Recommendation for versatile powder?

If absolute accuracy is required in a heavy barreled rifle, then varget.

If you want good performance out of all these calibers, and you want to be able to throw powder charges accurately (and not have to weigh each charge) then a ball powder is called for. Each granual is like a little ball bearing and the powder measures like water.

H335 would be a good choice for everything except the 180s. The best all round ball powder would be Win748 or BLC2. 748 tends to give top velocity, too, if desired.

Thrown charges of 748 will mostly be bang on.
 
3031 loads for the 303 from the Load Book


Hornady Data

123 gr Bullet: 37.2 gr 2500 fps to 42.9 MAX 2900fps

150 gr Bullet: 30.0 gr 2200 fps to 38.1 gr MAX 2600fps

Sierra Data

125 gr Bullet: 39.2 gr 2600 fps to 43.2 gr MAX 2850 fps

150 gr Bullet: 35.4 gr 2300 fps to41.7 gr MAX 2650 fps

180 gr Bullet: 34.3 gr 2100 fps to 38.8 gr MAX 2400 fps

Lyman Data

150 gr Bullet: 38 gr 2288 fps to 42 gr MAX 2597 fps

180 gr Bullet: 35 gr 2044 fps to 39 gr MAX 2320 fps

215 gr Bullet: 32 gr 1840 fps to 36 gr MAX 2057 fps
 
You were asking about what the powder looks like.

3031 and 4064 are long. They look like broken pencil leads. The meter terrible. I have some of each. Don't use it because similar speed powders meter much better.

4895, Varget and RL15 are also extruded cylinders, but cut much shorter. They meter well. If you throw the charges, most will be + or - 0.1 gr.

The ball powders are either round balls, or flattened balls. They would throw most charges bang on. I have tested them from time to time and usually all 10 charges are identical.

The ball powders in the speed range useful to you are:
H335
BLC2
Win 748
H380

I would say 748 is the best. H380 is a bit slow, unless you load the heavier bullets. BLC2 is fine. H335 is ok if you load the lighter bullets.
 
Thanks all!!

I should have mentioned in the OP that I'm just polishing off jugs of 4064 and BLC2. Thanks for the descriptions Ganderite. Metering isn't an issue for me yet, as I'm weighing everything (until I can afford a better setup). But I can see what you mean, even in the trickler the 4064 was a bit of a pain.

Appreciate it folks. Now off to the LGS to see what they've got.
 
yomomma said:
3031 loads for the 303 from the Load Book


Hornady Data

123 gr Bullet: 37.2 gr 2500 fps to 42.9 MAX 2900fps

150 gr Bullet: 30.0 gr 2200 fps to 38.1 gr MAX 2600fps

Sierra Data

125 gr Bullet: 39.2 gr 2600 fps to 43.2 gr MAX 2850 fps

150 gr Bullet: 35.4 gr 2300 fps to41.7 gr MAX 2650 fps

180 gr Bullet: 34.3 gr 2100 fps to 38.8 gr MAX 2400 fps

Lyman Data

150 gr Bullet: 38 gr 2288 fps to 42 gr MAX 2597 fps

180 gr Bullet: 35 gr 2044 fps to 39 gr MAX 2320 fps

215 gr Bullet: 32 gr 1840 fps to 36 gr MAX 2057 fps
Click to expand...

Much obliged. Tucking that away as a reference to compare to :)
 
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