more questions for reloading 30-06 cast

[mac1911]

I have a good amount of 165gn flatnose gas checked boolits.
Been reading here about reloading for my 03a3. C.E. Harris info read.

Its going to be a good wait to get my hands on 2400 and try "the load"
Im not to clear on the info.
I have bullseye per Harris 7 grains for the 150gn bullets plain base
Is bullseye good to use with the 165gn GC flatnose I have at the same powder charge.
My Lyman castboolit handbook #4 will be here monday. Powder is not readily available locally and im not fighting traffic and 3 hour road trip to go get more powder. I order online when its time to fill the cabinet of powder and primers.

I have varget on hand also can this be reduced like 4895?

[Lonegun1894]

This is out of the #3 Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook pg. 192 169gr bullet section--closest to your 165gr listed. There are no Bullseye loads listed, but Red Dot (the fastest listed) goes from 10.5gr/1390fps to 13.5gr/1625fps. Varget is not listed, but I have always been told that IMR-4064 is almost identical, but please check this for yourself before proceeding. The lightest bullet weight listed with 4064 is 187gr, with loads listed starting at 32.0grs/1641fps to 46.0grs/2454fps. I would reduce like always, but use it as a guide, and proceed with caution, having used 4064 instead of Varget in the past with Varget loads as a rough guide and working up slowly, but please check your manuals and other sources first to double check this as it is you who will ultimately be holding on to this rifle when you pull that trigger. Another option you have is to use jacketed bullet listed loads as they tend to be higher pressure than we use with cast, so will be lower pressure than listed in your suggested boolit loads. I have done this many times and assuming the correct alloy and fit, I have had very good results in many calibers.

As to reducing Varget, assuming your experience mirrors mine with 4064, some reduction is safe, but I dont know how much. However, at least my loads in my guns, too much reduction seemed to severely limit accuracy enough that I quit reducing and just use it for almost full power loads. I have to clean more often, but I get accurate loads instead of plinkers.

[smokeywolf]

IMR 4227 has been used in 30-06. I have used Alliant/Hercules 2400 and IMR 4227 alternately in the same cartridge under the same boolit. They are not duplicates of one-another. 4227 is slightly slower in burn rate, and on the DuPont Index (DPI) and in "Relative Quickness" (RQ) is one step below 2400.
IMR 4227 also has been said to be the fastest rifle powder, while at the same time, the slowest pistol powder.
One caveat to using IMR 4227 in 30-06 loads. 4227 has been said to be position sensitive. For this reason, I use it in the smaller rifle cartridges; 32-20, 25-20, and 218 bee.
Also, check out this thread "2400 - 4227 - 4759" on this "www.castboolits.gunloads.com" website.

smokeywolf

[sqlbullet]

I use Varget with my Garands in 30-06. 36-38 grains works fine behind a 200 grain boolit. I am sure it would be fine with your 165 grain as well.

[fatelvis]

Also, check out this thread "2400 - 4227 - 4759" on this "www.castboolits.gunloads.com" website.

Can you post a link? I can't find this using the search function. Thanks-

[RU shooter]

With the Bullseye start at 5 gr and work up to 7gr my rifle really likes 6.0 with a 160 gr bullet .These loads are subsonic but will still ring my 12" steel swinger target at 200 yds all day long, low noise and zero recoil its a real fun load .

[Larry Gibson]

Varget generally does not do well with lighter cast like your 165s in the '06 with reduced loads. If you decide to try it use a dacron filler to aide ignnition consistency. Frankly 2400 with a dacron filler is the better choice for the '06 with 165 or lighter weight down to 140 gr cast bullets. For excellent loads upwards of 1200 fps follow RU's advise for use with Bullseye.

Larry Gibson

[1Shirt]

Like Larry says with 2400!
1Shirt!

[madsenshooter]

Lee has a 30-06 table showing Varget behind a 165gr cast bullet ranging from 25gr@1950fps to 43gr@2570fps. These tables were extrapolated, not actual firing tests, so Varget may not be the best powder. It is however, what you got on hand. In the world of cast boolits, you never really know, it might surprise you! Larry's suggested tuft of dacron would probably be a good idea. Varget is the most popular powder among the cast bullet benchrest shooters, but they use heavy bullets and cartridges designed to allow a caseful.