Basic 3 Types of Gunpowder for Reloading : What You Need to Know!

What’s the best way to save money on buying new rounds of ammunition? If you regularly hit the firing range, then this would be a natural thought in your mind. And let’s face it, new rounds of ammunition aren’t exactly cheap. Having to buy a few rounds every other day does get pretty expensive.

Well, the easy solution here is to make your own ammo. If you know how to reload, you can save a lot of money in the long run. Sure, it takes a fair bit of know-how, but with my help, that should not be too difficult. And one of the first things you have to understand is which gunpowder to use for your weapon.

In this article, I will discuss the major types of gunpowder for reloading so that you don’t have to struggle with this confusing yet essential topic. So let’s get started.

What are the Three Types of Gunpowder for Reloading?

While there are many types of gun powders available on the market by different manufacturers, generally speaking, gun powders for reloading can be divided into three main categories, ball powder, flake powder, and extruded powder.

Understanding the three powders in this category can help you figure out which reloading powder is right in your situation. So let me talk a bit about the three variants here.

01. Ball Powder

Typically considered the fastest burning powder type available on the market, ball powder is used commonly in many rifles or pistol ammunition. As the name suggests, ball powders look like tiny round balls or granules. You can find ball powders with different burn rates to suit your reloading needs depending on your bullet type and caliber.

The Winchester 231 powder is a popular choice for pistol and handgun ammo. On the other hand, rifle owners might prefer the Hodgdon’s Extreme line or Line by Ramshot.

02. Flake Powder

Flake powder is another fast-burning gun powder that is used for a wide variety of weapons, including shotguns. In fact, if you are working with reduced rifle loads, flake powder can be a great choice for the job. This type of gunpowder has a flattened granule look.

The biggest manufacturer of flake powder right now is Alliant offering popular options like the Red Dot and Unique in its catalog.

03. Extruded Powder

While both flake and ball powder can be used for a wide variety of ammunition, the extruded powder is typically only used in rifle cartridges. It has a slow burn rate which makes it the perfect candidate for preparing rifle loads. Extruded powder is also known as stick powder and looks like tiny cylinders at a closer glance.

There are many popular brands that manufacture extruded powder. Some of my favorite ones are the IMR 4350, Alliant Reloader 22, Hodgdon H4831, etc.

Choosing the Right Reloading Powder

Knowing which reloading powder to use in a specific situation is the key to making the perfect load. And now that you understand the three types of gun powders that you can use, it is time to learn how to apply this knowledge.

Now there are a couple of tips that I can give you to make things a bit easier right off the bat.

• Start with a powder that is made for your specific gun type. Typically, powder brands offer different gun powders depending on whether you are reloading ammo for a pistol, rifle, or shotgun.
• Also, understand the different powder types. Since I already discussed this above, I go into details here.
• Finally, and most importantly, do some research on load data manuals from different reloading manufacturers. The data is always evolving, so make sure you have an updated manual to consult when you are reloading ammo.

Since most manufacturers separate their gunpowder based on gun type, you should have an easier time taking your pick. If you are reloading handgun ammunition for instance, you can simply start checking in the pistol gunpowder section for your reloading powder.

You should also take a look at your gun’s owner’s manual. Sometimes the manual comes with an extended list of optimal ammunition types and a powder compatibility chart.

Here are a couple of things you might want to check when buying your reloading powder.

01. Load Data

The manufacturers usually know best when it comes to reloading powder compatibility. That is why there is no alternative to buying an up-to-date reloading manual to look up different load data when you want to prepare an optimal load. While there is free information available online, a proper load data in a reloading manual is typically always better.

02. Gun Caliber and Bullet Weight

After you look up all the information like powder charge, COL (cartridge overall length), muzzle velocities, etc., you should have a handy list of reloading powders that are suitable for your needs.

Now, when you are deciding on a specific powder, there are many variables you have to consider. But as a beginner, I would recommend going with a powder that gives you the best velocity at the lowest pressure, depending on your gun and bullet type.

Some powders come with a “C” stamp which means it’s a compressed charge. These powders are most likely to match your velocity needs.

03. Weapon Spec and Barrel Length

Another thing you might want to check is the powder compatibility with your gun’s barrel length. After looking at the load data and checking your gun caliber and bullet weight, there is a good chance that you still have a pretty big list of powders that you can use.

This final aspect should help you narrow down your choice to one or two gunpowder that is best suited to your needs. The best advice I can give you is to buy a small amount of powder first and test it out to see if you like it. You can always get more if you get a good experience with it.

Storing the Reloading Powder Safely

If you want the batch of gunpowder that you bought to last a good while, you need to store them properly in a safe environment. You see, gun powders can be quite finicky. Even if the batch you bought was good, if you don’t store it properly, it will be ruined by the time you get it to the reloading bench.

With that said, here are a couple of tips for reloading powder storage.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right gunpowder for the job is essential to preparing an optimal charge for your weapon. And that takes a lot of tedious research and study. But once you get through it, the next steps become much simpler.

Hopefully, my exhaustive guidelines on the types of gunpowder for reloading could help clarify most of the nuances related to this process. Good luck!