Consolidate Powders to Stay Supplied!

[JohndeFresno]

Having just received a long awaited order of of IMR 3031 to feed my firesticks during this continuing ammo drought, I thought about my Levergun partners. For various reasons, I have not had the opportunity to visit this forum recently, but y'all came to mind. It seemed appropriate to recall some great contributions from fellow Levergunners on how to limit our powder needs.

Consolidation of powders for at least the bulk of our shooting needs provides these benefits:
1) As one particular powder becomes available, you can usually order at least 2 or 3 pounds; sometimes more.
2) Larger orders mean lower bulk prices
3) Larger online orders helps defray stiff Hazmat and shipping fees
4) Easier to develop a good load with fewer powders, usually

In the Central Valley of California, at least, local reloading supplies are still woefully inadequate. Every time I visit a large Fresno gun store (Herb Bauer's), for instance, when I ask for a popular powder such as 3031 or 748, I am met with long faces from the disappointed clerks. They can't keep it in stock, and currently can't even backorder those two, I have been recently told. So one must spend time and gasoline to travel to another city or order online to keep supplied.

Larger orders of fewer powders seem, to me, the only sane option to this dilemma. In a previous thread, "Three Powders for 99% of Loads?", you fellow Levergunners helped me to decide upon IMR 3031 for the bulk of my .30-30 and .45-70 levergun loads. Thank you. See page two of the results of the thread:
www.levergunscommunity.com/viewtopic.ph ... 07&start=0

Additionally, if you have Excel on your 'puter and want to download a spreadsheet to help determine your powder needs, you use the link found in this thread, "Got Powder? A Spreadsheet":
http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=50711

Finally, this seems also worth repeating. As various Levergunners have posted before, you can search for currently available powders here:
http://www.gunbot.net/reloading/powder/

Best wishes to all. JdeF

[Les Staley]

Just ordered bulk surplus reclaimed and new powder from Jeff Bartlett's G I Brass..got two other guys to go in with me..six eight pound jugs (no hazmat) for right at $8.51 per pound including shipping...one powder duplicates IMR 4831, the other AA8700. Guess I'll be shooting for awhile yet..

[AJMD429]

AmmoGuide.com also has a series of "Powder Selection Tools" that enable one to pick a powder and pull up a list of all powders with loads listed using that powder, or a series of cartridges and what powders they have in common. Worth the $19/year or so 'membership'...

• http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/aipowders. ... LDxLnmEjPV

[JohndeFresno]

Thanks for the update, Les! Amen to AmmoGuide, Doc.

[CowboyTutt]

John, thanks for the Gunbot link too. -Tutt

[Old Ironsights]

That's one reason I sold the 45. All I load with is 2400 & Lilgun...

[AJMD429]

I'm no expert, but so far, Unique, 2400, SR-4759 (or AA-5744), and IMR-4895 pretty well have covered the bases for me.

I can even use the SR-4759 or AA-5744 in my "black powder" rifle (Savage ML-10).

Some Bullseye and IMR-4831 cover the fastest and slowest ends of the spectrum for cartridges not optimally loaded with Unique or 4895.

[Old Savage]

Get a bunch of powders and always have what you want.

[earlmck]

I'm with OS on this one: if you've got 16 powders stashed away you can always find something to optimize your load. Plus all the permutations you can make when playing around at the loading bench on a cold, snowy day like this one.

And John, I'm real disappointed: from the topic heading I thought you were going to give me tips about mixing two or three powders together to make one new one

[Ray Newman]

Get SR4759 While You can. From a January 13th, 2014 thread on the cast Bullets web site:

“Hodgdon Stopping production of These Powders”

“Just got off the phone with Mike? at Hodgdon Powder Company. I had inquired about the rumor that they were discontinuing IMR SR4759. He stated there is going to be one more run of this powder in 2014.

“When I asked if other powders were going to be stopped he said yes.

“Here is the list:”
SR4759
pyrodex pellets
IMR 7625
IMR 4007
IMR PB
Winchester Supreme 780
Winchester AA Lite
Read all ‘bout it:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr ... se-Powders
http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB. ... 88432397/0

[JohndeFresno]

...And John, I'm real disappointed: from the topic heading I thought you were going to give me tips about mixing two or three powders together to make one new one

Hoo boy. Nope. Still have both eyes and all my fanners. But I'm going to buy your book anyways!

Now, it seems I need to redefine what I tried to 'splain with the original post.

This isn't about "diversity." Nor is it about finding the best powder for one particular elk load using your custom Wild West Guns .50 Alaskan takedown levergun. I have a cousin who takes his elk every year in Montana (I think it is), using something like a .338 Magnum if I remember correctly. But he uses the same box of shells from year to year - a couple of sight in shots and then the hunt. Of course, he is a crack shot.

This is about consolidating with reasonably good powders in bulk so that you have a nice supply of recreational and/or survival ammo, should there be a continuing ammo drought. Or, if things get worse for gun owners, which I suspect is the case.

For the record, I currently use 20 powders for loads that run from the 32 ACP on through heavy 44 Mag and 45 Colt handguns, and from the .223 up through some heavy 45-70 (Marlin 1895) loads. They are, if it is of any interest:
296, H110, Titegroup, Unique, Bullseye, Red Dot, 2400, IMR 4895, N110, 748, BL-C(2), AA Nr 5, Varget, IMR 4064, H4198, Trail Boss, IMR 3031, S4895 (IMR MilSurp; 4064 type loads), TAC, and AA Nr 9.

