Going to the gun show

[Lowbudget12]

I am going to the gun show this weekend and that is where I buy powder and primers. I have been bitten by the cast boolit bug so I am wanting to expand. I currently have 231, unique, bulls eye, H110 and 2400. I load these in 9mm, 45acp and 44mag and I would like to add 38/357 to the mix. For the long guns we have IMR 4350, H4831 and varget in .308 and .270. So far I have not tried any cast in the rifle, I wanted to work out the pistols first. Everything is loaded with WLP, WSP and WLR primers.
So what am I missing?

[Rcmaveric]

Reloader 7, 4198, 5744 and Blue Dot, nah, add in some Tight Group. Now all your bases are covered. 5744 is super expensive, I have been using buffalo bore.



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[Went2kck]

Look for LUVEX powders. very clean burning stuff. Works very good all I have tried has ben ball and meters consistently. Just be sure to get one of their books on it or DL it on line.

[Rcmaveric]

Shooters world is the US distributor of Lovex powders.

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[TjB101]

TG for sure ... great all around powder, meters well. Decent for mid range 357 loads.

[Petrol & Powder]

I am going to the gun show this weekend and that is where I buy powder and primers. I have been bitten by the cast boolit bug so I am wanting to expand. I currently have 231, unique, bulls eye, H110 and 2400. I load these in 9mm, 45acp and 44mag and I would like to add 38/357 to the mix. For the long guns we have IMR 4350, H4831 and varget in .308 and .270. So far I have not tried any cast in the rifle, I wanted to work out the pistols first. Everything is loaded with WLP, WSP and WLR primers.
So what am I missing?

For the 38/357 loads, you are on the right track.

For 38 Special you already have two of the best powders: Bullseye & WW231 [AKA, HP-38].
I've loaded a truckload or two ;-) of 38 Special & 45 ACP cartridges using WW231. Bullseye is my current powder of choice for 38 Special but I will always keep 231 on hand.
231 or Bullseye will also feed your 45ACP loads with excellent results.

For full power magnum loads you have H110 [AKA, WW296] . H110 is my powder of choice for most straight walled, magnum revolver cartridges (357, 44, etc. ) I don't load/shoot a lot of magnum loads. When I do load magnum cartridges my motto is "go big or go home".
When magnum cartridges are being loaded there is only one powder you need - H110.

I keep Unique on hand for some loads such as the "Skeeter" 44 load (can work in 44 Special or Magnum casings).

For jacketed bullets in 308 Winchester, IMR4895 is my only powder. There are others that work but after a lot of rounds and a lot of targets, IMR4895 was the clear winner.

For the 9mm, I'm going to suggest an alternative powder that's not on your list; WSF.
WSF is an outstanding powder for 9mm with bullets in the 115-125 grain range. It is also a useful powder if you get into shotshell reloading.

Your current primers will work just fine. If you're at a show and the powder & primers are priced reasonably, that may be a good time to pick up those supplies without incurring a hazmat fee.

Good Luck !!

[JoeJames]

Trail Boss comes to mind. Seems fairly good for the older pistol calibers.

[dverna]

I am different. I do not want a wide variety of powders as I prefer to buy in bulk, save money and keep things simple. You will get better prices by waiting for online powder sales and free or cheap HazMat fees. I have rarely saved money buying at gun shows. You can get good deals on powder/primers at major competitions, like state or regional shoots, that have vendors.

The only powders I "need" to load .223, .30/30, and .308 in rifles; and .38/.357, 9mm. .40 and .45 in pistols; and 12, 20 and 28 ga are:

HP38 - same as W231
Promo - Red Dot
Varget
H4985
Unique
Longshot

I have at least 12 other partial cans/jugs of stuff from earlier days when I tired different things, but I do not "need" those powders. Six powders cover 10 calibers/gauges. The last time I bought a 1 lb can of powder was over 5 years ago. It was Blue Dot for a special project (9mm carbine max load) that died and it sits unopened.

Always look for deals. I bought 12 lbs of 700x, 10 lbs of Unique, and 8 lbs of Green Dot from a guy getting out of reloading at my Trap club for about $6/lb. Sold the 700x for $200 during the powder shortage (so made a profit and got the Unique and GD for free), Used up GD in shotgun shells. Still have the Unique for .357. My other score was 35 lb of CleanShot at a very good price. Looking for sales is how to shoot inexpensively and let's face it, almost any decent powder will work in pistol calibers unless you are trying to squeeze out every last bit of velocity. I dare say 95% of what we shoot is plinking and punching paper anyway...not performance loads.

Some people like to sub optimize every bullet in every caliber and need dozens of powders on hand. I would not want to add another powder to say shrink .30/30 cast groups by 1/2", or get another 100 fps. You may be different.

Decide what your objectives are for each caliber (plinkiing, hunting, cast, jacketed). Study the loading data. Make a list. That list will be the powders you need. When a sale comes up, stock up. If the powders on sale are not on you list but will work for your needs, buy them.

No one here will steer you wrong...but they will tell you what addresses their needs...not yours.

[quilbilly]

If you get some 4198 and RE-7 you should be good to go with bottleneck cases and your rifles. 5744 is about 30% more expensive than other rifle powders but I have a couple rifles that just love that powder and no filler are required with it even for load densities as low as 35%. You can use such low quantity loads with 5744, you might find it to be a wash cost-wise. You are already set up for pistols so no comment there. Since you already have 2400 for your pistols and if you have a 308, that powder might end up being your favorite for it for paper punching.

