If you could have only one powder?

[pcmacd]

I'D HAVE TO HAVE FOUR (which is the minimum I could get by with...)

One for handguns: Scott 1000. It works for almost anything and leaves little residue behind. Accurate #5 or #7 (seven! yes!) would be second choice here.

One for raffles (that's what they shoot a skirrel w/in Kentucky): Varget. It's versatile, but not great for MAGNUM loads. H or IMR 4895 would either be a close second or turd.

~~~~~~~~~~~
If I got a turd, it would be either 2400 or W296/H110 for magnum handgun loads. Accurate #9 might be OK, too.

And for laaaarge cap raffles: H4831 or / H1000. H4831 would be preferred; it is most versatile in more loads, and will work with the huge magnums, albeit at a lesser velocity.

~~~~~~~~~~~
So you got my vote for TWO, and my vote for FOUR (which is the MINIMUM I would rather work with!)

Nice thread.

mac

[Landy]

Either 4831.
I just started loading handguns, so in extremis I could give it up.
In about x57mm capacity and up cases it can reach full power with select bullet weights; and in smaller cases a full case is still a useful, if powder hungry, reduced load.

[NoAngel]

I think I would have to have 3031
It's what I load my .358 Winchester with which happens to be the greatest most accurate cast bullet load "I" have ever assembled. I also enjoy shooting the gun and 3031 will feed every other rifle I own.
If it's only ONE powder, I'd kiss my pistols goodbye in favor of a solid rifle.

[GrocMax]

I'm a varminter, and all my calibers work well with WC844- 20 Prac, 223AI, 6x45, 6TCU, 6BR.
2nd choice would be Accurate 2200.

[shootsblanks]

well, considering I only reload for my 3030, and i don't have any of those on my shelf.. other,
power pistol works for me (I got lucky with this powder, my wife just bought the big jug of gunpowder at the gun store as a surprise and it worked out!)

I don't have a chrony but another members quick load calculations say I can safely go as fast as 1714fps with my 177gr flat nose, and that gives me ok hunting accuracy (5 shots 3.5 moa) for deer and is still travelling (according to hornady) over 1400fps at my 125 yard zero and is only 2.3" high at 75, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a deer at 125 or a bear at 100.
3 grains pushes a round ball at I don't know how fast, but the partridge around here don't seem to like it very much.
and 7 grains gives me a nice soft target load that hits bang on at 50, it groups better than my hunting load at about 2moa, does not lead with my pb 160rn, and the tin cans hate it.

[Landy]

well, considering I only reload for my 3030, and i don't have any of those on my shelf.. other,
power pistol works for me (I got lucky with this powder, my wife just bought the big jug of gunpowder at the gun store as a surprise and it worked out!)

I don't have a chrony but another members quick load calculations say I can safely go as fast as 1714fps with my 177gr flat nose, and that gives me ok hunting accuracy (5 shots 3.5 moa) for deer and is still travelling (according to hornady) over 1400fps at my 125 yard zero and is only 2.3" high at 75, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a deer at 125 or a bear at 100.
3 grains pushes a round ball at I don't know how fast, but the partridge around here don't seem to like it very much.
and 7 grains gives me a nice soft target load that hits bang on at 50, it groups better than my hunting load at about 2moa, does not lead with my pb 160rn, and the tin cans hate it.

Good work.

That's real versatility out of one cartridge and one powder.

[shootsblanks]

Good work.

That's real versatility out of one cartridge and one powder.

thanks! like I said it was all luck, my wife knew I wanted gunpowder for my birthday but she didn't know what kind, so she bought the big jug haha.

[Budzilla 19]

Might better hang on to both of them! Wife and powder. Hahaha! Gotta love a woman who will buy gunpowder! You got it covered well.

[Papa smurf]

Unique

[Soundguy]

I almost said imr 4064, but varget mostly covers that.

Hard to find one powder to cover long, short and smooth.

Titegroup, if I get to choose the guns I guess, otherwise trailboss. Reload just about anything ling or short.

[colchester]

H 4350 has become my new favorite

[Camba]

Blue Dot for me.
I can reload pistol, shotgun, and rifle.

