Versatile Powder for 308 & 30-06

[bushrats]

Looking for a versatile reloading Powder for .308 & .30-06, for reloading bullets from 125gr, 150gr, 165gr, 200gr and the occasional 220gr bullet. Don't know if there is such a powder for that, as I am new to reloading the 308 and 30-06, I have reloaded handgun and .223 rounds.

Looking at IMR4895 and AA2460.

Also can you recommend a good reloading manual, I know there are many out there.

Thanks

 

[X-Ring]

Check out IMR 4064 in your manuals. It doesn't meter great but it is versatile.

 

[adcoch1]

Check out the hornady manual. Lots of good info in there if you aren't looking for pressure info.

 

[macgrumpy]

IMR 4895 and 4064 are traditional powders for the .308 and 30-06 calibers. Neither are necessarily the best for every bullet in your list but they will work. IMR 4895 works better from the light bullets up to about 180 grains and IMR 4064 is more suited for bullets that weigh about 150 grains up to 200 grains.

I like Hornady's manual the best but I recommend using the manual that matches the brand of bullet you are using.

 

[jmr40]

You could buy 4064 and do pretty well in both.

But, buying one pound of Varget, 4064, 4895 or RL15 to load the 308 and one pound of H4350, IMR4350, or RL17 for the 30-06 will cost exactly the same as two pounds of 4064 and give you better results in both rifles.

I don't like the notion of trying to make 1 powder work for several jobs. You don't save any money in the long run, but do end up giving up performance in at least one of the cartridges you are loading for. Sometimes all of them.

There are sources for load data online from Nosler, Hodgdon, Barnes, Alliant, Ramshot as well as others. I have a couple of hard copy manuals, but mostly refer to the online sources.

 

[Bart B.]

Using a single powder for 125 through 220 grain bullets in .308 Win and .30-06 cartridges requires a compromise of sorts. Here's my bullet weight bandwidth for IMR powders in those cases for best compromise of muzzle velocity and accuracy:

4895, 125 to 155 grains.
4064, 165 to 200 grains.
4320, 180 to 210 grains.
4350, 190 to 220 grains.

If only one powder was picked for all, I'd go with IMR4064.

Other extruded powders at the same speed for the bullet weights may also do well. I don't recommend any ball powder because it's accuracy has not been as good as extruded ones.

 

[Gtscotty]

IMR 4064 will work for both, but I agree with jmr40. You would be better served by buying a pound of 4064, or Varget for the .308 (and light bullet '06 loads) and a 4350 for heavier bullet full power '06 loads. In the long run you wouldn't really save much money by just going with one compromise powder for both.

 

[bushrats]

Thanks for the replies. The reason, I was asking is the cost of shipping the powders now a days is pretty step and was looking for one, maybe 2 powders that will do the job. Not much local that sells powders, so I have to order it.

 

[ColoradoShooter77]

IMR-4895 is hard to beat in .308 and it will work with lighter bullets in the 30-06, up to 165 grain.

 

[Reloadron]

To some extent it depends on the rifle but I am with the IMR 4895, H4895, IMR 4064, H4064 group and I also like AA 2495. For certain gas operated guns I don't like a powder slower than Varget. Overall general use? I like IMR 4064.

Ron

 

[kerreckt]

I wish I could add something but IMR 4895 and/or IMR4064 says it all. Or, at least says enough. Best wishes

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMR4895 and H4895 are extremely close in performance. AA2495 was developed to mimic the pressure curve of IMR4895 and AA2520 is the ball powder equivalent of AA2495. All 4 are similar and all 4 will do well with both the .308 and 30-06 if you're looking for one powder. IMR4064 or AA4064 is another viable choice. Yes the are powders that will do one or the other better or better with different bullets weights but you asked for one powder to do it all.

 

[dragon813gt]

Nothing wrong w/ IMR 4895. I use it from .223 up to 35cal. But for 308 and 30-06 I prefer W748 and W760. Hodgdon lists 30-06 loads down to 110 grains w/ W760. I've burnt up a lot of W748 in 308

 

[2ndtimer]

Another vote for IMR-4064. It doesn' meter well through a powder measure, but it has tremendous versatility. I could use it effectively in the .223, .243 with lighter bullets, 6.5x55, .270 Win., .308 and 30-06. Would it be the optimal powder for all? No, but it would give more than adequate performance with most bullet weights in all my rifles and a lot of other chamberings as well. I have a pair of 8 lb kegs of it. But because I load so much .223 ammo, I also have a pair of 8 pounders of Ramshot Tac, too. It flows so well through the powder measure and works great with all bullet weights in the .223.

 

[Don McDowell]

The two cartridge really do better with separate powders, but if I were going to try and run both with just one powder I would go with either RL15 or WW 748,maybe H414.
For a printed manual it's hard to beat the Lyman Reloading handbook. For about the same money tho you can take a subscription to Loaddata.com

 

[sugarmaker]

I have 2 06 bolt guns and 1 308 auto. 26 different powders in 1 to 4 pound, with 32 pounds of 4064. I find it will do most everything I need from 223 highpower, (except i use varget loaded long for 600), M1A highpower, 06, and even the 375 hh.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

You didn't say what the rifles were, because if they are the M1 and M1A, there is a very narrow band of powders that can be used: 4064, 4895, Varget, BLC2, maybe a couple others.

