I initially picked a double based powder for the AR because I liked how well it flowed thru the measure, every charged weighed the same, to within the accuracy of my digital scale and perfectly suited to volume loading.   The ball powders are double based to obtain the needed ignition reliability.  Some ball powders will not ignite reliably with minimum or reduced charges. 

Not many competitive shooters (Service Rifle, Match Rifle, F-Class or Vintage categories) I know use double base powders.  For the AR Service Rifle, 8208XBR has been "the" powder for some time now, but it's been unobtanium for several years. H4895 (ADI AR2206H) and Varget (ADI AR2208) are also popular as is CFE and N135/N140, several other NC stick powders too.  I picked up a jug of IMR 4166 a few years back but not tried it yet. 

Of course, not all double based powders are made equal.  I'd be OK using those with low NG content if I could not get a suitable single based powder.  And I'd minimize how much rapid fire I did as much as possible.  Although we consider barrels as a consumable, I hate to burn up the throat in a "correct" grade vintage military rifle.  My M1 shooter has a Krieger barrel and my No. 4 shooter has a Criterion barrel on it now, so not as worried about it.  My 1903a3 has the original two groove, but it's pretty rough, and it will soon get replaced with a Criterion barrel.  My No. 4 T will never see rapid fire stages, the Vintage Sniper Match is slow fire 10 round strings over about a 5 minute period.  

Most double based powders are more temp sensitive than the stick powders.  Varget is very stable for example and my tests show this.  I found AA 2520 (double based) is not very stable, my 600 yard zeros seemed to constantly change with temperature.  My current 600 yard load with the AR is with N140, and at most, I may see 1 MOA change from summer to winter. 

Cordite in the .303 had a high NG content, and we all know what that did to the throats.  

I go with the powder that has certain features I look for regardless of type.

I want a powder that will mostly (85%+) fill the case when its loaded to the velocity I've decided I want when its being used in with the bullet I'm using.

If there's more than one type that is suitable for those specs I go with the one that has the widest range of applications & runs over the widest range of velocities for that load.

This triage usually brings me to just one or two of the many theoretically available.

Yes, that’s a good approach. 

Yeah, burn rate & maximum velocity possible is a big thing even if I don't drive it that hard. If you look in  a decent reloading manual, or set of them you'll see that different "suitable" powders sometimes have rather large variations in available velocity ranges.

I actually like the ones that collect data from several makers of components & instead of the usual one maker's preferences for many calibers, lists several different data sets for one specific caliber. Its a great comparison tool.

I’ve settled on using the powder manufactures data as my primary source, but always check all the data I have (Sierra, Hornady, Lyman and others). There are some handy little cartridge specific publications that have just about everyone’s data for that cartridge, so you get a full perspective of the data out there.

My short range load for the .223 Rem in the AR-15 was 24.0 grains with the 69 gr SMK.  The Western Powders website had listed max at 25.9 grains.  Sierra 5th Ed manual lists 25.5 gr as max (Colt AR-15).  So my load was 1.5  - 1.9 grains below max, well in the comfort range for .223.

At $600 a pop for a new Bartlein or Krieger barrel for the AR, I’m leery to go back and use AA 2520 again. These barrels should last 5,000 to 6,000 rounds before accuracy falls off at 600 yds. Button rifled barrels like CBI or Wilson, perhaps half that. But a 1500 round barrel life gets expensive if you’re shooting 3000 plus a year.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result…

I then changed over to 23.5 gr H4895 with 69 SMK for the 200 and 300 yd stages and both my Bartlein barrels are now over 3000 rounds and still holding X ring at 600 yards (23.5 gr N140 with 80 gr SMK for 600 yd stage). 

My newest load for the short line is 23.5 N135 with 69 gr SMK, but not shot much of that yet. I changed to N135 because I can’t find H4895. 

I’m going to hazard a guess that if you limit your rapid firing to say 10 rounds and then let the barrel cool for say 10 - 15 mins before resuming slow fire, you will be OK. Avoid back to back rapid fire sessions. By rapid fire, I mean 10 rounds in 60ish seconds.  The NRA and CMP High Power 80 round match has two back to back rapid fire stages, two strings of 10 rounds in each stage. 

I read an interesting article by a chemical engineer working with small arms propellants that described the action of double based powders as creating surplus oxygen after combustion that accelerates the erosion whereas NC powder consumes all the oxygen. 

Application (type of shooting) and desired accuracy can to some degree enter into this equation on what powder is most suited. 

And, here’s my last thought. In my experience, accuracy falls off rather suddenly at mid to long ranges (500 yds and beyond) and more gracefully at short range (out to 300 yds). Probably not in all types of barrels and cartridges, but many competitive shooters I know have experienced this. 

Of course we know you can’t believe everything posted on the internet! But, so far, this seems to be consistent with my .223 AR experience.