Midwest Powders from American Reloading

Please see caveats and notes on sources below the list.

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

about Midwest Powders from American Reloading

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 only one commonly-used projectile appropriate for the powder. 9mm 147gr FMJ 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”.

The idea is to take data directly from AR sources for the most part: email, site, label images.
AR has a burn rate chart with MP powders on it, and often exerpts a pic from the chart on a powder listing.⁷ The data below does not use info from the chart.
Asterisks (“*”) are used to denote user reports of Similar to info from AR that I have not yet been able to corroborate from primary documentation.⁸
Parenthetical notes like (“hotter”) are user reports about how the MP powder compares to the Similar to powder.
NO ‘Similar to’, Use Data seems to be shown when AR has not listed a Similar to in the database.

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.

how I think about MP powders

This is my approach – this newbie is absolutely not giving advice.

why pulled powder?

My reasons for experimenting with MP powders are

develop Good Enough loads for plinking and practice, thereby saving retail canister powder for more critical uses; and
be able to backfill with those Good Enough MP loads if access to my favorite canister powders dries up or becomes prohibitively expensive

why American Reloading for pulled powder

AR has an always-changing stock of pulled powders for much less than retail canister powders. Typically half the price and free hazmat (always) and free shipping if you order $150 worth or whatever the deal is at the moment.

Caveat: AR always ships but rarely does so quickly. Don’t buy from AR if you need HAZMAT components quickly. Make your purchase and be patient – when they package arrives it will feel like Christmas.

load data

The problem with using powders with no provenance is the reloader is responsible for working up load data. Folks who aren’t comfortable with their inner Mad Scientist might want to stick to cansister powders with published load data. We will use MP 414 and .308 Win 150gr FMJ as an example.

In my case I approach it something like this:

before ordering
make sure the MP is acceptable for the intended caliber. In this case, MP 414 is said to be SUITABLE FOR 223 Rem / 308 Win. This is not surprising because .223 and .308 often use the same powder.
of a physical type that will work with your powder measure setup. The MP 414 listing says TYPE Ball which generally meters well in all measures. Stick powders or large flakes might not.
if AR has provided a Similar to powder (see list above) keep that powder’s data in mind. MP 414 is said to be Similar to H335.
start with the snippet of reloading info that AR does provide. For example, the single load for MP 414 is Caliber- 223 Rem. Projectile- 55gr FMJ. Charge- 25gr (Reduce by 10% for starting charge.) Velocity- 2920 fps. Some things to notice:
1. the 55gr bullet is, according to a quick google, the most common weight in .223 Rem.
2. the data given is max charge⁹, hence the instruction to reduce by 10% and work up from there. In this case starting load would be 22.5gr in .223, then work up in whatever increments seem reasonable.
3. Hodgdon’s online load data for a 55gr FMJ says COL 2.200" Starting Load 23.8gr Velocity 2,975 Maximum Load 25.9gr Velocity 3,250. Looks like a similar ballpark.
in this case there is no .308 Win load given at all. Since the AR data was reasonably close to H335 I’ll see how that powder is used in .308.
1. google says the most common bullet weight for .308 is “between 150 and 180 grains”. Our 168gr falls in that range.
2. the closest data in Hodgdons is for a 150gr Nosler match boattail: COL 2.800" Starting Load 41.0gr Velocity 2,619 Maximum Load 44.0gr Velocity 2,787. The starting load is about 6% of max so I might start off at 40gr.

knowing when to stop

There’s a joke about a girl who says she knows how to spell banana, she just doesn’t know when to stop.

In the absence of published max load data I’ll have to determine that myself. People have mentioned several approaches:

not pushing for max in the first place, stopping when the load meets needs
backing off if
- bolt actions exhibit “heavy lift” when lifting the bolt, or semi-autos throwing brass an unreasonably-long distance.
- the brass and/or primer shows signs of overpressure
- velocities plateau (do not increase when loads increase)
- velocities have a sudden jump between steps in the ladder
- velocities start going down

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.

at least minimally for burn rate. ↩
from time to time a fake midwestpowders dot com site 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. ↩
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. ↩
my wild-assed guess is that the suppliers with retail channels wanted some level of obfuscation. ↩
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. ↩
For example, MP 414 is shown in the newsletter as Similar to H335. The website listing shows a chart section ~centered on H335. The chart extract itself does not show MP 414 which suggests that the chart and/or screencaps are not updated in tandem with the database. ↩
sorry, my degrees are in historical fields so this is the way my head works. ↩
or maybe the max that AR is willing to publically state. ↩