Less is More

[Petrol & Powder]

I am a HUGE fan of simple logistics. I make no secrets about my desire to keep things simple.

As we all ride out yet another election cycle and the shortages that inevitably accompany those events - I think about what we can all learn from this.

Like most of us that have weathered this cyclic madness before, I've learned to take a longer view. One of the tactics that works for me, is to keep it simple.
I enjoy reloading and have accumulated various powders over the years (don't we all?) but when I take stock of what I need - I realize that I don't need a lot of different powders.
I find it far better to have an adequate supply of a FEW types of powders than to have a large selection of different powders.
Sure, I've got a few partial containers of powders that I'll eventually use up but for the most part, I use the same small selection of powders over and over.

When this current madness subsides (and it will) I'll add a little to my reserve but I will not expand my selection. Less really is more.

 

[waco]

I just change my shooting habits/interests a bit. I was real gung ho on 9mm and 38 levergun stuff for awhile. Down to around 3-4k small pistol primers so I started up with .22lr
I have around 9-10k
Thinking about shooting the rifles(LRP) more. Sitting much better on those primers. All powder is well stocked.

 

[RicinYakima]

Have hundreds of jacketed bullets from gun show buys over last 30 years. Think I should shoot some of them up.

 

[Joshua]

At my current rate of fire. I’m good for three or four years on primers. Two to three for rifle powder. And, maybe six on pistol powder.

I will run out of lead before I run out of powder.

I’m still learning what I like. Still experimenting. I’m very much enjoying the exploration.

For me right now it isn’t about keeping it simple, it’s about trying new things. I do see myself getting to the point where I standardize on one load for each gun, or maybe two a plinker and a serious load. I’m just not there yet.

Josh

 

[waco]

I am enjoying your thuddy thuddy quest. Such a great cast bullet round. Makes me want to get mine out!!!

 

[462]

I've tried, and still have, a good many powders that others have said worked wonderfully, but I couldn't find any keeper loads. That I'm not a velocity pursuer might be the reason.

For my cast bullet shooting, I don't need other than 2400 and Unique, and I've an excellent supply of both.
For jacketed bullets, it's come down to the IMRs 4895, 4350 and 4831, and (cringe) H110/W296.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Some people thrive on variety, I thrive on simplicity.

It's just so much easier to keep a supply on hand when the supply isn't very diverse.

Bullseye, HP-38 (ww231) and WSF handle almost all of my standard pressure handgun cartridges.
I keep a few pounds of Unique on the shelf but I'll probably never use it up. I still have a couple of pounds of CFE Pistol I picked up during the last shortage and like the Unique, it will take years for me to use that.
I have some VihtaVuori 3 N 38 leftover from some 9mm experiments long ago. (I'm not sure what I'll do with that)
I keep H110 on hand for magnum loads but that stuff lasts forever at my pace.

I have exactly two types of shotgun powders. And a handful of rifle powders.

I used to keep all sorts of stuff on hand from a half of dozen different manufacturers. My shelves looked like a gun store. As time goes by I realize that I want a lot of powder on hand but I don't want a lot of DIFFERENT powders on hand.

 

[Ian]

One, maybe two loads per cartridge. Same with bullet moulds and primers.

So far I have the .45 ACP universalized for every gun I have (no small feat with all the platforms represented in my collection). Same for the .308 Winchester, 300 BLK, .458 SOCOM, .30-30 Winchester (again very tall order considering the diversity of chambers, magazines, and throats, and all of these have a full or near full-power load and bullet in addition to specialized subsonic loads). The .45 Colt is still eluding me. .38 Special is squared away. Homing in on the .35 Remington, 5.56x45, and .30-06.

That leaves the .38 Super, .45 Super, .270 Winchester, and 6.5x55 to be sorted out with powder coated bullets.

While my powder magazine looks like I cleaned out three estate sales and at least two gun stores that were closing, in fact I only use H335, Reloder 7, Longshot, Universal, and Titegroup as a habit. There are many similar powders but no substitutes for these in many of my particular applications, so naturally I have laid in a stock.

