SR4759 12lb keg

[DanM]

A local distributor (Parks and Sons), that I have an account with has SR4759 in 12lb kegs for $152. I have been reading up on the stuff and it does sound promising. I mostly shoot medium case ex-military calibers like 308, 30-06, 303, 30-40K, 8x57, 8x56R, x54R, with some 45-70 on occasion. If I buy the big keg, I am gonna want to use it in all of these carts. Also have heard that it is tough to meter in a Uniflow or Lyman 55 measure. I have been using imr4350 in all, but am thinking about a change. Could go with 4895 too. Please help me deceide....DanM

[Freightman]

$12 a # for a very good reduced load powder and cast boolits love the SR4759 good stuff. 4759 is also great if you can buy both at that price you will be set for awhile and it isn't going to get cheaper. I am shooting powder I bought when Clinton was in and I feel like it was a great investment.

[DanM]

I should have mentioned that my load preference in medium cases is for 1800fps or faster. Just me, but I don't get that much enjoyment from slower loads. With 45-70, 1400-1600 is fine by me....DanM

[Whiterabbit]

in my 460 S&W, I think I could get 1500-1600 with SR4759. 1400 no problem.

I use an RCBS powder measure with 4350, 4895, and 4198, and I find SR4759 "crunchy". the stick powders seem ouch and cut/fracture, but the 4759 just seems to get smashed on the way down. Bottom line, seems easier to meter and it measures just fine, especially if I compare to IMR4198.

44man is probably the guy to talk to about 45/70 loads, I know he loads 4759 in that. That's the reason I tried it in my 460. The other cartridges I don't know.

Sounds like a great price. I pay double that :(

[crowbeaner]

If you spot some SR 4756 for that price, PM me!

[DanM]

I am still looking for guideance here. Am I likely to find accurate loads at 1800fps+ in those medium cases I mentioned with the SR4759? Maybe this powder is a little fast for my purposes?

[Char-Gar]

4759 was THE cast bullet powder for generations in the medium cases you mentioned. Despire the SR (Sporting Rifle) prefix, it was developed for the military for reduced velocity frangible 30 caliber (30-06), to be used in aircraft to aircraft live fire training, although some planes were shot down with this stuff.

It was designed to be bulky and give about 1.8K fps.

It most certainly would be an excellent powder for the rounds mentioned. In burning rate, it is similar to 2400 and 4227 all of which are good cast bullet powders.

4895 was also devolped for the military for use in the 30-06 round in the Garand rifle, where gas port pressure was very important. It is a very good powder, but it's cast bullet use is best above 1.8K fps.

If you want cast bullet loads in the above mentioned rounds ABOVE 1,800 fps, you would be far better off the 4895. Faster powders 2400, 4227, 4759 tend to impact the bullet base to sudden and cause bullet distortion when pressure/velocity get above 1,800 fps with a reduction in accuracy the faster you go.

While I like 4759 very much for rifle cast bullets, I tend to stick to 2400. Velocity and accuracy are as good at up to 1.8K fps, and having less bulk is suitable for magnum handgun rounds as well as some small rifle rounds. In short I fined 2400 to be as good as 4759, but be more versatile. I dont like keeping a bunch of powder around. For cast bullets, if I can't do it with 2400, Unique or Bullseye, I just don't do it. While not the nee plus ultra powder for every round, they do well in all applications I have tried.

[Marlin Junky]

I am still looking for guideance here. Am I likely to find accurate loads at 1800fps+ in those medium cases I mentioned with the SR4759? Maybe this powder is a little fast for my purposes?

If you leave out the 45-70 and consider 1800 as the ceiling. Anything over 1800 fps should be considered a bonus especially with boolits possessing a sectional density above 0.270. You might take note as to how that 12-pounder has been stored. Before you buy it, inspect the can for any sign of corrosion. If there's the slightest hint of rust on the bottom or in the seams, I wouldn't bother with it.

MJ

[leadman]

I use alot of 4759 in the medium cases. I think you could hit the 1,800 to 1,900 fps range easily.
I also recently tried it with my new Lee classic Turret press with the Pro Auto Disk measure and found it measures very well. It is a little crunchy in my Redding measure.

I have had no problems when developing loads as it seems to build pressure very evenly with no surprises.
Also have not had any unburned powder in the bore like 5744 leaves.

[Lance Boyle]

I'm a newb to cast bullet reloading but I have been loading with mostly SR4759 and using the uniflow measure.

I find the grains cause my measure to drag funny, like there's a piece of paper caught between the drum and the frame. Does it nearly 50% of the time. 25% of the time I toss the charge back in the hopper because it's off.

Other than that issue, there's not many rifle rounds that I don't like about 17 grains of SR4759 in. I have not tried 2400 in my rifles but it's on the list. I went with SR4759 at my gunsmith's recommendation as he said he finds it to be consistently more accurate. I read here that others prefer Unique or 2400 so I'll try them all and be my own judge.

OK, so that's not what you were asking but I did want to mention it doesn't meausre all that great for me.

ETA- I'm shooting most of the same surplus rifle cartridges as you are.

[Mark Daiute]

I hate it when folks post but don't answer the questions asked! So her I go and do it myself:

I reload for 30-06, 30-40 Krag, 303 Brit and 45-70 Government. The best targets I have shot across the board were with SR 4759. It crunches in my Uniflo powder measure. I just accept the fact that it crunches. 2400 meters better for me but with the 4759 is simply drop the charge from the measure and then add a few grains to bring the charge up to weight. I measure every charge.

This is where I deviate from the op's original question: according to the latest Lyman Cast bullet handbook I'm pretty sure that you can use 4759 to achieve the 1.8 fps that you are looking for. I have no experience in this realm, most of my loads produce less than that.

Personally, I'd love to have 12 lbs. of 4759 on hand.

[EDG]

I use a lot of SR4759 and weigh it out with an AMT/Lyman Autoscale to dispense the loads. It is used in BPCR rifles to shoot heavy bullets at black powder velocities. In the 40-65, 45-70 and 50-70 this is about 1050 to 1300 fps.
Will it go faster?Sure.
You may need a gas check. I normally jack up the pressure until I quit seeing zombies (unburned power kernels) in the bore. I have one 325 gas check bullet designed for the .405 Win that I use in the .40-65 and the velocities with it probably run up to about 1400 fps with excellent accuracy.

[rockrat]

I run 4759 thru my Lyman 55, no problem. Works well in the 338WM & 375 H&H, but can't help you with the others although others can

[rintinglen]

SR 4759 is perhaps the best powder for 1800-2000 fps loads in '06 sized cases. There is a ton of load data out there, Speer, Lyman, RCBS manuals all list plenty of loads for it. Personally, I have used it in the 30-30, the 30-40 and the 30-06 in this range, as well as the 38-55, 32-40, and 45-70 at lower velocities. It tends to be a very accurate powder. On the down side, and why I don't use it much any more, is that it meters poorly. Like Chargar, these days I tend to run 2400 at slightly lower velocities, because I also use it in my .357 and .44 magnums.

IMR 4895 is better for hotter loads, especially if j-balls are on the menu, but is much less economical, recommended charges being typically half again those of 4759. I haven't used much of it since the 70's, when the supply of cheap govt. surplus ran out. I remember getting a coffee can full for a buck-something in 1972 from an LGS back home for use in my 30-30. I shot a fair few 150 grain Speer and Remington bullets over 30 grains of 4895 that spring and early summer before I went in the Marines.

[canyon-ghost]

15.8 grain of SR 4759 in a 7mm TCU, goes 200 yards from a handgun! The guys are right, this is a little hard to pour but, just performs very well. It's good powder.