IMR 4895 vs. H4895

[rnovi]

Ok, what's the real difference between these two powders? How much of a difference is there?

No, I am not thinking of subbing loads. It just so happens that I've noticed a lot of data for both powders for the same caliber (.35 Rem and .350 Rem Mag), yet charge weights are different.

So, what is the diff between the two powders? Burn rates? consistency? stick vs. ball? etc.

I've got about 4 pounds of IMR 4895 left...wondering if I should actually be using H4895...

 

[Clark]

There really IS a difference, and I think that is ironic.

Hodgdon started out selling surplus bulk IMR4895 and made a market for it.

IMR was a big manufacturing company and started selling canister IMR4895 to the public,

Decades go by and Hodgdon buys out IMR.

But now H4895 is faster than IMR4895.
I put in 2.5 % less powder for H4895.
That is ~1 to 1.5 gr less powder in a 30-06.

 

[armoredman]

My Enfield No 4 Mk1* likes H4895....

 

[USSR]

...what's the real difference between these two powders?

About $8 a pound. You can buy surplus IMR4895 for $78 per 8# cannister. I use it almost exclusively in my .308 tactical rifle, and it will shoot sub .5MOA when I do my part.

Don

 

[GooseGestapo]

I've used a lot of both.

Are they the same?

NO.

One comes in a can marked IMR, the other HODGDON.
I'm not just trying to be facetious. There is at least the difference between one lot, and another lot. Also, perhaps made in a different plant, with different equipment. Enough difference to MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Powder manufacture is as much ART as it is science. Each company/plant has it's own proprietary ways of doing same thing.

That said, I have not found a better powder for the .35 Remington.
BL-C2 comes close, but does not give as much velocity.

Another instance of similarities:
Win231 and HP-38.

I've seen a 110lb cannister of HP-38. It was labeled HP-38; but it had "stickers"/Labels, that gave manufacture at the St.Marks, FL. OLIN MFG. facility, and had a WIN231xxxxxxxxxx, lot #.

Now you know the difference between HP-38 and Win231...................
The container, labeling, and LOT NUMBERS....

 

[Jim Watson]

IMR 4895 is made in Canada, has been since about 1976. Hodgdon just owns the US distributorship.
H 4895 is made in Australia as AR2206H. The original AR2206 is a little faster, between 4895 and 3031.
The manufacturing processes differ.
Hodgdon has just written specs to have IMR 4895 copied in burn rate, more or less successfully, first by ICI in Scotland, now by ADI in Australia, after their stocks of WW II duPont surplus ran out.

 

[jonhluk]

Apparently the main difference are in grain size and deterrent coatings, making the resultant pressures for an identical load different.
If you have load manuals which list the IMR and Hogdon together you will see there is usually a couple of grains between them with the IMR load being slightly less.
There isn't really any excuse for using the wrong data for reloads as the manufacturers make the load data available over the internet at the click of a mouse.

 

[BluesBear]

Plus they will usually mail you a free manual just for the asking.

 

[rat314]

Hodgdon burns a little slower

The Hogdon variants burn a little slower than the equivelent IMR do.
Also they are bit bulkier which can be a good thing if your looking for best accuracy.

 

[USSR]

The Hogdon variants burn a little slower than the equivelent IMR do.

Not in a comparison of IMR4895 and H4895. IMR4895 has a slightly slower burn rate than H4895.

Don