The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - .30-06 reloading tips

Paul B. · June 22, 2007, 12:58 PM

While IMR-4895 is a fair powder for the 30-06, I would be careful with some of the data in some of the manuals. I strongly suspect that the current 4895 as made by IMR may be a lot faster burning than the original Du Pont version. My copy of a circa 1967 Lyman reloading manual shows 46.5 gr. of 4895 (no letter denoting either IMR or H for Hodgden) as the starting load and 51.5 gr. as the maximun load for that powder. I originally worked up to 49.0 gr. with the 150 gr. Sierra Pro-hunter (They didn't call then that back then.) but 49.5 gr. started showing signs of pressure. I don't know what the velocity was, but it sure was a deer killing load. Recently, I loaded up a few to run over my chronograph, just to see what the velocity was. The rifle was the same one that I uswed to originally worked up. The load was way too hot. I broke the rest of the loads down and check weighed them on two scales. They were right on the money. I did a load work up starting with the starting load and went back to the 49.0 gr. load. At 47.0 gr. things started to get sticky and at 47.5 gr., it was time to quit. The reason I mention this at all is that the latest Lyman manual has that exact same 1967 load data which has proved to be way too hot in my rifle.
Which brings me to my final thought. Originally, 4895 was made by Du Pont for the 30-06 ammo for the M-1 Garand. I have lots of sources of information, but none that tell when 4895 was first made. In the 1946 and later American Rifleman Magazine, you could buy surplus 4895 through the DCM. depending on the lot number, it could have a burning rate as fast as IMR-4198 to as slow as IMR-4320. Later, Hodgden bought up the whole pile and blended it into one basic burning rate powder. Du Pont brought it out for the civiliam market and their version was a bit faster than the Hodgden's, but not by much. many considered them interchangable. The Du Pont sold the powder business to IMR. Now the powder seems to be faster burning. I have heard that IMR substituted wood sawdust to make the nitrocellulose, rather than use the more traditional and more expensive cotton linters. Whether or not that's what makes the difference is something I don't know, but I do know that at least in my rifle a load that was once safe is now too hot for the rifle in which it was developed.
Paul B.

June 22, 2007, 12:58 PM	#12
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	While IMR-4895 is a fair powder for the 30-06, I would be careful with some of the data in some of the manuals. I strongly suspect that the current 4895 as made by IMR may be a lot faster burning than the original Du Pont version. My copy of a circa 1967 Lyman reloading manual shows 46.5 gr. of 4895 (no letter denoting either IMR or H for Hodgden) as the starting load and 51.5 gr. as the maximun load for that powder. I originally worked up to 49.0 gr. with the 150 gr. Sierra Pro-hunter (They didn't call then that back then.) but 49.5 gr. started showing signs of pressure. I don't know what the velocity was, but it sure was a deer killing load. Recently, I loaded up a few to run over my chronograph, just to see what the velocity was. The rifle was the same one that I uswed to originally worked up. The load was way too hot. I broke the rest of the loads down and check weighed them on two scales. They were right on the money. I did a load work up starting with the starting load and went back to the 49.0 gr. load. At 47.0 gr. things started to get sticky and at 47.5 gr., it was time to quit. The reason I mention this at all is that the latest Lyman manual has that exact same 1967 load data which has proved to be way too hot in my rifle. Which brings me to my final thought. Originally, 4895 was made by Du Pont for the 30-06 ammo for the M-1 Garand. I have lots of sources of information, but none that tell when 4895 was first made. In the 1946 and later American Rifleman Magazine, you could buy surplus 4895 through the DCM. depending on the lot number, it could have a burning rate as fast as IMR-4198 to as slow as IMR-4320. Later, Hodgden bought up the whole pile and blended it into one basic burning rate powder. Du Pont brought it out for the civiliam market and their version was a bit faster than the Hodgden's, but not by much. many considered them interchangable. The Du Pont sold the powder business to IMR. Now the powder seems to be faster burning. I have heard that IMR substituted wood sawdust to make the nitrocellulose, rather than use the more traditional and more expensive cotton linters. Whether or not that's what makes the difference is something I don't know, but I do know that at least in my rifle a load that was once safe is now too hot for the rifle in which it was developed. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!