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Powder Recomendation for 30-06

10K views 55 replies 20 participants last post by  jim brady 
#1 ·
I put my new Rifle on lay a way tonight, it is a Mossberg Patriot with a 22 inch barrel a 1:10 twist. I will be shooting Hornady American Whitetail 150 grain factory loads through it first. But want to start working up loads for it. I will be using Hornady 150grain Interlock BTSP bullets in my reloads with SB primers. Cases all once fired Mil Surp Brass. Hornady recommends H4350 at 40.1grains as a starting load and 60.5 grains as a max load. Hodgdon recommends 56.0grains start charge and 62.0 Compressed max My Speer manual lists the same powder starting load at 55.0grains with a max of 59.0 compressed as a max load.

Hodgdon Reloading Calculator also lists IMR4350 at 54grains start and 58.0max charge compressed.

the same calculator also lists H4895 with a charge of 46.0 Grains and a max charge of 51.0grains max.

My question is asking for an informed recommendation which of the 3 powders would you recommend or is there another powder that might be better? I will be shooting target out to max of 200 yards at first with a future hunting trip a strong possibility for Whitetail and possibly Coyote
 
#2 ·
For an '06 bolt gun, IMR4350 is usually hard to beat. Others out there could work equally as well also, RX19, RX22, H414/WW760 (same powder), VV150/550, VV160/560. For 150 gr bullets something a bit faster like IMR4895 might be what shines in your gun. For bullets in the lighter end of the weight ranges medium burn rate powders seem to give better accuracy. For heavier bullets, the slower burning powder seen to work better there. But there are few carved in stone rules here, it's something you'll have to play with to find what works best in your rifle,
 
#4 ·
For a bolt action rifle, and with hunting loads of the 180 class, you can't beat IMR-4350. I've found that IMR-4895 works better with the 150 to 165 grain bullets in the same rifles. I've done a lot (!!!) of shooting with .30-06 hunting rifles, and have found them to be outstanding performers both on the range and for hunting big game (mule deer and elk).

If I only had one 'all around' bullet to use for either large deer or elk - I'd go with the 165 grain soft point boat tail. These are very accurate (with IMR-4895) and are deadly on both animals.
 
#6 ·
I plan on putting 100-200 rounds of Factory Ammo through the gun before I start shooting reloads, I already have 2 boxes of Hornady American Whitetail in 150 Grain BTSP. I also have 2 unopened boxes of 100 Hornady 150gr Interlock BTSP, and more Once fired cases already cleaned sized trimmed than I can shake a stick at. So when it comes to working up a load all I need is the powder.

The reason I would lean toward the IMR 4350 is it is a short cut xtruded powder, I like the way spherical powders meter through my RCBS Powder Measure so this seems hat it would Measure in a similar way. Looking at my Speer manual H4895yields lower velocity rounds than the IMR4350 and H4350. none of my manuals list IMR 4895 though. Is it an extruded powder or Spherical or somewhere in between (like a Short Cut Extruded)?
 
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#11 ·
I am going to get the Kindle version of the Hornady X edition later today so I have another manual to use. Have wait for the wife to say yep as it will be on her card. but $13 VS $43 plus tax is a great price.
 
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#15 ·
I have one of the old Kindle Keyboard eReaders. I also have the Kindl App on my (as I call it) Ballistics Computer in my reloading room. I also have the Alliant Powder update for 2016 on that computer. I make prints of the Load data I use from that and put them in my load binder.
 
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#16 ·
If I can get my wife motivated to go see our uncle, I am going to bring back an '03 Springfield (not an03 A3)Many years ago he Bought 4 of them through a Deal from the NRA at the time they cost him $10 each. He also picked up a Garand (in 30-06) and an M1 Carbine (another gun he told me I was going to inherit some day). So reloading 30-06 is going to be needed even more. So I am going to have to work up rounds for 2 different 30-06 rifles.
 
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#22 ·
He also picked up a Garand (in 30-06) and an M1 Carbine (another gun he told me I was going to inherit some day). So reloading 30-06 is going to be needed even more. So I am going to have to work up rounds for 2 different 30-06 rifles.
Why not just load up your own M2 ammo and use it for both? If M2 isn't meeting your accuracy needs - load up your ammo to Gov't Match specs with the 175 grain Match bullets so available today (the old bullets were 173 grains - but the new bullets are really close). It ought to do whatever you want it to do for you.
 
#18 ·
Hey, I have been accused of many things, so that statement is not new to me, but I get to laugh about all it and have good days:p:p this spring I get to be the Canon Cocker (Gunners Mate) when he goes to Oregon to fire his 3" Perret Gun for the last time before he sells it (I can't afford a $30,000 artillery piece.)
 
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#19 ·
I can't help you with your powders, but my .30-06 BAR Safari seems to like Power Pro 4000MR rather well, for both 150 and 180 gr bullets. It works better with the heavier ones, though.
 
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#21 ·
I used an RCBS Uniflow measurer and 10-10 scale for many years. The scale gave up the ghost - and I bought a Lyman DPS. I never have had any problems metering or measuring IMR-4895 with either one. JFIW - about half of my loads in 7.62 NATO and .30-06 are Match ammo, so my powder charge accuracy is critical. IMR-4895 isn't as coarse as IMR-4350 and measures more easily.
 
#31 ·
I load 4350, 4064 and 4895 all three for my '06s. With the stick powders I used to set my RCBS powder measure a bit light, dump the powder into the pan for my scale, then trickled the last few grains by hand until the scale balanced. Now I use my RCBS Chargemaster which essentially does the same thing automatically. Slow but precise. I do load these on my Rock Chucker single stage, not on the Dillon.
 
#33 ·
I have been doing more research using my friend the computer, I just got done looking at the Western Powder Load data sheet. It lists 5 Spherical Powders, AA2520, AA2700, Ramshot Tac, Ramshot Big Game, Ramshot Hunter for 150grain BTFMJ bullets for the 30-06. Any Experience with these powders Good or Bad. I know both of my powder measures meter Spherical Powders Very accurately.
 
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