[oldblinddog]

Varget: I can make both cast and match loads in .308 Win. (but there is no way I'm going to settle for one powder: SR4759, Unique, RL17 and Bullseye are all required as well).


somebody wake up Hodgdon and tell them to make some 4759!

[308Jeff]

I vacillated between Red Dot and Unique but Unique wins the one powder race. All you have to do is pick up a manual and see how many times it pops up as I did when I started reloading on a real small budget so it was one of the first powders I bought

Agreed. It runs 100% spot on in my Hornady LNL AP's too.

[paul h]

I've used Unique in every handgun round I've loaded from 9 mm to 480 and in rifles all the way up to 500 Jeffrey. I can't think of a powder that will work as well in so many different chamberings, and it produces exceptional accuracy when you find the sweet spot for a given chambering.

[Kosh75287]

Shotgun, Pistol & Revolver: Alliant Unique, Alliant Herco, or AA#5, in that order. Rifle: H4895, IMR-4064, or Varget, also in that order.

If logistics allowed, the triad of Bull's Eye (or Red Dot), Unique, and 2400 would cover any foreseeable need for pistol propellants, plus a few things in rifle cartridges. For Rifles, IMR-4227 (which could also take the place of Alliant 2400, if need be), and any of the previous rifle powders I mentioned would cover all needs in my armamentum.

Someone also mentioned IMR-3031, which I like PLENTY well! I just have trouble getting it to meter to my satisfaction, so I end up trickle-charging it.

[texasnative46]

JonB in Glencoe,

AGREED 100%. = The famous "The Load" by C.E. Harris is just one suggestion for a perfectly serviceable hunting load for most cartridges which have a capacity equal to or greater than .300 Savage & that can be loaded with Unique.

just my OPINION, tex

[lawboy]

Unique. I would then buy factory ammo for stuff like .223 and .308.
Unique would get be by for handguns (45acp, 40 s&w, 44 Mag., 45 Colt, 9mm, 38spl., 357 mag.) and large bore straight wall cases such as 45-70. I could also run mild loads in 300 AAC Blackout and maybe even 7.62x39. Lots of compromises, but I could still shoot a lot of what I own today.

[GhostHawk]

Let me put it this way.

Since reading about Harris's "the Load" and finding out that fast powders like Red Dot could be used across shotguns, rifles, pistols. I started looking for load data for every single caliber I had.

And I started buying Red Dot. That was 3 years ago.

After getting my latest 8 lb jug of Red Dot that puts my stash up to 23 lbs of Red Dot and 8 of Promo which is getting used in shotguns.

I have yet to find a rifle caliber with which a simple effective load with Red Dot can not be found which is both safe, effective, and thrifty.

For lower powered loads, from .223 to .357 mag 4.6 grains is my first choice. I do not know why, but this load is accurate in everything in which I have tried it.

In .357 mag at 50 yards it put 3 boolits in one ragged hole. Not a cloverleaf, tighter than that.

In the Mosin Nagant I like 10-13 grains behind the Lee .312 beagled or leemented out to .314 gas checked and sized to .314 lubed with BLL.

In the .444 Marlin I use the .430 310 gr wide meplat round nose gas checked over 13 grains of Red Dot.

No chrony so strickly WAG but I would say 1500 -1650 speed wise.
I suspect these would go lengthwise through any critter on North America.

Whats more the 4.6 grains load costs me about 1.6 cents per shot including shipping and hazmat.
And it will make a LOT of shots for a pound. Over 1500 in fact. Thats thrifty.

I use Red Dot in my pistols, from little 7.62x25 to .45 acp, lots of 9mm from 3 grains to blue whistlers over 4.5 grains in my Hipoint Carbine.

It runs everything. One powder yeah, I live it. I do use a little bit of IMR 4895 now and then for my Yugo SKS.

Red Dot works in it also, but it turns it into a Yugo version of a K-31 swiss straight pull bolt.

You do have to take extra precautions to guard against double charges. Fact of life, be careful or pay the price.

[copdills]

unique has always been my favorite powder