How many powders in your cupboard?

[Akheloce]

I was reorganizing my powder storage today, and noticed that I have lots of variety. This is not by choice. I have 5 or 6 powders that I use regularly, or DESIRE to use regularly.

Unfortunately, given the powder shortage of the past several years, I've had to buy what I can when I see it, regardless if it is my personal preference. Additionally, most stores only allow me to buy 1 or 2 lbs of each type, so even when I find what I like in stock, I still have to diversify.

Here's a list of all the powders I ended up with so far:

AA2495- bought when I wanted H4895 but none could be had.
N340- I don't remember how I came to own this.
CFE223- bought when I couldn't find Varget
IMR 4198- bought when I couldn't find H4198
Varget- my go to .308/168 gr load
H4198- my go to 458 SOCOM/ 500 gr load
RL22- my go to 30-06/180 gr load
RL15- my go to 35 Whelen/ 310 gr load
XBR8208- bought as a 308 experiment
Benchmark- 308 155 gr load
Win 760- 30-06/ 178 gr target load
IMR 4064- bought for 308 experiment
H335- only powder on the shelf when I needed 223 powder
Win WST- great 45 ACP target load
Unique- light 45 Colt loads
H4895- my best 69gr 223 load
Longshot- 460 Rowland experiment
231/HP-38- high volume 45 ACP plinking load- it was available in quantity when I needed something
Autocomp- 45 ACP load- available when I needed any kind of 45 ACP powder
TrailBoss- variety of uses, 45 Colt, light rifle loads, etc
LilGun- my best heavy 45 Colt load
SR4759- only pistol powder I could find today- plan on experimenting with heavy 45 Colt
Titegroup- could only get 1lb- good all around pistol powder
AA#7- 10mm load, other random revolver loads (327 Fed, 357, etc)
Fg Goex- for my cannon
FFg Goex- for 45/70
FFFg Goex- for my cap'n balls, and 45Colt.

If I could consolidate I would, but up here, you gotta buy whatever powder you can when you see it. It sure is frustrating.

So you guys have a similar experience?

[LAGS]

I think your collection is a general reflection of what we all had to do in this short supply situation.
We probably all have a bunch of powders that we normally don't or would not consider using.
I want the good old days back where we would just buy what we needed, and what we wanted to use.

When I saw the shortage coming, the first thing I did, was to stock up on the powders that I normally use, and that would load a variety of calibers with loads that I was happy with.
IMR 4064 seemed to cover almost all of the rifle calibers that I shoot, so I found an 8 lb jug of it when I could.

[trapper9260]

I think your collection is a general reflection of what we all had to do in this short supply situation.
We probably all have a bunch of powders that we normally don't or would not consider using.
I want the good old days back where we would just buy what we needed, and what we wanted to use.

When I saw the shortage coming, the first thing I did, was to stock up on the powders that I normally use, and that would load a variety of calibers with loads that I was happy with.
IMR 4064 seemed to cover almost all of the rifle calibers that I shoot, so I found an 8 lb jug of it when I could.

I did the same as you LAGS stock up on what i use and I saw it coming also.As for now I am set for some time on powders.

[Bullshop Junior]

I have a can of 2400, a couple pounds of OLD reddot, a can of bluedot, a half pound of H110 and about a half pound of titewad.

[GhostHawk]

i have been actively looking for shotgun/pistol powder for over 9 months now. Have yet to find something that looks like it would work in both 9mm and .45acp. On the plus side I'm starting to see powders like 4227 show up so it may not be long.

When I first looked for rifle powder IMR 4350 was all I could get.
Since then I have added IMR 4895 and 3031.

There are a lot of powders out there I would LOVE to try.
But they remain stubborn in the finding.

Edit!
Powder situation has eased considerably.
Current inventory
6 lbs of Red Dot (Ohhh happy day)
2 lbs IMR 4227
2 lbs IMR 4895
1.5lbs IMR 3031
2 lbs IMR 4350
and a 14 oz can of Titewad which looks like it is going to go into .45acp loads.

