The selection of rifle powder is among the most crucial selections in long-range precision reloading. A number of analysis research have proven that the kind of gun powder you select can considerably have an effect on stress, velocity, and combustion dynamics, in the end influencing precision and group measurement. However with so many choices available on the market, what’s the most effective reloading powder for lengthy vary?
To chop by way of the noise, we analyzed what the highest 200 Precision Rifle Collection (PRS) rivals are utilizing of their match ammo. (Study in regards to the Precision Rifle Collection.) The outcomes are clear—one model dominates the sphere, and simply two powders account for almost all of top-ranked shooters. However is your go-to powder nonetheless the only option? And why has the most effective rifle powder shifted over the previous decade?
On this article, we break down the most effective powder for rifle reloading based mostly on real-world knowledge from high rivals. You’ll uncover which powders are trusted by the most effective within the sport, why they’ve develop into the gold commonplace for long-range precision, and the way altering cartridge developments have reshaped powder preferences over time. In case you’re critical about precision reloading, this data-driven evaluation will make it easier to select the most effective rifle powder for consistency and accuracy.
Finest Reloading Powder For Lengthy Vary
Let’s dive into the info! The chart beneath exhibits what manufacturers of reloading powders this group of elite shooters are utilizing to win long-range rifle matches.
88% of professional shooters are utilizing a Hodgdon model rifle powder for his or her match ammo! That included the vast majority of the blokes within the high 10 and 86% of these within the high 50. The entire Hodgdon reloading powders getting used are a part of the Hodgdon Excessive Collection line of rifle powders, that are specifically formulated to indicate little or no sensitivity to swings in ambient temperature. Which means you get very related muzzle velocities no matter whether or not the skin air temperature is 40° F or 90° F. (Extra on temp sensitivity in an upcoming article.) The Excessive Collection powders (e.g., Varget, H4350) are manufactured in Australia by Thales Australia (beforehand referred to as Australian Defence Industries or ADI Powders). Hodgdon imports these rifle powders and markets them underneath the Hodgdon title in the USA and different areas.
The second hottest model was Vihtavuori powders, representing 8% of those shooters. That included 1 within the high 10 and a complete of seven% of the highest 50. Vihtavuori is a Finnish firm with over 100 years of experience, and so they’re trusted worldwide for his or her distinctive consistency, clean-burning efficiency, and rigorous high quality management. Their N-series powders are engineered to ship secure efficiency throughout various temperatures and situations, making them splendid for long-range precision capturing. Vihtavuori is a sister firm to different in style manufacturers like Lapua and Berger.
2% of those shooters mentioned they load their match ammo with Alliant’s Reloder Powder, however that included 1 within the high 10 and a pair of extra within the high 25. Alliant Powder is an American producer and distributor. They make some reloading powders in-house, however they import the Reloder (aka Reloader) sequence of rifle powders from Eurenco Bofors in Sweden. Eurenco Bofors has a protracted historical past of innovation within the energetics trade, courting again to the late 1800s, and it’s recognized for its uniform granules and secure burn charges. Many, however not all, Reloder powders are engineered to carry out constantly throughout a variety of temperatures.
Lastly, there was 1 shooter who mentioned they used an IMR powder and 1 shooter who mentioned they used a Winchester powder, each of that are marketed by Hodgdon powders in the USA and different areas underneath these respective model names. Winchester Powders are sourced from Basic Dynamics within the U.S., which produces reloading powders for each industrial and army purposes. IMR Powders are manufactured by Basic Dynamics in Canada.
It’s attention-grabbing to see how international the rifle powder trade is. It in all probability additionally helps us perceive how fragile the availability chain for reloading powders might be.
Finest Rifle Powder
Now, let’s break it down past model or line of reloading powder and take a look at the precise sort of rifle powder these high 200 shooters mentioned they had been utilizing of their match ammo.
62% of those shooters had been utilizing Hodgdon Varget, together with the vast majority of the blokes within the high 10. Varget has been the favourite rifle powder among the many PRS crowd from the start. It’s additionally very talked-about amongst aggressive shooters in F-Class and Benchrest. There are a couple of key causes that so many shooters choose Varget:
Temperature Stability: Varget is a part of Hodgdon’s Excessive Collection, designed to carry out constantly throughout a variety of temperatures. This minimizes velocity and stress variations, making certain constant accuracy in various climate situations.
Distinctive Consistency: Identified for its uniform granules and predictable burn charge, Varget delivers exact shot-to-shot efficiency, which is crucial for long-range accuracy.
Clear-Burning: Varget burns effectively, lowering barrel fouling and sustaining constant accuracy over prolonged capturing classes.
Wonderful Vitality Output: Its optimized burn traits permit shooters to attain excessive velocities with out producing extreme pressures, splendid for precision masses.
