WidenersRepackboxRotoMetals2MidSouth Shooters Supply
Lee PrecisionLoad DataTitan ReloadingInline Fabrication
Reloading Everything
Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 66

Thread: So whats the best all-around cast bullet powder?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    233

    So whats the best all-around cast bullet powder?

    My vote goes to Reloader 7. I have some 5744, but haven't opened the can yet...............

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    938
    I use a lot of 4895 in my rifles and bullseye in pistols.
    jim

  3. #3
    Boolit Master RU shooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    SW Pa.
    Posts
    2,928
    Sorta depends on what your loading? Rifle ?pistol? For me though I can load everything I own that shoots cast with Bullseye ,unique and 2400. That's pistol and rifle ctgs. Might not be the best for the rifles but work good enough for targets .
    If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy Kegcaissy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    148
    Unique and green dot.
    We really need a Ar-15 subforum!

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy Cheeto303's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Woodlawn, Tn
    Posts
    169
    Unique, Trail Boss, 5744 and 4895.
    "Adults are the children and the children are the adults" Jules my wife.

    All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse, and a good wife. — Daniel Boone

    Democracy is defended in 3 stages: Ballot Box, Jury Box, Cartridge Box. — Ambrose Bierce

    A system of licensing and registration is the perfect device to deny gun ownership to the bourgeoisie. — Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

    Black Rifles Matter

    NRA Life Member, SAF Member, GOA Member, TFA Member

  6. #6
    Banned



    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Kansas
    Posts
    7,068
    Quote Originally Posted by RU shooter View Post
    Sorta depends on what your loading? Rifle ?pistol? For me though I can load everything I own that shoots cast with Bullseye ,unique and 2400. That's pistol and rifle ctgs. Might not be the best for the rifles but work good enough for targets .
    Add IMR4895 to that list and I think I could be set.

    I have been using a lot of 700X lately. Good stuff in a lot of things and my old Lyman manual has data for it in just about everything.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    4,609
    I second the vote on the Reloader 7
    I also use a lot of 5744 ,and use to use almost strictly SR 4759
    Those were all for rifle loadings.
    For Handguns I use Unique mostly

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Mountains of NC
    Posts
    790
    Mostly Unique in rifle and pistol.

  9. #9
    DOR RED BEAR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    1 mile from chickahominy river ( swamp) central va
    Posts
    2,162
    I imagine you ask 20 different people you get probably 15 different answers. My choice would have to be unique it works well on almost everything. The new cleaner version still ain't all that clean though.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    NW MO
    Posts
    620
    2400 and Unique are hard to beat!

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy Kegcaissy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    148
    To be really all aroud i have to add something like 4895 or 4064. Hunting loads and plinking/target loads.
    We really need a Ar-15 subforum!

  12. #12
    Boolit Man BlackPowderLove's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Western, WI
    Posts
    76
    1.5F OE
    “Tradition is not to preserve the ashes but to pass on the flame”

  13. #13
    Boolit Master quail4jake's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    The North Woods of Pennsylvania
    Posts
    544
    It seems that most rifle data is available for Hercules powders...I know, Hercules is now Alliant, yes thank you!. Can anyone find cast boolit data for Hodgdon powders, I use Universal, Lilgun, Longshot etc. but the cast boolit data seems to be Unique, Bullseye, 2400 etc. I suspect that's because it's been around so long. Universal is very close to Unique, Lilgun not far off from 2400 but I don't find much pressure tested data for those powders and it doesn't seem that Hodgdon is all that interested in publishing cast boolit data...
    BTW, to go on record...it is not OK to substitute one similar burning rate powder for another just because it is similar, stay only within reliably published, pressure tested data. That's the challenge with Hodgdon powders.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Susanville, Kalifornia
    Posts
    119
    I would have to vote for Unique as being the best all-round cast bullet powder for rifles, especially, and for pistols as well. It seems one can find a load of some sort for just about every caliber out there and it can be used in shotgun loadings too, particularly in 20 gauge.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy garrisonjoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    102
    I second the vote on Reloder 7
    I also use a lot of 5744 ,and have used a lot of SR 4759
    And, adding to that for rifle cast loads,
    IMR 4198
    4227
    3031


    Pistol target loads - Win WST and Hodgdon Clays

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    364
    Unique in large pistols.

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Pinkney City
    Posts
    299
    What ever shoots best in your gun. Duh.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Posts
    911
    I could pick 3 maybe, Unique for handguns, magnum handgun h110 or also unique for lower vel. rifles h4895 or unique for low vel. 2400 might be better overall than h110 and would work in rifle too but I really like the h110 performance.

  19. #19
    In Remembrance Reverend Al's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Victoria, B.C., Canada
    Posts
    1,899
    Pretty much all of the powders mentioned above have worked well for me in a variety of cast boolit cartridges, but I'd like to add H322 to the list. It shoots spectacularly well out of a Ron Smith re-bored large action Martini that I have in .338 / .303 British with the Lee 200 grain GC boolit, so I plan to try it in many of my other cast boolit rifles. (The fact that I got a heck of a deal on about 7 pounds of H322 from an estate was a big bonus too of course.)
    I may have passed my "Best Before" date, but I haven't reached my "Expiry" date!

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    2,794
    I like Reloader 7 in rifle rounds, generally the first powder I try. Not much use in pistols , so I need something in the bullseye and unique realm. Let’s say green dot because I like it in 16 ga shot shells as well. Gotta have some 2400, heavy bullets in the revolvers, 410 shotshells, and moderate rifle loads. AA2495 and 4064 show good velocities at moderate pressure in 375win and the like. So,,, RL7, green dot, 2400 and AA4064 could do it for me. Glad I don’t have to limit myself cause I really like bullseye, red dot, 4198,4895, 296,231, fffg, 2230c, titewad...
    “You don’t practice until you get it right. You practice until you can’t get it wrong.” Jason Elam, All-Pro kicker, Denver Broncos

Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check