[curly]

I'm thinking of increasing the number of calibers I reload from just 9mm and .357/.38spl to include .45ACP, .223, 30.06, and eventually maybe .38S&W, .41 &.44 mag, .45 Colt, .308win, .30-30, 7.62x39mm, and 6.5 Swede

I know there is no one powder that's perfect for everything, but I'm thinking that I can do with just two powders.
Right now, based on the load manual I have (Lee's Modern Reloading) I'm thinking that Bullseye would do for pistols, and H4895 for rifles.

I have no experience reloading rifle calibers (though I have the dies and such to reload 30.06, I haven't yet) but one of the limits on what powders I can use is that most of my .06 is shot through an M1, so it needs to be able to mimic the M2 round. Are there any better powders for this sort of broad use?

Advice? Comments?
Thanks.

 

[mebe007]

well i say pistol powder for pistol and rifle for rifle. i have been using unique for all my loading thus far in .45acp, .380acp, .44mag and .357mag. i recently picked up some different powders though. the only rifle powder i have used so far though is reloader 22 in my 25-06 ans 30-06

 

[Buckshooter]

For rifles 2230 will cover a variety of calibers. Sometimes you can happen onto a jug of 2223-C which is pulled military powder. I load all of my rifles with this powder. You can use 2230 or BLC-2 reloading data to load te bulets with.

 

[miatakix]

IMR4895 is what they used in the original M2 ball .30-06. It's a pretty good choice. If you move to the heavier bullets in the M1 Garand, IMR 4064 is worth a look. But I'm guessing the 4895 should give you a little more of the flexibility you're looking for.

Your M1 has very specialized needs. It works best with powder in a narrower burn rate than what you can get away with in a bolt action or lever action. Get your powder too fast or too slow and things can get dangerous to your safety and/or damaging to your rifle pretty fast.

Get a Sierra manual and read over the section on reloading for gas operated rifles in it. Reloading for the M1 Garand is one of the most specialized and demanding kind of rifle reloading there is. You need the right powder, hard primers, the right bullet weight, the right case headspace, sufficiently full-sized cases, sub-flush seated primers, a good strong crimp, etc. You also need to be extremely careful with the cases you use...case volumes matter, the military cases have thicker walls. The military cases also last longer, but even then, the rifle is so hard on the brass because of how strong the extractor is and how early the rifle is timed to extract cases (very early), you really don't get a whole lot of case life at all. You also need to periodically inspect your firing pin and such and other wear points on the rifle as outlined in Scott Duff's "M1 Garand owner's manual" book. If any one of those things is overlooked you can get into trouble that you don't want.

 

[Rainier42]

Have tried to do the same thing. I use H4895 for my milsurp rifles (30-06, .308, .223, and Brit 303) and Vhit N340 for my handguns (9mm, 40S&W, and 45ACP). Only offshoot is for my 6.5 Swede, and that gets H4831. Having fewer powders around does make things a whole lot easier.

 

[Paul B]

"I'm thinking of increasing the number of calibers I reload from just 9mm and .357/.38spl to include .45ACP, .223, 30.06, and eventually maybe .38S&W, .41 &.44 mag, .45 Colt, .308win, .30-30, 7.62x39mm, and 6.5 Swede"

Well, while you could get away with just two powders, I believe I would add a third, if I may.Probably Unique for most of the handgun rounds although for the .357, .41 and .44 Kags, Unique is a bit too fast for full power loadings. For those round I would look at #2400, W-296 or H-110. If you plan to stay at somewhat lower than full power levels then Unique is the way to go.
For the rifle rounds, either 4895 will work reasonably well as long as you remember "Jack of all trades but master of none. Powder # 4895 was developed precisely for the M1 Garand so you're good there. It is ahair slow for the 30-30, very good in the .308 but I dunno about the 7.63x39. i'm thinking it might be a bit too slow esecially for use i a semi-auto. I shoot .223 but prefer W-748 and I'm not sure how 4895 will work with that round. Might be OK and might be a bit too slow.
I don't load for the 6.5x55 and while 4895 is probably usable, I think there are more suitable powders for use in that cartridge.
Looks to me like you want to keep it as simple as possible. I did it that way many years ago but as time went on, experimentation got the better of me. My concession to simplicity these days is work up one load per rifle and stick with it.
As examples for 30 caliber, the 30-30 get the 170 gr. bullet, the .308 a 165 gr. bullet, 180 gr. in the 30-06 (Not suitable for Garand BTW) and 200 gr. in the .300 win. mag. That's what works for me but everyone has to figure out what's the best way they should go by themselves.
Paul B.

 

[City Slicker]

It may be possible to load all those calibers with just two powders, but you wouldn't get the best results. There is such a big difference between the 9mm/44mag and the 223/30-06 the same powders won't do them justice. I would say you could get it down to two pistol and two rifle powders.