Versatility: It really works properly with quite a lot of calibers and bullet weights, from 223 Rem to the 30-06 Springfield. In fact, most of those shooters are utilizing it in 6 Dasher, 6 GT, 6BR, 6BRA, 25×47 Lapua, 25 GT, and some 308 Win within the tactical class.
Confirmed Observe File: Varget has a long-standing popularity in aggressive capturing, with many shooters reporting excellent ends in disciplines like F-Class, PRS, and benchrest competitions.
25% had been working Hodgdon H4350, together with 1 within the high 10 and one other 10 within the high 50. H4350 can also be a part of the Hodgdon Excessive Collection powders however has a barely slower burn charge than Varget. That makes it splendid for barely bigger cartridges.
Which means Varget and H4350 mixed to symbolize 87% of those professional shooters, and the remaining 13% had been unfold over 7 completely different rifle powders:
5% Vihtavuori N150 (together with 1 within the high 10 and a pair of extra within the high 50)
3% Vihtavuori N140 (none within the high 50)
2% Hodgdon H4895 (none within the high 50, additionally a part of the Hodgdon Excessive Collection line)
1% Alliant Reloder 16 (together with 1 within the high 10 and one other 1 within the high 50)
1% Alliant Reloder 15.5 (together with 1 within the high 25 and no others within the high 50)
1% IMR 4350 (none within the high 50)
1% Vihtavuori N555 (none within the high 50)
Rifle Reloading Powder Traits Amongst The Professionals
Ten years in the past, Varget and H4350 had been the highest rifle powders, too – however they had been nearly precisely flipped! In 2014, 67% of the top-ranked PRS shooters had been utilizing H4350, and 21% had been utilizing Varget (view 2014 reloading powder knowledge)! That’s as a result of again then, the preferred cartridges had been the 6 Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6×47 Lapua, and 6.5×47 Lapua (view 2014 cartridge knowledge). There wasn’t a single shooter utilizing a 6mm Dasher or some other cartridge based mostly on the 6mm BR in 2014. It was across the 2016 PRS Season while you noticed the 6 Dasher and 6 BR beginning to present up among the many execs (view 2016 cartridge knowledge), after which by the top of the 2018 season, the 6mm Dasher and different 6BR-based cartridges had been dominant! In 2018, 48% of all of the shooters surveyed had been utilizing a cartridge based mostly on the 6mm BR case – and it was 60% among the many high 10 (view 2018 cartridge knowledge).
That explains why Varget is the favourite reloading powder right this moment and H4350 was 10 years in the past. All of it comes all the way down to what’s the finest rifle powder for the dimensions of cartridge you’re capturing:
Varget is a barely faster-burning rifle powder that may be a nice alternative for the 6mm Dasher, 6BR, 6BRA, and different cartridges which might be on the smaller measurement of instances used for long-range rifle matches.
Hodgdon H4350 is a superb alternative for instances just like the 6 Creedmoor and 6.5 Creedmoor.
Vital: You need to all the time reference complete reloading manuals and begin with powders and protected cost weights they suggest. There are a ton of things that modify from them to you, together with actual chamber/barrel dimensions, brass specs, reloading scales, powder heaps, seating depth and rigidity, and many others., so it’s crucial to comply with security precautions. Failure to comply with protected loading practices may end in extreme private damage (together with loss of life) or gun injury to the consumer or bystanders. Technical knowledge and data are based mostly on survey responses from different shooters underneath particular situations and circumstances. The creator has not independently verified the accuracy of the info and can’t be chargeable for errors in printed load knowledge. As a result of this web site and its associates don’t have any management over the person loading practices and/or parts used, no duty is assumed by PrecisionRifleBlog.com or its associates in using this knowledge. The data is for use on the sole discretion of the consumer and the consumer assumes all threat.
The desk beneath exhibits what number of of those high 200 shooters run Varget or H4350 for numerous cartridges. The cartridges are sorted based mostly on the estimated case capability, with the smallest instances on high and the most important on backside.
Based mostly on the reported knowledge above, it seems to be like there are a couple of cartridges the place nearly the entire shooters are utilizing both Varget or H4350, after which there are a couple of that appear fairly cut up between the 2. I used to be curious to see if these aligned with the dimensions of the case (i.e., case quantity or case capability).
The chart beneath appears to symbolize the selection of the vast majority of these high marksmen by way of what reloading powder is good based mostly on the dimensions of the case their rifle is chambered for.
You’ll be able to see there’s some crossover within the instances that maintain between 43 and 49 grains of water, however these which might be lower than 43 nearly all used Varget, and people with 50 or extra nearly all used H4350.
Coming Up Subsequent
This text is a part of a sequence on rifle reloading knowledge, load growth, and reloading parts. Listed here are different associated articles that I’ve lately printed or plan to publish within the close to future:
I’ve additionally printed plenty of reloading knowledge previously based mostly on the precise load knowledge from the highest PRS shooters. Yow will discover all of that rifle load knowledge right here:
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