Overall, I have been the most happy with the Red Dot. I have shot it in almost every rifle I own, it seems to be clean, quiet, and effective. I do watch like a hawk for double charges.
My biggest surprise was how effective 7 grains of RD in my 7.62x39 behind a 93 gr and 155 gr bullet. Both shot to point of aim, nice tight groups.

[bedbugbilly]

Bulls Eye
Unique
Red Dot
700X
AA2
Goex FFFFG
Goex FFFG
Goex FFG
Elephant FFG

[Petrol & Powder]

In the past I worked to keep the different types of powders to a minimum. I like to keep logistics simple. Like the OP, I've been forced to expand the diversity of the types of powder on hand.
On a positive note, I was in a LGS yesterday and they had a much larger supply of powders on the shelf. More than I've seen in over a year. It was a pretty good selection, rifle, shotgun/pistol. Mostly Hodgdon, some Alliant, IMR and even some Winchester Autocomp. That's a good sign.

On a related note, has anyone noticed that Hodgdon seems to have more powders available? When I do find powder for sale it always seems like the bulk of it is made by Hodgdon. Did they ramp-up their production to meet the demand?

[Jack Stanley]

Like Petrol & Powder , I keep the different varieties to a minimum . What makes it different for me is I tend to load in large batches so I don't need to visit the powder suppliers real often . When I do normally I get the large containers . So far the shortage hasn't bothered me for any normal supplies I use .

Jack

[375supermag]

Hi...

Primarily a handgun reloader so...

Unique
Bullseye
2400
Blue Dot
HP38
W231
H110
W296
Red Dot
IMR4227
Titegroup

Have a couple of small containers (1-4oz) of AA7, AA9 and a couple other powders that I bought from a LGS that sold re-packaged powders for reloaders that wanted to try a powder. I bought these years ago and don't remember if I ever tried any of them.

Have a couple of pounds of rifle powders squirreled away in the back of the powder magazine. I haven't gotten around to reloading any rifle cartridges(except for a friend some years ago), so I don't even remember what they are.
I do have die sets and primers for the rifle calibers that my son and I shoot, so we will explore that facet of reloading this coming winter. That will probably necessitate acquiring a few more types of rifle powders, but that's OK...I have plenty of room for powders, bullets, primers and brass. Just need to be more organized and efficient time-wise.

[runfiverun]

I see a lot of overlap.
4064-varget same thing only different.
I just went through my stuff and have been burning up all the old 1-3 pounds of whatever powders I had kicking around.
I don't need 231 and 700-x and red-dot and clays and titegroup and bullseye.
they all do the same thing at the same pressures with the same powder weights, I looked at what had the broadest applications to my needs.
clays and 700-x work in my shot shell loads very well but I like red-dot better and it does everything they do in the handguns too.
so I focus my efforts on getting red-dot and just burning up the others.

now red-dot has it's limitations [such as the 20ga] and pressures out in many handgun loads at a certain point so I need another powder to start working where it quits, I'm not a big fan of unique sooo.....

[tazman]

I made the unknowing mistake of starting back into reloading heavily during the height of the shortage. Finding anything to use was bad news. New powders and older powders alike were just unavailable.
I would just buy a pound of whatever I could find. I only have a few partials left that I haven't used up.
Main stocks are
For the handgun(38/357 and 9mm)
CFE pistol
WSH
AA7
Trail Boss
Titewad
partials are
Herco
Titegroup
800X

For the rifle(30-06)
3031
W760
Trail Boss

Not currently reloading for shotgun. I loaded up a bunch of hunting loads years ago and sealed them in large containers. I probably will never shoot them all.

[flyingmonkey35]

Shotgun - universal / reddot
Handgun - tight group
Trailboss
Rifle - leverrelotion

[rintinglen]

IMR Powders
4227
3031
4895
PB
4350
4759

Alliant Powders
Unique
Bullseye
Power Pistol
Red Dot
Herco
2400
RL-7

Hogdon
Varget
HS-6
414
110
4895

Winchester
231
296
748
760
Only 748, 231, 2400 and Unique amount to more than one pound. They represent the powders I used to keep stocked up--the others are either 10-20 year old remnants, or else what I could find over the last year and a half. I look forward to being able to buy another 8 pounder of 231 and have become a fan of Power Pistol in many applications where Unique has been my choice in the past. An 8 pounder of that would tickle my fancy as well. I could easily dispense with over half of these, since in many cases there is only an ounce or two left-- not enough to bother working up a load with.

