Powders for 30-06, suggestions

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

mohr308,

Lots of info above and as you can see, lot of different powders chosen for one reason or another by lots of people.

However, I normally approach load development for a new or unknown rifle a bit differently.

I like to sit down with a number of reloading manuals, choose an optimum bullet weight and style for ALL GAME HUNTING which might be done with this caliber, then check out the powders which give the best velocities and groups, if listed, and then begin load development with one of the top performing powders if I happen to have a stock of it on hand.

The powers spoken of in the posts above would make your rifle go bang, but a number of them are not top performers.

If I choose a powder for my "06" which will only provide .308 velocities in the 30/06, then why didn't I just buy a .308 to begin with and save some money on powder and brass? Some of the powders listed above, may shoot very well in the poster's rifle, but they will NOT provide velocities above .308 levels.

Summer before last, I developed loads for a friend's Howa "06", using the Nosler Partition in 165gr. In the testing I did, IMR4350 came out the winner, among the powders tested, as to best groups, while also providing good "06" velocities.

The 165gr bullet is a good choice in this cartridge providing a bullet of integrity is chosen, and the Nosler Partition is well matched to the deer, elk and moose which might be hunted in this area.

I have on hand, a new and as yet unfired RUGER American in 30/06 and the first series of test loads are loaded and waiting on the bench.

Only testing in this, or YOUR rifle, will provide the answer as to what will be best, but RL22 is what will be tested in this first series.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[GeauxTide]

No mag primers in the '06. The Expansion Ratio of this cartridge (bore vs case capacity) is almost perfect. Mags will raise pressure up to 5,000psi.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

The poster above is correct as per the "mag primers"

However, in a push comes to shove obamanation such as we currently face, and if the Magnum primers are the only ones available, you should ???? be able to safely begin loading providing you start with the "starting" loads listed and keep close watch as to possible/expected excessive pressures as you increase the load levels.

CAREFUL!!!!!!, it is very likely you will see signs of excessive pressures well before you reach the max listed load levels shown with standard primers.

Doing anything other then following good published date puts you on your own with no recourse should something bad happen.

In my new Nosler reloading manual, there are NO magnum primers listed for the 30/06, even with the heaviest loads with the slowest powders.

This manual shows that WLR (Winchester Large Rifle) primers were used for ALL loads.

Be aware that the use of such primers may well not provide the best groups.

A very - additional - possible negative in attempting to, "make do" with other then recommended primers is, when "standard" primers again become available, you would need to retest and re-develop the loads as to powders and load levels available.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Bart B.]

GeauxTide, what is a perfect expansion ratio? What number is divided by another to get the ratio? I asked you once before about that an never got a reply. I've heard of expansion ratios for decades but each mention has had a different set of conditions. And the "capacity" of a barrel varies with its length. I'm curious what your's are.

Ol' Coot, some folks have been using magnum primers in .308 And .30-06 cases for decades. Some have produced excellent accuracy, especially the RWS ones from Germany that are no longer sold in the USA. Winchesters regular large rifle primers are hotter than other companies magnum large rifle primers. Check out primers in the following:

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com...mer-study.html

[45_auto]

Good explanation of expansion ratio and bore capacity here:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Bore+c...tio.-a03578530

No such thing as a "perfect" expansion ratio. It depends on the performance you require from your bullet. Per the example, you could shoot identical 110 grain bullets out of an M1 carbine and a .300 Weatherby Magnum. The Weatherby will burn 6 times the powder to push the bullet twice as fast. Small cartridge with modest velocity and power = high ER. Large cartridge with lots of velocity and power = low ER.

[jmr40]

Magnum primers are fine in 30-06 if you want to use them. All other load data should be revised down and a chronograph used to check velocity. If your loading manual calls for 57 gr as a max load @ 2900 fps, then 2900 fps is your upper safe limit. Not 57 gr of powder. With standard primers you might reach 2900 fps with 57 gr of powder, but only need 56 gr to do it with magnum primers. A lot of guys find loads with magnum primers to be more accurate even when used in 308 and 30-06 class rounds.

Of all the powders availble for 30-06 either IMR-4350 or H-4350 have proven to give the best combination of bullet speed and accuracy for me. Start asking around and you will see a decided trend with those 2. It seems the IMR version gives slightly better speeds, but I have settled on H-4350 because it is far less sensitive to temperature changes.

Most powders will see velocity changes of about 1 fps for every 1 degree of temp change. For guys who hunt in the cold that can mean a load developed and chronographed in the summer could be 100 fps or more slower when hunting with it in the winter. H-4350 wll see very little velocity change as temps change.

For me living in Georgia, a perfectly safe load I develop now, could be 100 fps faster, and a dangerous load when shot in August.

[Unclenick]

Right. The military primers are magnum primers for good low temperature performance (they test down to -65°F, IIRC). Alan Jones, who worked for CCI, had an article in Shooting Times in which he said they'd found magnum primers produced better velocity consistency in loads with poor case fill because the extra gas they make brings the start pressure up better in that situation.

There is no rule about the effect of magnum primers on peak pressure. As Hartmut Broemel points out, there are even circumstances in which they lower peak pressure. It depends on how the magnum primer was formulated. In some it is done just by putting more standard priming mix in. With others they add fuel to the standard primer mix, so they actually have lower brissance, but make more gas. Still others employ materials to increase the flame duration and add aluminum particles to project a better spark shower. Jones says that CCI magnum primers were reformulated in 1989 specifically to work best with the St. Marks spherical propellants, like 748, H335, BL(C)2, H380, H414, 760, etc.

So it's complicated. You just have to work your load up with different magnum primers to see if one of them does best for you or not. IME, if you can find a load with good case fill of an easily ignited stick powder, then a mild standard primer gives the best performance. I've made standard primers work well with a so-so case fill of Accurate 2520 in the .308, but I had to deburr flash holes to do it.

[highbrow]

I use Federal Mag primers when I load H4831 in 30-06. My max load is 3 grains less than the listed max.

[hooligan1]

My Savage 111 loves IMR 4350 with a 150 grain Ballistic Tip from Nosler. I use a CCI 200 LR primer, have for many years to great results.