Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game IMR 4350 in the 30/06

I have always used IMR4831 in my 30/06 but with the 22" barrel I decided to try some 4350 as it is a bit faster and I thought it might burn a little better. <P>My muzzle flash is much reduced and the shot to shot velocity is unreal. I shot five rounds and had all of them within 5fps of the first shot! My velocity is a bit lower then with the 4831 by 20fps but the shot to shot consistancy is the best I have ever seen from any reload I have ever made. <P>Not having used this powder before I was wondering if it is just the "lot" I have or is this just a very good powder for the 30/06 case size and the 22" barrel? <P>I am using 58 grains with 165 grain bullets and they are going 2830 fps at 55 deg temp around 2500 ft elevation. That is about a 1/2 grain over max in the Nosler Manual so use your judgement! The Accuracy is good at 100 yards but my crosshairs are too thick on the Leupold 2.5X8 with the German #4 reticles for pin point groups at 250 and 300 yards.<P>I am putting a 3.5-10 X40 VariXIII tommorow to see if the accuracy will improve at 300 yards. Right now I can shoot a 4" group at 250 yards but my crosshairs cover about 3" X 3" at that distance and it is tough to shoot a real tight group with those thick crosshairs. <P>The duplex crosshairs on the 3.5-10 will only cover about 1.25X1.25" at 250 yards. jj <P>------------------<BR>The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have.

I have used IMR 4350 for many years, in an old M760 and an even older US Remington sporter. Loaded a mess of the 150's for a cousin's Savage 30-06 M110 too, with his cases. I have found IMR4350 to be a very good hunting load. Never chronied any, but accuracy is always very good.<P>150gr Speer HotCor; 57gr of IMR 4350: CCI 200 primers; R-P cases.<P>165gr Speer HotCor & 165gr Nosler Btips; 56gr IMR 4350; CCI 200 primers; R-P cases.<P>The 150gr Speers were very accurate in my M760, used to pizz off all them paper plate boys at the range before our buck season, with their M760's...mine, properly rested, would shoot one inch three shot groups, instead of just hitting a paper plate. Most of the M760-M7600 crowd ain't figured out how to rest the front of the receiver, instead of the bbl or forend, when bench shooting the pumps.

Jim, I've used it for about 8 years in several '06s. In my present 22" fwt, 58.5 grains and F210s with 165 Hornadies or partitions gives about 2850fps and deviations similar to what you're getting. It groups the Hornadies easily into 1", but for whatever reason does not like the Noslers. Patterns, not groups. That same rifle with 165 "X" bullets and 57.0 grains gives very consistent velocities around 2880 fps. BTW, I've used that 58.5 load (stolen from John Barsness) in 4 different 30-06's with never a trace of excess pressures. Hope this helps.

When I started loading in 1964,IMR 4350 was THE 06 powder.I never used anything else.I dont recall the exact recipie and I havent owned an 06 for several years,but I doubt there is any thing that will beat 4350.Oddly enough,I dont recall ever using it for any other cartridge.<P>------------------<BR>Boone and Crockett was rednecks

IMR 4350 goes with a 30-06 like 2400 goes with a 44 Magnum. 55/4350 and a Sierra 180 Match King was the long-range match load for years. If a bolt gun won't shoot that load into a round group, the problem is the rifle. Don't use it in Garands, as the burn rate is a little too slow and it beats up the gas system. Good Luck, Okie John.

I have only loaded for the '06 for a few years. When I started I read Ken Waters Pet Loads and looked at the loading manuals. I chose IMR-4350 based on those sources. My hunting load is 55 4350/ 180 Sierra Game King. I have used other powders for light bullets and practice loads. But my hunting load is with IMR-4350. Sean

Spike thanks for the Email with the load data, quite an elaborate program eh! I had no Idea that 4350 was such a popular propellent for the 30/06. I have been using the 4831 for many years now and just had a Whim to try 4350. It looks like the top powder for velocity from 150 to 200 grain bullets in many of the manuals. <P>Okie John we need to go out and shoot a bit. Interested? I have a different scope to try out for the /06 (3.5-10X40 VariXIII)let me know when you can get out to go shoot for a while.<P>On another note, I bought a scanner yesterday and I will be able to post more photo's now. I'll post a photo here today of the bullet absorbing Nyala Bull I shot this year. jj<P><BR>------------------<BR>The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have.<p>[This message has been edited by JJHACK (edited June 07, 2001).]

JJ HACK--you're absolutely right., After breaking my leg this year and suffering through a monster academic quarter, I need to hit the hills. I'll give you a call. Okie John.

