Questions/Opinions on 4350 powders

[TexasSeaRay]

I'm a big fan of Accurate powders. Have had outstanding luck with them for many years. Also like how clean they burn. In particular, I really like AA#2 and AA#5 powders for my handgun rounds--I get some very good groups and consistenty with that powder.

Any opinions on AA 4350 as opposed to the other brands fo 4350? Anyone had better luck or results with one particular brand of 4350 over another?

Interested to hear your experiences or opinions on this.

Jeff

 

[saber9]

There are three different 4350 powders: IMR4350, Hodgdon's H4350, and AA 4350. These are all slow burning powders for use in high capacity rifle cases, such as .270, .30-06, and others. While they are all very similar, the manufacturers all warn against using the same loading data for all of them. Consult reloading manuals and the manufacturers load data for proper charges for each.

I have always used IMR4350, but would unhesitatingly use either Hodgdon or AA but only after consulting the manuals for proper charge weights.

 

[Red_Eagle]

So far the only flavor I've tried is IMR 4350 for my 30-06. Put 3 165gr Sierra Game king BTHPs into an inch at 100yds.

 

[Slamfire]

I have used at least a keg of AA4350 in the 30-06. Used some in the 270 Win, and am using it in 6.5 X 55.

Over my chronograph screens I can not tell any real difference between it and IMR 4350. My H4350 I can tell, and it takes me one grain more of H4350 to get the same velocity as IMR/AA 4350.

As for clean? The stuff seems to shoot as clean as IMR 4895, 4064, 3031. Etc. Stick powders tend to burn quite cleanly in high power rifles. So, the problems you might have with low pressure ammo in pistols is not really a concern.

Personnally, I think you could load all rifle cartridges adequately with two powders: IMR 4895 or IMR 4350.

 

[TexasSeaRay]

This is what I was looking for.

I've loaded with IMR 4350 many years ago early in the reloading process and before I started taking notes on my reloading.

Wasn't sure if there was a significant, or even insignificant, difference in between the brands of supposedly identically constructed powders.

I just like Accurate Arms powders and was thinking of going with their 4350 powder (and manufacturer's load recommendations). Although. . . there are some awful good write-ups and testimonials on the IMR.

Hell. Maybe I oughta just flip a coin.

Jeff

 

[Sevens]

I've always wished there was a trial size of both powder and bullets. Now I fully admit that I'm frugal (that's what I call it, some folks say I'm cheap!) but dropping $22 on a pound of powder may not seem like a whole lot of money, and I don't think it's too much to pay for it. But it becomes a real kick in the nuts when you find that it doesn't work for you and you have 12 ounces of it left over.

Trial size powder--let's say a quarter pound-- 4 ounces. This would allow you to build 30+ rounds of .30-06 which ought to be plenty for getting a few rounds on paper. I realize that it wouldn't cost 1/4 the price, but it would certainly be half as much or less.

An even better idea would be a multi-trial package. Imagine four little containers of different powders, the total weight of a pound or less for one price. You could try powders across different handgun loads and see how they perform. Handgun rounds take minuscule charges... a 4 ounce bottle would build many, many boxes of ammo and you could try 4 different pistol powders all across the different calibers you build on your bench.

Of course, there'd be liability and lawyer speak all around an idea like that-- only takes one numbskull to mix Blue Dot with Bullseye and turn his pistol in to scrap metal, but still... a guy can dream!

 

[Smokey Joe]

Another vote...

for IMR 4350. Have not tried the Hodgdon nor AA flavors.

But the IMR 4350 is MAGNIFICENT in my .30-'06 and its little brother the .243. Also very decent in my 8mm Mauser pseudo-scout.

Have had fair-to-middling results with IMR 4350 in the 6.5x55 Swede Mauser, and I read somewhere that the Swedes do not like IMR 4350 (darn!) so will keep on experimenting.

Texas Sea Ray--I would be leery of marrying one company's products were I you. If the AA's work, and you have tried them against the competition and the AA's outshine the competition, well & good. But if you load only AA because you have only tried AA, you might be missing something even better.

(As an example, I just checked my own powder cache, and found powders from Accurate Arms, Alliant, IMR, Hodgdon, and Winchester. Use what works.)

 

[Wibb]

I use IMR 4350 in everything from my .243 to my 7 Mag, .270, 30-06. I have no complaints and it seems to work in any weather conditions I've tried. I shoot year round here in St. Louis and the temps I've shot in are anywhere from 20 to 80+ in the summer. I found it especially accurate in my .243.

 

[AlaskaMike]

I shoot a lot of H4350 in .30-06, .338 Win Mag and .375 H&H, and I love it. I've never used the other 4350s so I can't compare them.

Mike

 

[TexasSeaRay]

Texas Sea Ray--I would be leery of marrying one company's products were I you. If the AA's work, and you have tried them against the competition and the AA's outshine the competition, well & good. But if you load only AA because you have only tried AA, you might be missing something even better.

