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  1. #1
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    Powder Discussion

    As soon as I start back to work again (IE steady income) the first thing I am going to do is stock up on reloading supplies.

    Since I have been somewhat out of the loop for 6 months I am not sure of the availability of things, but I plan to spend a thousand to $1,500 bucks to keep me in the supplies for a while. Maybe more than that depending on what I find.

    Of course I reload pistols and other things but I am looking for something more specific for a specific type of load.

    What I am looking for is a ball powder that is cheap and good for my SBR loads. I plan to buy a few #8 jugs of whatever I buy as well as probably 8000 75 grain projectiles and primers. I have to figure out how much of each so that it will be pretty even amounts.

    I am thinking 75 gr Hornaday bullets because #1 it's cheaper than 77 grain Nosler but still is good on the terminal front (it's on the approved list)... so if I get out shooting pigs with my SBR it could be better than just a 55gr plinker. I just have a thing for heavier rounds. I am up in the air on that still but the main thing is to have a single load that I like and then I can go into mass production. Part of the reason it has to be ball powder is because the machines I will use can churn out pretty consistent loads with it. Plus extreme accuracy is not the primary concern here.

    Lately I have been using up an old bottle of BLC-2 that was given to me and that works out great but I am wondering about other options out there.

    So far BLC-2 has been alright. But I am also considering H335 or anything else anyone can recommend. I have tried Winchester 748 but they don't have a load listed for 75 grain or 77 grain bullets with it.

    And while we are at it, I am getting pretty damn sick of Varget. I still have a bunch of it (probably 5 pounds) but that stuff is NEVER in stock. I am considering buying a few kegs of RE15 if I can find those.... but both of those are extruded (stick) powder and they pretty much suck on a powder measure. If I can find a ball powder that can replace Varget I would be killing two birds with one stone.

    Of course I am going to use up that varget that I have eventually but if I can find a good ball powder then I can get 2 or 3 times the amount of reloading done without losing much accuracy. For that rifle I am very particular... 24.3 grains of varget and a 69 grain SMK but I am willing and open to try other things.

    If I can find one ball powder that can do it all I will just buy 4 or 5 #8 jugs and be done with it for a while.
    Last edited by alamo5000; 21 June 2016 at 12:13.

  2. #2
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    CFE 223. I don't use any other spherical powder. I've also shot 55gr Hornady FMJs, 64gr Winchester Power Points and 75gr Hornady BTHPs with it. I can look up my notes when I get home and re-post on here.


    What kind of powder measure do you have? RE15 flows through my Chargemaster very well.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Former11B View Post
    CFE 223. I don't use any other spherical powder. I've also shot 55gr Hornady FMJs, 64gr Winchester Power Points and 75gr Hornady BTHPs with it. I can look up my notes when I get home and re-post on here.


    What kind of powder measure do you have? RE15 flows through my Chargemaster very well.
    I am doing it old school (for now) so I use an RCBS Uniflow.

    http://www.midwayusa.com/product/145...powder-measure

    For my super accurate load stuff I basically tried a bunch of various stuff and really I just get back to doing it by hand when I am using varget.

    I am open to trying other things but if I can get something that is quicker but still accurate I am good to go. Just manually doing it if I get at it I can do a couple hundred rounds in an evening (Once the brass is ready)...

    On the other hand with that BLC-2 (or the Winchester) and that RCBS I can churn out rounds pretty good with that with not as much effort. The productivity goes way up... but then again I am not trying to make sub moa ammo either.

  4. #4
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    My favorite powder for plinking loads and meters like water is AA 2230..about out and have not seen any for years..

    Next on my usual list is H335 good stuff and meters great also

    Have a few pounds of Tac to play with and after some test loads , again meters great and shows potential

    Other powders I've used and have to try. Varget xbr8208,AA2520.Varget works great but meters for crap thru my hornady powder thrower..

  5. #5
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    I use a lot of H335 for my "plinker" rounds, a 55gr Hornady SP. It meters very well and doesn't seem to be too temperature sensitive. I don't think I have a load developed for the 75gr Hornady BTHP and the H335 though. I mostly use H4895 with the 75gr for accuracy loads, but that's a stick powder so you know it meters poorly... I have heard that the new Lee Auto-Drum powder measure does pretty well with stick powders. I have one, but haven't tried it out yet.
    "There is always a well-known solution to every human problem--neat, plausible, and wrong." - H.L. Mencken

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    Quote Originally Posted by DutchTerror View Post
    I have heard that the new Lee Auto-Drum powder measure does pretty well with stick powders. I have one, but haven't tried it out yet.
    Try it out and report back. Seriously. It could solve a whole lot of headaches. Then whatever powder it is it can be worked with a lot easier.