I could live with 4 powders...I'm sure glad I don't have too. ;D

 

[308/338]

I have a friend that uses only one powder for his 44 mag. rifle and his 44 mag. revolver. But if you don't mind middle of the road velocity on some of the rifle caliber you mention. I would go with IMR or Hodgdon 4895. For pistol it would probably be a powder that would work in all you mention but would give the same middle of the road velocity too. I'm using at this time AA No.#5 for 38spl and 45ACP and about 4 different rifle powders for rhe 444,H-4198, 338me,AA2520, 308me,IMR 8208 XBR 35R.H4895 30 30,IMR 8208 XBR and will buy LVR powder as soon as I use up the IMR 8208 XBR.

TO NY

 

[mainecat]

I use 2400

Rifles
.45/70 .35rem

Handguns
.38sp .357mag

 

[kerr]

2400 and H4895 , I would say are the swiss army knifes of the powder world . H4198 covers some area too in leverguns.

 

[Halwg]

2400 and H4895 , I would say are the swiss army knifes of the powder world . H4198 covers some area too in leverguns.

I could live with those 3 powders. They wouldn't be perfect by any means, but I think I wuldn't have a problem getting all my guns to shoot reasonably well with them.

 

[Travis 186]

For most of the loading I do, IMR4895 is all I have needed. I use a few different other rifle powders, but those are my go to for a lot of the cartridges I load. H-414, and H322 are the only other ones I use and mostly for 1 or 2 cals. I use red do tin reduced cast loads.

For my pistols, I'm using WST, unique, and 296. I haven't found one I can just settle with yet.

 

[Charlie98]

For my pistols, I'm using WST, unique, and 296. I haven't found one I can just settle with yet.

;D Those are the exact powders I work with... with the addition of W231. The jury is still out on W231 and WST (at least in pistol loads, I already use it for my AA-duplicate 12ga loads,) because I've not seen any benefit over just using Unique. W296 is The Magnum powder for me.

Although I'm paring down my rifle powder, I may have to make some consessions. I'm a big user of IMR4895 in both my M1 and M1a, and I'll see where it goes with 170grn bullets in the .30-30 (getting rid of H322.) I'll have to stock W748 if I stay with the 5.56mm in the AR (getting rid of H335.) I'm playing with IMR's 4064 and 3031 with the M1a and I may adapt one or the other for the .30-30 and .348WCF (getting rid of H4831.) So that leaves me with 2 handgun powders, 1 shotgun powder and probably 2 or 3 rifle powders.... that's all there is to it.

 

[swany]

Unique, and W748 or BLC#2 or H335

The rifle powder I would select on a basis of what is available at your local supplier, then order an 8lb of each and never look back.

 

[privateer]

My jack of all trades is 4895 powder in stick powders or 748 in ball powders. Either will do yeoman service in the cases I reload for, ie. .308 Win., 30-30, .223 Rem and 30-06 incl. the M1. The M1 requires a medium speed powder to get the gas port pressure just right so as to kick the op rod back to cycle the gun but not so violently as to bend the op rod and beat the bolt. I find that a 150 gr. bullet and 47.5 gr of 4895 and a CCI primer in LC 63 brass works very well in a Garand. However, limiting oneself to 2-3 powders makes no sense as no two powders will cover the waterfront from 9mm Luger to .7mm Weatherby to 12 ga.

 

[jimone]

2 powders for pistol, AA#2 and LilGun, 2 powders for rifle, Varget and H4350 I could live with. I would miss Trailboss, H110, H4831, HP38(W231), IMR8208XBR, H414(W760), and H335 though.

 

[Fuzzball]

"Advice? Comments?"

Yeah; get the right powders and use them. You would actually save money in the long run and your ammo will be signifcantly better than jamming a mismatched charge of "Whatever" powder into a variety of cases.

 

[308/338]

I was in VA visiting my son and there was a gun show in the area, so I went. I picked up two pounds of Leverevolution powder. My plan is to develop loads for uses in the 35R, 338ME, 308ME, 30 30W, W32spl., 356W these are my fun/hunting cal. I hope to be successful in this venture. It would make life easier at the loading bench.

I'm not leaving out the 444 because it seems to be happy with H4198.

T ;D ;NY

 

[44-40 Willy]

I'm a firm believer in Unique and 2400 in the 357 and 44-40. But that new Power Pistol is looking pretty good if I can find some.

 

[rimrock]

Right now, I use RedDot in .40 S&W and .45C because that is what was available during the shortage. It 's ok, but I will return to either Universal Clays or AA#5 for pistols when I use up the RedDot. H4198 for my .444, and Varget for .308. I have tried the Ed Harris 13 grain RedDot load in both rifles, and would use it if I had to.

The main difference of RedDot compared to the other pistol powders to me is the apparent quicker recoil. Recoil is over quicker, but I seem to be higher off target after a shot compared to the rolling recoil of Universal or AA #5.
rimrock