Powder recommendations for 165 gr. 30-06 loads?

Potshot21

Potshot21

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Hello folks, I am brand spanking new to reloading. I decided that I will be learning to load with my 30-06. Partially because it is the only bolt gun I have and want to have a strong action just in case I mess something up terribly.

I've decided to try loading 165gr. Nosler Accubonds. I've shot factory ammo with Accubonds and really liked the bullet performance and something has kind of drawn me to 165 gr, probably because its hard to find factory loads in them where I am.

So anyways, I can't seem to make up my mind on a powder to use. Nosler's sight shows data for IMR 4895 and IMR 4320. My speer manual shows data for IMR 4350 and H4831SC. So many different alpha-numeric combinations my head is swimming!

So what powder would you recommend for a newbie reloader to get started with his 30-06 load development?

Also, should I be looking at using magnum primers or standard primers? I'm not sure how to tell when I should and shouldn't be using them.
 
I've settled on 4064 in both my BAR and Garand. Maybe not the highest velocity possible but certainly excellant accuracy. Also I wouldn't use anything slower in the M1 and I'm not an expert on the Browning gas system but I know the medium burning 4064 is not doing bad things to my rifle.
 
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Anyone have a start load and max load for IMR 4350? The Nosler load data and my Speer manual have nothing for load data with this powder. And being a newbie, this troubles me somewhat! :D

Also, is H4350 the same as IMR4350? I noticed a couple others numbers that match up between IMR and Hogdon. So are they the same and just throw the letters in front to ID the manufacturer?
 
We reloaded about 100 30-06 shells for deer camp. Used 168 grain Sierra's, Win primers, and 43 grains of IMR 3031. I was putting bullets through the same hole in the bull with my savage 111. Same rounds took 2 deer as well. On was a perfect shot beside the breastbone and right to the heart. Perfect entry wound and the heat was pretty much destroyed. Second deer my buddy had a bad time with. He actually shot the lower jaw completely off.
 
No doubt in my mind, use H414, strong Lapua, Privi or Win brass and CCI 250 primer. In strong bolt action you can get 3000+fps quite easy with 165gr bullet in 22" barrel. RL 19 should do it as well.
 
3000+ with 165gr in 30.06 ???

gunrunner8 said:
No doubt in my mind, use H414, strong Lapua, Privi or Win brass and CCI 250 primer. In strong bolt action you can get 3000+fps quite easy with 165gr bullet in 22" barrel. RL 19 should do it as well.
Click to expand...

Maybe my chrony is not the best but 3000+fps with a 30.06 and 165gr/ in 22" barrel??
I had a 30.06 Trued rem 700 with a 27" Hart barrel and was able to get a load with 165 to 2970fps and was way over anything on Hogdons Reloading site for amount of powder used.. I would not shoot this load an a hot summer day!
how you can get 3000fps from a 22' is hard to believe.
Best I could get this fall testing a Rem 700 30.06 22" barrel with 165gr accubonds these where all max loads from Hogdons site



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Manitou210,

Looks like I'm not the only one that doesn't get anywhere near the claimed velocities in the 30-06 with 165s, your results mirror what I was getting in cold weather last winter. The classic "go fast powders" weren't any better (sometimes slower) than 4064 and Varget. It makes a guy want to run home and hug his .300 Wins.;) I can say that the Varget and 4064 loads woke right up this summer, never retested everything. For whatever reason pressures didn't seem to be affected.


OP,
IMR4064 has a long target shooting history with 168 grain bullets, and Varget works just as well. Its also (4064) the powder uses to shoot those itty bitty 30-06 test groups on rifles with 1/2 MOA guarantees. More recently I've loaded IMR4320 in the same 4 30-06s with very good and consistant results. Rifles can be a law onto themselves, but when the same loads want to work in 4 different rifles, with any 165 grain bullet I can grab I start paying attention.
 
manitou210 said:
Maybe my chrony is not the best but 3000+fps with a 30.06 and 165gr/ in 22" barrel??
I had a 30.06 Trued rem 700 with a 27" Hart barrel and was able to get a load with 165 to 2970fps and was way over anything on Hogdons Reloading site for amount of powder used.. I would not shoot this load an a hot summer day!
how you can get 3000fps from a 22' is hard to believe.
Best I could get this fall testing a Rem 700 30.06 22" barrel with 165gr accubonds these where all max loads from Hogdons site
Click to expand...

Well, I wonder, does anyone has an acces to third edition of Hornady handloading book? On page 230 there are two powders able to achive 3000fps with 165gr Hornady SPBT bullet in Win mod 70, 22" barrel, 1-10" twist, Frontier brass case and Fed210 primer: either 59,5gr of H205 or 60,8 of Win 760. OK, I dont have 30-06 any more but 15 years ago I had Ruger 77 with 22" long S&L barrel in 12" twist and I remember useing Win brass, 250 CCI primer, same bullet and 62 dot something gr of Higginson 47SL-10 (slow lot of H414) to get 3020fps-3030fps in normal hunting temperature. The charge was on the warm side but at least .5 gr under max. That powder is still my favorite and I am down to under 6lbs.

ATENTION! Don't try to duplicate those loads, every rifle is different, start your loadings 10% under the max mentioned charges and proceed with caution while adding more of the powder!
 
Man I don't think I would want to try 62 + grains of powder similar to H 414 in a old Rem 740 but like you say it worked for you in your bolt gun
Max load on Hogdons site for H 414 56.5 gr I know there loads are usually not as hot as older reloading books I have but almost over 6 grs????

165 GR. SIE SPBT Hodgdon H414 .308" 3.300" 51.0 2678 41,900 CUP 56.5 2877 49,700 CUP
 
i think h-414 and w-760 are twins , i found my best velocity with the faster powders , in my 22 inch barrel remington , imr-3031 and best result from imr-4064 for accuracy and velocity ,, things would be a lot different in a longer barrel , with the classic slower powders imr 4350 etc ,,wade
 
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