  7. #7
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    Most of my reloading takes place in the colder months, so I don't have any immediate plans to put it to use. There are a couple of videos on Youtube where they are using extruded powders with good accuracy of powder throw. Here's one example:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOHFonzr7rc

    For $36 it's worth a shot anyway...
    "There is always a well-known solution to every human problem--neat, plausible, and wrong." - H.L. Mencken

  8. #8
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    RE15 is going to be almost the same as Varget. The RCBS chargemasters are totally worth it

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by DeviantLogic View Post
    RE15 is going to be almost the same as Varget. The RCBS chargemasters are totally worth it
    Yyyyyyep! Very convenient and I primarily use stick powders (RE15, RE10x)

    The only issues I ever have come from user error...like bumping the table while it's pouring or tapping the downspout with the powder dish or something.

  10. #10
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    Finally had a minute to check my CFE 223 notes. Properly worked up, this powder is capable of some pretty good velocities. I will specify by each load what rifle(s) I have used it in.

    55gr FMJ
    26.5gr CFE 223
    2.245" OAL
    CCI #400 SRP
    Used in 10.5", 16", and 18" ARs. Both of these charges shot well, and obviously the greater charge could be used by those chasing accuracy AND velocity. Max load is 27.8gr but work up to 27.3gr. 26.5gr was on par with 27.3gr accuracy wise, it was just softer shooting, uses less powder (when shooting 1000s of rounds it adds up) and still functioned flawlessly

    64gr Winchester Power Point
    26.0gr CFE 223
    2.250" OAL
    CCI #400 SRP
    I used this load to kill a deer two seasons ago. Scored a headshot at 150 yards from a 16" suppressed AR (my Black and Tan build). Have also run this out of a 24" 1:9 bolt action, shooting right at 1" @ 100yds

    75gr Hornady BTHP
    24.6gr CFE 223
    2.260" OAL
    CCI #400 SRP
    This is near max so watch for pressure signs. This was also shooting juuuuuust under 1" @ 100yds,and moving in the high 2600fps range (2660-80)


    Haven't tried 77gr pills and probably won't, but I think I'd probably settle in the 24.0-24.2gr ballpark.

    Let me know if you have any questions

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Former11B View Post
    75gr Hornady BTHP
    24.6gr CFE 223
    2.260" OAL
    CCI #400 SRP
    This is near max so watch for pressure signs. This was also shooting juuuuuust under 1" @ 100yds,and moving in the high 2600fps range (2660-80)


    Let me know if you have any questions
    I would be curious to know your velocities out of a 10.5 with that 75gr load.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by alamo5000 View Post
    I would be curious to know your velocities out of a 10.5 with that 75gr load.
    I read a thread on ARFCOM a while back, a guy tested his load of 25.5gr CFE223 and a 75gr Hornady BTHP from a 16" and 10.5" AR. NOTE: this wasn't loaded for accuracy. He achieved an average of 2750fps with the 16" barrel and 2470fps with the 10.5" barrel. With 24.6gr, you can probably expect high 2300fps, maybe 2400fps. With testing, you can go hotter but I'd take accuracy over 100fps in velocity. I think my hottest load I tested was 26.0gr and I saw no pressure signs. Could have probably gone a little higher but didn't need to. Could be another accuracy node waiting up there.... Just test safely and wear eye pro

    For comparison, MK262 ammo meters on average about 2350fps from a 10.5" barrel.

  13. #13
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    I think I just need to pick something and go with it... on the AR powder I am thinking I will go with the CFE 223 and just get 2x #8 jugs. I plan to buy a case of 4000 of the Hornaday 75gr for my SBR load. That seems to be a pretty good overall performer for a SBR bullet. I can get em for about 16 cents delivered.

    On that particular load I am not overly concerned with sub moa performance. Once I get it though I might try to do an accuracy load with my other rifle and the 69gr bullets. If I can get pretty good 'sub moa' overall performance I might just make that my go to powder even if it's not technically 'as good' as Varget.

    What I want to do though is also pick a good powder for 9mm subs. The universal clays seems to work pretty good. It's not too fast and not too slow just kind of in the middle somewhere. Plus you can use just such a little bit of it it lasts forever. I am kind of up in the air if I want to swap pistol powder or not. The Universal Clays seems like it's very versatile. I can do everything from .380 to .45ACP, kind of like a jack of all trades thing.

    I could make all my subs 147gr or I could try to tune the load and buy a crap load of 124gr to get subsonic performance out of that. I am not sure of the pros and cons of that theory.

    I'm about to spend some bucks to have shooting supplies for a while so I am kind of agonizing over what to get.

  14. #14
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    I use Titegroup for .380, 9mm (subsonic and supersonic), and .45. It meters well, shoots clean enough, and you can push a wide variety of bullets at a range of velocities.

  15. #15
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    OK I bit the bullet and put in an order. 2X 8# jugs of CFE223 2x 1#jugs of titegroup, 5000 small rifle primers and 5000 small pistol primers... (this will give me about 10,000 primers of each)

    Next stop I will buy some bullets....I might have to wait on that though until I get more cash rolling in.

    I figure if this election goes nutso I might be in stock for at least a while.

    I will buy enough bullets when I do to keep me in stock for those as well...I will need to figure out which pistol and rifle bullets to get... odds are I will just buy a case of 75gr Hornadays.... and then figure out which pistol bullets I want to go with...

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