30-06 and Reloader 15 with 180gr. bullets

[dabersold]

I owned a 35 Whelen for years and the go to powder for it was Reloader 15 with 225 gr. bullets. Now I'm looking for a good powder for my 30-06 with 180 gr. bullets and there isn't much about Reloader 15 except for when using lighter bullets like 150 gr. Can someone tell me why? Thanks

 

[Dans40X]

RL 15 will work in your '06 but is of faster burn rate & will not produce desirable velocities.

Run some RL 19 or RL 22 & you will be in the ball park!

IMR 4350 would be my powder of choice for 180-190gr projectiles in the 30-06 case.

 

[MrMajestic]

What Dan said...

 

[spclark]

Now I'm looking for a good powder for my 30-06 with 180 gr. bullets and there isn't much about Reloader 15 except for when using lighter bullets like 150 gr. Can someone tell me why?

Too fast-burning & too dense for case & bore capacity. 35 Whelen can use it because the larger bore diameter adds bore volume that helps with the pressures produced. Too fast a powder in too low a volume case + bore combination isn't recommended.

 

[yenak]

I have real good luck with H4831 SC and Horn. 180 SPBT's out of my 06. This load has put down 5 elk for me.

 

[dabersold]

Thanks for the replies. It's always interesting to learn. I have some IMR 4350 that I will use for my load development and save the Reloader 15 for another day.

 

[kraky]

While it isn't ideal speed wise it "could" surprise on accuracy. That's the neat thing about reloading rifle shells. You never know if something works unless you try it. Load up 5 rounds and take em to the range and see where they go.

 

[DocBII]

You may wish to try VV N-560 or Norma MRP with the 180s. Both work well with 185 Bergers in my 30-06. I tried N-550 with the 185s, didn't get good accuracy or velocity.

HTH,
DocBII

 

[dabersold]

Thanks guys for the posts. For my own hunting, I will be using 165 gr. bullets and either Reloader 15 or IMR4350, I have both on hand However, I am doing some testing with a new company that makes non lead bullets and their .30 offering is 183 gr. so I'm just trying to find the best powder to run the tests with their bullet. I only have a limited number of bullets ($) so I was hoping to only use one powder.

 

[spclark]

In that case I'd think something slower might be preferable. If those new 183's are monolithic (solid rather than lead-core jacketed) they may be quite a bit longer than comparable conventional bullets of lesser weight. If a faster twist is recommended - as usually would be the case for best stability and accuracy with longer bullets - more of a prolonged shove than a swift kick could be beneficial.

These things have drive rings rather than an elongated bearing surface?