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The choice of rifle powder is one of the most critical decisions in long-range precision reloading. Several research studies have shown that the type of gun powder you choose can significantly affect pressure, velocity, and combustion dynamics, ultimately influencing precision and group size. But with so many options on the market, what’s the best reloading powder for long range?

To cut through the noise, we analyzed what the top 200 Precision Rifle Series (PRS) competitors are using in their match ammo. (Learn about the Precision Rifle Series.) The results are clear—one brand dominates the field, and just two powders account for the majority of top-ranked shooters. But is your go-to powder still the best choice? And why has the best rifle powder shifted over the past decade?

In this article, we break down the best powder for rifle reloading based on real-world data from top competitors. You’ll discover which powders are trusted by the best in the sport, why they’ve become the gold standard for long-range precision, and how changing cartridge trends have reshaped powder preferences over time. If you’re serious about precision reloading, this data-driven analysis will help you choose the best rifle powder for consistency and accuracy.

Let’s dive into the data! The chart below shows what brands of reloading powders this group of elite shooters are using to win long-range rifle matches.

88% of pro shooters are using a Hodgdon brand rifle powder for their match ammo! That included the majority of the guys in the top 10 and 86% of those in the top 50. All of the Hodgdon reloading powders being used are part of the Hodgdon Extreme Series line of rifle powders, which are specially formulated to show very little sensitivity to swings in ambient temperature. That means you get very similar muzzle velocities regardless of whether the outside air temperature is 40° F or 90° F. (More on temp sensitivity in an upcoming article.) The Extreme Series powders (e.g., Varget, H4350) are manufactured in Australia by Thales Australia (previously known as Australian Defence Industries or ADI Powders). Hodgdon imports these rifle powders and markets them under the Hodgdon name in the United States and other regions.

The second most popular brand was Vihtavuori powders, representing 8% of these shooters. That included 1 in the top 10 and a total of 7% of the top 50. Vihtavuori is a Finnish company with over 100 years of expertise, and they’re trusted worldwide for their exceptional consistency, clean-burning performance, and rigorous quality control. Their N-series powders are engineered to deliver stable performance across varying temperatures and conditions, making them ideal for long-range precision shooting. Vihtavuori is a sister company to other popular brands like Lapua and Berger.

2% of these shooters said they load their match ammo with Alliant’s Reloder Powder, but that included 1 in the top 10 and 2 more in the top 25. Alliant Powder is an American manufacturer and distributor. They make some reloading powders in-house, but they import the Reloder (aka Reloader) series of rifle powders from Eurenco Bofors in Sweden. Eurenco Bofors has a long history of innovation in the energetics industry, dating back to the late 1800s, and it is known for its uniform granules and stable burn rates. Many, but not all, Reloder powders are engineered to perform consistently across a wide range of temperatures.

Lastly, there was 1 shooter who said they used an IMR powder and 1 shooter who said they used a Winchester powder, both of which are marketed by Hodgdon powders in the United States and other regions under those respective brand names. Winchester Powders are sourced from General Dynamics in the U.S., which produces reloading powders for both commercial and military applications. IMR Powders are manufactured by General Dynamics in Canada.

It’s interesting to see how global the rifle powder industry is. It probably also helps us understand how fragile the supply chain for reloading powders can be.

Now, let’s break it down beyond brand or line of reloading powder and look at the specific type of rifle powder these top 200 shooters said they were using in their match ammo.

62% of these shooters were using Hodgdon Varget, including the majority of the guys in the top 10. Varget has been the favorite rifle powder among the PRS crowd from the beginning. It’s also very popular among competitive shooters in F-Class and Benchrest. There are a few key reasons that so many shooters prefer Varget:

• Temperature Stability: Varget is part of Hodgdon’s Extreme Series, designed to perform consistently across a wide range of temperatures. This minimizes velocity and pressure variations, ensuring consistent accuracy in diverse weather conditions.
• Exceptional Consistency: Known for its uniform granules and predictable burn rate, Varget delivers precise shot-to-shot performance, which is critical for long-range accuracy.
• Clean-Burning: Varget burns efficiently, reducing barrel fouling and maintaining consistent accuracy over extended shooting sessions.
• Excellent Energy Output: Its optimized burn characteristics allow shooters to achieve high velocities without generating excessive pressures, ideal for precision loads.
• Versatility: It works well with a variety of calibers and bullet weights, from 223 Rem to the 30-06 Springfield. Of course, most of these shooters are using it in 6 Dasher, 6 GT, 6BR, 6BRA, 25×47 Lapua, 25 GT, and a few 308 Win in the tactical class.
• Proven Track Record: Varget has a long-standing reputation in competitive shooting, with many shooters reporting outstanding results in disciplines like F-Class, PRS, and benchrest competitions.

