Most Versatile Powder for TEOTWAWKI

[Blacksmith101]

What is the most versatile powder (versatile meaning you can find load data for at least one loading in the most different calibers)? This is for rifle, handgun and shotgun in other words the powder that will work in the largest variety of guns. What powder would you stock for when the SHTF and you don't know what guns you may come across that you would like to load a few cartridges for.

I have identified a few candidates which I will share after we see what people suggest.

Yes you also need primers but they can be remanufactured using toy gun caps. Yes you need bullets but they can be cast from wheel weights and if you paper patch them a mold can be made with simple hand tools. Yes you need dies but they can be cast from lead or zinc using an unfired shell as a pattern. No I wouldn't recommend doing any of that usless it was a life and death situation.

 

[Speed3]

I would think varget....shoots in my 223/308/6mmBR very well

H110 works well for my 44 mag and 300blk

 

[CrazySanMan]

Varget for rifles and Red Dot for handgun calibers.

I use Varget for .22-250 and 30-06 and Red Dot for 9mm, 38 spl, and 45acp.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Have to pick only one single powder, to the exclusion of every other, and try my best to make it workable in some form or fashion across the board?

With the scenario you describe, Unique for me.

Now if I can also have a dedicated rifle powder? IMR4064 is probably the last rifle powder I'd be inclined to let go of.

 

[Mickey the Dragon]

Reloder 7. This is assuming that you've come to the (correct) conclusion that you don't need anything other than 45-70.

 

[Traveler]

H335 and WSF. Covers a whole lot of rifle, pistol, and shotgun rounds.

 

[Biggfoot44]

If you truely mean pistol And shotgun And rifle , then that pretty much means Unique .( Good for pistol & shotgun, midrange for rifles.)

Two powders ? - Stick w/ Unique for pistol & shotgun, random medium speed powder for rifle.

Three powders ? - Have to decide priorities between rifle and pistol/ shotgun. For Rifle centric - Fast powder like 4198 or RL7 and a slow powder like 4350 or 4831 . Picks up magnum-ish rifle ctg performing more like intended. Pistol/ shotgun centric - Red Dot has most published crossover loads , 4227 improves performance of magnum-ish revolvers , some magnum shotshell loads, and light rifle loads, with more vel possible than Unique.

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

Subscribed...on the verge of becoming an apprentice reloader.

Thanks

 

[Jmorrismetal]

Trailboss, hands down.

They have published load data starting with 32 S&W long through 500 S&W mag

http://www.imrpowder.com/data/handgun/trailboss.php

And 22-250 through 416 rem mag (lots of people also use it for .223)

https://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Trail-Boss-Reduced-Loads R_P.pdf

I know of no other powder that has published data for a wider range of rounds. That said a jack of all trades is generally a master of none. Especially the weak rifle loads (unless that's what your looking for).

 

[Biggfoot44]

You have to go back to older sources, Lyman Cast Bullet manuals in particular, but there is a metric truckload of data for Unique.

Trail Boss doesn't really need actual load data for specif cals. ( For anything capable of ha,dling at least BP pressures) Start at 50% load density, work up to 99% load density. Modern rifle vels won't get high enough to matter, so work up for accurcy.

 

[Magnumite]

This would be dependent on the calibers utilized for such a scenario. If pistol caliber rifle/carbine, one powder would work. Bottleneck rifle cartridges...not so much.

Personally, I see one rifle and one pistol/shotgun powder as SHTF stocking if any credence to the intended utility of both is going to be desired. I actually see two pistol/shotgun and one rifle powder.

That and a lot of 22LR.

Unique and Varget (or Win 748). Given my handgun cartridges, I could make arguments for a couple other substitute powders, as well.

 

[K31]

It depends on what kind of TEOTWAWKI you're dealing with.

Alien invasion - your going to want fast burning powders.
Zombie apocalypse - you might want to go with a bulkier powder that you can stretch for more shots

 

[Melnic]

Loaded question
You want your powder already stored in little brass cases covered with a lead plug cause there is no "quiet time" unless you are already off the grid.
I probably can only run with a few guns and I'm not taking my reloading gear. If I had time I,'d hide it if I had to come back.

If it was only 1 powder and not 2 then it would have to be a powder that would work in rifle and pistol. Probably breaking some rules of safety or producing big pistol muzzle flashes

 

[Blacksmith101]

Thank you for all the input and suggestions, obviously there is a lot more research to be done. I think the key is in some of the older reloading manual when there were not so many choices of powder and the manufacturers worked to make what they had work across the board.

I always thought Unique was most versatile because at least for almost everything I shot you could dig up a load using Unique. I have now found something that may have even more applications. I picked up a copy of Cartridges of the World 5th edition from 1965 and in it they had reprinted a section of the Dupont Handloaders Guide in which I found a powder in both the rifle and handgun sections. It was IMR 4227 so I went online and found a newer edition from 2003:
http://stevespages.com/pdf/imr_reloading.pdf

I counted the different cartridges with load data and found 31 rifle, 5 handgun, 3 for TC, and one shotgun. I then counted the ones in the 1965 era list and found they had 41 rifle, 9 handgun, 3 for TC, and the shotgun section was not included. I have dug up a 1990 edition and am counting up what is there which includes at least 2 shotgun bores. I will update this later but wanted to give you all something to ponder and research.

UPDATE:
I went through the 1990 manual and they list at least one recipe for 42 rifle, 9 handgun, 2 Thompson Center, and two shotgun chamberings. I will endeavor to make a list of each cartridge type and post it but it will take awhile because I suck as a typist.

Edit see post #23 for list of cartridges.

 

[Magnumite]

Interesting both in the info and approach with your query. Good way to minimize inventory or grab a pound of powder to 'make due' in recent market conditions.

 

[Pinecone]

Or just grab pounds of whatever you can get.

You can either use it or trade it.

 

[Bolts Rock]

IMR 4227

Will not be produced after 2015. It's one of several powders IMR is no longer going to produce.

I'd say you need to pick two minimum with one a dedicated full up rifle powder.

Rifle powders to consider in my order of preference are Varget, 4895 and 4064 based on the wide range of cartridges they perform well in. For 4895 it doesn't matter if it's H or IMR just use the correct data.

For pistol and shotgun that works in many Reddot, Greendot, 700X, Unique.

I'm not sure and don't feel like looking it up if 2400 works in shotguns. But I'd add it as a third to stock up on. Great in magnum pistol loads and the real bonus is it works with cast bullets at low loading densities and is not position sensitive in the case like Unique is. For classic military cartridges from 6.5mm on up just load 14.0-20.0 grains working up for accuracy, no filler needed. When it comes time to shoot those loads just stuff them in the mag and bang away. Unique and other powders are position sensitive at low loading densities and to get reliable accuracy you need to either use a case filler or tip the rifle muzzle up to position the powder near the primer then lower it gently to keep the powder there.

 

[byf43]

Reloder 7. This is assuming that you've come to the (correct) conclusion that you don't need anything other than 45-70.

I like how you think!

 

[BradMacc82]

For my specific needs, titegroup/w231 and H4350.

H4350 for the .260, and titegroup/w231 for my .45's - if I could ONLY load for one, the .260, simply because the ammo isn't exactly overflowing from the shelves.

 

[Blacksmith101]

Will not be produced after 2015. It's one of several powders IMR is no longer going to produce.

IMR 4227 is still being produced.

Always Use Published Data From Reliable Sources For The Powder You Are Using