Hodgdon Powder: Pick the Right Reloading Powder (2026 Decision Tree)
Last updated: May 28, 2026 · Originally published: May 29, 2026
In This Article
Quick answer: The right Hodgdon powder for your reloading application depends on three things: caliber, bullet weight, and intended use. For 6.5 Creedmoor precision, H4350 is the canonical answer. For 9mm pistol volume, CFE Pistol or Titegroup. For .308 Win bolt-gun, Varget or IMR 4064. For 12-gauge waterfowl, Longshot. The Day 43 prize package includes 10 lbs of winner’s-choice Hodgdon-family powder across Hodgdon, IMR, Winchester, Ramshot, and Accurate — five brand families covering every reloading application.
The Hodgdon Powder Company is the largest smokeless-powder house in North America and the parent organization for the Hodgdon, IMR, Winchester, Ramshot, and Accurate brand families — five lines of powders that together cover essentially every reloading application from cowboy-action handgun to long-range precision rifle to 12-gauge waterfowl. The 43rd Day of Silence prize package includes ten pounds of winner’s-choice powder across all five families, and this article is the caliber-by-caliber decision tree to spend those ten pounds well.
The five Hodgdon-family brands and what each is for
Hodgdon-family powder spans five distinct brand lines, each with its own historical engineering provenance and its own application sweet spot. The winner of Day 43 can mix and match across any of the five.
Hodgdon is the flagship line and the broadest application coverage. H4350, H4831SC, Varget, H1000, Retumbo, Titegroup, Trail Boss, Longshot — the Hodgdon catalog is the line most reloaders default to when they don’t know which family to start with. If you are reloading a precision bolt rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, .308 Win, or .300 Win Mag, the first canister you reach for is going to be a Hodgdon-branded powder.
IMR (Improved Military Rifle) is the historical American powder line that dates to the 1914 acquisition of DuPont’s sporting-powder division. IMR powders are extruded stick powders optimized primarily for rifle applications. IMR 4064, IMR 4350, IMR 4895, IMR 8208 XBR — if you are loading match-grade .308 Win or .223 Rem, an IMR powder belongs in your testing rotation.
Winchester ball-powders cover the pistol-and-shotgun side of the catalog. Winchester 231, Winchester 296, Winchester Super Field — Winchester powders are the spherical (ball) construction that meters cleanly through progressive presses, which is what makes them the canonical 9mm and .45 ACP volume-loading powders.
Ramshot is the spherical-powder line covering pistol and rifle. Ramshot Silhouette, Ramshot True Blue, Ramshot Hunter, Ramshot LRT — Ramshot powders meter through powder measures exceptionally cleanly, which makes them the preferred choice for high-volume pistol loading and for shooters running progressive presses that don’t handle stick-powders well.
Accurate rounds out the catalog with a mix of stick and ball powders. Accurate 2200, Accurate 2230, Accurate 2520, Accurate 4350 — the Accurate line tends to be the value-tier choice on a per-pound basis, particularly for high-volume centerfire-rifle applications like .223 Rem and .308 Win.
Blackhorn 209 is the one notable absence from the winner’s-choice list. Hodgdon distributes Blackhorn 209 but the powder is excluded from the Day 43 prize per the manufacturer’s shipping restrictions on muzzleloader propellants.
Hodgdon powder by caliber: the decision tree
The caliber-by-caliber recommendations below are starting points for the reloader at the bench. None of these substitute for the published Hodgdon load data on hodgdonpowderco.com, which is the only authoritative source for any specific charge weight in any specific cartridge with any specific bullet.
Precision bolt-action rifle (6mm Creedmoor / 6.5 Creedmoor / .260 Rem / 6.5 PRC)
The 6.5 Creedmoor is the cartridge that proved a decade ago what the precision-rifle community had been arguing for two decades: a moderate-capacity case running a high-BC bullet at a moderate velocity will beat a magnum-capacity case running a lower-BC bullet at a high velocity at every reasonable practical-rifle distance. The powder that made the 6.5 Creedmoor case famous is H4350 which is an extruded stick powder with a burn rate that matches the 6.5 case capacity and the 140-grain class bullet weights almost perfectly. If you are loading 6.5 Creedmoor, H4350 is the first powder you test.
For 6mm Creedmoor, the same answer applies: H4350 is canonical, with IMR 4451 and Hybrid 100V as the next two test loads. For 6.5 PRC, the case capacity steps up enough that you move into H1000 and Retumbo territory.