Oh, I'm not married to AA. I really do like AA#2 and AA#5 for a few of my better loads, but I also use Bullseye and W231 (two more of my favorites), 2400 for my magnum loads, red dot, blue dot, green dot, AA 2230, and Unique (which I DON'T like, but it's the best all-around standy-by powder ever made).

I'm just kicking tires here trying to see if it would be worth my while to try AA 4350 over IMR 4350--even though my gut tells me "no."

Jeff

 

[Slamfire]

Have had fair-to-middling results with IMR 4350 in the 6.5x55 Swede Mauser, and I read somewhere that the Swedes do not like IMR 4350 (darn!) so will keep on experimenting.

Not in my experience. 43.0 grains with a 140 shoots well and is a duplicate of the Swedish service round.

M700 22" barrel

140 gr Hornday Spire Point 43.0 grs AA4350
R-P new brass CCI-200 OAL 2.990"

2 Feb 2008 T = 52 °F

Ave Vel = 2512
Std Dev = 27
ES = 72
High = 2547
Low = 2475
N = 5


143 gr Swedish Ball 1986 headstamp

2 Feb 2008 T = 54 °F

Ave Vel = 2470
Std Dev = 18
ES = 48
High = 2491
Low = 2443
N = 5

 

[crowbeaner]

Hey sevens; I'd be a happy camper if Hodgdon would put theirs and IMR and WW powders IN 4 POUND CONTAINERS! Then I could order just what I need and not have 3-4 lbs. of extra sitting around after loading 500 '06s. JMHO.

 

[FatWhiteMan]

I just bought some H4350 the other day to try in my Krag. I have been told that 40 over a 220 gr bullet is the original load and will be dead on with the rifle's battle sites. I haven't had a chance to try it yet though.

 

[C17A]

I echo the others who state that each brand of 4350 powder must use its own specific data in mind--do not use H4350 data for IMR4350, for instance.

What makes 4350-type powder accurate is its loading density. A load that fills the case to the base of the bullet, as 4350 does, is inherently more accurate than using a different powder with lots of air space.

My 30-06 hunting load is 56gr IMR4350 behind a Hornady 165gr BTSP (Hornady #3045), loaded into Remington or Federal cases with a Winchester WLR primer. My deer rifle is a bolt-action Interarms Mark X. Puts them into less than an inch at 100yds, and is under max load. Killed 14 deer with it, all one-shot stops (once I hit them, that is).

If you load for an M1 Garand, you must use a "service rifle" load that simulates M2 Ball, using a powder with a burn rate between IMR3031 at the fastest and IMR 4320 at the slowest. Using IMR4350 in a Garand will cause excessive port pressure which can bend the operating rod and batter the rifle. I have used IMR4895 and AA2520 to get useful loads, but their loading density is much different than IMR4350. I would never fire one of my hunting loads out of my Garand, not even once. Yet I don't hesitate to shoot service rifle loads out of my hunting rifle.

 

[qajaq59]

I use the H4350 for my Swiss 7.5 x 55, and the hog hunting loads in my Marlin 30-30. It works well in both.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Swedes & IMR 4350

Further reading tells me from several sources that IMR 4350 works just fine in the Swedes. Since that's such a good powder in several other cartridges I reload, from .243 Win to 8mm Mauser, I'll keep experimenting with it in my 6.5x55 Swede.

Nice to have an all-around "medium rifle" powder.

(Oddly, though, I use H380 in loading .308 Win and .300 WSM.)

 

[ForneyRider]

Reloder 19 measures better than IMR 4350 in my Lee Perfect Powder measure.

But I have plenty of IMR 4350 for loading with scale and trickler.

I have made several loads for 7mm Mag with IMR 4350, RL 19, and RL22 to see what is best for my needs. But weather hasn't been good on days I have time to shoot.

I may also get some IMR 4831sc, H1000 and Reloder 25 for heavier grain bullets in the 7mm Mag.

 

[elkman06]

IMR4350 in my .270 and 30/06. No complaints, good to very good accuracy depending on the rifle. I'm running very clost to 3k fps and the rifles shoot great.
elkman

 

[W. C. Quantrill]

I use both IMR4350 and H4350 in my .30-06. I have used the max load of 58 gr under a 165 gr boattail with excellent success. As we hunt some very difficult country and the shots tend to be very long, I can get excellent energy but most especially excellent accuracy with this load. At 300 yards normal shooting distance, I am getting excellent bullet performance with MOA accuracy from my Remington M700BDLH.

I cannot scientifically prove this yet, but I am of the notion that the H4350 is not as temperature sensitive as the IMR. Overall, I like the 4350 powder because I can get the performance without the sharp recoil I was getting with some of the other powders previously.

 

[onlybrowning]

Sevens: some companies do offer trial packages of powder. Hodgdon is one of them.

I use H-4350 because I am afraid of having temperature sensitivities. I can attest to all "Extreme" Hodgdon powders being insensitive. I have shot at 0 degrees, and at 90+ degrees and never have to change zero.

I am scared to use all other powders because of this. I am not scientific in my findings of course, because I have very little experience using other brands of powder.