30-06 and IMR 4350 compressed loads

[bad375]

I was loading some 30-06 for friend and I was using 53.4 grains of IMR 4350, When I seat the bullet it is sitting right on the powder with no "powder rattle" Overall length is correct, will this be a problem?
I've not run into this situation before, so I wanted to be sure.

 

[NCsmitty]

Bullet weight?

NCsmitty

 

[bad375]

Hornady interbond 165 btsp

 

[243winxb]

There are 8 different commpressed loads on hodgdon website using IMR 4350 with 8 different bullet weights and types in 30-06. You should be ok. Start low and work up the load. Dont exceed listed maximum loads.

 

[NCsmitty]

Compressed loads are not unusual with the heavier bullets in 30-06 using IMR4350.

NCsmitty

 

[243winxb]

53.4gr and 165gr bullet, that seem a little early to be compressing powder already. Double check you scale and check for the correct COL.

 

[243winxb]

sitting right on the powder

Thats not really a "compressed charge".

 

[Doug b]

You might try a drop tube if you like hearing a little rattle.This situation is not unusual with IMR 4350 and the 30-06.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If it really bothers you change over to H4350 instead of using IMR4350. The charges are lighter so you have more room to work with without sacrificing accuracy.

 

[Slamfire]

You ain't compressed, I'll tell you compressed.

A shooting bud of mine, a National F class champion, told me his old 1000/600 yard load with IMR 4350 in a 308.

His load was 47-48 grains in a 308 case. I am not going to mention the bullet, but it was heavy. In my R-P cases, 47 grains filled the case to the mouth. I don't recall using a drop tube, but I might have.

I would crunch down the bullet on that powder column, trying to get to an OAL of 2.830". But the bullet would not stay put. I could see the bullet slowly rising as the powder pushed back!

The load shot well (at 1000 yards), but I was not getting the velocity I wanted.

 

[rcmodel]

Powder rattle?
What the heck is that supposed to do?

As already stated several times, there is no reason powder cannot be compressed in a perfectly fine & safe load.
It certainly does not have to rattle!

But I do agree with 243winxb in post #6.

Your 53.4 grain load is below a starting load with a 168 grain Hornady, let alone a 165, and shouldn't be even close to being compressed.

Check your scales & OAL again.

rc

 

[bad375]

Thanks to all for the info, I really appreciate it

 

[dogrunner]

Sure doesn't sound as tho that's a sufficient amount of4350 to result in a 'compressed' load............I've used 57.5 of the stuff under a Sierra 165 for years.......normally that fills Win. cases to just about the shounder/mouth intersection.

 

[interlock]

I am with dog runner. i use 60 gr of imr 4350 under sierra 165 gr game king. that is pretty compressed. it is fast, accurate and flat and kills deer like lightening

 

[Doug b]

Bad357 did say interbonds thats a poly tipped bullet and considerable longer than non tipped and the load is probably compressed or real close to it.

 

[snuffy]

New reloaders always hit the panic button when they first try a compressed load. It just seems to be wrong. It's not! Hearing the powder crackle from compression scare the bejebuss out of some!

The old surplus 4831 that Hodgdon bought by the train car load, was loaded by scooping a primed 30-06 case into a coffee can of powder, leveling off the charge with a stick, then seating a 180 grain bullet. It was compressed the amount that the bullet was seated in the case. Those loads shot well, and were NOT excessive in pressure.

Tricks to try to settle the powder are quite simple. One is to use a funnel and the scale pan to slowly pour the powder onto the slope of the funnel. This causes the powder to swirl into the case, it settles into a more tightly packed column. Use of a long drop tube WITH the swirling powder results in better settling. Simply dumping directly out of a measure will always result in a less compacted powder column.

 

[bad375]

Well the staring load in the Hornady manual (4th edition) I have is 51.9 grains for a 165gr bullet at 2600fps and 53.4 gr at 2700 feet. So I felt safe, but like I said I had not run into this before and wanted to be sure.

 

[Martyk]

Good thread (for me) I've been loading pistol for a while and am still kind of new to rifle. This morning I loaded 45 grains of IMR 4064 into a .308 for a Sierra MK 168 HPBT.

First time I had seen the powder filled almost to the top of the case (about halfway up the case neck). I checked my data and seated the bullet. Took the rounds to the range and the cases looked fine. No signs of excess pressure. It was a little scary at first ....... but I'm over it now . Bring on the compression!!!