IMR4320 question

[newton]

I have tried to find some information on here with this powder, but there does not seem to be much talk about it. How are peoples feelings about it?

I'd be trying it in the 30-30. It sits close to Varget which I have had really good luck with in the past. I have also heard it loads similar to AA4064 which is also a good powder for the 30-30.

I am going to try some. I'll start low and see what its like. I might be disappointed with it, but I have a sneaky suspicion that I might like it.

I am hoping that some of you all could chime in and tell me the good, bad, ugly about this powder.

[pworley1]

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle?&CartridgeName=30-30+Winchester&Manufacturer%5B%5D=IMR&Powder%5B%5D=IMR+4320

[newton]

Thanks. It does show some data. Just looking for a little more from those who have used it.

[Mr Peabody]

I've used it in the 35 Whelen to great effect. I like the way it meters too. I think it's a pretty good powder, just hard to find.

[Dryball]

I use it for several calibers and it works well. It is an older powder. That being said, IMHO, I would stay with Varget. Varget is more temperature insensitive.

[newton]

Thanks. I figure it would be temp sensitive. I am looking at it just for hunting rounds, but even with that our season can range from 70 degree days to in the teens.

4320 is a LOT easier to find that Varget. I cannot remember the last time I even saw a can of Varget. They have, and have had, quite a few bottles of 4320 on the shelf at the local store.

I just read a lot of info that it is a forgotten powder, good for a few things, but does have a few quirks. I find info for jacketed 170 grain loads, but I am wanting to use it for the RCBS 180-fn. I know that you have to treat every powder as its own individual powder, but I figure that the 30-30 has a lot of data with a lot faster powder, and slower powder, so if I stay within the velocity of the load that is for the 170 grain jacketed round, then I should be ok pressure wise.

That might not make a lot of sense, and I might not have worded that right, but I have thought a lot about it and am going to work up slowly regardless. I just want a little over 1900 fps, wanting to get to that load that Junior had gotten to with his M94, the boolit, and Varget.

[Hardcast416taylor]

RCBS 308-180 F boolet using 50/50 + tin alloy and GC. Start IMR-4320 at 28 grains and work up to 30 grains. Crimp bullet in crimp slot groove, slightly better accuracy with water quenched boolets.Robert

[newton]

RCBS 308-180 F boolet using 50/50 + tin alloy and GC. Start IMR-4320 at 28 grains and work up to 30 grains. Crimp bullet in crimp slot groove, slightly better accuracy with water quenched boolets.Robert

Thanks! That is just about exactly what I am doing here. Same boolit composition at least, and I am starting at 28 grains. I figured I would reach my goal before 30 grains, but had considered it as the top line I would not go over. Do you have any more data on this? Velocity at different charges? What gun it was shot in? What kind of groups you got?

[newton]

Have you ever tried paper patching this boolit for the 30-30? Just saw the title below your name. I am really considering it.

[rintinglen]

4320 is not a powder that I have much truck with. I bought a couple pounds of it on sale years ago, but never found a good use for it. Some folks have used it to good effect in the 308, and I bought it because it was supposed to be a good choice for the .243 and useful for the 30-06 class, but it never panned out for me. I did not have a chronograph in those days, but my groups were not satisfactory. It shot rings around my IMR 4350 loads in the 30-06 (in reality, not metaphorically), did ok, but not great in the 243. I don't know what became of it.
However, I have loaded and shot many hundreds of RCBS 30-180 fn's. 3031 or ww 748 are your friends here. I prefer the 748 because you are hard pressed to overload it, IMR 3031 was shooting good groups in 30-30's for years before I was born and I'm over 60. My personal pet load is 30 grains of ww 748 in Winchester cases with this boolit cast of wheel weights and heat treated. It gives me 2 1/2 inch 100 yard groups with iron sights and plenty of oomph for any deer unwise or unlucky enough to come within 150 yards of me. From my 26 inch barreled Winchester it runs just over 2100 fps, and from my 1953 Carbine it goes at 1980 fps.

[newton]

Thanks for the info. I figured it was a shot in the dark to get good use from it. I've been on the lookout for 748. What's so interesting is that it's so close to 4320. Just makes me wonder about pressures with it. What length is your carbine barrel?

[newton]

What I find interesting is Hodgdon data on 4320.

121299121300

I know this is jacketed data, but I'm just looking at how the pressures, charges, and velocity relates. There is 20 grains of weight difference. The starting and ending loads are close. The velocity drops with the higher weight and pressure increases with the begining load, and velocity drops but pressure does not increase much at all with higher weight.

Wish they had added data for a bullet 20 grains heavier than the 170. Makes me wonder if the trend would continue.

[TXGunNut]

I looked at it once when few other powders were on the shelf. Seems to be what I'd call a narrow application powder. I have a feeling it works very well in certain cartrdges at certain velocities but I couldn't find anyone getting good results for the cartridge I wanted to load it with.

[texaswoodworker]

I've used it in my 30-06 and my .223 with pretty good results. It doesn't push the bullet quite as fast as some other powders could, but I can get really good accuracy out of it.

[iroquois]

My Daniel Defense V1 loves the 4320. This powder meters great in my Dillon 1050.
I also tried it recently for my 308 loads and had great results.
Also try IMR4064.

[muffinman]

I use 4320 in .35 Remington with 225 cast boolits. Great results. Also use it in .45-70 with 440 grain boolits. I used old date from speer #8, I know I know, started low and worked up slowly. Was very impessed.

[wallacem]

I have used it in my 22-250 for 40 years. does great. Wallacem in Ga

[Motor]

I've used it for 55gr .223 in a AR-15 and it did very well. I also use it in 7.62x54R with a 150gr Hornady jacketed soft point. This is a .312" bullet shot from a M39 Finn Mosin Nagant. It shoots 1" groups at 100 yards.

The fact that you can find data for it goes a long way to suggest that it can work good. They don't typically publish data for loads that shoot poorly.

As far as temperature sensitivity goes, I've never noticed. I think that topic is almost always overated.

Motor