Standard .308-class rifle (.308 Win / 7mm-08 / .243 Win)
For .308 Win precision work, Varget is the canonical answer, an extruded stick powder with a burn rate matched to the .308 case capacity across the 150-to-175-grain bullet weight range. Varget’s reputation is built on temperature stability: a load worked up at 70°F will perform at 30°F or 110°F with negligible velocity drift. For high-volume .308 loading where Varget availability is challenging, IMR 4064 and IMR 4895 are the backup answers.
For 7mm-08 and .243 Win, the same Varget / IMR 4064 / IMR 4895 trio applies, with charge weights adjusted per Hodgdon’s published load data.
Magnum bolt rifle (.300 Win Mag / .300 PRC / 7mm Rem Mag / .338 Lapua)
Magnum capacity moves the burn-rate window slower. For .300 Win Mag with 190-to-208-grain bullets, H1000 is the most-recommended powder in the Hodgdon catalog. For .300 PRC with 225-to-245-grain bullets, Retumbo extends the application further. For 7mm Rem Mag, H1000 and IMR 7977 are the two leading test loads. For .338 Lapua, Retumbo and US 869 cover the magnum-capacity application.
.223 Rem / 5.56 NATO (AR-15 platform)
For .223 Rem volume loading on a progressive press, CFE 223 is the engineered answer — a Copper Fouling Erasure powder that reduces copper buildup in the bore over high-round-count strings. For match-grade .223 with 69-to-77-grain Sierra MatchKings, IMR 8208 XBR is the precision-loading answer. For varmint and predator applications with 50-to-55-grain bullets, H335 and H322 cover the lighter-bullet end of the spectrum.
9mm Luger / .40 S&W / .45 ACP (pistol volume loading)
9mm volume loading on a progressive press is where the spherical-powder advantage shows up most clearly. CFE Pistol is the engineered answer for 9mm with 115-to-147-grain bullets — the Copper Fouling Erasure formulation that keeps the bore cleaner across high-round-count IDPA/USPSA practice sessions. Titegroup is the high-volume value answer for 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP across nearly every standard bullet weight. Winchester 231 is the traditional .45 ACP target-load powder.
12-gauge shotgun (waterfowl / target / hunting)
For 12-gauge waterfowl loads, Longshot is the heavy-shot answer that produces the velocities required to penetrate at extended range with steel and bismuth shot loads. For 12-gauge target loads (skeet, trap, sporting clays), Clays and International Clays cover the lighter-load applications. For 20-gauge and 28-gauge upland loads, Universal and International Clays carry over.
How far ten pounds of powder actually goes
Ten pounds of smokeless powder is about 70,000 grains. Translating that into rounds depends entirely on the charge weight per case, which is cartridge-specific.
| Cartridge | Typical charge | Rounds per 10 lbs |
|---|---|---|
| 9mm Luger (CFE Pistol, 124 gr) | 4.5 gr | ~15,555 |
| .45 ACP (Titegroup, 230 gr) | 4.8 gr | ~14,583 |
| .223 Rem (CFE 223, 55 gr) | 25.5 gr | ~2,745 |
| .308 Win (Varget, 168 gr) | 42.5 gr | ~1,647 |
| 6.5 Creedmoor (H4350, 140 gr) | 41.0 gr | ~1,707 |
| .300 Win Mag (H1000, 200 gr) | 73.5 gr | ~952 |
| 12-ga waterfowl (Longshot, 1-1/4 oz) | 35.0 gr | ~2,000 |
For a centerfire-pistol shooter, ten pounds of powder is roughly a decade of practice volume. For a precision-rifle reloader, ten pounds is between one and two seasons of serious load development plus match shooting. For a waterfowl shooter, ten pounds is most of a heavy-load season.
How to pick your ten pounds: a worked example
Assume the Day 43 winner is a typical American reloader: one 6.5 Creedmoor bolt rifle, one .223 AR-15, one 9mm pistol, one 12-gauge for waterfowl. A reasonable winner’s-choice allocation across those four applications might look like:
- 4 lbs H4350 — covers ~680 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor precision load development plus match shooting (roughly two seasons).
- 3 lbs CFE 223 — covers ~820 rounds of .223 AR-15 practice ammunition.