[waco]

Unique
2400
Bullseye
571
Reddot
h110
296
IMR4350
Lilgun
4227
clays
H335
BLC-2
2230
3100
2520
231
Titegroup
4895
SR4759
4064
3031
and I probably forgot a few...

[jonp]

Bullseye
Universal
w231
Promo
Unique
Varget
CFE 223
IMR 3031
IMR 4064
AA 2230
WC 870
H110
W296
AR Comp
2400
IMR 4759
Blue Dot

A lot of some, 1lb of others. I've narrowed it down to a few that I use and the others were experiments and I went no further which explains some of the powders that do the same thing. I was looking for variances or a few extra fps but was not that impressed with accuracy so went back to the original. I gave some away of a couple I did not use at all.

[Jupiter7]

Bullseye
AA5
2400
h110
aa1680
lil gun
aa2200
Tac
h4895
Varget

would like some red dot/promo, unique & aa9. Nothing I can't load with what I got, still want more.

[goryshaw]

With the lack of reloading components since 2012 I've been buying any powders that are available, not necessarily the ones I would prefer. Lately I've ramped that up, buying something every pay period. Rifle powders are starting to have decent availability, but pistol/shotgun powders are nonexistent still. Although I was able to get some surplus HPC-18 (WW 231) through GiBrass and some CSB-1 (Universal) through HiTech Ammo.

Current stock looks OK, but I don't want to get caught up again with no powder so I'll keep buying every couple weeks.

IMR 4831 (20+ year old, < 1 lb remaining, 7 mm Mag that I no longer own)
IMR 4350 (20+ year old, < 1 lb remaining, .243 Win)
H 414 (1 lb, 20+ year old, unopened, .243 Win)
AA 4064 (3 lbs picked up last fall, .30-06 and other milsurps)
Alliant RL 15 (5 lbs in the last month, .30-06, 7.62x51, 5.56x45 69/77 gr loads)
Alliant Varmint (3 lbs last fall, 5.56/.223 50ish grain loads
IMR 4895 (1 lb, .30-06)
IMR 4759 (16 lbs this summer, for cast bullets in milsurps)
IMR 4227 (1 lb this summer, haven't decided what to use it in)
H110 (1 lb, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, traded some Bl-C(2) to a coworker for it)
WW 296 (1 lb, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum)
AA 9 (1 lb unopened)
2400 (20+ years old, < 1/4 pound remaining)
AA 7 (.32 H&R Mag, <1/4 pound remaining)
HS-6 (20+ years old, 1 lb unopened)
Unique (20+ years old, < 1/4/ pound remaining)
Universal Clays / CSB -1 (.44 Spc, < 1/4 lb of Universal, 5 lbs of CSB-1)
WW 231 / HPC-18 (1.5 lbs WW 231, 6 lbs HPC-18)
Red Dot (20+ years old, .45 Colt, < 3/4 lbs)
Bullseye (20+ years old, < 14/ lb)
Winchester Super Light (20+ years old, < 1/2 lb remaining, for .40 S&W, don't load for the caliber anymore)
Winchester Super Target (20+ years old, 1.5 lbs, for 12 gauge trap loads)
Winchester Super Field (20+ years old, 1 lb unopened, no idea why I bought it)
Alliant Steel (1 lb, see if it can duplicate 2400 performance)

Getting pretty close to the 50 lb onsite limit, might have to start storing some with siblings. Already have it split into < 20 lb batches in wooden storage cabinets. Headed down the CMP games in Phoenix this week, hopefully there will be some there or at Bruno shooters supply while I'm there.
(edited to add a couple I had missed)

Greg Shaw

[cstrickland]

I have only a few that I use as I only own a couple of different calibers.
Tac
CFE 223
Unquie
PP 300-MP

now I like everyone else it seems will be building on different powders, as some of these are not always in stock. I actually went through and made a list of all acceptable powders for my loads, and I keep it in my wallet so if I see something at the price point I want I just grab it.

