reloading in 2022

[Amflyer]

First rifle powder I ever bought for the reloading bench was IMR 4831. It gave the best velocities for the 243 and 30-06 that my Pa and I used. Later, when I added other calibers, from 270 to to 7mm rem Mag to 300 Win Mag, that same powder worked pretty danged well. Eventually, I was buying it in 16 lb increments, as needed, This went of for a lot of my adult life, to date.

Then, "Stuff happened."

So, I've been looking for more powder for the last few months onto nearly two years. I was down to about a pound in the jug. Finally found a few one-pound canisters all of the same lot, so I'm back in business, I also picked up a new Hornady manual, since my old one was a few editions ago.

Wow. For 165 and 180 grain bullets in the 30-06, Hornady doesn't even like the IMR powder enough to publish loads. Most of the other cartridges don't throw a favorable cast on the old workhorse powder either.

Yeah, it doesn't meter the best, and it's probably temperature sensitive and all that, but guess who's going to use their old load info and keep plugging away? Something about cracking a new can and smelling that solvent means that it's time to go shooting. There's more to reloading and shooting than an extra 27fps. It's tradition, man. I'm a little sad to see the old things fall away.

Please accept my apology for bastardizing a Petzalism, but

"Anyway, I depress..."

[dewman]

The last time I reloaded, maybe 20yrs ago, 40-42 grains of Varget worked really well in my 7-08 with a 140gr partition. If I remember it right anyway.

[fitch270]

I need to get de-pressing some ammo myself but haven’t felt up to it lately. Too much overtime this year for cabin fever to set in. Maybe that’s a good thing but I’m not so sure. No, I’m sure it’s not actually.



Don’t be sad, you found the powder you were looking for. That’s a win. Just don’t run out of primers before it’s gone.


Geeze, aren’t I a ray of sunshine tonight?

[FirstBubba]

Several years back, I set up my loading bench and pulled probably 6 or 7 canisters of different powders.
They were really old and had been stored without climate control, so it got hot and cold. I tossed it all.
I sat down with my loading manual and a list of my rifles. The powder that was common among them was IMR 4895.
IMR 4895 for rifles
Herco 2400 for handguns
Hi-Skor 700 for shotguns

THEN.....I got into AR's. Now I have 4 or 5 powders sitting on the shelf....again! 😖

With present powder prices, I figure I better start researching what I can load with the powders I have! LOL!