Hey all-

I want to recommend a book that I am finding very useful: Propellant Profiles, 6th Edition.

After my impulse purchase of a marginally useful IMR 4227 keg, I decided to look for some kind of reference to help me make a quick decision when an unfamiliar powder came available. Propellant Profiles is just that kind of reference. It lists every powder from every major manufacturer. It ranks them according to burn speed density, etc and includes articles about real world testing of different loads and calibers.
It has been extremely helpful for deciding what would work when the whole world is sold out of Varget for a year.
I have found that Win 748, TAC, CFE223, AA2230 and others can all be useful in multiple calibers that I want to shoot.
I keep the book at my elbow now when browsing for in stock powders. If something pops up, I flip open the book, see where the offering falls in comparison to better known powders and decide if it will do the job for me.
It's not my preferred method and I will still buy all the Varget I can lay my hands on, but it has definitely allowed me to load more while nursing my supply of my favorite.

Bruce

I use a simpler solution. I carry a powder burn rate chart in PDF format on my cell phone and have for years. I update it a couple of times a year.

When you can't get the powders you normally use, look at the burn rate of what you can get. If it's close to a powder you use, you can probably use it and be able to find published load data for it.

I also carry Richard Lee's "Modern Reloading" on my cell phone in a PDF format as well as Lyman's 48th Reloading Manual and Lyman's 5th Shotshell Reloading Manual in a PDF format.

This is a burn rate chart I found a few months ago when I started getting into reloading.

The burn rate chart is good. Quick and dirty information.
What it doesn't tell you is anything about the grain structure, how well it meters or how accurate it can be.
The book gives you all of that plus load testing.
I think it's worth having.

Bruce

Don’t overlook the VV powders. N140 is a very good replacement for Varget!

^IMR 4166 is also a great Varget substitute. In fact, it's mentioned on the Hodgdon website that this is the case. Not identical, but damned close. Plus it's an Enduron powder, so it cleans up super easy.

At any rate, I think I'll check out the book, on top of the usual google search I do when I try to see if a powder is useful to me.

Bump. Rifle powder seems unobtanium still so looking at all the options.

Thanks RN!

I was in a shop last Spring, looking over some black powder supplies. I was talking to a fellow prairie dogger, wanting to load some lighter bullets in the 223.

The shop didn’t have much powder, his favorite was not there. They did have H-322 on the shelf, I told the guy it was just a tad fast, but very workable. He had planned to go home & look over his manual.

He ended up leaving with two pounds of H-322 powder. When I’m looking, I about always have alternatives in mind.

I got back into reloading just in time for COVID, so I have no regular powder and everything is hard to find.

I overpaid for a pound of Blue Dot at a gun show for my new P365, and in spite of the mixed reviews I read it’s turned out to be a terrific performer.

I recently blundered into 8lb jug of RL 16!

quote:

Originally posted by rmfnla:
I got back into reloading just in time for COVID, so I have no regular powder and everything is hard to find.

I overpaid for a pound of Blue Dot at a gun show for my new P365, and in spite of the mixed reviews I read it’s turned out to be a terrific performer.

Not every powder performs accurately in every rifle (or handgun). It's just the way it is.

That' why I don't pay a lot of attention to reviews, I check for myself.

Back in 2016 I was driving through Gretna, IA, and thought I’d pop into Brownells for a bit. At the time, Accurate was switching manufacturers for 2230 from Belgium to St Marks, I think. I ended up buying 48 lbs at around $14/lb. turned out to be a good move.

My point is I sometimes buy powders I’m not currently using when I see a good deal. As long as it’s in a general burn range, I figure I’ll use it. I am a person who loads for a broad range of calibers, so there’s that. Or perhaps I’m just a hoarder when stuff is plentiful and on sale.

I will check out the book. My philosophy is you cannot have too many reference materials.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Back in 2016 I was driving through Gretna, IA, and thought I’d pop into Brownells for a bit. At the time, Accurate was switching manufacturers for 2230 from Belgium to St Marks, I think. I ended up buying 48 lbs at around $14/lb. turned out to be a good move.

My point is I sometimes buy powders I’m not currently using when I see a good deal. As long as it’s in a general burn range, I figure I’ll use it. I am a person who loads for a broad range of calibers, so there’s that. Or perhaps I’m just a hoarder when stuff is plentiful and on sale.

I will check out the book. My philosophy is you cannot have too many reference materials.

I do the same. I bought 16 pounds of H4198 for $100.00 at a Gun Show many years ago and warehoused it for a long time.

Then I decided to try it in one of my ARs. I'd read from many people that it didn't work well in an AR, but I believe it when I see it.

It was outstanding. Good ejection, excellent accuracy, everything you could want in a powder for the AR for the bullet weight I use.

I was talking with some friends about this and it turns out several of them use it exclusively also in their ARs.