What powder manufacturer do you use and why?

PaulS

I have settled on using Hodgdon products. I have loaded more than half the powders listed in the Hodgdon burn rate chart and have decided that Hodgdon is the one I will stick with. The reasons behind my choice are that they have powders that fit every cartridge that I load for now and any that I can think of that I might load for in the future. They don't drop powders every few years like Winchester (they don't even have enough powders to select from and only offer limited date for the few powders they do have - Hodgdon supports reloaders with a large selection (over 25% of the powders listed in the burn rate chart belong to them) and they still offer the old favorites and modernize them with more stable short cut and temperature tollerant versions. If you contact them for a load they will give you the information that they have.

Are there any other powder distributors (I know the don't make their own) or manufacturers that offer what Hodgdon does?

Vince

Gidday PaulS. I stick religiously to ADI powders, manufactured in Australia. They have a great range of powders....you can load from light pistol target loads to shotgun and pretty well any rifle load. I have decided to load my 30.30 and .243 using just the one powder, AR2208, or Varget as you guys know it. Its a very good verstatile powder. For shotgun I use AS50 and AP70.

Cheers, Vince

Bushmaster

I'm not that much of a brand follower. I'm faithful to only what works for me.
Winchester
Hodgdon
Alliant
Are in my loading bench at this time.

Vince

Bushmaster wrote:

I'm not that much of a brand follower. I'm faithful to only what works for me.
Winchester
Hodgdon
Alliant
Are in my loading bench at this time.

Gidday Bushy, how are you mate? What you said makes a lot of sense. I too stick to what works for me which is why I have gone the way I have. Originally I had three different powders for reloading the 30.30 and .243, but with the one now I can concentrate more on just one powder rather than a number of them.

Cheers, Vince

Handloader

Hi PaulS: many of the Hodgdon powder offerings are Australian in origin and comprise the majority of powders I use. The source country is listed on the side of the powder container and the Australian stuff is usually a lighter color than the Canadian sourced powder that uses a darker deterrent coating.

H4350 has become a staple item in many of my rifles. It is one of the Extreme Series and demonstrates little velocity variation relative to temperature. H322 is amazing stuff in the 223Rem and gives top velocities in the 50gr range in my rifles.

Alliant Reloder 19 & 22 get the nod for other cartridges when slower burning rates are dictated. Better accuracy and velocity often accompany their useage.

Powder has advanced over the years and allowed old favorites like the 270 to reach higher velocity levels. The first of the modern powders was HiVel #2, now long discontinued. But, this powder brought noticeable velocity gains in the 270Win and 30-06 for example, although, reloaders at the time were amazed and exchanged extensive notes about the process (see Phil Sharpe's "Guide To Reloading" 1937 edition). The 25-06 benefitted from even slower burning and reformulated powders as they were later introduced and gained 200 to 300 fps as a result.

Likewise, today, new powders enable the handloader to again improve velocities within SAAMI standards. Vita Vouri is one such powder and has seen increased useage by target and long distance shooters. Its more expensive and less available, but, often produces best results.

My handguns often run on either 231 or 2400, sometimes Unique or AA#5 and AA#9, the latter two being more recent introductions that often have better results and are cleaner burning in many cases.

bubbadoyle · Rookie Member Joined: May 03, 2005 Posts: 16

I currently have Hodgon IMR Alliant and Vhitavouri on the shelf. I use whatever I find to be the best in an individual gun. I usually will start with Hodgon though.

george20042007

Hodgdon is my favorite. Seems to be the cleanest of what I've used. A friend of mine in the military had to ship out & left me with 10 one pound cans of Unique & 5000 Large Pistol primers. Not my favorite powder, but, I use it to load .45 LC & .45 ACP. Loaded 1000's already & I still have 8 pounds left, oh well...

Jack · Member Joined: Oct 19, 2005 Posts: 98

Currently on my shelf I have Hodgdon, IMR, Accurate , and Reliant powders. I'll use most any of the major brands of powders.

Flint54

I think that I use all the brands, depending on what I am loading and what was available when I worked up loads for a given firearm. Many times I have gone out to get a powder only to find that the one that I had decided on was backordered or not stocked at that place so I went with a substitute. I really need to think ablut streamlining my powder selection as I am running out of storage area. I'm seriously considering going down to using only Winchester, Hodgon, Accurate & Vit powders in the future. Cool

1895ss

I use mostly IMR but I also use Hodgdon and Winchester. Most of my older loads were worked up using IMR because that and Winchester was almost all that was available around here. For a number of years now Hodgdon has been just as easy to get.

skip

I use ADI powder because they are the best! (and Im not just saying that because I work their either).

Handloader is correct in saying; "Hodgdon powder offerings are Australian in origin", because its just ADI powder re-labeled.

cheers

PaulS

Skip,

Hodgdon uses powders made by at least two manufacturers - ADI doesn't supply H110. About half the powders are made by the Australian firm.

You work there? so, do you get to buy at a discount?

skip

Indeed I do.

1895ss

Lucky so and so ........... Very Happy

PaulS

I guess the shipping from Australia would be more than the discount when shipping to Washington state - - -

unless you get free shipping too?