Seems like I4895 is a good powder

[Friends call me Pac]

I've been reading a lot about I4895 used with .223 and 30.06 and that is good because those are the two rifle calibers that I am loading for. It also seems to be a popular powder to add a filler to for better accuracy. My Lyman 4th doesn't have any load data for I4895. I know I can get load data from the company but everything I have looked at is for jacketed bullets. So where would one start load development with cast when only jacketed info is available? My 30.06 is a Rem 700 & I have two .223 rifles. One is a Rem 700 in .223 & the other is an AR in 5.56.

[Lefty SRH]

Start with the starting load or down load by a grain or two and start there. I just got some 4895 too and I'm eager to try it in my .308 Win.

[Shiloh]

IMR 4895 is good for lots of different rifle calibers. From small to quite large. It is like the Unique of rifle powders.

Shiloh

[Tatume]

There is no reason to add filler to loads using IMR 4895.

[sthwestvictoria]

I have been using H4895 (AR2206H in Australia) and really like using it. Nice clean grains, burns well (some unburnt kernels in barrel at lighter loads) and meters well.

What I found really useful for cast was the Hodgdon Youth Load rule for H4896 of being able to reduce the max by up to 60%:
http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/H4895%20Reduced%20Rifle%20Loads.pdf
I can't tell you if IMR 4895 can be used like that however.

The the data in the Lee book also gives lots of H4895 loads and how to use his 1grain reduction method to arrive at cast loads from jacketed loads.

[runfiverun]

imr takes the reduction just fine.
I find it to be more accurate than the hodgdon brand.

the reason you use a filler with the medium powders is to avoid velocity variations caused from inconsistent ignition.
you can see it show up on target as vertical stringing and over the chronograph as wide velocity variations.

oh 18 grs in the 223
and 28 grs in the 30-06 both with a little Dacron will get you started.
you can use more powder to make up the difference from the Dacron but you gotta work with the loads to see what you gain or lose with the combinations.

[Larry Gibson]

imr takes the reduction just fine.
I find it to be more accurate than the hodgdon brand.

the reason you use a filler with the medium powders is to avoid velocity variations caused from inconsistent ignition.
you can see it show up on target as vertical stringing and over the chronograph as wide velocity variations.

oh 18 grs in the 223
and 28 grs in the 30-06 both with a little Dacron will get you started.
you can use more powder to make up the difference from the Dacron but you gotta work with the loads to see what you gain or lose with the combinations.

Can't disagree except I find the H4895 to be more accurate and it throws more accurately in powder measures. I still shoot lots of IMR4895 but it's most milsurp. As r5r mentions the dacron keeps the fps variation down, increases ignition efficiency and most often improves accuracy. I recommend 4895 often for medium to heavy bullets in most rifle cartridges.

In the .223 if the twist is 12" the 18 gr r5r mentioned is good with a 1/3 gr dacron filler and work up until accuracy goes south. If you are lucky to have an older 12" twist AR then the same applies. If the AR has a 7 - 9" twist I suggest starting at 14 - 15 gr with 55 gr cast with the same 1/3 dacron filler and work up until functioning is 100% reliable and stop there. Accuracy will be best at that point.

In the .308W (Lefty SRH) with 170 - 200 gr cast start at 26 gr 4895 and use a 1/2 gr dacron filler. Work up until accuracy goes south.

In the '06 with 170 - 200 gr cast start at the mentioned 28 gr with a 3/4 gr dacron filler and work up until accuracy goes south.

Larry Gibson

[Friends call me Pac]

Thanks so much for the help.