down loading h4895.

[nagantguy]

Has anyone had any experience down loading h4895 for 30-06, 30-30 7.62x54r and 8×57. Running low on some old favorites and have some 4895 and have used it in the past for full jword loads and other than a little puttering with a m44 mosin I haven't played my h with this.powder in cast but have seen it mentioned here several times not so Mich looking for cat sneeze or mouse farters but would hunting loads with this powder, I know I know I have checked my manuals and went to Hogdon wed site but wanna here what worked for you guys. Thanks all.

[ReloaderEd]

Follow the Lyman 44th Edition Handbook in castpics.net on this site. At bottom of main Forum page.

[GhostHawk]

I have downloaded IMR 4895 with very good results.

Read where I could drop as much as 60%. I was loading for 7.62x54r, dropped to 25 with no problems, tried a few at 20 but that had a obvious point of impact drop. Worked back up to the 28-29 area and then started adding a bit of dacron filler.

The more I shoot it the tighter the groups get.

So this fall I had a teenager run some 55 rounds through it to clean up all my handload's.
I reloaded them all with Lee .312 185gr 1r bullets that I got the mold to cast at .314, added gas check and resized. The mostly come out at .3135 and my bore is .312 so I'm very happy with the load. Will continue to work on improving accuracy with it.

For the 7.62x54r the sweet spot seems to be in that 28-30 range.

I don't load for any of the other calibers you mentioned but I do load 20 gr loads of IMR 4895 for my 7.62x39 Yugo SKS with good success.

I would suggest trying a few loads at the 50% mark perhaps with the smallest puff of dacron that you can get to fluff up and fill the space possible. Small and fluffy is the key, don't jam that stuff down and make a wad out of it.

Follow Larry's instructions in the fillers thread and I suspect you will have no problems.

[Outpost75]

H4895 is slightly different from IMR, being a shorter cut, but it performs well in the cartridges you mention down to about 65% if case capacity. I use 28 grains as a start load in the '06 or as a nearly full charge in .30-30. A full charge in. 30-30 is 30 grains, and this also works well in the 7.62x54R or. 303 British. Itvtakes about 38 grains to cycle a Garand, which is a full charge load in the. 303.

[nagantguy]

Thanks yall I read in a few places it could be reduced by 50-60% with no issues. Don't ya hate the times we live in haven't found some of my favorite powders in a few years it seems so I'll use what I have or can scrounge up. Even my 2400 is running low. Don't even want to break the seal on that last ppu d of unique.

[popper]

20gr.In 30/30 under a 165 was accurate but slow, 1200 fps

[leadman]

The reduction formula is ONLY for H4895 and ONLY for the data Hodgdon publishes. The formula is to reduce as much as 60% of the maximum listed load of Hodgdon's data.
This is not for IMR4895, although some people do use it Hodgdon does not condone it.
On Hodgdon's website go to the data button on the page that displays the link to the reloading data center. Click on H4895 reduced loads.
Just tried to open the file and it came up Not Found. Must be having issues.

Do be aware that when you are in the IMR data and open the reduced load screen it takes you to the Hodgdon screen.

I have used reduced H4895 loads in several rifles and found that the lightest powder charges worked ok but a powder like IMR SR4759 or Unique worked better. If I was running low on powder I would use H4895 and if not satisfied with the groups start over and use a 1/2 grain or so of poly-fil to boost pressures.

[nagantguy]

That's what's happening I'm running low on some standbys and feel the need to.experiment with what I can find.

[Moonie]

I've used 35gr of H4895 behind a Lee 170gr (don't know the fps but it did function my sons Remington 742 semi) and 35gr behind the Accurate 245gr for 1,950fps. I've also used the same 35gr in 8x57 with the Karibiner for 1,850fps. In fact I've used it to great effect in a couple of other gas semi's in other cartridges at much reduced charges with full function. 18gr H4895 with 55-62gr boolits in .223/5.56. and the same in 6.8spc with 140gr Ideal 280412. H4895 is a very versitile cast boolit powder.

