Powder question

[hammer111]

I'm new to reloading.
So my question is , do you change powder for different grain bullets or one powder for all grains.
Using the same rifle of course.
Thanks

 

[Dinosaur hunter]

Same powder unless you can't get a good load worked up or want different burn rate for velocity. Powder amount will change with different weight bullets.

 

[Capt RB]

I run Rl15 with the 168 sierra. Varget with the 168 Berger hunting CFE223 with the 195TMK out of the same 308. RL15 shoots much more consistent in the velocity window I like for long stings of fire. Varget shoots very well very fast but not so well slow in my rifle. CFE223 pushes the 195 faster than I run the 168 smk's at 2707 last time out.
270win 1 powder all different(only 30 grains different) weight. Same for the 30/06

 

[hammer111]

I was afraid I get that type of answer. Ill have to rely on other shooters experiences with powder and bullet weights.

Guess ill find one combination that's consistent with everyone's opinion and stick with that. Don't want to become a powder collector.

 

[Cackalacky]

Hammer,
What cartridge and bullet weights are you trying to find one powder for? Chances are you could get decent results from one powder.

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

do you change powder for different grain bullets

That is where it can get complicated, notice in loading manuals that bullet weight change can cause need for different powder to maintain best accuracy. All of my guns have a tuned load for one weight bullet and I use one powder for this reason. I know what you mean about collecting different powders

 

[hammer111]

Right now I'm using nosler 139 gr Spitzers loaded with rl 17. In a tikka t3

I'm kinda asking questions in advance of a change. Trying to cram as much knowledge as I can into the little space my brain has.

You know when you come across a thread that someone says I'm getting great success with this bullet or that powder

I want to be able try it , if I can with the same powder I have on the bench.so basically for future reference.

 

[Frog4aday]

People could give you better info if you'd tell us what cartridge you are shooting. Seems to be a 7mm/.280 of some sort. One powder can work for different bullet weights if you are okay with giving up a little velocity and/or accuracy for the convenience of being a one powder owner. There is some beauty to simplicity.

 

[hammer111]

Please forgive me of the omission. I have a tikka 7mm08 t3.
With 46 gr of rl 17 139gr nosler Spitzers.
But really I was asking the question in general for all my guns

Trying to get knowledge and understand what and how to reload bullets of different weights.
Thanks

 

[Frog4aday]

I suppose the best answer then is to open your reloading manual for the cartridge you are interested in and pick the powder that shows up under the most different bullet weights. Will it be the most accurate? Maybe, but if so, it'll likely only be for a particular bullet weight. Will it provide the highest, SAFE velocity? Maybe, but only for one particular bullet weight. And that could be okay! It depends on what matters most to you.

But since you have a variety of cartridges you load for, there will be 'powder overlap' and that will be a good thing. A powder for your 7mm-08 shooting light bullets might be great for your .257 Roberts shooting heavier bullets. Something along those lines. So you will probably still need a few different powders, but they'll be able to work in more than one cartridge, which is handy.

But a blanket statement, "Can one powder work for all bullet weights in a particular cartridge?" would make me want to say "NO". Think of a .30-06 which can handle a 100 grain bullet on the light end and a 250 grain bullet at the heavy end. No one powder is going to accommodate that range of weight. But to be fair, no twist rate is going to work with that range of weight either.

Good luck in your pursuit. The 7mm-08 is a great cartridge. Very versatile and effective for a lot of different hunting situations. Varget is a great 'all-around' powder for it. Hodgdon shows load data for bullet weights from 100 grains up to 175 grains. (See attached)

 

[jimbires]

I chase velocity . if a different bullet will produce more velocity by using a different powder , I'll give this other powder a try . I worked with a 260 rem last summer . with 120 grain bullets I used RL17 , with 140 grain bullets I used RL26 .

 

[Turbo2160]

Well I have to admit I am a hoarder of gunpowder. It is a proven fact that I have more gunpowder then our local gun stores do combine. I don't know if the gunpowder is more of a problem than it is primer. I'm not sure if I went down the right Road a long time ago tried to become a perfectionist on my hand loading. Once I find a load that works great for one calibre and one bullet weight I always have to tweak it a little bit more every time. Some days it's for the better some days not so good..lol. I guess that's why it's called reloading. One never knows if they're doing the right thing until they try it.

 

[hammer111]

I suppose the best answer then is to open your reloading manual for the cartridge you are interested in and pick the powder that shows up under the most different bullet weights. Will it be the most accurate? Maybe, but if so, it'll likely only be for a particular bullet weight. Will it provide the highest, SAFE velocity? Maybe, but only for one particular bullet weight. And that could be okay! It depends on what matters most to you.

But since you have a variety of cartridges you load for, there will be 'powder overlap' and that will be a good thing. A powder for your 7mm-08 shooting light bullets might be great for your .257 Roberts shooting heavier bullets. Something along those lines. So you will probably still need a few different powders, but they'll be able to work in more than one cartridge, which is handy.

But a blanket statement, "Can one powder work for all bullet weights in a particular cartridge?" would make me want to say "NO". Think of a .30-06 which can handle a 100 grain bullet on the light end and a 250 grain bullet at the heavy end. No one powder is going to accommodate that range of weight. But to be fair, no twist rate is going to work with that range of weight either.

Good luck in your pursuit. The 7mm-08 is a great cartridge. Very versatile and effective for a lot of different hunting situations. Varget is a great 'all-around' powder for it. Hodgdon shows load data for bullet weights from 100 grains up to 175 grains. (See attached)

Thanks for the info. I'm on this site so much, trying learn as much as I can. Sometimes it prompts me to as questions, sometimes to validate what I'm thinking. I want to learn as much as I can, for what I'm loading now and for what I want to do in the future. Currently I'm loading .280 , 7mm08, .204, and .350 legend. I keep a journal of what I'm loading for each round. I research and ask questions before I make any decisions or changes.

 

[hammer111]

I chase velocity . if a different bullet will produce more velocity by using a different powder , I'll give this other powder a try . I worked with a 260 rem last summer . with 120 grain bullets I used RL17 , with 140 grain bullets I used RL26 .

I love the 260 round, but I can't find in platform I like. Remington made it one year in the 5r gen ll, then stopped before I had the money for it. I think I like rl17 . What I don't know is what is the difference between rl16 rl17,or rl26.