help with powder choice

[Wheatgerm]

I want to start reloading for my smaller rifles and was trying to find a powder that I could load for my 223 and 243 so I don't start collecting a bunch of different jugs around the room haha. If possible down the road I would also like to use the powder for my 270? H3450 seems to be a "do all" powder but would it be best choice for the smaller calibers? Also was thinking about retumbo or varget?
Any help would be great much thanks!

 

[SBruce]

Of the ones you mentioned, Varget is probaby the most versatile. Slightly on the fast end for the 270, but it does work. 4350 and Retumbo are both on the slow end for the 223. Retumbo is way too slow IMO. Varget also meters much more easily and quicker than 4350.

 

[Kevin Thomas]

May as well get used to the idea of those different jugs around, or just stick to factory ammo. It's the ability to select different powders, powders best suited to a particular cartridge and bullet weight, that gives handloaders a serious advantage over factory ammo. If you're just looking at the convenience of having one type of powder on hand to cut down "inventory" the factory ammo's always going to be better than anything you can roll on your own.

In this case one size DOES NOT fit all. Sorry.

 

[Wheatgerm]

The 270 would have just been a bonus. But there isn't a powder out there that works well for the 243 and 223? Im not opposed to having different jugs but I wouldn't guess I would need a different jug for each and every gun I load for?

 

[Kevin Thomas]

No, there's always some overlap, and some powders that work in the 223 will also serve very well in a 243. The problem is, a powder that is ideally suited to the 243 is probably a bit too slow to give really good results in a 223, and a powder that gives great results in the 223 is probably going to be a bit fast for best performance in the bigger case. It's all a matter of balance. Now, within cases of similar capacity, yes, you'll find a good bit more overlap. But you really do need different powders for dissimilar capacity cases like these. You're limiting yourself, and handicapping your reloading if you don't keep them on hand.

 

[Wheatgerm]

Makes sense. So I would probably have better luck overlapping the 243 and 270? Well im not planning on the 270 for a ways down the road..
so I guess my question should be, what powders should I look into for loading my 223 and what powder should I look into for the 243? Those 2 will be the ones ill be wanting to work up next

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Kevin is right in his statement of using what works best.
That said, 4895 will work rather well in both the 223 and 243. The 223's have to be 69 grain or heavier, and the 243's need to be 87 grain or lighter to work well. Yep, a full case of 4895 will push a 55 in a 223 and 35 grains or so will push a 100 in a 243, but neither are full throttle for the round.

Both the 223 and 243 have enough bullet weight difference between their lightweight and heavyweight that 1 powder for each really isn't enough for their entire weight range.

 

[SBruce]

Makes sense. So I would probably have better luck overlapping the 243 and 270? Well im not planning on the 270 for a ways down the road..
so I guess my question should be, what powders should I look into for loading my 223 and what powder should I look into for the 243? Those 2 will be the ones ill be wanting to work up next

I would think so. 4350 is known to work well in both the 243 and 270. It is also known to work well in the 25-06 and 6.5-284 and 6mm Rem., 6X47 Lapua, and even the WSM's and SAUM's.

Varget or faster is normally powders of choice for the 223. Benchmark and 322 also are known to work well in the 223. I have gotten some excellent accuracy with a 223 and Varget. Got some Benchmark to test next.

I only mention Hodgdon because that's what I use. Other brands in the same burn rate catagory can do well also.

 

[Wheatgerm]

Thanks bruce, seems like you've helped on the majority of my posts haha would varget and 4350 be good top choices for these calibers? Remember the only powder I have is r-17 for my 300wsm so I could buy anything. And I don't know if bullets will matter but im going to shoot v-max out of the 223 and 105 or 115 bergers out of the 243. Id like higher end speeds but accuracy is always more important

 

[Wheatgerm]

Not trying to question anyones judgement im just curious about this... I was reading on varget powder on hodgdon websight it says that the varget powder works great for 308 caliber. If a 308 and 243 are the same case why wouldn't it work great for the 243 as well? Im just going off case size here so there must be something else Im not looking at

 

[clambdin]

I have had very good luck with RL15 in 243 win !

 

[SBruce]

Wheatgerm,

I believe Varget would be fine in both cases. But as Kevin said, it may not be absolutely optimum in both cases with every bullet weight.......but it certainly will work in both the 223 and the 243, also works very well in the 22-250 class of cases. If I had to pick just one Hodgden powder for everything from 204 to 223 to 22-250 to 22-250AI to 6X47AI to 243AI to 6mm AI..........I think thats all of them.....?....It would be Varget.

I've had great luck with the 243 and AI version with 4831 SC with the 105 bullets.
4350 is very good in that case size, but harder to meter with a powder measure.
FWIW, R17 is right in that category, between the 4350's and 4831's.

Even though Varget should work, you might not get the velocity you would with the slower powders and the heavier 105-115 bullets.

I guess if it were me, and I had alot of R17 already, I'd try it in the 243 and buy a faster burning powder just for the 223. But I am way more likely to shoot a bunch of 223 than a bunch of 243.

 

[Joe King]

Not trying to question anyones judgement im just curious about this... I was reading on varget powder on hodgdon websight it says that the varget powder works great for 308 caliber. If a 308 and 243 are the same case why wouldn't it work great for the 243 as well? Im just going off case size here so there must be something else Im not looking at

Bore dia is why, the case capacity in relation to bore size between those 2 is pretty different.

I just got some 95gr Berger Classic hunters in, I think I'm going to give Supreme 780 a go, top velocity with lower pressure

 

[Wheatgerm]

Wheatgerm,

I believe Varget would be fine in both cases. But as Kevin said, it may not be absolutely optimum in both cases with every bullet weight.......but it certainly will work in both the 223 and the 243, also works very well in the 22-250 class of cases. If I had to pick just one Hodgden powder for everything from 204 to 223 to 22-250 to 22-250AI to 6X47AI to 243AI to 6mm AI..........I think thats all of them.....?....It would be Varget.

I've had great luck with the 243 and AI version with 4831 SC with the 105 bullets.
4350 is very good in that case size, but harder to meter with a powder measure.
FWIW, R17 is right in that category, between the 4350's and 4831's.

Even though Varget should work, you might not get the velocity you would with the slower powders and the heavier 105-115 bullets.

I guess if it were me, and I had alot of R17 already, I'd try it in the 243 and buy a faster burning powder just for the 223. But I am way more likely to shoot a bunch of 223 than a bunch of 243.

I haven't even thought about r-17? Do you think it would be a good option for the heavier bullet in 243? I want to get around 2900fps or above with a 105 bullet and that's where im running into issues. On hodgdon websight it shows max load for 4350 is only shooting around 2600fps with 100gr bullet? It shows retumbo getting over 2900fps with a 105 bullet