.312 174 gr bullet with 2400 fps velocity

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Recce21

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I am trying to find a powder that will achieve a 2400-2450 fps muzzle velocity with Hornady 174 gr 303 British bullets. I currently have IMR 4064 but the reloading data (Sierra Manual) has it only achieving 2200 fps with the max load.

Does anyone out there have the answer? Preferably with a powder that achieves this below the max load to prevent extra wear on the rifle.
 
IMR 4895 - around 40.5gr, or IMR 4320 - about 42gr.

Those are in your Sierra manual BTW.

303 loads don't run at really high pressures, so I wouldn't worry too much about 'extra wear on the rifle' unless it's a real collector piece.

According to Hodgdon's site, you might also try around 44gr of BL-C(2), or around 47gr of H4350...
 
You need to check with a chronograph,but I think RE15 is probably the best bet. Best accuracy often comes at less than top velocity,so it pays to experiment with different propellants. I've found good results with all of the following in a number of different LEs: IMR4064,IMR4350,Varget,RE15,W760,and H414.
 
one of the best powders out there for the 303 with the 174 is IMR 4320 40-42 grains will get you between 2300 and 2450 with great accuracy. i have loaded a LOT of 303, and this is my prefered powder for the preasure curve,and accuracy with the 174
 
Beater said:
one of the best powders out there for the 303 with the 174 is IMR 4320 40-42 grains will get you between 2300 and 2450 with great accuracy. i have loaded a LOT of 303, and this is my prefered powder for the preasure curve,and accuracy with the 174
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Looks like I am going to have to get a few different powders.
 
Check some other manuals. If you can achieve 2400 with some of the powders mentioned, all of which are faster than 4064, then 4064 should be able to achieve the same velocity. A 2 minute search on the internet produced this from the IMR powder site;
180 GR. SIE SP IMR IMR 4064 .311" 3.075" 41.1 2400 45,700 PSI
 
The Hornady 6th edition manual list 9 powders with 2400fps velocities including IMR 4064 (41.5 gr , and its a max load). They pushed it to 2500fps with H414, also max load. As "purple" mentioned, if you want to know your true velocity, you need to run your loads over a chrongraph. The data listed in reloading manuals is what they achieved with their particular test rifle. Yours could be slower or faster with the same load.

Jim
 
you wont find many manuals telling you to try/ use 4320 with the 303. the load was given to me many years ago, by an old timer who shot bissly. ive never looked back
 
41.5 grs of IMR4064 with a 174gr Hornady BTHP gives me an average of 2390 fps from my P14's 26" barrel. 42.0 grs is my best load for an average of 2450 fps.
 
Andy said:
41.5 grs of IMR4064 with a 174gr Hornady BTHP gives me an average of 2390 fps from my P14's 26" barrel. 42.0 grs is my best load for an average of 2450 fps.
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Sheesh Andy, 60 fps from a mere ½ grain more powder??? must be some sort of strange phenomenon going on there. In most situations a half grain of powder yields barely perceptible velocity gains except in 222/223 size cases. Regards, Eagleye.
 
Yea, usually I'd see 20 fps or so for a half grain - just reporting what I saw. In this case I only shot five rounds of each, so it could be a low average beside a high average. Shoot 10 or more and the gap would likely be lower. It could also be some kind of pressure phenomenom, although I usually see that with the real slow powders like US869 where I've seen jumps like that.
 
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