Powder is like cooking spices

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Peter M. Eick

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Hear me out on this one... :)

I was thinking while reloading (I know a bad thing) and it occurred to me that there seems to be two types of reloaders. We are sort of like cooks in the kitchen.

Growing up my folks knew a few spices. Salt, Pepper and Chill Powder. It worked. We got by just fine and enjoyed life. Sort of like Bullseye, Unique and 2400.

Now I look at my powder stash and I realize it is more like my wife spice rack. We have the basics (Salt, Pepper and Chilli Powder) but we also have garlic powder, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, sage, thyme, onion powder, nutmeg, paprika, dill weed and many more. Sort of like Power Pistol, SR4756, 800x, AA9, AA7, titegroup, trailboss, enforcer, blue dot, red dot and many more.

Each one of the newer powders is sometimes just the perfect combination to make a good dish into a great dish. They can really make a big improvement.

But is it worth it?

Spices require upkeep, and they get old and stale. You have to maintain the stash and keep up on their use and application.

So do you see the analogy?

Are you a salt and pepper type of cook or a bring out the spice rack type of chef?

Is the extra bit of performance you get out of the spice rack worth the trouble?

I am starting to wonder.....:confused:
 
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I have yet to lose a "spice" because it went bad. To be honest I have a few pounds of powder that I'm not quite certain what I will do with but got such a good deal I couldn't walk away.

Especially when I was new at reloading, I read this and that and went through many pounds of various and sundry powders. And for the most part, I couldn't tell a difference.

But I get where you're coming from. I have ready access to 8 pound kegs of Bullseye and 4 pound jugs of Unique at less than $16 to $18 per pound. Hard to stray from plain salt and pepper...
 
That is what I am starting the think is a better way. Just pick a few of the more basic powders and get a lot of it. 8 lbs per powder at a time and then figure out how to make do with just a few basic ones.

Do I really need that last bit of performance you get with the special spice? I am not so sure anymore.
 
I get a one pounder and an eight pounder of my favorites. When the eight pounder gets below half full, I begin casting about for another.
Ed
 
I tend to use a brand of spices, Accurate Arms #2, 5, 7, 9, 2230, 4350, and 5744. There is Unique, Red Dot, and IMR 4895 because I couldn't say no to a good deal.

There are smidges of other powders from my Experimentation Days that will be shot when I load the correct cast rifle bullet. I'm sure glad you don't have to shovel rain. Nine inches in 7 days makes for some fast growing grass even if the fertilizer is still in the bag.
 
I can Relate

I am Currently, as far as handgun powders, still testing my "Spices"
Tightgroup.. W231.. w296.. h110... are the ones in my "Rack" Now.... still 1lb jugs of these..... some I have 2-3lbs of.... But still kinda Testing My Blends so-ta-speak.....

In .223 I am Stocked with WC844....... That was purchased at $13.75/lb with haz and Shipping... think i have about 30lbs ish...

Still looking ta try some of the old standbuys but kinda hard ta get 1lb jugs of some yet


I love ta Cook... So I can relate for sure

:D
 
I love it!

I love trying different powders and different foods. I am not a salt and pepper kind of guy--I mean, there's so many different kinds to try and they're really quite cheap--this goes for spices and powder!
 
I like to try different powders and load combos to see what works best in my guns. Once I find some winners I will make those my standards for that cartridge. I I have multiple calibers using the same powders then I will buy the larger jug of that. Right now I have about 39 different powders in the kitchen. Some of them will not be replenished when they are gone unless a good load is discovered before that time.
 
I keep it real simple.
Just a basic powder that'll do double duty or more in other calibers is what I've always used.
I've never had the time nor the desire to try the pages full of different load options for any certain caliber.
I load on the conservative side anyway and they always seem plenty accurate enough.
 
I load pistol calibers only and keep it simple - two powders. Use Green Dot for normal velocity loads and 2400 for magnum load. These two cover everything I shoot and perform well.
 
