Alternatives during powder shortage

[Bucks n Ducks]

Looking for some advice:
I'm brand new to reloading and unfortunately did not buy any powder before the shortage hit.
Many of the loads I'm looking at call for H4350 or Varget, which are obviously hard to find. I just found a couple 1000s Winchester LRPs so primers are covered.
SO, any advice on a comparable powder that is easier to find?

The two rifles I want to load for first are:
A new out of box Savage LRH in 6.5 Creedmoor
My son's Rem 700 (youth model) 7mm-08 20 in barrel now in full size B&C "mountain hunter" type stock

Thanks Steve

 

[Sully2]

Have you searched various locations.....http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp....to find something that give the same velocity's and such with the same bullets??

 

[TJAY]

I have used 4007 in a 7-08 with very good results. Do not load the creedmoor. I have seen 4007 available from several dealers.
Graf & Sons - IMR POWDER 4007-SSC 1LB SHORT-CUT 10/CS

 

[Bucks n Ducks]

[Have you searched various locations/QUOTE]

I''ve looked around on various sites, but I must admit as a total novice it can be overwhelming. I downloaded a chart the lists relative burn rates of various powders (had 145 listed).
Other than burn rate and temperature tolerance should I be looking at something else?

I see IMR 4007 that TJAY recommended is right in between Varget and H4350 for burn rate

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it

 

[jasent]

reloader 15 will work for both those rifles, it very close to varget but load data is not interchangeable to my knowledge. if my memory is correct imr4064 is also a good powder for those guns.

 

[benchracer]

H4350 hasn't been a difficult powder to find. I have purchased several pounds of it off the shelf in recent months. In general, it appears to me that the slower powders like H4350, H4831, Retumbo, etc. have been more available than some of the faster stuff. It seems to me that the difficult stuff to find has been powders best suited to .223 and .308. Varget is an excellent example of this.

A good alternative to H4350 is RL-17. I have used that myself to good effect. I have lately seen some Hybrid 100V in stock at some online retailers. It, too, is in the 4350 burn rate range. Another alternative is H414.

Overall, I would advise that you are better off just being patient and keeping an eye on the shelves of your local reloading supply stores. Buy what you can when you can.

 

[Bucks n Ducks]

Benchracer, Where do you live?
Unfortunately the retail stores in my area of Northern California have been completely bare.
Maybe supply is catching up I'll have to hit the highway and start looking again.
Thanks for the RL 17 heads up, someone else just recommended that powder as well.

 

[venatic]

IMR 4007SSC is a very good powder for the 6.5 Creedmoor as is AR Comp from Alliant Powder. Both have given me excellent velocity and burn very clean. I have used them with 123gr and 140gr bullets.

 

[benchracer]

Benchracer, Where do you live?
Unfortunately the retail stores in my area of Northern California have been completely bare.
Maybe supply is catching up I'll have to hit the highway and start looking again.
Thanks for the RL 17 heads up, someone else just recommended that powder as well.

I have seen and purchased Retumbo, H4350, and RL-17 in Nebraska (where I live) and Kentucky (where I visited friends), in February and March. While in Kentucky, I also saw a few places that had pretty much the full line of Winchester ball powders. Cabela's in Omaha had gotten some powders in during the month of April. They even had IMR 8208XBR, which surprised me a bit.

With the exception of Cabela's and Scheel's in Omaha, most of what I saw on the shelf was in smaller shops as opposed to the big box stores. Powder could be found, one just had to cast a bit wider net than usual.

As for the situation in northern California, it is conceivable that the sheer population there may be working against you. Who knows? If you have occasion to travel to some of the more out of the way places there or if you travel to some of the more lightly populated neighboring states, it may be worth it to keep a sharp eye out for reloading supplies.

 

[Sully2]

[Have you searched various locations/QUOTE]

I''ve looked around on various sites, but I must admit as a total novice it can be overwhelming. I downloaded a chart the lists relative burn rates of various powders (had 145 listed).
Other than burn rate and temperature tolerance should I be looking at something else?

I see IMR 4007 that TJAY recommended is right in between Varget and H4350 for burn rate

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it

That website that I linked to WAS NOT that difficult to understand!!! Choose rifle...choose caliber...then choose bullet weight....and it will default to every poder thats OK for that bullet weight.

Ya got to read them partner....its not a video tape that talks to you

 

[sp6x6]

I am on back order list for bullets and powder.Then it just trickles in. notice today for Retumbo from sinclair,now Ill have 4 lbs.All was back order

 

[holesnipe161]

If you can get your hands on IMR4895 it'll work for both. The 123gr. and heavier in the 6mm and just about the full spectrum in the 7mm.

Since you live in NoCal have you tried Huntington Die Specialties in Oroville, Ca.
I've bought bullets from them before, I don't know what powder they may stock.