how many burn rate powders/manufactures do you keep?

[brass410]

Last evening was in reloading room with powder magazine door open when swmbo delivered a light snack and beverage to me, as she perused my little empire she noticed the contents of said magazine. At that point she quiped "ugh I guess I don't have a lot of different shoes, and I bet they didnt cost what this pleasure box did" smiled and disappeared a quickly as a 300 class whitetail in a cedar thicket. So..... shoes are only to keep socks from getting dirty or to hide a bad petticure. But powder variety is soooo much more. I looked and only had 6 different manufacturers and 30 different rates, am I missing something or is this becoming a fetish? to those who can, feel free to make scale,bar graph,or into a survey I lack the comp savy to do so.

[toallmy]

I tried to keep it simple most of my life .
4831 & 4350 took care of my rifle needs
Red & blue dot , unique , herco took care of my shot shells
H 110 /296 or shot shell powder took care of my handgun ammo
Over the last several years I have spread out quite a bit adding several more to the closet but the only one really needed to be added was 4064 and that was only needed because of a 223 .

[bangerjim]

I don't even keep a count. I have plenty of the powders I use on a regular basis (when I feel secure using the primers I have to load!).

[17nut]

One!

Quickload.

[QuackAttack24]

My numbers went way up this past year as I began to run low on favorites, and couldn't find any for sale. So now I have W231, AA#5 and titegroup to fill in for bullseye and unique. I was running low on A2400, so I'm learning to use IMR 4227 and AA#7, and so on, and so on. The only thing I feel foolish about is having 3 different powders for .223 with nearly identical appearance, load data, and burn rate Ramshot TAC, X-Terminator, and H335. Visually they are indistinguishable. In my testing they are interchangeable, and as far as I'm concerned I could pour them all in the same jug and never know the difference. I could call it TAC-Inator-335. I actually now don't think I'll ever run out of powder for any caliber I currently shoot (12). I don't think my wife will ever run out of shoes either. Now just need to solve the SPP problem.

[Electrod47]

I used to keep it simple when younger following old timers advice. Red Dot, 2400, Bulleye, Unique for handgun. 3031 and 4227 for rifle.
In the last 10 - 15 years started to feel the need to replicate some of the recipes I was reading about in manuals and Handloader magazine.
Today I keep at least 25 different powders. Glad I did. Looks like the future will demand once again, simplicity.

[brass410]

keep them coming, I to like to get powder when opportunity knocks this why I have such a variety also same with primers when I can get them I do glad I have done this I may be the only one left shooting at the range these days.

[Taterhead]

I have too many different types of open jugs and bottles. Probably 25 or more. I have 7 or 8 types that I have yet to open and try. I've made a commitment to simplify a bit. I might have 35 different powders, and could easily get by with one third of them. So I'm working through the open containers before opening anything new. I almost have the discipline to keep to that goal.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have many powders, some have 2 or more 8 pounders, some bought because that was the 'fastest' powder for the caliber, others because the price was really REALLY good. Early, BEFORE INTERNET, recommendations came from gun publications. Over time, I found burn rates varied in many products, IMR products seemed most consistent and cleanest burning, but that was 40 years ago. Some jugs are used for summer practice but have been replaced with 'better to me' (cleaner, less flash, less muzzle blast, less temperature sensitive) powders. My last 2 lbs of BL-C2 of 8lbs will not be replaced, TAC works better for me, I still have some IMR4064, but Reloder 15 and sometimes Varget have that 'job'. Some powders measure very accurately, mostly spherical/ball powders (TAC,2520) but also fine grained stick/extruded powders(H322, A2015, IMR4227) that are used for high volume loading. I have 'a lot' of powder of many types stored safely, primers too, shooting it all will be my problem over the next 10-20 years. I am 72. Mostly I shoot 308, 300 Savage and 32 Special boolits and jacketed about equally so those are the powders I mostly use.

[brass410]

I know that I will probably never use up what I have, but the manufacturers keep coming up with "new and improved" and since I'm always chasing that holy grail of better performance I don't see the numbers diminishing in my magazine. I have been able to help out fellow shooters wanting to try different loads,and thats just as much fun at the range as shooting my own stuff.

[Hick]

Yeah-- lots. The problem is availability and the occasional "Want to try something new." I basically only keep 2 types of powder: fast powder for pistols and light cast rifle loads, and slower powder for heavier rifle loads (32WS, 30-30, 303, 7.65, 30-06). If I could find a consistent supply I could get by with two-- but can't seem to always find the same powder-- so I buy what I can get.

[rbuck351]

I find that certain powders work better in certain caliber, bullet weight and type, case size and shape that any other powder. Therefore I have several different powders as I shoot several different cartridges and am always seeking the ideal powder for each. I found Tac to be THE powder for my 350Rem mag as it gives better accuracy, velocity and lower pressure than 335 or 4895.

[BigAlofPa.]

I have quite a few different powders. Buy 1 lb bottles to try something new. Then if like it. I'll get bulk. Red and green dot i buy 8lb jugs. Same with Bullseye and sport pistol and tite group and unique. After the madness calms i want to get 2400 and varget in bulk.

