.30-06 Load Suggestions - 150g using IMR 4350

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falldowngoboom

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This is my first time reloading, and I've consulted lots of different sources for min and max loads for a 150g bullet under IMR 4350. But they all seem somewhat different, so I wanted to get an quick poll as to what were optimal and max loads for people reloading a 150g using IMR 4350 in a bolt gun.

This is what I've accumulated from "official" sources:

Lyman (49th ed): Hornady 150g SP - 49min 57max
Hodgdon/IMR Site: Nosler Ballistic Tip 150g - 54min 58max
Hornady: Hornady SST or GMX - 50.4min 59.9max

I'll be reloading a Hornady 150g FMJ BT and trying to find a "matching" load for Hornady SST & GMX (supposedly the same ballistically) for hunting. Don't worry. I plan on doing this separately, but I'll probably use the FMJ BT load to help zero in on a good SST/GMX load. (Their BCs are very, very close.) I'll be using WLR primers if that makes a difference.

Anyway, your own pet load data would be a great help as well as any max data. I don't have a chronometer, so I'll only be looking for pressure signs. Right now I'm thinking of starting at 54g and going to 58g with the last two grains in 0.3 increments. I'm not planning on going for really hot loads, as I'd like my brass to last longer.

P.S. Was at the range today, and managed to shoot a 1" group with factory ammo, so hopefully a good load will help that. :)
 
Different bullet profiles will create different pressures so the Max charges will be slightly different too. Your approach of starting somewhere in the middle of the charge range and working up slowly is a good one. You should have no problems with that method. As a side note, 4350 is a little slow for a light bullet like the 150gr you are using IMO. I use 4350 but usually with 168gr, 175gr and 180gr bullets. I change over to 4895 or Varget when loading a 150gr bullet. (especially for use in a Garand) With a 150gr bullet I usually charge 47.5gr IMR4895. With a 165/168gr bullet I usually charge 54.0gr 4350.
 
Yeah, actually I was intending to load 180g bullets, but then realized I didn't want that much bullet, but I had already bought the powder. I also wanted something slightly slower to be sure I filled up the case as much as possible, but I think that's not as big a deal as I originally thought it was. Rookie mistake. Hopefully I don't learn everything the hard way, hehe...
 
It's not a really big problem. 4350 will work with a 150gr bullet just not as well as some other powders. What are you going to be hunting or are these loads for shooting at the range only?
 
Your plan to start at 54-55 grains with Hornady 150 grain bullets and IMR 4350 powder sounds good. I've shot 150 SP's and SST's up to 59 grains with no pressure signs in my bolt action Remington rifle. I use RP 9 1/2 primers though. I'd use the 54 grain level just to make sure they are safe and when approaching 57 grains I's start looking for the most accurate load in your rifle hoping to find a sweet spot between 57-58 grains which should be mild enough to be easy on brass and rifle. Starting off I'd use Hornady's recommended overall lengths for testing. If you find a promising load you can then play with bullet seating depths to see if any improvement can be found seating the bullets a little longer. You'll probably find that you will need different charges for best accuracy with the two bullets and you'll probably find the SST to be the most accurate bullet.
 
If you'll mention the gun you have and rifling twist rate (if known) we might be able to offer more advice. For instance, IMR 4350 is too slow of a powder if you're shooting a M1 and rifling twist rate helps determine which bullet weights work better.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
What are you going to be hunting or are these loads for shooting at the range only?
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Going for pigs and mulies, also have a black bear tag just in case. The FMJ are for practice, and the SST is to develop loads for the GMX (cause it's less than half the price). Even though the GMX is much longer, the guy at Hornady I talked to said that his personal experience was that they print pretty much the same using the same components. They're advertised as interchangeable and also have the exact same BC.

rg1 said:
Starting off I'd use Hornady's recommended overall lengths for testing. If you find a promising load you can then play with bullet seating depths to see if any improvement can be found seating the bullets a little longer.
Click to expand...

I didn't realize different manufacturers had recommended OALs? I'm generally seating to the canellure (sp?). How does seating depth affect pressure? Is it generally the case that seating a little longer improves accuracy?
 
Sport45 said:
If you'll mention the gun you have and rifling twist rate (if known) we might be able to offer more advice. For instance, IMR 4350 is too slow of a powder if you're shooting a M1 and rifling twist rate helps determine which bullet weights work better.
Click to expand...