Unique is far and away my favorite powder, since I like it in several handguns - 9mm, .40 SW, high end .38 and medium power .357, my very best .44 Mag target and 45 Colt loads, for instance. And I spend most of my time with handguns. I don't pay attention to the ongoing squeals about how dirty it is, since I micro-coated my handgun barrels with Dyna-Tek Bore Coat and clean them quickly after every use. It's not a problem.

And I could use it in the .45 ACP's if my favorite, Bullseye, were not still available. One prominent and knowledgeable poster here advised me that he doesn't see much Bullseye sold where he is; but it sure works nicely for me.

But I have zeroed in on basically three powders that will do in a pinch, and which are much more heavily represented on my shelves.

I have never tried SR 4759 but from what I see from some quick research, it appears that this bulky powder might be a good addition to my shelf, if for nothing other than some 45 Colt loads and the 45-70. Thanks for the tip, Ray! I see through a Gunbot search that it is available.

[Catshooter]

I do like Paco's choises: Unique & 2400. I use Universal Clays in place of Unique but nothing really replaces 2400.

I am just about powered up. Soon now, soon . . .


Cat

[Old Time Hunter]

2400, Unique, H110, H4198, and H4895...primarily use the Unique, H4198, and the H4895 as I can load everything I have with those.

Oh yeah, almost forgot BP...and it ain't the stuff bees secrete from their waste disposal systems.

[earlmck]

Now, it seems I need to redefine what I tried to 'splain with the original post.

Oh I understood you and can appreciate your concept, John. I was just kinda' being a wise***.

But you know, you can order powders in kegs without limiting yourself to just three different powders: they sell most all of them in kegs (at least they will when the craziness subsides again). My thinking is that a keg or two of 16 different powders is better than a keg or two of only three different powders should things get real bad. And I always try to max out the number of kegs the seller will allow on one hazmat fee, just on principle.

[JohndeFresno]

...you can order powders in kegs without limiting yourself to just three different powders: they sell most all of them in kegs...

Good advice as always, Mic.

Some folks chose to buy just enough powder to last them for a month or two. I am thankful that I've subscribed to your method - buying it by the keg as funds and opportunity allowed. I have never worried about running out during this last three annoying years (or so) of nonsense.

[piller]

I have a fairly varied group of cartridges for one who has put in as little actual time as I have, and I have never failed to find a powder or bullet for at least one of my guns. I think what I mean is, with the selection I have, I can almost always find something that will work for one or more of my guns. The only limits I have are the primers.

[earlmck]

I can almost always find something that will work for one or more of my guns.

I'm not suggesting you can't do fairly well with a selection of 3 powders. Heck, you can make a fair load in a 7mm mag with 4895. But why would I bother reloading if factory ammo could outdo me by such a wide margin? (Yeah, I have a keg of 7828sc which even meters better than 4895 in case I need to load big magnums) -- like I say, they sell it all in keg lots and it doesn't go stale.

I should maybe 'fess up here that my bias is that I view the introduction a new powder as an excuse to get a keg of it and maybe 3 kegs of other familiar stuff to keep the hazmat charge down per keg.

[Les Staley]

My thinking is..it may not be the "best" powder for a given application, maybe not even close to "factory", but when "factory" ammo is a footnote in some future progressive controlled history book, that noise some may hear late in the evening will be me or my kid, or my grand kid making meat. (It's the noise that kills)

[JohndeFresno]

My thinking is..it may not be the "best" powder for a given application, maybe not even close to "factory", but when "factory" ammo is a footnote in some future progressive controlled history book, that noise some may hear late in the evening will be me or my kid, or my grand kid making meat. (It's the noise that kills)

BINGO. Overused but appropriate reply:
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!

[6pt-sika]

Get SR4759 While You can. From a January 13th, 2014 thread on the cast Bullets web site:

“Hodgdon Stopping production of These Powders”

“Just got off the phone with Mike? at Hodgdon Powder Company. I had inquired about the rumor that they were discontinuing IMR SR4759. He stated there is going to be one more run of this powder in 2014.

“When I asked if other powders were going to be stopped he said yes.

“Here is the list:”
SR4759
pyrodex pellets
IMR 7625
IMR 4007
IMR PB
Winchester Supreme 780
Winchester AA Lite
Read all ‘bout it:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr ... se-Powders
http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB. ... 88432397/0

You left one out . They're doing away with SR4756 as well !

I use a goodly amount of SR7625 so if the funds are available when I find it my plan is to get two 8 pounders and my shotguns should be in relatively good shape for about 10 years . I use that stuff in the short 10 , 12 , 16 and 20 gauges .

Wasn't aware of the IMR4007 . I've had decent results with that in several varmint rifles . May have to lay in four pounds of that one as well .

[6pt-sika]

I have never tried SR 4759 but from what I see from some quick research, it appears that this bulky powder might be a good addition to my shelf, if for nothing other than some 45 Colt loads and the 45-70. Thanks for the tip, Ray! I see through a Gunbot search that it is available.

When I first started doing the cast bullet thing in my lever actions about 14 years ago I was big on SR4759 . Later in life and after reading the heck outta what Venturino wrote I switched to XMP5744 and never looked back . For me atleast 5744 seemed less position sensitive then 4759 seemed to be .

[JohndeFresno]

...I switched to XMP5744 and never looked back . For me at least 5744 seemed less position sensitive then 4759 seemed to be .

There was some of that available at a Fresno store (Herb Bauer's). I guess it bears looking into. Thanks, 6Pt.