After a couple years reloading now and trying a dozen or so different powders, I'm pretty well convinced that most of the common powders on the market shoot as well or better than I do. IMR 8208 does outstanding for all grains I've tried in 6.5 Grendel (which is what got me into 8208 in the first place) - from 90 to 123gr and everything in between. And just recently I've found similar behavior in .223 from 55gr - 77gr. I've found many instances on the web of it being a suitable powder for various other cartridges that I may reload one day but not setup for today (.308, .30-06, 30-30).

I've got a ways to go to retirement and may one day get back into the never-ending mission of always searching for the next best load. (Read: I'm not suggesting IMR 8208 is the best powder for everything by any means.) But TODAY I've got a sub moa load for everything that matters to me using 8208. The problem is, it's been out of stock since I decided on it being my one-stop-shop. (Octoberish? Definitely not past early/mid November.)

Thoughts/questions-
- Is it normal for a powder, or 8208 specifically, to be unavailable for months at a time? Anyone have a line on when it will become available again? When should I start to worry heh?
- Who else uses 8208 for "everything" rifle, what's your thoughts and experience?
- Who uses something other than 8208 for "everything" rifle, what is it? (And is it in stock? lol)
- Who has tried 8208 but it didn't work for them?

- Is it normal for a powder, or 8208 specifically, to be unavailable for months at a time? Anyone have a line on when it will become available again?
These things have happened before. Government orders, foreign government orders, importation delays, etc, will all cause shortages from time to time. Some of the favorite powders are produced overseas and some are made in the Americas. Those ups and downs can have effects on the one you are looking for, or have a ripple effect because people start looking for plan B when plan A is the shortage.

Some of the shortages with things like Varget or H4350, can cause a shortage for things like 4895 and 8208. Rumor has it the Australian powder arrives in April. 8208 will be hard to find, but if you dig you can probably find it in quiet places.

When should I start to worry heh?

If you live long enough, you will learn to plan long and have a back-up plan too. Some of these shortages are predictable and some are not. I would not worry about this one, but November may have an unpredictable effect.

- Who else uses 8208 for "everything" rifle, what's your thoughts and experience?
I always keep some around for the same reasons you like it.

- Who uses something other than 8208 for "everything" rifle, what is it? (And is it in stock? lol)
This answer would go too long... H4350, Varget, 4064, RE15, etc., etc.,

- Who has tried 8208 but it didn't work for them?
It will always to well in the range where it is intended. That said, sometimes there are others that will do better in some instances.

Replies in red. Im getting low myself, might have to pay to buy it locally. Be persistent in your search. Sign up for in stock alerts and be prepared to buy RFN when you get the alert and even then you may be too late. I usually have at least 1 or 2 backorders for 8lb jugs of hard to find powders just because backorders get filled before it gets put out for stock. There is a thread for where to find components subscribe to it I have gotten some good stuff from staying on it.

Always have a backup powder. During the great shortage you had to just take what you could find. Times are relatively good now so find an alternate and stock up on that too.

This time last year I went on a quest to get a pound of 8208 (documented most my search in the home town forum asking for people to keep their eyes open for me)

I found the some of the larger sports chains might have a random store with a pound on the shelf.  For me, Bass Pro and Scheels were easy to check on line to track down a store that has it.  Side note- Right now bass pro is reporting mid March for resupply.

After I was able to buy a pound and load it, I was not thrilled how it metered through the powder drop.  I was getting more powder crunches than what I preferred.

So between limited availability and questions on how good my case-to-case powder charges would be, I would use it, but I am not planning on using it.

It's certainly good stuff. If Varget would meter as well I probably wouldn't even use 8208.

I don't understand where stuff is coming from at the moment. My local reloading shop just got in 8 lb. jugs of Varget and RL-26, and nobody online has had those in ages.

I'll tell you what 8208 does do though... If you load a starting charge under a 165 gr. bullet in 308 it will almost assuredly be sub-MOA. It has held true in tons of rifles I have helped people out with.

Recurrent shortages are an ongoing reality. Things are OK now but it's an election year, so expect shortages leading up to November. If Trump loses the shelves will be bare for years.

Right now is the time to stack deep, as finances and proper safe storage space permits. If you're able, enough powder and primers to keep up your normal shooting habits for back to back Democratic administrations is prudent. These are low cost days of plenty. Take advantage.

