[jmr40]

When you try to make one powder work for several cartridges you often end up with decent performance with one, and mediocre performance from the others.

The best way to limit the number of different powders you have to buy is to limit the number of cartridges you load for. I've owned a bunch of rifles chambered for a bunch of cartridges but can accomplish everything I need to do with a 308. But not all from the same rifle. I have a 308 with a long heavy barrel and big glass for precision shooting. I have a 308 with short 18" barrel and low powered optics for heavy brush hunting. I have a 5 lb bolt action 308 for steep rugged high altitude hunting. And a standard size and weight all around rifle in 308.

Nothing magical about 308, that is just the one I picked. I could do the same thing, hunt the same animals, shoot the same targets with a 7-08, 6.5 CM, 270, 280, 30-06, or even one of the magnums if I were willing to tolerate the recoil.

But by concentrating on one cartridge and choosing different platforms to launch the bullets it really simplifies reloading. 308 isn't the only cartridge I own. I have a couple of 30-06's with too much history to let go and I've jumped on the 6.5 CM bandwagon. But I can use the same powders in 30-06 and 6.5 CM and still get optimum performance. The 308 needs a different powder, but uses the same bullets as 30-06. I can keep 2 different powders on hand and 2 different caliber bullets to reload and cover all my bases.

Not the only cartridges I shoot. But the others are cheap enough to buy that I don't bother loading for them.