[FLHTC]

I think i have a pound or two

[roverboy]

I've got Win. 748
IMR 4350
IMR 4895
AA 2520
WC 860
Thunderbird T5070
Alliant 2400
Unique
IMR 4227
and probably one or two more.

[Ken in Iowa]

I have about 20.

From memory;

Bullseye
Tightgroup
700x
Clays
PB
Red Dot
2400
Unique
Trailboss
SR 4759
H4227
IMR 4227
IMR 4198
IMR 3031
IMR 4895
IMR 4064
IMR 4320
IMR 4350
H4350
H380
H322
BLC2
RL 15
WW 748
WW 760
WC 846 pull down

plus black powder and substitutes

guess that hat is a few more than 20 :)

[bobthenailer]

Too many ! someday i have to use up my rarely used powders that i bought to experiment with or no longer use that often , Example! I still have 4lbs of WAP left over from a 8lb jug that has been discontinued for years.

In the last few months i finished of some WSF and 1680 powders and still have a few more to go, unique, blue dot , 2400, H-4227, 3031, 4064, and reloader-22 to use up with no restocking of that type.

[starmac]

Not restocking 2400 and 3031 would seem like I was out of powder. lol

[bangerjim]

Nothing like giving the ATF an on-line menu of what you have.........stored properly or not! :violin:

banger

[starmac]

Nothing like giving the ATF an on-line menu of what you have.........stored properly or not! :violin:

banger

YA THINK. CHA CHING. lol

[Tar Heel]

I will look for the mushroom clouds if and when a large solar flare erupts. :-)

[Billairgun]

Looks like not much Vihtavuori or Ramshot powders. Still have a pound of n110, n540, Zip and True blue to use up.

[bobthenailer]

Too many ! someday i have to use up my rarely used powders that i bought to experiment with or no longer use that often , Example! I still have 4lbs of WAP left over from a 8lb jug that has been discontinued for years.

In the last few months i finished of some WSF and 1680 powders and still have a few more to go, unique, blue dot , 2400, H-4227, 3031, 4064, and reloader-22 to use up with no restocking of that type.

Somehow i have gotten through 40+ years of loading mostly pistols and rifles with hardly using the the above 8 powder,s , except WSF .

[ravelode]

Not enough, that's for sure:shock:

[gnoahhh]

Don't tell the fire marshall or my homeowner's insurance, but here goes:

Bullseye- several pounds
Clays- a bunch
Universal Clays- too much
Unique- a fair amount, but not nearly enough
2400- enough for quite a long time
SR-4759- maybe 8 pounds, wish it were 80 pounds
4227- yep
RL-7- ditto
3031- several pounds
4895- " "
4064- " "
4831- " "
Miscellaneous partials- 748,760,H-414,H-322,H-380,4198,4320,296,H-110
Goex black powder- several pounds each FFFg and FFg
800x- a couple cans
PB- a couple cans
Longshot- a couple cans

[dragon813gt]

I keep hearing all this talk about a shortage. I am not foolish enough to post what I have on hand. I used to stock only a few. But I've added more firearms to the safe. And while the powders I have will work there were better options. So I picked up powders specifically for those firearms. Didn't have any issues finding them either as I wasn't in a hurry and bought when I found them. Which was w/in a few weeks, no more than a month.

[wallenba]

Oh heck... I'm just too lazy to type all this.

[starmac]

May not be a shortage, but if a guy wants a certain powder, he had better be grabing it the day it hits town here. lol It has been a year before we had a one day run of 2400, pretty much the same for unique. It is very rare we see any dots at all. Rifle powders have been coming in fairly often, but pistol and shotgun not so much. I bought my limit a year ago, and got my wife to also get the limit on 2400, 2 pounds each. I shared it with another member that could not get any, and even though I check several times a week, have not seen any more in the stores. I did get restocked not long ago, but it was from an individual that had had it for years.