Over 25 years of playing with this stuff and finally I'm getting to the point that so many of the powders and bullet moulds it took to get here are ready to get cleared out and duplicates of the final selections acquired. Right now I'm working on at least one spare, duplicate mould and a lifetime supply of powder, primers, brass, and powder coat for the loads I have fully refined. Just about there with most everything except a few moulds and, well, who can say the EVER have enough powder and primers?

 

[Petrol & Powder]

It does take a lot of time to narrow down the final selections but once you do, things get a lot better.
It also helps when you stop chasing the max velocity for a particular load. When you have that epiphany and realize the ONLY reason you keep powder X on the shelf is for one load that is 23 fps faster than the same load with powder Y - you can let go of powder X. This is even more joyful when Powder Y works for a dozen different cartridges and Powder X only works for 1 and that 1 can be handled by Powder Y.

 

[JonB]

I am usually the person who preaches "Less is More" (that was some of my reasoning for the "collection thinning" Gun Auction I had in 2015).
But one of the areas of my life where "Less is More" is NOT true, is my powder and primer inventory.
I honestly can't give you a great reason why, but I like to have as many different powders on hand, as well as Primers...and I do like to be sure to have as many (as possible) different vintage primers in my stash, stuff that says "Herters" or Staynless".

I was pleased as punch when at the last gunshow, I stumbled onto 7 cans of Alcan powder for $5 a can...most were full, seemingly unopened 8 oz square steel cans, two were opened and about half full. also in that $5 per can powder lot was a near full paper can of HS-7 and a half full container of AA#9 .... and also seen and bought 500 "Staynless" LPP for $10.

 

[fiver]

heck Jon,, they only cost $11 for a full brick when new.

I have a lot of a few powders, and some of some more, but not too many 1 lb. containers.
I pretty well settled in on bullet designs types long ago, and learned how to work larger rimmed cases with 10 different powders to keep me out there doing whatever it is I'm doing, so whatever is available in 8 lb. jugs is fine with me.
Herco 800-X 700-X?
I could care less,,, it all works well enough, I will take whatever it is and do something with it.

 

[popper]

Kinda new to this so I am using up stuff that kinda works and staying with what really does work. 335 is gone, varget also. Trying the 3031 cause I have it. ARcomp is gone but it works good. Cfe's will get used up. Still got Unique, 2400, 4227 & Rx7. LRPs exceed SRPs.

 

[JonB]

fiver, if ya got any of those $11 full bricks laying around, ya wanna sell me, I'll take 'em
also, ya got any of those 5¢ candy bars from that same time period?

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Some people thrive on variety, I thrive on simplicity.

It's just so much easier to keep a supply on hand when the supply isn't very diverse.

Bullseye, HP-38 (ww231) and WSF handle almost all of my standard pressure handgun cartridges.
I keep a few pounds of Unique on the shelf but I'll probably never use it up. I still have a couple of pounds of CFE Pistol I picked up during the last shortage and like the Unique, it will take years for me to use that.
I have some VihtaVuori 3 N 38 leftover from some 9mm experiments long ago. (I'm not sure what I'll do with that)
I keep H110 on hand for magnum loads but that stuff lasts forever at my pace.

I have exactly two types of shotgun powders. And a handful of rifle powders.

I used to keep all sorts of stuff on hand from a half of dozen different manufacturers. My shelves looked like a gun store. As time goes by I realize that I want a lot of powder on hand but I don't want a lot of DIFFERENT powders on hand.

Im a lil of both....

I like having what I need when I find out I want it.
BUT once I have it and prove it (speaking powder and bullet) I shelf it and load what I feel I need. A hundred or a thousand but I dont "look" any more.
Now I may use that powder in other applications and I may not. The gun decides that for me.

I have a good supply of jacketed but for a spell now Im mostly all cast.

CW

 

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm not advocating keeping less powder on hand, I'm saying I prefer less VARIETY of powder on hand.
To each his own but I find it far easier to lay in provisions if I have fewer types to deal with.

Right now I have a partial container of that VihtaVuori on hand that will sit on the shelf for years. I will not waste it but it's just taking up space. I have some CFE Pistol that is also taking up space. I'll eventually use it but when it's gone I'll replace it with one of the powders I use more often.

If I'm going to expend space and money to store powder, I'd rather devote ALL of that space and money to the powders I prefer to keep on hand.

YMMV