Red Dot
Bullseye
Blue Dot
2400
RL-7
AA-5
Pyrodex RS
Pyrodex P
H380
IMR 4227
IMR 3031
IMR 4064
IMR 4198
W231
H4831
Lil' Gun

Since I load mostly pistol rounds, I find Red Dot and Clays to be the most versatile due to the wide range of calibers they're good for, from .32 to .45, and 12 ga. shotgun. However, other powders such as Lil' Gun have a very narrow useful range, such as .357 MAX and heavy .44 mags loads.
 
Five at the moment. I like to keep things simple and load mostly target loads for pistol and one cast bullet load for an old rifle.
Bullseye - for most target loads
Unique - for mid range .357's and the rifle
Blue Dot - for heavy .357's
Tite Group - for .45 Hardball (FMJ) and 9mm cast
Win 231 - bought to try in the 9mm and won't be replaced when gone.
 
I have 5 right now, although the AA#7 is almost gone. I only load for plinking so I'm trying combinations that work well and are inexpensive. The only problem with that is, I can find powders that are inexpensive but primers locally are not.

AA2230 - for .223
TAC - for .223 (want to compare it to the AA2230)
WC844 - for .223 (want to try out since the price was right)
Win231 - for 9mm & .40 S&W
AA#7 - for 9mm
 
2 maybe 3 - I have not done much experimenting myself. I find a powder and load that I like and have stuck with it.
W231 is my go to powder.
 
Unique - .45
Titegroup - 9mm
PowerPistol - really beefy 9mm, sometimes really beefy .45
WST - .45 fluff loads
I have others (700X, SR4756, VV N340) but not anything I use on a regular basis.

-Mike
 
TiteGroup
45acp
45 LC
9 mm pistol and carbine
.223 (sub-sonic)

20/28
20ga

Win 742
.223
30-06

Trail Boss (by mistake)
45 Long Colt (I was looking for a smokey round)
 
My powder selection is based on what is available and what I may come across and acquire in various collections. duPont Bulk, W473AA, W540, W630, W680 and W452AA are discontinued for the most part, but I've acquired quantities of these. They all seem to work just fine.
Same goes for current production powders... if 3031 isn't available, I might buy 4064 instead, since it fills most caliber applications. 2400, Red Dot, Clays, Unique, etc., all work okay in cast rifle loads as well as certain pistol loads (I don't reload shotshells). WST, W231 and others are in the mix, too. Again, it's more a matter of what is available on the shelf at the moment; that's how it becomes easy to end up with a dozen or two powders. Maybe not the simplest method, but as long as they all have load data for what I shoot, I'll use it all eventually.
 
Accurate #5 for 9mm, light 357's, 45ACP and 45AutoRim.
Accurate 2230 for 223's

Just finished up a jug of WIN231 and WIN 748.

Its very nice getting down to two powders. Not great for load variety, but VERY convenient.
 
Bullseye
Clays Universal
2400
W231
Power Pistol
H4350
H335
3031
Varget
4895
H4831
H1000

I feel like I am missing some

EDIT: I have only been reloading for 2 years.
 
Kripes Zappa, ever, heard, of, commas, ? Lol.

I have over twenty here and another twenty or so in my boat with my rifles.
 
I just started reloading and found Bullseye and 2400 fit myneeds ( pistol only).
 
Kripes Zappa, ever, heard, of, commas, ? Lol.

I try not to use more than three or four in a sentence, but I really prefer the Apostrophe. [wink]

ZPAM01TAB.JPG
 
View attachment 30799 It don't last long loading shotgun.

No, it doesn't.
I switched from loading a 1-1/8 oz. skeet load to 1 oz.
The difference is about two boxes of shells to a bag of shot., 16 instead of only 14.
At a charge of 17.7 grains, you'll get 400 shells, or 16 boxes to a pound of powder.
That 4 pounder will get you 1200 shotshells.
Think about how many .32 ACP's you could load from that same 4 lb. jug. [wink]
 
Five:

W231 - 9mm Luger, .40 and .380
AA#7 - 9mm Steyr
Blue Dot - .38spl and .357mag
Varget - .223 and .30-40 Krag
IMR4895 - Same as above
 
Bullseye and WST for light plinking in 45,40 and 9mm

Power Pistol for heavier loads in above calibers

H4895, 3031 and Varget for rifles. 223, .243,270,3006,
 
231 - 45/38spl/38super
Tite group - 9mm
Power pistol - 9mm
Blue dot- 44mag
296 - 44/357 mag
Varget - 223
BLC(2) - 308/6.5 Grendel
748 - 223
4198 - No clue but I have it!
4895 - 308
RE15 - 308
RE10 - 6.8spc
 
picked up a pound of varget for .223

haven't loaded anything yet (waiting for projectiles, case trimmer and chrono to arrive...)

will be loading:
.223
.308
9x18Mak
 
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