Powder and bullet questions

[RobG5538]

I am going to start reloading beginning with my 7mm RM. I have H4831 that was given to me. My Sierra book only lists H4831 SC, not H4831 as a suitable powder. Can the powders be interchanged and/or what is the difference?

Secondly, is a 140 grain bullet a 140 grain bullet? Again the Sierra manual only list their bullets but I have some Nosler partitions I was going to use.

This is my first attempt to reload, so am trying to find out all I can so I don't "shoot my eye out" or "blow my finger off"

Thanks

 

[cdrt]

My Nosler book has a load with their 140 grain Spitzer partition for IMR 4831, but not H4831. Starting load with the IMR powder is 62.0 grains...max is 66.0. The 62.0 grain load is listed as the most accurate load tested with that powder/bullet combo.

 

[RobG5538]

Thanks, my Sierra book lists IMR4831 54.6 to 65 grains for a 140. I guess my post was confusing. I also have 160 gr NP which use H4831SC but not H4831 so I was trying to figure out should I use it or not.

Thanks, Rob

 

[cdrt]

The Lyman book lists a 140 grain Barnes X bullet with H4831. Min is 53.0 grains, max is 69.5. Pressure runs from 42,100 CUP to 50,800.
Don't think it would be a problem to substitute the Nosler bullet. Just start at the min and work your way up. They used Winchester cases.

 

[Ol` Joe]

The H4831 and H4831sc powders are for all purposses the same. The data is interchangable between them.
IMR4831 is NOT THE SAME. don`t sub IMR for Hodgdon data.

The Sierra and Nosler bullets also are slightly different. You can use starting data for any given weight bullet with another bullet of the same weight. The max loads though will vary due to bearing surface, jacket and core hardness, along with COL the data was developed with.

The Hodgdon reloading guide 2007 (magazine format) shows a Nosler 140 gr Partition bullet in a 7mm mag with a starting load of 61.0 gr H4831 to a max of 64.0 gr H4831.
Sierra in their newest manual lists theiur 140 gr bullet with 60.6 gr starting and 65.4 grs H4831sc as max. The starting loads are only 0.4 gr different but the max loads are 1.5 grs heavier with the Sierra bullet.

 

[eliphalet]

Ya might take a look see here.
http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

 

[RobG5538]

Good stuff guys, thanks!

 

[The Bushmaster]

As Ol' Joe said. Hodgdon H4831 and Hodgdon H4831SC are identical except that SC stands for "Short Cut". In that Hodgdon has cut the H4831 granuals in half to make H4831SC. They are absolutely interchangable at equal weights. And I love H4831SC when loading .30-06