Sorry Sport45, totally forgot that tidbit. It's a Marlin XL7 with 22" barrel and 1:10 twist.
 
Using 150gr Nosler's, both solid based and ballistic tipped I have shot some fantastic groups from several '06's using an upper end charge of IMR-4350, within the span you posted. I used Winchester cases, and WIN-WLR primers with an OAL of 3.250" from base to tip of the ballistic tip. Never changed the die for the other bullets.

Good luck on your loads.
 
Okay, I ended up loading 54, 55, 56, 57, 57.4, 57.8, 58, 58.2, 58.4, 58.6, and 58.8. I'm realizing probably too much in the 58g range, but I guess I'll at least eliminate that range if it's not the best. Going to the range today. Hopefully I'll come back with an intact gun. Oh, and all my eyes and fingers! :D
 
You should be fine. But with that tight cluster of charge weights in the 58 grain range, I doubt you'll notice much difference from high to low. I'd bet seating depth would make much more difference than a .2 grain change in the charge weight given the case size. With a case that size I'd say a 1/2 grain incriment would be the way to go.
 
Hmm... I was just worried about getting close to max and wanted to creep up slowly. Am I being paranoid? Maybe I should get to work and pull every other one of those 58g's...
 
Ben Shepherd said:
Nope, don't pull 'em. Shoot 'em. One of them just may be the magic load.......:D
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Oops, too late! I would've kept them, but I don't have any more brass, so it was either reconfigure or go with what I had. I don't mind going back to fine tune once I've shot these out. So now I have 54, 55, 56, 57, 57.4, 57.8, 58.2, 58.6, 58.8, and 59.
 
That's OK then. But in the future when developing loads in full size rifle cases I'd reccomend 1/2 grain incriments to the best load, then adjust seating depth for the fine tune.

In pistol cases when working up loads, a .2 grain change is right on the money.
 
I use 56.5 grains of IMR 4350 with Nosler 168 gr. Btips and they work great. My 06' doesn't like 150gr. bullets as well. I have used H4350 with 57.0 grains with practically the same result.
 
IMR 4350 is a great .30-06 powder, but if you get the urge to try another powder, give Reloader 19 a try. I have worked up some phenominal loads in my .30-06 and .25-06. Just food for thought.
 
IMR 4350 is a great .30-06 powder, but if you get the urge to try another powder, give Reloader 19 a try. I have worked up some phenominal loads in my .30-06 and .25-06. Just food for thought.
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Rokman,
I would say both yes and no to what you said. Yes 4350 is a good powder for the 30-06 but no it's not with light bullets. It's just too slow a powder for light bullets but really shines when you go heavier.

As for the 25-06, IMO 4350 is on the fast side for than caliber, the direct opposite of the 30-06. From everything I know about the 25-06 it seems to really shine when loaded with powders on the slow side usually associated with the heavy Magnum calibers. I'm guessing it's the neck-down that causes that. IMO H4831 or IMR4831 are better powders for the 25-06 than 4350 but then again, neither the 30-06 or the 25-06 is a very picky cartridge powder wise. From what I hear Hodgdon's Hybrid 100V is also a good choice for the 25-06 but I have no first hand knowledge with that powder.
 
ArchAngel,
I have loaded 168gr. Nosler Btips in my .30-06 with awesome success with IMR and H4350 and Reloader 19. I have had great success loading 100 gr. Nosler Btips in my .25-06 with IMR 4350, and IMR 4831 and Reloader 19. I have received some Reloader 22 today and have some unused Hybrid 100 that I plan to work up some loads with in the quarter bore. I had poor results with IMR 4831 in my .30-06 with the 168 grainers.
 
When you give a load do you assume using civilian brass? I've always been told to use 10% less powder when using surplus brass. I'm especially interested in these loads as I'm loading for a 1903A3.
 
mm1ut1 said:
When you give a load do you assume using civilian brass? I've always been told to use 10% less powder when using surplus brass. I'm especially interested in these loads as I'm loading for a 1903A3.
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mm1ut1, I believe everyone assumes civilian brass when it comes to load data. Military brass tends to be thicker than commercial brass, so because of this, military brass will have a slightly smaller case volume to hold powder than commercial brass. This in turns means slightly higher pressures given the same load. I don't know about using 10% less powder as a rule, but you certainly should work it up slowly and assume that max is slightly less than what's published.
 
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