Help make sure my powders levels are right!!

slushee

slushee

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First time charging cases with powder .. 41.5 grains of IMR 4895 into a Winchester .308Win case .. should the powder be just shy of the bottom of the case shoulder?

..|...|
./.....\
|.......| <-powder is just slightly below this point
|.......|
|.......|

Seems a little on the high side to me but this is my first time soooo :confused:

I'll hold off on seating the bullets until someone can let me know I haven't put way too much powder in the case.
 
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What weight bullet are you using?
If you are using 180s, you are on the low end of the scale and for 150 grain bullets you have a really light load.
As a rule of thumb, the powder used should be of a burning rate that allows for a full case of powder, which is considered a proper load. Some powders are completely satisfactory with some compression, that is, seating the bullet compresses the powder a bit.
 
168gr. Seirra MatchKings HPBT

*whew* .. okay :) .. thanks for making me feel better. I'm really really green around the ears on this and i was really worried that was too much.

I'm actually re-creating M852 7.62 rounds .. so i'll be seating the bullet for an OAL of 2.800"
 
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I'm using the exact same powder and bullet, but I am going to start at 38 grains. Can using to little powder cause problems ?

cheers
 
Get a damn book and read it ! There is differance between a controled burn and an explosion. You don't want a compressed load unless your data confirms it . Do some homework. Lyman makes a great easy to understand reloading manual. If your brass is good and you follow the recipes you'll be fine.
 
Rife Ling said:
Get a damn book and read it ! There is differance between a controled burn and an explosion. You don't want a compressed load unless your data confirms it . Do some homework. Lyman makes a great easy to understand reloading manual. If your brass is good and you follow the recipes you'll be fine.
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Perhaps you would explain how smokeless gun powder can be made to explode. I'm sure the world would like to know, because smokeless gunpwder is shipped world wide, as dangerous goods, being an inflammatry product, not an explosive.
This appeared in the Speer Number 9, reloading manual.
P001-1.jpg
 
If you check on the powder companies website they usually have some data posted. But the best thing would be to pick up the reloading manual for your bullets since they give you starting and max loads plus velocities for their bullets using an assortment of powders. They even have tips and advice on reloading in them, stuff like the steps in the reloading process. They usually cost less then $30.
 
slushee said:
I'm actually re-creating M852 7.62 rounds .. so i'll be seating the bullet for an OAL of 2.800"
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In that case, be aware that the genuine M852 uses 42gn of IMR4895 ;) Most of the guys using H4895 ("the same, but different") use 41.5gn.

In any case, your fill looks absolutely reasonable and you shouldn't worry about going ahead since 42gn of 4895 is nowhere near a max load safety-wise.

You should be getting about 2550fps from 42gn of IMR4895, so expect around 2475-2500fps from 41.5gn.

-M
 
Rife Ling said:
Get a damn book and read it ! There is differance between a controled burn and an explosion. You don't want a compressed load unless your data confirms it . Do some homework. Lyman makes a great easy to understand reloading manual. If your brass is good and you follow the recipes you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

Books are good. So is asking questions here on CGN, which puts guys with honest questions in touch with experienced guys that have the answers,,and others.
 
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42 grains of 4895 is a 'standard" load with the 168 Sierra. That powder level looks right. Feel free to try a bit more and bit less to see what your rifle "likes". A half grain more less can sometimes make a big dfference to the group.

Changing the subject, some smokless powders (the double base ones) can be made to explode (but not by handloading). I have seen it done (accidently) 20 about 20 pounds of Red Dot in a shotshell loading machine. it was not pretty.
 
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