Highpower Powder

[Jim Watson]

My pal the longrange shooter is trying to drag me into F Class. He has already bent my mind with BPCR
.
So I am getting the M70 Target (Which has never been much more than a big heavy plinker for me.) off the shelf and have FA61 Match brass in the tumbler and ordered some Sierra 175 MKs.

Is there any OTHER powder to reasonably consider for .30-06 target loads than 4895? If 4895, IMR or H?

Particularly, is there a Ball powder that will give an equal chance for first class accuracy? I have never seen anything to dispute Bruce Hodgdon's old claims that Ball powder gives longer barrel life.

Let's try to get it right the first time, I don't want to end up with a row of cans with 14 oz powder left in each.

I plan to load to the same velocity my friend does with .308, if accuracy is good, so as to use his sight dope.

[Steve Smith]

Hi Jim, welcome to Highpower! You may ba able to shoot a heavier bullet than that 175 and get an even better ballistic advantage.

The place I'm going to send you is full of .30-06 and F-class shooters, and they'll point you on the straight and narrow. go to www.floridashooting.com and click "to the forums" on the left side. Yes, it's a "Florida" site but people post there from all over. You'll get ALL of your answers tight there. After you get them, maybe you could re-post them here?

Good luck, and great shooting!

Oh, about that ball powder...forget it! Soon enough you'll find that you want to push your bullets fast fast fast. If you develop a load in cooler weather, that ball powder will change characteristics and you'll be in the danger zone. Ball is notorious for being nice and accurate, but also unstable in temp changes. Stick to stick and you'll be fine.

One more thing...if you look on the FL site right now you'll see a Gilkes-Ross .308, a Winchester 6.5x284 (with McMillan prone stock and 30" Obermeyer barrel), and a Rem 40x .308 (in a Sinclair aluminum stock) all for sale.

That Winny is calling your name.

Yet another addendum...after looking through the F-Class portion of the FL site, I might repeat my mantra, "Don't buy 'till you talk to the experts!" You never know if there is just one little doo-dad that makes it SO much easier.

[Jim Watson]

Thanks for the contact and gen.

About what I suspected on powder. Glen Zediker says the Marines would check every shipment of contract factory match ammo. If it was loaded with Ball it was relegated to practice and the shorter ranges; they saved the extruded for the long stages.

Hey, I know folks in Tampa area, I can (and have) crash with them when there is shooting nearby.

But I fear those modern purpose built rifles are not on my wavelength, I don't hear a thing. Have to get off to some sort of start with an old M-70 Target; 1938 action, 1955 barrel. That is what I have, that is what I'll shoot unless I see unusual beauty in the event.

My last year and a half in BPCR has taught me about watching the experts. They all do it different in detail, the trick is seeing what the good shooters do in common.

[Steve Smith]

Well, at least lean an ear toward those guys on the FL site...they know their stuff.