Here is the Bullet absorbing Bull I wrote about in the other thread. <P> [img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1538442&a=11657868&p=49981334[/img] <P>------------------<BR>The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have.

JJ,<BR>The burn rate of IMR 4350 is about ideal for a 22" barrel on a 30-06. However the IMR powders, as you know, meter very difficult. Two powders that have similar burn rates and meter very well are W760 and H414 (you may be able to throw charges instead of weighing them). I have had better accuracy results with W760 in the -06 then with IMR 4350. If you are open to other choices you may want to give them a try also.

good call on those ball powders. I have one problem with ball powder though. When I load ammo I make a weekend of it and load several hundred rounds. Sometimes 300 just for the 375HH alone. <P>With the compressed loads I use in the 30/06 ball powder will over time form big solid chunks which do not burn correctly. It is not a problem when you shoot everything you load within a few months. However if I load 500 30/06 rounds at one time I will not go through them all before the powder starts to set up in the cases. <P>I know this happend to me because I had some shells that fired poorly many years ago so I pulled the bullets to see if I underloaded them or something? I poured out some powder but the rest was in a packed chunk of one piece. It would slide out to the neck and would not fit to come out. I broke it up with a paperclip I straightened out. It then could fit through the neck but was still in big pieces. <P>From then on I decided to stay away from compressed loads with ball powders. Especially when they will sit for some period of unknown time. jj

jj,<BR>that is what a friend of mine uses to reload my 3006 and 308 rounds, I have used them on many hunts have have worked very well. the accuracy is awesome and the distances I might have to shoot needs consistency. stick to that powder it is great, if you want I can ask him for the info on what measurements he uses and why.<BR>86<BR>ps great bull.

JJ, you should not have any trouble with compressing W760 as it will not fill the case that full. To date I have not had any problem even with the cases that have sat for over a year. You can always shake the csaes to check if they have solidified. Some friends of mine have had good experience with H414 even with it compressed. However I will not debate your experience though it would almost seem as though your powder may have absorbed some moisture (just a guess). <BR>I think the military has used ball powder in their standard loadings of the 308 and their loads sit for many years.<BR>The choice is yours as I only shared my experience FWIW.

Thanks Thunderstick, I think it has to do with load density and temparatures as well. I may just buy a can to see what the density is. Ball powders go through the Powder drop like magic!j

JJ,<BR>IMR 4350 has always been the best all around powder for the 30.06. If you can ever get your hands on any Norma MRP or 205 it turns the 30.06 into a .300mag. For 150gr bullets 55gr of 4320 gives 3000fps out of a 22 inch barrel with good accuracy.

The ONLY powder I use in my 22" .270 is IMR-4350 And you know what they say birds of a feather!! I think it is one of the all time best out there. It is, I believe, the original medium burn rate powder.<P>Mike<P>------------------<BR>God, Family, Country.

The ONLY powder I use in my 22" .270 is IMR-4350 And you know what they say birds of a feather!! I think it is one of the all time best out there. It is, I believe, the original medium burn rate powder.<P>Mike<P>------------------<BR>God, Family, Country.

Thanks for posting the photograph, JJ. One point about ball powder. If your loading close to the edge of the cartriage's maximum pressure level, it goes critical fast. Make sure you stay well under maximum load for your rifle, if you use ball powder. Particularly if you hunt in warm, over 90 degree, weather. Ball powder does have a longer shelf life than stick. I've never heard of your problem before now. Well, I've learned something new. BTW, maximum, or near maximum, loads have a tendency, after a year or two, to get hotter. With any powder. Apparently the bullet has a tendency to bond with the neck of the case. You can restore your ammo to it's previous level of pressure by seating the bullet just a hair more, thus breaking the bond. E

JJ, IMR4350 is the starting powder for any 06.Most people start and end there load development right there,it works so well.Feel like playing? Try Norma N204 or N-MRP.These are some very clean burning easy to meter powders.Your heavy reticle problem is not as much of a problem as you think.If you have a compass and a black magic marker you are all set.Lets say your reticle covers 1 inch at 100 yards,or whatever.Draw 2 circles with the compass,say the inside one is 2inches and the outside one is 2.5inches.Fill in between the circles with the magic marker,you have a black ring.Hold the center of your crosshair in the center of your black circle and make a pie.You can make the diameter of the inside circle anything you want as you go out farther just so you have those 4 pieces of pie.I have used this method to shoot sub MOA groups at 500 and 600 yards with some very heavy cross wires. besafe dave7mm

I agree that 4350 is "the" 30-06 powder for the 165-180 grain loads. I used to use 57 grains in back of the old 165 grain Nosler protected points for just over 2,800 fps.