[243winxb]

IMR & Alliant for me. Here is a list of all powder made & there manufacturer. Includes OEM http://www.theballisticassistant.com/smokeless-powder-catalog/

[Texas by God]

For handgun, three. Fast, medium, and slow burning. For rifles, three. Fast, medium and slow burning.
So I’m going to say at least six types of powder!

[farmbif]

its good to have a wide variety of powders from red dot on fast side to super performance on slow end. stored properly powder lasts for decades. if you have a proper storage site its not a problem, would not want to have an emergency in house and having large quantity of powder improperly stored.
having good inventory just allows you to have options when working up new loads and exploring new calibers.
how's the saying go--variety is the spice of life.
the way things have been going investing in powder and primers is a win win situation for any avid hunter/shooter/reloader/bullet caster.

[sharps4590]

For ALL my shooting needs I could easily get by with 3 powders. Unique, IMR-3031 and IMR-4831......but, I ain't about "gettin' by." Newest powder I have is Titegroup and it's ok. No better than Unique or Red dot. Oh, there's Trail Boss, it's handy to have around. I miss the Dupont/IMR, SR series, particularly SR-4759.

[GregLaROCHE]

Besides all the modern powders I’ve collected, I’m now building a collection of black powders.

[GhostHawk]

The vast majority of my loads are loaded with Red Dot. I also have a single pound of green and bluedot on hand.

Pound and a half of 3031, 3 lbs of IMR 4895, couple of IMR 4350. With dibs and drabs of bullseye, herco, titewad, etc.

[SoonerEd]

I load for around 30 calibers so lots of assortment. I'm always experimenting and trying to find a better load. So, probably got 30 plus.

[15meter]

When you load for 60+ rifle, shotgun and pistol, starting at the 204 Ruger and ending at the 470 Nitro Express or the 22 Hornet and ending at the 50-70 depending how you define smallest and biggest, I've got a bunch of different powders.

Plus a bunch that I inherited or bought at garage sales cheeep. Found a use for all of them, may not be the ideal use but they all go bang and for non-competition fun shooting that's all I need. More money for the important things in life--beer, more reloading tools/molds/tools in general/iceboat stuff.

Was given an unopened can of 5066 this summer, apparently 60 years it was the cat's meow in handgun loads. It's all good, even if you have to dig a little bit for load data.

[brass410]

WOW thats a pretty nice collection of primers, I like the floor magazine its so much more spacious than a locker (easier to find what your lookin for) LOL

[ElPistolero]

Hmm, never really counted ... OK, I have 8 powders, but seem to load a majority of my rounds with IMR 4227 or International. There are a fair number of W231, also, and onesie-twosies of IMR 3031, W 296, IMR 4831. Even one with Bullseye, mostly because some one traded it to me for some primers.

[Soundguy]

I mainly shoot imr and powders. A very little bit of winchester. Here in the last year I have picked up some Alliant, and now as of last week, Accurate. I'm in the market to also try some Ramshot .. just can't find any true blue.

Of those makers.. I would guess I have about 30 or so different powders.

[lotech]

I keep one or two kegs each of H4895, H4350, and H4831 for all jacketed bullet rifle loads for use in about a dozen rifle cartridges from .222 through .300 Magnums.

For cast rifle loads in six or eight cartridges from .30-40 through .45-70 I use 5744, Reloder 7, H4895, and a dwindling supply of SR4759.

For five or six handgun cartridges I use Bullseye, 231, Herco and Unique, but 90% of my handgun cartidges are loaded with the first two.

I went that route of trying many powders for years and had countless containers with varying amounts of powder. Most of the new powders I've tried in the last thirty years offer nothing over powders I was already using, but I guess it's a marketing ploy to have many powders that duplicate many powders.

[downzero]

I have quite a few. But if we go back to normal where I can get what I want, I'm certainly going to consolidate. Handguns I like having one main one for 9/40/45 and for lower speed revolver loads, along with a middle speed powder for higher velocity handgun and then I keep 2400 and H110 for magnum loads. Rifles each cartridge has its own powder. I am doing cowboy action shooting now and so I may add one even faster burning handgun/shotgun powder for that. I could get by with just a few powders, but variety is the spice of life.

[Eddie Southgate]

Gold Bond and Dr.Scholls . You were talking about foot powder ,,, right ?

[Jim22]

The more the better. I have learned through the shortages that I can keep shooting even if the loads are not ideal for the gun.

[tazman]

I tried out a number of different powders when I was developing loads for my rifles. I found that my needs were covered by two or at most three different powders and those are the ones I stock. I still have a few partial bottles of various powders left over from testing but very seldom use them.

Handgun powders are a different story. I have quite a few different ones but only because they were what I could find at the time. Most of my handgun loads are covered by three powders. Most of the powders I picked up during the shortage have been used up for range loads and practice.

[JimB..]

I have too much variety, and too much quantity. A month ago I was looking everywhere online for a pound of VV 3n37 to try with a light 9mm bullet. Never did find it and was about to post a wtb with a stupid price when I found 5 lbs that I’d forgotten I had.