- 2 lbs CFE Pistol — covers ~3,100 rounds of 9mm practice ammunition.
- 1 lb Longshot — covers ~200 rounds of 12-gauge heavy waterfowl loads.
Total: 10 lbs spread across all four applications, with the heaviest allocation going to the precision rifle that benefits most from hand-loaded ammunition. A different reloader with a different mix of guns would distribute the ten pounds differently.
Storage and shelf-life: making the ten pounds last
Smokeless powder is genuinely shelf-stable when stored correctly. Cool, dry, original sealed canisters, kept in a temperature-controlled space that does not see seasonal swings from 30°F to 110°F — powder so stored has a documented shelf life measured in decades, not years. The opened canister with the lid on tight and stored alongside the unopened canisters is the canonical storage condition.
What kills powder shelf life is heat-and-humidity cycling. A canister of H4350 left in a garage that hits 130°F in August and drops to 20°F in January is a canister that will degrade meaningfully over a five-year window. The same canister in a 70°F basement reloading room is essentially permanent.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Hodgdon powder for 6.5 Creedmoor?
H4350 is the canonical Hodgdon powder for 6.5 Creedmoor across the 140-to-147-grain bullet weight range. The extruded stick powder’s burn rate matches the 6.5 Creedmoor case capacity almost perfectly, and the load is among the most-published in the entire Hodgdon catalog.
What is the best Hodgdon powder for 9mm Luger?
CFE Pistol is the canonical 9mm volume-loading powder from Hodgdon. The Copper Fouling Erasure formulation keeps the bore cleaner across high-round-count practice sessions. For shooters loading 9mm at very high volume, Titegroup is the high-density value alternative.
Can I mix and match across the five brand families in the Day 43 prize?
Yes. The Day 43 winner’s-choice allocation lets you pick any combination of 10 lbs across Hodgdon, IMR, Winchester, Ramshot, and Accurate brand families. Mix and match per your reloading needs.
Is Blackhorn 209 included in the winner’s choice?
No. Hodgdon distributes Blackhorn 209 but the powder is excluded from the Day 43 prize per the manufacturer’s shipping restrictions on muzzleloader propellants.
How long does ten pounds of smokeless powder last?
Shelf life depends on storage. Powder stored in original sealed canisters in a temperature-stable indoor environment has a documented shelf life measured in decades. Powder stored in heat-and-humidity-cycled environments (uninsulated garages, sheds) degrades over years.
What is the difference between IMR and Hodgdon-branded powders?
Both are extruded stick powders distributed by the Hodgdon Powder Company. IMR (Improved Military Rifle) is the historical American line dating to the 1914 DuPont sporting-powder acquisition. The Hodgdon-branded line includes both proprietary Hodgdon formulations (H4350, H1000, Varget) and licensed/distributed powders. Both are used interchangeably in published load data per their individual burn-rate characteristics.
What is the best Hodgdon powder for AR-15 .223 loading?
For high-volume practice loading, CFE 223 is the engineered answer. For match-grade .223 with 69-to-77-grain Sierra MatchKings, IMR 8208 XBR is the precision answer. For varmint loads with 50-to-55-grain bullets, H335 and H322 cover the lighter-bullet end.
Where do I find Hodgdon load data?
Hodgdon publishes the authoritative load data for every powder in its catalog at hodgdonpowderco.com. Cross-reference the cartridge, bullet weight, and powder against the Hodgdon online load data center before working up any load.
Editorial disclosure and methodology
The Hodgdon Powder Company is the powder sponsor of the 43rd Day of Silence. Powder recommendations in this article reflect the editor’s working experience across a 25-year reloading practice and align with the published Hodgdon load data. All specific charge-weight decisions for any specific cartridge-bullet-powder combination must be made against Hodgdon’s online load data center; this article is a category-level decision tree, not a substitute for published load data.
James Nicholas is the editor of Popular Suppressors and a gunsmith and author for Brand Avalanche Media. He covers the NFA suppressor market, host-firearm pairings, and the regulatory ground that shapes both. Follow James on X and Instagram at @therealxdman or read his personal site at tacticool.com.
Ten pounds. Five brand families. One bench. The winner of Day 43 walks home with the powder budget to handload through two seasons of precision rifle and a decade of pistol practice. Inside the 43rd Day of Silence → enter the giveaway.
Friday, May 29, 2026 · 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. CT · Free entry · U.S. 21+
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