[Tatume]

Here's the scoop.

http://hodgdon.com/PDF/H4895%20Reduced%20Rifle%20Loads.pdf

[nagantguy]

Thanks everyone, love read and looked up a lot on this powder before I posted this but I wanted real world been there done that type answers and I've gotten them.thanks ya'll

[41mag]

I used the reduced loads for .308 with the 125gr Nosler BT for my grandson when he started out. I dropped it down to around 36grs if not mistaken. The load should be listed in that link above. After he got where he could shoot that well I boosted it up about a grain at a time until he was more or less running full loads.

I know your shooting cast, but figured I would at least add in more experience with it.

When I was looking at all of this data, I contacted Hodgdon about them as well. The said that for ANY load they had listed for use with this powder, I could reduce it 60% from the max load they listed with the bullet weights it was listed for. In other words if the top end load was 45grs for a 150gr jacketed, I could drop that by 60% and work back up to that top end load. This was what got em going with this powder, I could start WAY low and work up through a WIDE range with only the one powder. So far it has shot exceptionally well with everything jacketed in several calibers.

I also plan on working with it shortly on a few cast loads as well.

[tomme boy]

When you start to get below 28grs in a 308 size case, ignition starts to become erratic. That is why some use dacron over the powder to help it ignite. 7.62x54r is really bad for this. Temp. also plays a big role in how far you can reduce the loads. I had a really good load for one of my rifles this summer. Once it started to cool down I was getting hangfires.

[TCLouis]

I believe what one will find in the company presentation of "4895 reduced loads" is that they advocate down to 60% of normal loading or 40% reduction.

Sounds the same as what others have written but it IS NOT.

[35 shooter]

When you start to get below 28grs in a 308 size case, ignition starts to become erratic. That is why some use dacron over the powder to help it ignite. 7.62x54r is really bad for this. Temp. also plays a big role in how far you can reduce the loads. I had a really good load for one of my rifles this summer. Once it started to cool down I was getting hangfires.

I agree with tomme boy. I've had hangfires in the 35 whelen when reducing h4895 without a dacron filler. Started using the filler and no more hangfires. I developed several loads with h4895 with a 200 gr. boolit with very good accuracy from about 1900 fps. to 2400fps. I quit using a filler at about 85% case fill with this powder in the whelen.

[leadman]

TClouis, Hodgdon specifies 60% of their maximum listed loads, not the starting charge. See the link that Tatume posted to Hodgdon's website. Hodgdon said to not use 60% of loads listed in another company loading manual.

I know I am being picky but I have had questions from new reloaders about why they can't use the same formula with another powder of the same burning rate or slower. Sure, go ahead and reduce that slow powder by 60% and this just might be a problem.
Handloader magazine has published this formula wrong twice recently. Haven't heard of any problems but just trying to prevent a problem.

[smokeywolf]

I used the reduced loads for .308 with the 125gr Nosler BT for my grandson when he started out. I dropped it down to around 36grs if not mistaken. The load should be listed in that link above. After he got where he could shoot that well I boosted it up about a grain at a time until he was more or less running full loads.

I know your shooting cast, but figured I would at least add in more experience with it.

When I was looking at all of this data, I contacted Hodgdon about them as well. The said that for ANY load they had listed for use with this powder, I could reduce it 60% from the max load they listed with the bullet weights it was listed for. In other words if the top end load was 45grs for a 150gr jacketed, I could drop that by 60% and work back up to that top end load. This was what got em going with this powder, I could start WAY low and work up through a WIDE range with only the one powder. So far it has shot exceptionally well with everything jacketed in several calibers.

I also plan on working with it shortly on a few cast loads as well.

Be very careful that you don't misread their instructions. "take the maximum H4895 charge listed for any given cartridge and multiply it by 60%." That means you're loading 60% of the maximum charge, not reducing the maximum charge by 60%.

smokeywolf