Wish me luck ( IMR 4320 + 168 gr hornady BTHP)

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safetyalwaysfirst

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With limited supply and little known about 4320 load data in a .308. I searched a lot for a starting point and no such luck. So Saturday will be judgement day. This is my first time loading and I am hooked took me about 4 hrs to do 40 rounds and double triple checked everything. I am using CCI primers and trickled all the powder.
Please give me some feed back to see if I should focus on a sweet spot. I am going off of hornadys manual.
Case trim legth 2.005
Coal of 2.800"
IMR 4320
Hornady 168gr BTHP

Load 1: 33.9 grain
Load 2:34.2
Load 3:35.6
Load 4:36.6
Load 5:37.7
Load 6:38.6
Load 7:39
Load 8:39.5
Load 9:40
Load 10:40.5
Recommended
Min: 33.9-2100fps
Max: 42.2-2500fps

Any tips would be great I know the lower charges will not be too promising but it was an excise to get comfortable with the process. I will be shooting at 100yards prone.

Thanks as always

Safety
 
I load nothing but IMR4320 in 308 and your data appears to be overly conservative.

Hodgdon's manual lists 41.5gr min and 46gr max for the 168gr SMK BTHP; the Hornady match 168gr BTHP is pretty much the same as the SMK BTHP...

With that being said, 42.0gr was my most accurate load, 44.8gr offered similar accuracy with better velocity.

I have personally worked up to 48gr without any pressure signs but I'd be very cautious trying it in another rifle.
 
I am shooting it in a savage 11 hog hunter properly broken in and total of 40 rounds so far. I was thinking of doing 42 grains looking on other forums. It would be nice to find a reliable load I have friends that won't spend time with the powder so I know I can get it cheap. Thanks for the input
 
I use 41.5g in my m14 with 168 hpbt and a 210 primer , groups great , the burn rate is good , burns just fast enough to use in the .223 as well
 
yomomma said:
All I can say is that max loads are rarely the most accurate. Let us know how you make out.
Click to expand...

My personal experience does not support this assertion.
If you had said sometimes they are not the most accurate, I may have let it pass.
After close to 50 years of reloading, I have found it is quite often that the max working load is also the most accurate.
Others who have loaded extensively will agree also.
Regards, Eagleye
 
Learning all the time...


Eagleye said:
My personal experience does not support this assertion.
If you had said sometimes they are not the most accurate, I may have let it pass.
After close to 50 years of reloading, I have found it is quite often that the max working load is also the most accurate.
Others who have loaded extensively will agree also.
Regards, Eagleye
Click to expand...
 
Post a range report and target pics. I know with my extensive experience of hitting the 100rd mark of reloads that I have made... Lol.... that the hotter end of the scale was more accurate for me.

Go shred some paper and tell us how it worked out.
 
My experience with H4895 and 308 win is that the maximum load from Hodgedon of 42.7gn has been the most accurate out of my rifle out to 200yards. I don't think all powders will react the same but certainly with a few this probably applies.
 
nevanevan said:
My experience with H4895 and 308 win is that the maximum load from Hodgedon of 42.7gn has been the most accurate out of my rifle out to 200yards. I don't think all powders will react the same but certainly with a few this probably applies.
Click to expand...

How does your 42.7 work at 400-500 yards? I've got a line on a pound so I can do up some more rounds to confirm my previous test results. After that I will shoot longer to see what I can come up with.
 
Eagleye said:
My personal experience does not support this assertion.
If you had said sometimes they are not the most accurate, I may have let it pass.
After close to 50 years of reloading, I have found it is quite often that the max working load is also the most accurate.
Others who have loaded extensively will agree also.
Regards, Eagleye
Click to expand...

I will agree with this statement. Sometimes you may get a lighter load that shoots accurately and this is most often accompanied by a load with similar accuracy closer to or at max. Given the two choices, the same accuracy at a higher velocity wins.
 
To answer your question Klink1983, I haven't had the opportunity to take it out to 500yards yet. I will likely get it out to 300 by July 20. I am shooting 175gn Nosler Custom Competion bullets and they seem to be pretty impressive at 200. I know I am not utilizing that bullet at that range but I have hopes an dreams to get it out there.
 
4320 doesn't have much "data" probably because it was before the time everybody documented stuff on computers. It's been around for a long time.

I've bought 6 lbs cheap and figured why not? I've shot off only a few rounds and hope to develop a load for it yet, but so far things look VERY promising for such a cheap powder (17$/lb). Velocity and accuracy so far looking good! (180SMK's specifically)
 
Because my load wasn't fully developed I'll refrain from saying. Plus every gun has their own requirements. I just had these left over from my old .308 where I was doing some testing with it. 5R hasn't got a load or loads yet.

Start with a charge test and go from there.
 
Eagleye said:
My personal experience does not support this assertion.
If you had said sometimes they are not the most accurate, I may have let it pass.
After close to 50 years of reloading, I have found it is quite often that the max working load is also the most accurate.
Others who have loaded extensively will agree also.
Regards, Eagleye
Click to expand...

I loaded some 222rem conservatively on purpose to test that theory in the last year and agree with your assertion. If I recall, a 19.5gr load of Re-10x pushing a 50gr SP. I got bored with them, and was glad I only loaded the 20... someone I know with poor eyesight was more than happy to shoot for free, what I got bored shooting. IMR 4320 is my favourite powder for 222rem, followed by 10x. In a pinch, 4320 can be dumped in (a 222rem) until the case is full, and still come in under a grain less than maximum published load(26.0gr C) which oddly enough is a very accurate load, and the slightly less 25.0gr C.
 
Load 4 looks promising 36.6 1"
Load 5 a little tighter 37.7 1"
Load 6 1 ragged hole with 1 flyer
Load 7 " " "
Load 8 " " "


Yet to play around with the max loads due to temp horniday says 40.5
Other shooters are around 42 I did shoot 1 of each from 40.5-42 with no pressure signs
 
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