Do you load more older powders or new?

[wheelgun28]

I would agree

231 is a good powder, no doubt. I have used it with out trouble. To me its versatile and in between Bulls eye and Unique. However, I am just as happy with the BE and Unique so its a why bother to me. I certainly wouldn't say its bad and not to use it. Its the classic Ford vs Chevy argument...

I have never had a reloading need that Alliant cant solve. In fact, I can probably narrow that to Bullseye. It's my go to powder for all pistols. It's all I buy nowadays.

Occasionally, I can see a need for Unique. When I reloaded shotshells I used red dot.

Sure , there are other good powders (w231, comes to mind) but.... Why switch? I'm happy

 

[Cocked & Locked]

no need to change

I'm satisfied with Unique and 2400 in handguns. 3031 and 4064 in rifles. FFG black powder in muzzle loading rifles.

I'll just stick with what I know and have used almost five decades. Those work fine and I'm not interested in trying or learning anything else.

I'm just an old goat stuck in my ways.

 

[watergun1929]

Powders

I have been loading for my .270 Winchester for 62 years. My pet load for deer, antelope, black bear is Nosler 130 partition and H4831 at 3200fps. When I go for elk I load 150 gr partitions at 3000. These loads are all chronographed and safe in my rifle. Have killed elk to 350 yards and antelope to 400. In earlier years I used the surplus 4831 in 50-lb kegs but have used H4831 for many years now.

 

[LOBO]

Handguns,

W 231, 2400, Univ. Clays, AA 5, AA 9, Unique

Rifles,

RL 15, H 4350, Hybrid 100V

 

[jlynch34]

IMR 4831, 4895 and Win 231.

 

[Smith357]

I use the old reliable powders with years worth of data, heck I'm still using Black. My main pistol powder is Bullseye, I use it for .38 .45 and 9mm. My rifle powder is 4895 for my 06s and Goex FFg.

I have tried some of the new powders like 777, Benchmark, and Varget, but they really don't yield any better accuracy than the old ones.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I don't really see this as a new is better or worse. I think from my experience with mostly lead bullets some of the older powder just work better.

To me the classic example of this is Universal vs. Unique. My experience with both is Universal is "generally" better with jacketed, Unique is "generally" better with lead bullets.

Another example is say titegroup vs. bullseye for 45 230 grn lead. Bullseye and titegroup are neck in neck for accuracy. Titegroup for me leaves a "stain" on the gun that is harder to clean than bullseye.

Newer is not always better and it is not always worse. I use AA9 in the 357 SIG. Works great and I have found nothing better with jacketed. You just have to try and see.

 

[olskool]

just like the wheel i think the old timmers got it right the first time. i use unique the most 2400 and bullseye and 4227 in my rifle loads 4895 and 4350 and blc2 i do use some newer stuff. varget is great but it is almost the same as 4064. i need nothing more.......

 

[Frank46]

I use 4350 for my '06 sako, 4895 in my garand, winchester wst in my 45, for cast bullets in various rifles I use IMR4759, 38 special titegroup, M! carbine cannot remember. So basically I'm using powders that I have used since I started reloading, which is over 40 years ago. So you could say that I'm using the older powders for the bulk of my reloading.I shoot cast bullets out of my Finnish M27 moisin nagant and my 30-40 krag. And hopefully so will be doing that with either black powder or triail boss. Thats for my 140+ year old peabody 50 caliber single shot. Thanks, Frank

 

[Ron H.]

I was working on the bench yesterday and noticed that most of my powders that I am using are older. You know the "classics". Bullseye, Unique, 2400 etc. The ones I am burning off and not replacing are the newer powders. Lil-gun, Longshot, etc.

I was seeing that my newest powder I really like is Powder Pistol but it gives some wild flame balls when fired in overcast conditions or early evening. That is behavior that is making me rethink its use.

So I am loading the classics. Bullseye, unique, 2400, the dot powders (Blue, Red and Green), SR4756, and IMR 4227 for revolver, shotgun and most pistol with lead bullets. I am using a bit of Powder Pistol for 9mm, 40 and 10mm.

I have now basically given up on most of the newer "niche" powders like Lil-gun, Longshot, accucomp etc. I just don't see they do that much better than the older ones.

What are you guys doing? "Classics" vs. "Modern"???

Also what is your justification? I am just curious if I am becoming a curmudgeon.

Sir, I think the newest powder in my cabinet is HS-6, and I only got that as an experiment. FWIW, the powders I use most are IMR 4895, Unique, and W231. Of course, the few cartridges I currently load are all old, too: .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .30-'06, and .308.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.