[kmw1954]

I only load for pistols and have my powders narrowed down to 3. AA#2, HP-38/W231 and Ramshot Silhouette. So far they have all performed well in the 380acp, 9mm and 45acp with a good number of different weight bullets.

[kmw1954]

Almost forgot to add a comment about Gun Shows. Here in SE Wisconsin and Northern Illinois all of the Shows that I have been to have been a waste of time. Little to no reloading supplies and what I have seen isn't a bargain. Again practically no reloading equipment and used hand guns that one would be lead to believe are all Collectors Editions. I quit attending the shows over a year ago.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

you've been given lots of advice so far, and the options for cast loads in Pistol are great, so I'll leave that for others to give general info, but if you had some specific questions for Pistol loads in castboolits, I could help.

I can offer some advice not found in most reloading manuals for starting out with loading "plinking" castboolit loads for Rifle.
Options for your .308 and .270 Rifles, would be Reloder 7, 2400, and Red dot...and with some research Titegroup.

Also, I think you should acquire and read a good cast bullet reloading manual.
One of the best, IMHO, is the Lyman Cast bullet handbook 4th Ed...it has a lot of general info about casting and loading cast boolits as well...it should be mentioned, there are a few hints, tips, and tricks for loading cast boolits, that are different from loading jacketed bullets.

That Lyman manual will also give you a lot of information about which powders to use for specific calibers, just by studying their Data. I will add that the older version (3rd Ed.) has a lot of data with different powders, so that is also a valuable resource. It's tough to find a reasonably priced paper copy of the 3rd Ed., but there is a downloadable ecopy available online.

[Froogal]

I was using Unique for the .45 Colts, and also for the .357. A few days ago I realized there was bunch of .38s on the shelf, loaded with Trail Boss, and they had been there for a few years. Wife grabbed her Cimarron, and I grabbed the Vaquero, and together we went through 200 rounds of those .38s. Very little recoil. I think that was one of the most pleasureable range days I have ever experienced. Enough so that I will now be reloading all of the .38s with Trail Boss.

[Petrol & Powder]

While dverna makes valid points, you must evaluate the savings based on your circumstances.

While buying in bulk and waiting for sales or no hazmat fees will save money, that only makes sense if it fits your situation.
If you're routinely going through 8 pound jugs of Bullseye, then finding those sales and no hazmat fee shipping deals will save you money.
However, if you're only burning a few pounds of pistol powder a year, you're not going to need several very expensive 8lb jugs of various powders sitting on the shelf.

Not every deal at a gun show will be a good deal and I've passed on many bad deals. You have to know when to walk away and then actually walk away when you should.
There are good deals to be had and you can take advantage of them. If you are looking for a pound or two and can find what you need at a good price without paying shipping or hazmat fees - you will come out ahead buying small quantities.
If you need multiple pounds of powder, dverna's method will probably suit your needs better. YOU HAVE TO DEFINE YOUR NEEDS AND DO THE MATH.

I have purchased powder at gun shows that was below the current retail prices. That means it was cheaper than retail, didn't have shipping fees and didn't have hazmat fees. I've also walked away from powder at gun shows that was priced above retail.

[kmw1954]

Because of what I have seen available at our local gun shows I resorted to buying primers and powders at Cabela's because they were reasonable and handy. I could go there and grab 1or2k primers and a pound of powder and it was still cheaper than buying online and paying shipping and hazmat. Now that the Cabela's buyout I gave that up also as this local store hadn't had primers available for almost 2 years.

The solution became that a large shop, Recob's Targets, that is about an hour and a half away is now my go to. Last trip Winchester had their rebate going so I went up and bought 7k primers and 2 more lbs. of powder that will now last me for over a year. When I get low I will make another road trip.

The vendors at our local shows all appear to be regulars with the same items on the same tables in the same spots.

[Kraschenbirn]

Lowbudget...while in the area, I dropped in on the Pecatonica (Winnebago County, IL) show about six months ago. Tons of ARs and associated aftermarket junk but very little (overpriced!) reloading materials an no casting 'stuff' at all. However, the following day, on my way up I-90, I stopped at a small show in Mauston (WI) and felt like I'd stepped back in time. Almost no black plastic 'tacti-cool' but all kinds of wood/steel long guns, a good bit of used reloading equipment, and even one table with some molds and casting supplies; all at reasonable prices. When/if you find the time, you might try moving inland...west and north...for your gunshow shopping.

As for your initial question, the only additions I'd suggest adding to your inventory might be be some AA#5 handgun and H4895 for rifle.

Bill

[richhodg66]

For handguns, no real need for anything besides Bullseye, Unique and 2400. Covers everything very well and better than most others.

[Wheelguns 1961]

For handguns, no real need for anything besides Bullseye, Unique and 2400. Covers everything very well and better than most others.
This! I load 95% of my handgun rounds with these three powders. I buy them in #8 jugs. No need for mag primers. I have some h110 and hs-6 that I use for a couple loads, but I buy them a pound at a time.

[mto7464]

Might give sport pistol a try too. Suppose to be made with coated bullets in mind. I like it, meters well and consistant

[ioon44]

I think sport pistol will be the next powder I try with my Hi-Tek coated bullets.