Great analogy I started going that route but in reality you only need maybe 3 powders (handgun). I load some rifle and get by with 3 powders there also..

Now a real Chef uses several spices together, so start mixing them up and create your own blend!:D (kidding!!, don't try this at home folks)
 
I need all the spices that I can get since I have..........

Pistols, Revolvers, Rifles, Shotguns (41--12Ga.) and
Navy revolver and Kentucky long rifles black powder (Originals).

Nothing like somea "Spicy a meat aball".
 
I see I am not the only one thinking this way. I see a lot more 8 lb containers in just a few basic powders.

The key now is do I go for the historic standby's or their modern equals?

Unique vs. Power Pistol/Universal
Bullseye vs. 231
2400 vs. well 2400....
 
Like other areas of life, I prefer to keep it simple. Once I find a powder that works for a particular application, I tend to just stick with that.

I must admit, though, that a few months ago, during the beginning of the "supply insanity", I bought some powders that I've never tried before. I still haven't tried them. It was foolish - I'll be the first to say it. Now, I have several that I really have no interest in. I only hand load (and shoot) 9mm Para (for handguns) now - I dropped everything else.

For 9mm, I use HP38/ W231 and Bullseye, predominantly. I have some WST as well....and it's pretty good (close to Bullseye, but slightly cleaner, it seems). For my one rifle/ one cartridge (7.92 x 57 IS), good 'ole 3031 or H-Benchmark do the job, perfectly.

So, I have 1 lb. ea. of TiteGroup, 700X and American Select, just sitting here. I'll probably eventually get around to them, maybe. In the meantime, though (of course), I found an 8 lb. jug of Bullseye at a gun show....and couldn't pass it up.

Yeah, I'd much rather keep it simple. Salt and pepper and perhaps a wee dash of oregano occasionally, is good enough.
 
I am still using powder from 25 years ago that was stored in a cool dry (air conditioned & heated basement) and it still works as good as it did when new.

When I buy powder now I buy it in 1 pound cans. Yes it does cost slightly more than the 8 lb. keg, but the small 1 pound cans are so much easier to store, more convenient, and contain less air when mostly empty. The 8 pound canisters are a PITA!
 
I see some logic to that if it might take a while to use it up. Right now I would chew through 8 lbs of Unique or 2400 in a year or so. 5 lbs of trailboss lasts about a year but I can see your point that 1 lb cans are easier to store.
 
After 40 years of reloading I use a great deal of Unique.
I load for 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 40 S&W, 10mm, 44 Magnum, 45acp, 460 Rolland, and 480 Ruger. I have dies to reload a few more.

In the 38 Special I mainly load Unique under my 158 Round Nose lead loads. For my popgun 38 Special loads for my airweight J Frame I use Clays.

I have Blue Dot for my 10mm.

My 480 Ruger mainly eats AA#9 for hunting loads, Unique for plinkers, and I believe I used Clays under my last Shotshell loads.

The 44 Magnum normally gets Unique for pleasant loads, and H110 for hunting loads.

In the Spice Cabinet I have AA#2, 5, 7, and 9. Then we have 7625, 700X, 800X, Red Dot, Herco, Power Pistol, Lil Gun, 296, Trail Boss, 4756, Promo, Rex, Blue Dot, Unique, Clays, and lately I have been experimenting with 20/28 in my 158 grain 38 Special loads. I do not think I have missed over a couple or three pistol powders. Another one 2400, and 231, and HS6 & HS7. Pretty sure that is it??

I do not have any Bullseye, PB, TrueBlue, Enforcer, Silhouette, American Select, WSF, WST, Universal, Tight Group, Zip, Green Dot, or any of the N Powders, so I did not miss those on the list.

Not that I experiment or anything, but I have been thinking about trying some E3 Shotgun Powder just to see how it might work out in my 38 Special loads.

Bob
 
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