Midwest Powders
Midwest Powders are reloading gunpowders tested1, packaged, and sold by American Reloading.2 The powders might be pulled3 from assembled catridges, factory overruns, batches that failed some step in the QA process4, etc.
In the past MP were sold with instructions to use [a particular canister powder] load data. They stopped using that info5 and now say the MP is similar to another powder. Load data is now typically provided for a single commonly-used projectile. 9mm 147gr RN or .223 55gr FMJ for example.
about the list
I’ve made a good-faith effort to be accurate with the data below6 but could have made errors in collection or processing. As with all things reloading, do your own research and “start low, go slow”.
Entries are taken from AR sources: email, site, label images. Entries with an asterisk (“*”) are user reports of the above but I haven’t personally seen the evidence above. Parenthetical notes like (“hotter”) are user reports about how the MP powder compares to the Similar to powder.
I have not seen an MP XXX-batchnum that had a different Similar to from it’s parent (MP XXX). If this is something we can count on then batch numbers might be stripped out for legibility and just MP XXX entries preserved. That would preclude the ability to add parenthetical notes to batches, though.
Seemingly-nonsensical notes like NO ‘Similar to’, Use Data seem to be shown when AR has not listed a Similar to in the database. There is probably a variable between Use and Data but since it’s null it doesn’t show in HTML as multiple spaces are combined down to one for display.
Midwest Powders and referenced “Similar to” powders
| MP 000 ################## |
| MP 035 Similar to Red Dot* |
| MP 040 Similar to Silhouette* |
| MP 075 Similar to Titegroup* |
| MP 080 Similar to Silhouette* (hotter – start low) |
| MP 092-1 Similar to 700X |
| MP 100 ################## |
| MP 100-1 Similar to American Select |
| MP 100-2 Similar to American Select |
| MP 132-2 Similar to IMR Target |
| MP 132 Similar to IMR Target |
| MP 138 Similar to Win 244* |
| MP 152-3 Similar to Win 244 |
| MP 155-1 Similar to Unique |
| MP 158-1 Similar to Universal |
| MP 165 Similar to BE-86* |
| MP 187-3 Similar to WSF |
| MP 200 ################## |
| MP 205-1 Similar to Accurate #5 |
| MP 209-4 Similar to CBI |
| MP 212-1 Similar to HS-6 |
| MP 220-1 Similar to Autocomp |
| MP 220-1 Similar to CFE Pistol |
| MP 227 NO ‘Similar to’, Use Data |
| MP 229 NO ‘Similar to’, Use Data |
| MP 254-1 Similar to 572 |
| MP 260-1 Similar to Accurate #7 |
| MP 276-3 NO ‘Similar to’, Use Data |
| MP 300 ################## |
| MP 330-4 Similar to H110 |
| MP 334-2 Similar to 11FS |
| MP 348-3 Similar to Accurate 1680 |
| MP 385-1 Similar to RL 10X |
| MP 400 ################## |
| MP 410 Similar to SMP 739 / Alliant power pro varmint* |
| MP 414-7 Similar to H335 |
| MP 414-8 Similar to H335 |
| MP 416-6 Similar to H335 |
| MP 417-1 Similar to H335 |
| MP 420-1 Similar to X-Terminator |
| MP 424-8 Similar to Accurate 2230 |
| MP 426-3 Similar to Accurate 2230 (very close) |
| MP 427-1 Similar to Accurate 2460 |
| MP 440 Similar to TAC* (hotter – start low) |
| MP 500 ################## |
| MP 500-1 Similar to RL 15 |
| MP 513-1 Similar to Win 748 |
| MP 515-7 Similar to Win 748 |
| MP 520-8 Similar to StaBall Match |
| MP 521 Similar to BL-C2 |
| MP 522 Similar to BL-C2* |
| MP 530 Similar to CFE 223* |
| MP 549 Similar to Winchester 760 |
| MP 575-1 Similar to IMR 4350 |
| MP 587-1 Similar to RL 17 |
| MP 587-3 Similar to RL 17 |
| MP 600 ################## |
| MP 608-1 Similar to StaBall 6.5 |
| MP 609 Similar to StaBall 6.5* |
| MP 613-1 Similar to StaBall |
| MP 615-3 Similar to Superformance |
| MP 655-1 Similar to IMR 4955 |
| MP 661 Similar to 4000 MR |
| MP 663 Similar to 4000 MR |
| MP 675-3 Similar to RL 22 |
| MP 700 ################## |
| MP 703 Similar to MagPro |
| MP 710 Similar to H1000 |
| MP 716 Similar to Ramshot Grand |
| MP 718 Similar to Ramshot Magnum |
how I think about MP
Srsly: do not take my word (or anyone else’s) on matters of reloading. Get some manuals, start with light charges and work up, etc. You are responsible for your own loads as I am mine.
Also see the BSK reloading calculator announced in this reddit thread.
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at least minimally for burn rate. ↩
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from time to time a fake
midwestpowders dot comsite will pop up. It’s not associated with AR in any way has been widely reported as a scam. ↩ -
taken from loaded cartridges that have been disassembled (demilled, takedown). Disassembly also yields primed brass and pulled projectiles. Hodgdon’s company lore is that they started by buying surplus military surplus .30-06 IMR 4895 powder and repackaged it for sale to reloaders. ↩
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too fast, too slow, wrong density, wrong color, inconsistent shape, etc. Example: setup batches for a run of powder are sacrificed until the product is perfect for sale. ↩
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my wild-assed guess is that the suppliers with retail channels wanted some level of obfuscation. ↩
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It’s worth noting that I am not claiming that MP-whatever is similar to a given powder. AR is claiming that. Or more obliquely in the case of asterisked entries, someone is publically stating that MP has claimed that. ↩