8208 is a great powder. I use it for progressively loaded .223 match service rifle ammo because it meters well, is temp stable, and it's fairly easy to get accurate loads out of it.

I think it's worth having a supply of other well rounded powders too. TAC, H4895, Varget.

It's funny, when I started reloading inwas a huge fan of Varget.  Then I found xbr and used that forever.  Now I'm slowly going back to Varget.

Nothing wrong with xbr, but with the more iv learned over time, there are better powders for the different cartridges.   That being said xbr is my go to for 223 77gr smk.  I've also found great loads for my other calibers with it when my other powders r getting low

I only buy one pound cans to try out new powders.

Once I have an established load I buy the four pound or eight pound jugs.

I don't buy when I need it, I buy when I see a good sale (low cost for powder, free shipping, no hazmat fees, etc.)  I've got a couple 8 lb jugs of H335, a couple of BLC2, still got 1&1/2 of IMR4895, etc., etc., etc.  Same for primers/bullets.

It won't go bad sitting on the shelf.  A few years ago I used up the last of some old H322, BLC2, IMR4895, W748, Unique, Bullseye, etc. that had been up in the attic since the mid 1980's.  Every partial can was good and it all went bang.  Same for primers.  Had 4,000 up there for the same time period and used them all up.

H4895 and IMR-8208-XBR are almost identical as far as burn rate and powder charge weights are concerned.

H4895
Varget
RE-15
can all serve as a one powder inventory for .223/.308/..30-06. VV N140 is another.

I won't buy just one powder simply because certain powders perform better in specific cartridges and maximizing accuracy is more important to m than limiting stock.

I prefer IMR-4895 in .308 and .30-06 over the H variety, but the h4895 is much better in .223.
IMR-4064 is a great powder in .308/.30-06, but is too bulky for .223.

Varget and RE-15 are great for heavy bullets in .223 and one of the best powders for .308.

VV N140 is probably the best .223 powder on the market, but most people won't pay the higher price. VV N150 is one of the very best .308 powders, again expensive and not easy to find. N150 is great in .30-06 and actually works great with heavy bullets and long barrels (24"+) in .223.

The problem with finding a "one and done" powder is you give up something shooting heavy bullets in the larger calibers, or lighter bullets in .223.

I’m a fan of 8208. But yes it’s hard to find a sure supply.

I tend to use a lot of plain old W748 in 55gr 223 loads. Not because it’s the best, but because I can usually buy it any time I need it.

I’d standardize around 8208 if it didn’t go MIA on a regular basis.

I've gone pretty much exclusively to 8208.

It's all I use for my .308.

I'm considering standardizing on 8208 for .223 if I can find loads my guns like (sounds like I will).

I'll use up my RE-15 and H335 stock this year.  Planning to get the Hornady 62 grain FMJ's for plinking and SMK 77's and 80's for more accurate stuff.

Hopefully GEOTUS gets re-elected with a pro-gun congress and we enter the true salad days of gun stuff availability.

8208 is a great powder. There has been a huge increase in the number of reloaders in the last 15 years. So once a powder proves to be exceptional it starts running out more frequently. Varget was like that. 8208 has relieved some of the demand pressure on Varget supplies!

I’ve worked up good loads for several powders in each caliber. For .223 I like 8208, Varget, H335, CFE223, and BL-C2. For .30-06 Garand I like Varget, H4895, 4064 and IMR4895. I buy in 8# kegs of my favorite when available and one pounders of alternates when it is not. Some dry spells were so long I started buying 8 pounders of even the alternate alternate.

Like most components, powders are made in large batches maybe just once a year. A powder mill does not have continuous production of every powder. They make a few at a time then work on a few more and work through their line up until they wrap around to the next cycle. Powders are just on a longer cycle than most components.

But yeah 8208 is a great and versatile powder so don’t be blabbing to anyone else!!

Can we stop talking about how great 8208 is?

I used to be one that would try a new powder when it came out.  Varget was one of them, bought 8 pounds but never had a lot of success with it.  Maybe it was the early batch.

The old standbys, H4895 and 335, as well as almost any Vihtavuori powder worked well for me but when 8208 came along I was hooked.  I've used it in 223, 6BR, and 308 with success.  After the last drought, I bought 32 lbs of it, enough to last me 4 or 5 years, which is hopefully longer than the next drought.

You may want to try H322 and Benchmark.  They probably won't give you as much velocity, but I've had success with them across several calibers.