[RogerDat]

Maybe I need to get out more but cupboards are bare at LGS when I have checked and my house is down to Unique. Unless you count stuff stored in small brass canisters.
Still waiting on an order from Lohmans made on 7/22 They said up to 12 weeks and that would be about 1 more week. Hoping it's soon.

[Pinsnscrews]

Growing...It sucks starting this hobby when there is a "Panic" going on...:violin:

[BruMatt]

Bullseye
Win 231
Titegroup
Trail Boss
Unique
Universal
Green Dot
HS6
Autocomp
4227
2400

not the longest list, I guess. I thought I might be considered a "horder" but I feel better about myself now.

[FlatTop45LC]

Too much and not enough!

I keep several pounds of Unique, RL19, RL22, IMR 4064, 3031, AND H110 on hand at all times.

[MarkP]

Some commercial grades

H4198



RP-11



AA1680



AA1680



RP-15



H110



2015BR



2015BR



748



4320



RP-15



4350



RED DOT



571



HP38



732



760



790



3031



CLAYS



4227



4350



BULLSEYE 84



540



700X



H4350



7828



4320



H870



H450



H4198



H414



H1000



AA2460



UNIVERSAL



5010



RED DOT



GREEN DOT



H110



RP-19



RL-19



BLUE DOT



H2400



RL-7



Longshot



MP-300



MR-2000



ProReach



Trailboss



Extra lite

[btroj]

Too.....

[krag35]

Trail Boss, Bullseye, SR4756, Unique, Blue Dot, H-110, Lil Gun. Trimming to Unique, Blue Dot, and Lil Gun.
AAC5744, AAC2015, IMR 4064, IMR 4350. Only the 5744 is going away.
There are some partials and some full pounds that I'll trade off for something I need.
If I had to, I could get by with AAC2015 or IMR4064 and Unique, but I don't have to.

[Geezer in NH]

I still have a container of 4895 half filled I bought in 1970 for $45 dollars. It has at least 20-25 pounds left. I load any rifle caliber with it and figure It will be at 10 pounds when I leave this life.

It is not the best or most accurate for each caliber but it works like it was made for. Hunting or protection.

I shot up all the cheap 4831 I had (200 pounds+) Loved that powder!!!!!!!!!

[Geezer in NH]

I still have a container of 4895 half filled I bought in 1970 for $45 dollars. It has at least 20-25 pounds left. I load any rifle caliber with it and figure It will be at 10 pounds when I leave his life.

It is not the best or most accurate for each caliber but it works like it was made for. Hunting or protection.

I shot up all the cheap 4831 I had (200 pounds+) Loved that powder!!!!!!!!! (at $.40 cents a pound)

[Yodogsandman]

Wow! Even back when I started reloading (bout 1984), I only read about guys getting deals like those for powder and drooling. Good on you for shooting it all up!

[Dave C.]

I just looked and I could only find one kind of powder under my bench. GREY.

[mozeppa]

i'm too lazy to name them and make a list ...so ...i'll post a picture.

p.s. the picture could also qualify in the "if you had 100 pounds of powder...what would it look like?" thread.:bigsmyl2:

[starmac]

i'm too lazy to name them and make a list ...so ...i'll post a picture.

p.s. the picture could also qualify in the "if you had 100 pounds of powder...what would it look like?" thread.:bigsmyl2:

It appears you are out of something.

[NavyVet1959]

But have you ever bought 8 lbs or so of a particular powder, only to find out that you already had that powder in your reloading room? I nearly did that the other day. Forgot I had 16 lbs of Longshot stored away in the back of a closet. Ooops...

[mozeppa]

But have you ever bought 8 lbs or so of a particular powder, only to find out that you already had that powder in your reloading room? I nearly did that the other day. Forgot I had 16 lbs of Longshot stored away in the back of a closet. Ooops...

nope ....but i did buy 16 pounds of red dot because it was cheap! and still had 5 pounds on the shelf.

no...don't have one missing the unlabeled jug on the left is empty.
....and i have a few more jugs that are empty......hmmmm.... need more shelf space!:bigsmyl2: