I think this could be more helpful than asking what products you do like. So, for any given caliber, what powder have you tried and not liked and please tell us why.
I sometimes think we will recommend products from the perspective of “Well, it’s always worked for me so I’ll recommend it”.

I have an assortment of powders, old & newer. I really don’t have any that I can’t use. I think an issue comes up when one tries to use a peripheral power for an application out of the norm.

Just looking at a few manuals, one can see common powders, and/or a burn speed, for certain cartridges. Then there could be a load ok for a bolt, but less ideal for a semi-auto action.

It’s like when someone asks about data, that is very rare in most manuals. There could be a reason.

As my own example, decades ago I was new to the 9mm. I started with a slower powder, relatively light bullets, mid charges. I instantly had stoppages, not all but enough. Once I went to a more common, faster powder, these troubles went away.

I used to not care for Unique, kinda ‘gravelly’, rough. Now I kinda like it, for mid loads with revolvers, up to 45 Colt.

HP38. You have to load near max to get a complete burn, and I've had some overpressure issues with it in certain recipes. It also leaks in my meter. I am finishing up my last couple of lbs of this stuff and then I'm going to Unique because it's much more versatile.

Yep, I agree with 92fs....HP38/Win 231 leak through one of my 550B Dillons..and I've never been able to stop it...that said, I use them in a lot of calibers, but never at the higher ends.

My other nemesis is Unique: which does not meter worth a damn but like HP38 & Win 231, it's very useful over a wide range of calibers and pressure levels.

There are newer and no doubt more amenable types available, but 50+ years of use with Unique and over 30 with the other two, leave me with loads of data that I just don't want to do over.....YMMv, Rod

IMR 700X was/is not my favorite.

PC

Bullseye is filthy, someone gave me a pound and I could not wait until it was gone...

60

Nothing against Bullseye, but I think it’s heyday was the 1970’s. Even the versatile Win -231 is a little dated, of course I’ll still use them.

Not to Rip on the old favorite of H-335, but I like Ramshot TAC & Exterminator as replacements.

I’ll take most any powder for free, or now less than $30 a pound. No, can’t find those prices on the shelf, only someone getting out of reloading.

CFE pistol.

Don't think of powder as like or dislike.
It is what performs optimally for you conditions.
Test and use what works best for you.

quote:

Originally posted by Rodfac:
Yep, I agree with 92fs....HP38/Win 231 leak through one of my 550B Dillons..and I've never been able to stop it...that said, I use them in a lot of calibers, but never at the higher ends.

Define the word ‘leak’ for the HP 38 and the 550B.

I have the same machine and use HP 38 in 45 Colt and now 380acp.

Haven’t done a lot of either just yet.

Just want to know what to look for.

The other powders I use are WSG and WST. I’ve noticed carrying grain weights per pull but have not figured out how to be totally consistent. Same thing with bullet set, but that’s a different topic.

When you actuate the lever to drop powder, grains of it will spill out around the sides of the drum. Not only does it make a mess, but it's a highly flammable mess.

^^^^^. Interesting. I don’t recall having that problem with the powders I use. Will take note for the next time I load HP-38.

It depends on the measure. I have some that work better with fine powders, and others that manage the stick powders better. But HP38 is a PITA in several of them.

First off today it isn't a matter of whether you like a powder, it's a matter if you can FIND a powder suitable for what you are loading.

For example I now purchase Longshot by the 8 lbs. keg because it's a powder that works well for a 20 or 28 gauge Target load and for each Registered 4 gun Skeet shoot I load 300 shells using Longshot. Downside is the operating pressure is 9,000-1050 psi and it's very dirty at these low pressures and the density is high enough I have to cope with stack height issues and dished crimps in the 28.

What I would really like to use is Universal but the plant in Canada that produced the Clay's series of powders has been converted to produce powder for 155mm artillery shells. These powders were designed for shotshell use and are very clean shooting at low pressures and are bulky enough that you can actually use 7/8 ounce wads for 7/8 ounce loads instead of using 3/4 ounce wads to get a stack height that works well.

Clays was made DOWN UNDER.....not in Canada. Hodgdon gets most of the IMR powders from General Dynamics in Canada. Except that IMR 4227 and 8208 are made DOWN UNDER. We have not seen any of the IMR Enduron powders in several years. Long before the Ukraine issues.

I was helping with an estate settlement yesterday, mostly getting a car running.

Knowing I was a reloader, my going away present was some powder, right up my alley.

The 3 full pounds were, Bullseye, Unique, and IMR 4064, all useful. Then over a half pound of IMR 4756. They seem to be about 80’s vintage by price sticker and can type, from a reputable source.

I also got a little factory ammo and a few boxes of reloads, which I’ll evaluate before shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by 45ACPFAN:
...any of the IMR Enduron powders in several years.

Sure the old stuff like Herco and Bullseye were dirty, 2400 hundred leaves your barrel full of granolas unless you really push it. So what. The one and only powder that came to mind when I saw this thread was one of the Endurons, pushed on me as a Varget substitute by someone who's quite knowledgeable and who's opinion I generally respect. Man I couldn't get that to shoot for crap, in a rifle that is very accurate with IMR4064 and Varget. Every time I run across that Enduron can I think "Why is that still here? I need to go dump that on the lawn!"

(I almost never shoot Varget, only did because I couldn't get IMR4064. TAC has now become the "because I can't find ____" powder and it's working rather well.

Just about any extruded, or stick, powder for rifles that doesn't meter well. Sometimes the measure sheers through the sticks. Usually the standard deviation of rounds chronographed widen with that problem ... along with the groups.

I still have some of those such as older IMR-4198. I use a trickler and scale and don't bother with a measure at all. It slows down the process for certain. Fortunately the new powders, both the IMR and Hodgdon numbered powders meter much smoother.

Hodgdon Varget in .223 Remington, I don't care for at all since the charges I get results with have to be compressed in non-Lake City (LC) cases. I don't use Varget at all in the LC cases.

Unique and 700x. They don't meter well in a progressive press.

I’m not a big fan of TiteGroup…not that it’s not hard to use or dirty…but it does need constant attention to prevent over charging due to its light volume per charge especially in large volume cases like .45 Colt which makes double charges more possible…I’ll admit that I have 4 lbs. put back if needed…I still like Hodgdon Clays (but it’s becoming hard to find…I’m switching over to my Red dot and Unique stash for now)…your mileage may vary