 

[macgrumpy]

...there is a very narrow band of powders that can be used: 4064, 4895, Varget, BLC2, maybe a couple others.

Actually that's not true, it's outdated information from the shooters that learned their information in the heyday of the M1 Garand and M14 at Camp Perry shoots. Not that those guys didn't know their trade but back then there weren't as many powders available and there weren't as many tools available to the average shooter so they only knew what the military told them and the military only used IMR 4895 and 4064. Plus, most of those shooters only used a couple of bullet weights (168gr and 175gr) which only work well for long ranges using just a couple of powders so it created the impression that very few powders are usable.

Depending on the bullet I know that you can use;
Alliant Reloader 17
IMR 3031
IMR 4166
IMR 4198
IMR 4064
IMR 4895
Varget
BLC2
Accurate 2495
Accurate 2520
several Vihtavuori powders
a couple of Winchester powders
and several powders outside the U.S. can be used.
Off of the top of my head I can think of at least 20-25 powders that can be used safely.

 

[TimSr]

For me, with bolt rifles, for heavier bullets RE17 is hard to beat, with IMR4350 a close second.

With lighter bullets you'll probably do better with H4895 or I've used IMR4198 with good results. I'm now loading M1 and M1A with H4895 mostly because everybody says that's what I'm supposed to be using. I had previously use both IMR4350 and RE17 in those guns until I read all the stuff that scared me.

 

[Bart B.]

If you think the competitive shooter's preference of IMR4064 used in M1 and M14/M1A rifles producing better accuracy than IMR4895 means anything, you may want to use it.

One of the arsenals proved IMR4064 was more accurate with their 172-gr match bullet but only when charges were weighed to a 3/10ths grain max spread. The high speed measures in production lines measured IMR4895 more uniform than IMR4064, so it was the powder of choice for economy.

The USN and USAF teams shooting 190's from their 7.62 NATO Garands got best accuracy with IMR4320 powder for that heavy bullet.

 

[macgrumpy]

And if you shot competitively and were successful I'm sure you're sold on what ever powder was used for your cartridges, why mess with success.

The thing is the .308 is such a well balanced and efficient cartridge (not the best but pretty good) that it can shoot well with quite a few powders and if the rifle and shooter are doing their job properly it's amazing how consistently it performs. One of my favorite powders for 155gr and below is IMR 3031. It used to be the standard powder used by Lake City back in the day and I've found that my lighter bullets really do well with it out of my M1A rifles. I have a great 110gr Vmax load using IMR 4198 that I can push to just over 3000 fps out of my short barreled SOCOM rifle - a really nice little varmint gun with the after-market carbon fiber stock on it and no rails.

 

[Bart B.]

When did and what cartridge did Lake City ammo plant use IMR3031?

I know the military teams tried it (used it myself) on occasion with 7.62 NATO ammo, but never heard of any arsenal using it in their ammo. 3031 was very dirty with max loads in the two Garand barrels I used 3031 in. Accuracy degraded after 30 or so shots instead of near 100 rounds of ammo with IMR powders 4895, 4475, 4064 or 4320.

 

[BigBore45]

Maybe H-380? I use it for plinking loads in the 06' and 308 and 223 and 243. I got it cheap I couldn't pass it up at $100 per 8lbs. Works well needs a magnum primer and is temp sensitive. Meters very well, and is relatively clean.

 

[Jeff H]

Just to be clear, you aren't loading for a Garand, are you? The answers can be very different if you are.

 

[macgrumpy]

When did and what cartridge did Lake City ammo plant use IMR3031?

I know the military teams tried it (used it myself) on occasion with 7.62 NATO ammo, but never heard of any arsenal using it in their ammo. 3031 was very dirty with max loads in the two Garand barrels I used 3031 in. Accuracy degraded after 30 or so shots instead of near 100 rounds of ammo with IMR powders 4895, 4475, 4064 or 4320.

You're right Bart, I stand corrected, it was the Marine Corps rifle team in the 1970's that used it although at least one source says that it was the load that Federal started to produce for the Marine Corps team and it eventually became the original powder for the Federal Gold Medal Match ammo.

From a copy of an old Rifleman's Journal article around 2012 sometime

7.62 NATO Long Range Match Cartridges
By Frederick Salberta

The Marine Corp does not seem to have done anything other than utilize M118 with some form of 180 gr. bullet substitution for long range until 1968 or 1969, when two new loads seem to have come out of the Marine Corps shooting team. The first load was a Sierra 168 gr. HPBT on top of 39.0 grains of IMR3031 for short range. This load was found to be very successful for matches where it was allowed. It would eventually be loaded by Federal in the mid 1970s for the Marine Corp team; becoming the Federal Gold match load in 1990 (though bumped up to 41 grains of IMR 3031, with a subsequent shift to IMR 4064).

I can't say how it works for a long range competition shooter because I never competed at long range, but I can say that it works well out to 400 yards for as many shots as you want to take in my SOCOM with the 110 Vmax loads. I've never seen a substantial degredation in performance over the course of my normal shooting days (usually well over 30 rounds, more like 100 or 200) but then nobody is scoring either. I've also used IMR 3031 very sucessfully under 168gr SMKs, A-Max, and TTSX bullets.