Thread: Versatile powders?

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
My picks would include AR2206H for its sheer flexibility. I use it more than any other powder including reduced loads in my old soldiers. AR2209 would work well in the Creedmoor and even the .270. The Grendel however would need a faster powder such as BM8208. You could just go with BM8208 and AR2209 but I would sorely miss AR2206H.
Regards Grandpamac.

Yes currently using 8208 in the grendel. Plus some bm2. Just picked up some 2209 but maybe should be 2208. Also have 2219 of and bm1

the 270 is the oddball to feed..... AR2213 is the go to powder for me..or its hodgdon equivilent H4831??? can never remember as the AR2206 also has twin....
go back not many years and winchester had 3 powders thats it..just three for centrefire 760 for big cases 748 middle and 296 for little stuff
its not a silly idea to want to use as few as possible. years back I used 2206 in 223 and 270....great in 223..it went bang and killed stuff in 270 but definately not best choice....load data was from early paper manual.

I've been using w760 over a few cartridges. Moving to staball 6.5 when that runs out.

Yes 760 is interchangeable with 2209 in 06 cases, ok in .308 cases with heavies and a bit more useful in the smaller cases like a .22/250 and .243.


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When changing between the adi and hodgdon 'twins' do people just use their exact same load data or re develop a load. How interchangable are they

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
My picks would include AR2206H for its sheer flexibility. I use it more than any other powder including reduced loads in my old soldiers. AR2209 would work well in the Creedmoor and even the .270. The Grendel however would need a faster powder such as BM8208. You could just go with BM8208 and AR2209 but I would sorely miss AR2206H.
Regards Grandpamac.

I agree with @grandpamac re. AR2206H
Having started reloading not long before all the major price increases and component shortages and having a healthy supply of AR2206H on hand, this has proved to be a flexible powder for the 5 calibres that I've used it in (222, 22-250, 7mm08, 308 & 6.5grendel).

Surprised no one has mentioned Superformance.

Does everything from 243 to 270 to 7mm08 to 300WM.

Usually works best with the 'heavy for calibre' bullets and a bit of compression.

Bit dirty and temp sensitive being a ball powder, but velocity is good.

Meters well and still relatively available here in the UK.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the 270 is the oddball to feed..... AR2213 is the go to powder for me..or its hodgdon equivilent H4831??? can never remember as the AR2206 also has twin....
go back not many years and winchester had 3 powders thats it..just three for centrefire 760 for big cases 748 middle and 296 for little stuff
its not a silly idea to want to use as few as possible. years back I used 2206 in 223 and 270....great in 223..it went bang and killed stuff in 270 but definately not best choice....load data was from early paper manual.

Greetings @Micky Duck and all,
AR2213 is slower than IMR4831 and faster than H4831 and AR2213SC. AR2213 was discontinued around 25 years ago. AR2201 was the forerunner of AR2206 and theoretically around the same speed. AR2201 was inferior in many respects and was discontinued about 40 years ago. AR2206 was replaced by the slower AR2206H which is H4895 about 25 years ago. AR2206 is closer to BN8208 in speed than AR2206H from my testing with an early batch of BM8208 in the .308. I am currently using a later batch of BM8208 in a .223 and this batch seems to be slower than the earlier one and I have two groups of load data that are quite different. More testing is called for.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Remmodel7

When changing between the adi and hodgdon 'twins' do people just use their exact same load data or re develop a load. How interchangable are they

Greetings,
While the powders are the same there may be differences in the lots so it is wise to test a reduced load before loading a batch with the new powder. I do this routinely now after almost being caught out by an increase in speed between batches of AR2209 (H4350). I was using a batch of AR2209 manufactured around 2000 and changed to one made about 2018. There was a substantial increase in speed. I went back and tested the two lots side by side and the later lot produced around 80 fps more velocity than the older stuff. I also went back through my chronograph records and the old stuff was still giving the same velocity.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Remmodel7

Are there any offers that cover a wide range of middle of the road chamberings. Thinking of making life easy and limiting the number of powders I use.
Mainly 08 based cases 270. 6.5grendel and 6.5cm.
Obviously won't maximize performance in easy case but a happy compromise

ADI 8208 Data – Rifle – ADI World Class Powders and Ammunition lists all of the above you have listed, I find it a very good powder and use in 6x45 6.5 grendel, 308, 2208 2209 and 2217 cover the rest of my chamberings.

Originally Posted by Remmodel7

When changing between the adi and hodgdon 'twins' do people just use their exact same load data or re develop a load. How interchangable are they

I do.but I don't run super hot loads.

W760/H414, 4350 in several forms. ADI 2208 / Varget,
W760 being spherical meters really well, I use it in 243 with 87gr and light bullets in a mates 7M08, 4350 is also very similar.
2208/varget i load in 223 and my 358 win
Z

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
While the powders are the same there may be differences in the lots so it is wise to test a reduced load before loading a batch with the new powder. I do this routinely now after almost being caught out by an increase in speed between batches of AR2209 (H4350). I was using a batch of AR2209 manufactured around 2000 and changed to one made about 2018. There was a substantial increase in speed. I went back and tested the two lots side by side and the later lot produced around 80 fps more velocity than the older stuff. I also went back through my chronograph records and the old stuff was still giving the same velocity.
Regards Grandpamac.

Yep. Had exactly the same happen to me, going from an older to newer batch of AR2209. Never thought there was any need to compare batches first. At the range I realised immediately with the first shot the new batch felt and sounded different. And the chronograph confirmed higher velocity with the new batch.
It's the only time I had this happen when changing from one batch to another of the same powder but also the reason I now buy piwder in reasonable quantity of the same batch when I can.

Unsure about 6 grendel but Hodgdon superproformance works well in the others.
Nice to load and very good speeds.

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Originally Posted by 30.06king

Yep. Had exactly the same happen to me, going from an older to newer batch of AR2209. Never thought there was any need to compare batches first. At the range I realised immediately with the first shot the new batch felt and sounded different. And the chronograph confirmed higher velocity with the new batch.
It's the only time I had this happen when changing from one batch to another of the same powder but also the reason I now buy piwder in reasonable quantity of the same batch when I can.

Greetings,
And to this day 23 years later Hodgdon has not updated its load data. If you don't have a chronograph you would be oblivious to the extra velocity and pressure. I was shooting a 6.5x55 so I didn't notice any increase in recoil but the chronograph did.
Regards Grandpamac.