25% were running Hodgdon H4350, including 1 in the top 10 and another 10 in the top 50. H4350 is also part of the Hodgdon Extreme Series powders but has a slightly slower burn rate than Varget. That makes it ideal for slightly larger cartridges.

That means Varget and H4350 combined to represent 87% of these pro shooters, and the remaining 13% were spread over 7 different rifle powders:

• 5% Vihtavuori N150 (including 1 in the top 10 and 2 more in the top 50)
• 3% Vihtavuori N140 (none in the top 50)
• 2% Hodgdon H4895 (none in the top 50, also part of the Hodgdon Extreme Series line)
• 1% Alliant Reloder 16 (including 1 in the top 10 and another 1 in the top 50)
• 1% Alliant Reloder 15.5 (including 1 in the top 25 and no others in the top 50)
• 1% IMR 4350 (none in the top 50)
• 1% Vihtavuori N555 (none in the top 50)

Ten years ago, Varget and H4350 were the top rifle powders, too – but they were almost exactly flipped! In 2014, 67% of the top-ranked PRS shooters were using H4350, and 21% were using Varget (view 2014 reloading powder data)! That’s because back then, the most popular cartridges were the 6 Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6×47 Lapua, and 6.5×47 Lapua (view 2014 cartridge data). There wasn’t a single shooter using a 6mm Dasher or any other cartridge based on the 6mm BR in 2014. It was around the 2016 PRS Season when you saw the 6 Dasher and 6 BR starting to show up among the pros (view 2016 cartridge data), and then by the end of the 2018 season, the 6mm Dasher and other 6BR-based cartridges were dominant! In 2018, 48% of all the shooters surveyed were using a cartridge based on the 6mm BR case – and it was 60% among the top 10 (view 2018 cartridge data).

That explains why Varget is the favorite reloading powder today and H4350 was 10 years ago. It all comes down to what is the best rifle powder for the size of cartridge you’re shooting:

• Varget is a slightly faster-burning rifle powder that is a great choice for the 6mm Dasher, 6BR, 6BRA, and other cartridges that are on the smaller size of cases used for long-range rifle matches.
• Hodgdon H4350 is a great choice for cases like the 6 Creedmoor and 6.5 Creedmoor.

Important: You should always reference comprehensive reloading manuals and start with powders and safe charge weights they recommend. There are a ton of factors that vary from them to you, including exact chamber/barrel dimensions, brass specs, reloading scales, powder lots, seating depth and tension, etc., so it’s critical to follow safety precautions. Failure to follow safe loading practices could result in severe personal injury (including death) or gun damage to the user or bystanders. Technical data and information are based on survey responses from other shooters under specific conditions and circumstances. The author has not independently verified the accuracy of the data and cannot be responsible for errors in published load data. Because this site and its affiliates have no control over the individual loading practices and/or components used, no responsibility is assumed by PrecisionRifleBlog.com or its affiliates in the use of this data. The information is to be used at the sole discretion of the user and the user assumes all risk.

The table below shows how many of these top 200 shooters run Varget or H4350 for various cartridges. The cartridges are sorted based on the estimated case capacity, with the smallest cases on top and the largest on bottom.

Based on the reported data above, it looks like there are a few cartridges where virtually all of the shooters are using either Varget or H4350, and then there are a few that seem pretty split between the two. I was curious to see if those aligned with the size of the case (i.e., case volume or case capacity).

The chart below seems to represent the choice of the majority of these top marksmen in terms of what reloading powder is ideal based on the size of the case their rifle is chambered for.

You can see there is some crossover in the cases that hold between 43 and 49 grains of water, but those that are less than 43 virtually all used Varget, and those with 50 or more virtually all used H4350.

This article is part of a series on rifle reloading data, load development, and reloading components. Here are other related articles that I’ve recently published or plan to publish in the near future:

I’ve also published a lot of reloading data in the past based on the exact load data from the top PRS shooters. You can find all of that rifle load data here:

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