Best Powder for .30/06 with 180 grain bullets

[centershot]

With all of the new powders out there, which is your favorite one for elk and 180?

 

[texasbilly]

In a bolt action try IMR 4831. In a semi-auto try IMR 4895. There may be better powders, but these are always solid performers.

 

[AckleymanII]

I shoot a darn hot load of H4350, will not state the charge, most accurate, Rem bolt gun.

Today, I would look at R#23 or 26

 

[mmcu]

I use RL-22 with very good results.

 

[fyrewall]

I developed an 06 load some time ago using the Barnes 180 grain .308 triple shock with lots of Re 19. It shot well under .5 inches at 100 using a 1-10. I thought I needed to have something that could penetrate any thing that I was hunting.

I don't need to do that type of thing any more and I have been working on substitution of 4000MR for Re19 for some of my other rifles. It would also be possible to get enough Re 23 using a conventional lead core bullet into an 06 case to get good velocities and pressures. Those 180 grain Barnes bullets measure 1.396 inches long (approaching 2X4 thicknesses) and might crunch powder quite a bit if getting everything to fit inside a magazine was important.

As mentioned H4350 would probably be more popular for match grade accuracy.

 

[Berger.Fan222]

I've killed a lot of critters with H4350 in the 30-06.

 

[centershot]

It is a bolt rifle. H4350 is still hard to find.

 

[jr600yd]

As stated H-4831sc, H4350. If you can't find H4350 try Accurate. I've had good results with it.

 

[Berger.Fan222]

If you can't find H4350, H4895 will likely provide an accurate load, but velocity may be lower. H4895 is becoming my go to second choice of powder in several cartridges. It gives up some velocity, but nearly always can find an accurate load with the usual tuning (powder charge and seating depth).

 

[Zero333]

Anything in the H-4350 burn rate will be ideal.

H-4350
IMR-4350
IMR-4451
Accurate-4350
RL-16
RL-17

H-4831sc will also work good and it's guaranteed accuracy.

 

[riflewoman]

+1 on all the recommendations for 4350 with 180s in the 30-06. High velocity for good penetration and good or match accuracy. I’ve used the IMR variety for decades. It also works well for deer ammo with 165 grain bullets. Start at 52 grains and work up in 1/2 grain increments. Shoot 3 shot per group. You’ll find something between 54 and 56 grains.

 

[watercam]

Outstanding results with Reloader 22...

 

[centershot]

Anyone use Superperformance?

 

[fyrewall]

12 responses - IMR4831 (1), IMR 4895 (2 - like WWII Garand), IMR 4350 (1), IMR 4451 (1), H 4350 (6), Re 22 (2), Re 19 (1) 4000 MR (1), Re 23 (1), Re 26 (1), Re16 (1), Re17 (1), all 4350's (1) AC 4350 (1), H 4831 SC (1), Superperform (1)

My favorite is H4350, followed by any other 4350 type. But during the last component emergency (shortage) there was no 4350 type powder in town so I used 4000 MR and liked it. This is a domestic powder, made in the USA. I can buy it at less than $21 per pound - great deal. I would not be surprised if lots of Re 22 or Re 23 packed into an 06 case gave the highest velocities.

 

[Berger.Fan222]

I would not be surprised if lots of Re 22 or Re 23 packed into an 06 case gave the highest velocities.

Inspired by the high velocities listed in the Nosler #4 Reloading guide (3002 fps for 165 grain bullet and 2872 for 180 grain bullet), I gave RL 22 a try a while back. My velocities were much less than suggested in the manual, so I happily went back to H4350.

Nosler has since bumped up the max load of RL 22 to 62.0 grains with a 180 grain bullet and lowered the expected velocity to 2812 fps.

It's also tricky to fit that much powder into the case and seat a bullet without breaking kernels which raises pressure and spreads out your velocity variations. Add that to the temperature sensitivity and lot to lot variations of RL 22 and it simply is not worth it in my experience.

With whatever powder you pick for a 30-06 be happy with 2750 fps in a hunting length (22-26") barrel and 180 grain bullets.

 

[jimbires]

when I hunted with a 30.06 , I used IMR4064 . with todays powders I'd be looking at RL16 , RL17 .

 

[fyrewall]

I guess if you want magnum velocities buy a magnum.

In the 60's 4064 was sort of a classic powder for the .30-06 with most bullets including 180's.

Valuable observation with Re 22 and the Nosler manual. I never attempted Re 22 in the .30-06.

 

[Twoboxer]

Started reloading 30-06 with IMR4350 and got good results from the 50 year-old 24" Remington barrel. Once a 26" Krieger barrel was installed during a rebuild, I decided to compare vs IMR4451. While there were lower nodes, I got excellent results at an MV of ~2900FPS with 175gr Sierra TMKs.

 

[fyrewall]

"~2900FPS with 175 Sierra TMKs." - bang, zing, pow. The on-line Hodgdon data has 56 gr. IMR4451 at 2762 fps @ 58,900 psi for the 175 Sierra HPBT. 24 inch barrel

 

[Twoboxer]

"~2900FPS with 175 Sierra TMKs." - bang, zing, pow. The on-line Hodgdon data has 56 gr. IMR4451 at 2762 fps @ 58,900 psi for the 175 Sierra HPBT. 24 inch barrel

The TMKs run faster out of this rifle than what they replaced, the SMK. The load is "only" 55.7gr IMR4451.

The chrono's a Labradar. The latest samples I have chrono'd are from 7/31/17, 89 degrees, virtual sea level, 2x10 shots, each group averaged 2896fps. In April at temps 69-74 MV was ~15fps slower. In June 2016 at Bangsteel (altitude ~2,500', did not record temperature), MVs were ~2912. That MV correlated well with the drops out to 1200 yds.