Powder Selection for a Few Calibers

[dak0ta]

Hi,

So I am choosing some powders to reload .30-30, .308, .270, and 8mm Mauser

.30-30 is a Marlin 336 with 20'' barrel and will load 170 gr RN bullets (Woods Deer Rifle)
.308 is a Ruger M77 with 22'' barrel and will load 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip (Main Deer Rifle)
.270 either in a Rem 700 or SAKO, for future considerations. 22'' barrel (150 gr Nosler BT and Partitions)
8mm Mauser is a Husqvarna M98 commercial rifle with 22'' barrel that I will load with 200 gr Speer Hot-Cors for <200 yard shots on moose/elk

I was recommended IMR 4895 for a general purpose powder, and I've read about 4064 as well.

I also saw that Hodgdon makes H4895, what difference is there from IMR 4895?

Any other recommendations?

 

[blarby]

Not much, as all of the loading data available will show you.

H4895 is a GREAT powder. Its also remarkably temperature non-sensitive, which is a great plus.

I use them both. I usually end up with larger charges in I4895 over H4895 after workup- but not by much, on the order of .5 grains.

 

[Havok7416]

IMR or H4895 for those will work fine. The difference between them, so far as I can tell, is that they have different coatings on them which result in SLIGHTLY different burn rates.

IMR 4064 will work for at least 3 of the calibers you listed and possibly 4.

 

[morcey2]

Finding a powder that will work with both 30-30 _and_ 270 with 150 gr bullets is going to be the issue. 4895 and 4064 are too fast for the 270 while 4350 is too slow for 30-30 with 170 grain bullets.

Either of the 4895s will work with everything except 270, along with 4064/varget/3031/W748 and a stack of others. IMR4064 is my go-to powder for 8mm Mauser (and 30-06 and 7x57) so that's my personal recommendation. H4895 would work great also. Then get another powder for the 270. H- or IMR-4350 and slower will work. The 4831's, 7828, W760/H414 all should work. 7828 is available everywhere.

Matt