8208 works great in short barrel 308 whereas varget works great with long barrels. My 12 inch 308 AR works great with 8208. Most of the powder burns up in the barrel compared to 4064. Varget, being a slower burning powder, shines out of a 24 inch barrel in 308. Worked pretty good for my Grendel I used to have too.

I like it, especially for one load.
It turns a 7/08 into a 280 with the 162 grain AMax or EldX.
I had no idea it was scarce now.

what bullets are you using for your 12.5?

im in the process of building a 12.5 and was just going to use "cheap" 147gr fmjs.

I've had good luck with it and 77gr bullets, but have to admit I've only loaded around 100 rds with the powder.

I've been using 8208 for my heavier .223 loads for about 7ish years now.

Many thousands of loads downrange. 10's of thousands most likely.

It has most recently proven to be a good performer for my new 75gr Gold Dot loads as well.

It has been great out to 850 yards in my SPR with 68 & 75gr hornady BTHP and I have even made a few hits at our 1160 yard steel.

Almost always sub moa in a good rifle when loaded near max (work up!)

Even good in 55-62gr loads, though I try to reserve it for the heavier bullets.

This was a nice group testing out a new GM-M8 chrome lined barrel @ 100 yards with 10x optic.

As discussed in another thread I had really good luck around 23gr with 77gr SMK seconds and an 18" WOA barrel and used it to shoot the MOA all day challenge for an average of 0.766 MOA which is hitting my skill limits.  However it really opened up on me if i tried to up the load from there.

I have begun working with 62gr Hornady BTHP in a Larue 12" searching for a ~20 cent plinking load and got to 1.3 moa 10rd groups... but i think that was due to using a 1-4 (P4xi) whose reticle completely covered the target dot.  I have a Trijicon 1-8 coming and i will revisit the combo, but at a progressively higher charge.  I was sitting about 2400ish fps at 23.4gr after loading up with H335 and getting to 2700fps.  I now have the Hornady's 556 data and I will work that up toward the max and see what happens.  I'm not necessarily focused on velocity but I also don't want to sacrifice quite that much velocity.  It will have to perform quite a bit better than TAC does if I want to use it in a plinking capacity.

Of course all of this doesn't mean much if i cant ever find it.

-Mike

Have I found something that IMR 8208XBR doesn't do with amazing results? No.

That doesn't mean that it is perfect for absolutely everything. But it does become powerful magic in .223Rem and .308Win, so good that I have yet to try it in 7.62X39; saving it.

Just dipped my toe into the Grendel pond and 8208 is great juju with 90gr Speer TNT.

Reloader 7 has been, and still is, my favorite powder for both .223Rem and 7.62X39. 5lb jugs readily available and fairly inexpensive for now.

Afraid if 8208 proves great for 7.62X39 it'll aggravate the *#!@ out of me not being able to get a 16lb supply on short notice.

And if I start playing with 52 Sierras and 8208 as a rival to RL-15 for fun-as-hell shredding one hole then you're just killing me here.

And so many new powders that have been putting smiles on my face like Alliant 1200-R and ARComp are two powders that are great in their own rights.

Funny that these are truly salad days in reloading supplies and we're focusing on the powder that is in short supply.

I just ran a 77 SMK and 75 BTHP ladder from 23-23.5 through my WOA 16” SDM and the best for both was 23.2 about 1 moa maybe bit less, even going up to 23.3 opened it to 1.5. Avg was 2609 with ES of 24 and SD of 10.2. Not super fast but safe and accurate and should give me long brass life.

8208 being Australian and made in batches it doesn’t surprise me being gone just like some of the H Extreme powders. Word on the street is the newest batch will hit next month.

I use 8208 extensively in 5.56, 308, and 6.5 grendel. As a bonus it seems to perform it's best accuracy wise at higher pressures, so finding a node woth good velocity is easy. Its phenomenal behind the 155 scenar in 308, and 70 to 77 grain bullets in 5.56.  Seems to do well with any weight in 6.5 g.  44.4 grains in lapua brass under a 155 scenar gets me 2970 fps out of a custom .308 with a 22 inch bartlein barrel.  Supersonic and deadly accurate past 1100 in my rifle.  Fired many a half moa group at 200 with this load.  48.6 grns will also drive a 110 vmax to 3350 fps. Really blows prairie dogs sky high. Tac, 8208, and varget are my most used powders.