Best uses for 3031

[osteodoc08]

I have the opportunity to purchase an 8# jug of 3031 for a very fair price give the current market. My intentions for it are to make up plinking rounds for my 223 and 308 with it. 223 would be using 55gr FMJ bullets and 308 would be using 147gr FMJ M80 pull downs. Is this a good powder for this? What else are it's "main stream" applications. Hoping to make a decision tonight and tomorrow and possibly picking it up Wednesday. I'd hate to invest the $$$ to find out it's a dud when I could have bought less of a favorite standby (Varget). Perhaps I should just buy the Varget.

[mfraser264]

IMR 3031 will work in the .223 per the Hornady loading manual, 9th edition. In the .308, Hornady loading manual, 2th edition. Speer 14th edition also for both. Being an older numbered powder and not the new fancier named powder, it is being over looked. Its burning rate is between H332 and X4895 so it is rather versatile powder. Enjoy your find, you will not be disappointed.

[GhostHawk]

I agree, it has been my experience that 3031 is a bit of a jack of all trades. It does most things fairly well.

Perhaps not the best, but far from the worst.

Enjoy!

[garym1a2]

Makes nice accurate 55 gr loads for the ar15..
Clean too.

[TXGunNut]

3031 is a versatile powder but I don't think it's especially well suited to the 223 or 308. I think the powder shortage is easing, maybe an 8# jug of Varget will be on the next truck.

[Bzcraig]

I think it is a very versatile powder and I wouldn't think twice about buying it.

[brtelec]

I have been using 3031 in 22-250 and 30-30 for 25 years. I have loaded it in numerous calibers and as stated above, it seems to work well in everything I have loaded with it. It is probably the most versitile powder I have used.

[Safeshot]

It is good for .223 and .308 it is great for 30/06 especially M1 loads. Works well for .45/70. Check the loading manuals it is very "usable" for many calibers. I would not hesitate to "get it".

[Cmm_3940]

Developed for .303 Brit, it's faster than other stuff commonly used in similar .30 cal. rifles. I've used it with good results in .223 with 55 gr. JSPs and .30-06 with 180-200 gr. cast, which should say something about it's versatility.

[Motor]

3031 was developed for the 303 Brit. (303 1) It's one of the "good old powders". It seems it would work fine in most cartridges of the approximate size of the .303 and if you look at various reloading manuals for data, especially the older ones you will see this to be true.

I currently use it in 7.62x54R. Like I said, its one of the good old powders.

Motor

[colt1960]

I have a 223, 30 carbine, 7.62x39,30-30,30-06, 45-70, for cast its a usable powder for it all. The first powder I ever bought. Rick!

[smokeywolf]

IMR 3031 is a favorite in "level 2" 45-70 loads.

smokeywolf

[rondog]

Guess I need to add it to my watch list.....

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Very good in .30-30, .32 Special, .35 Rem, .358 Win, good in .300 Savage and .308 with lighter bullets (165 grains or less) works in most cartridges, long-grained so it crunches when used in a measure. Used in full-power .30-30 loads since 1963.

[snowwolfe]

Great powder for the 45-70 as well as the .405 Winchester. I used it last month in my .405 when shooting a bison, 51 grains under a 300 grain Barnes TSX.

[TXGunNut]

Only thing I don't like about 3031 is that it doesn't funnel well. I weigh every charge for load developing or hunting and drop it into a funnel over the case. Seems 3031 needs a few more taps than most any powder. Seems most of my cartridges can be loaded with it, definitely one of my top five powders.

[dh2]

my LR-308 really preforms well with IMR3031, the only reason I do not load much .223 with it is it is a stick powder and is a pain to load in a small case, but for .308 and 30/30 ,25/36 it is good stuff

[walltube]

IMR 3031 in all my Enfields have delivered best performance pushing those long, heavy boolits down range. H4198 is a second choice.

My Rem. M700 .30-'06 with similar type boolits and IMR 3031 is another fave of mine. Makes them j-word shooters blink at me...HAR!

FYI: all loading data for the above is from a Lyman 1958 edition "Handbook of Cast Bullets".

Thanks to you guys here where 3031 and 55 gr. j-word is good for .223\5.56x45, maybe now I can stop feeling sorry for myself about not having any AA2230. I hate those easy shooting autoloading rifles....:mrgreen:

Ya'll be of good cheer,
Wt.

[ascast]

I can't really add to the load comments, it's all good. But 3031 is a stick powder, read firewood logs. Only 6064 is worse. In a rotating drum measure like Lyman 55 you get a real sticker every once in a while. If you have an old Belding and Mull measure, it would be a good idea to haul it out and dust it off.
That powder will bridges in your funnel as well so be watchfull

[leebuilder]

3031, is a great powder. Many uses, great in milsurps.
use it in my Mosins and 303s quick and reliable, my go to for cast boolits.

[smoked turkey]

Like you I also faced the decision whether or not to buy an 8 pounder of 3031. I opted to buy. I am glad I did for all the reasons listed above in so many posts about using 3031 in so many different calibers with good results. I think if you do a search of several different loading manuals you will also see that 3031 is indeed a very versatile powder. It may not be ideal in all but it is perfectly good in a multitude of calibers.

[mrrch]

It's my "go to" powder for all my rifles. Wish we had 8 pounders up here. My LGS is horrible at stocking powders.

[walltube]

What "ascast" says about stick-type powders is spot on. So may certain 'flake' powders bring about a fit of "aarrrggghh". ;>)

To address those clog-the-funnel, dispenser nozzle problems inherent of stick-type powders I bought meself a PACT Digital Powder Dispensor. Not as speedy as a the traditional Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, etc.-etc. mechanical measure\dispenser mind you; however, the PACT delivers a fuss free powder charge each and every time. So may an RCBS or Lyman electro devise, I would think.

Another age-old aggravation with stick-types is the 'log jam' in a mechanical dispensor's nozzle. That often brings about the 'short a grain one case-a grain or two in excess the next case' scenario. An easy, simple fix for that dilemma was brought to my attention way back in the 20th. Century at Shooters.com. With a round (rat tail) needle file, file yourself a series grooves, 4,5 or 6, at the narrow, constrictive inner part of the nozzle. That is from top to bottom. Works for me, and G-D Bless that Shooters,com member from long ago.

Ya'll be safe and enjoy yourn cast boolits,
Wt.

[jonp]

3031 and 4064 are my all purpose powders I keep on my shelf. I'm not sure of the caliber I might load for that one of those would not take care of.

[osteodoc08]

Well. I didn't get the 3031.

Instead as I bought 4# IMR4895 and 4# CFE223 and a pound of RL7 to try out. I'm gonna be busy.

[runfiverun]

3031 is on one side of 4895 and 4064 is on the other.
basically slow and fast lots of the same 4895 hodgdon got from the military all those years ago.
kinda the same thing as red-dot and green-dot.
you gotta do sumthin with that box car full of powder you just made.

[Trinidad Bill]

3031 is my go to powder for every rifle I have that is not magnum. From cast boolits to jacketed it works. 30gr of 3031 in a 30-30 seems to be the old standard. I have loaded a lot of 55gr .223/5.56 with 3031. I am sitting on about 16lbs and would not hesitate to buy more.

I killed and elk this year with a 38-55 using 3031 under a Lyman 375449 cast gc boolit.

[starmac]

Around here if you see 3031 on the shelf and take time to make up your mind, somebody else will make it up for you.

[dogmower]

I have been looking for a replacement powder for my H&R buffalo classic 45-70 with the lee 500 grain pointed boolit. when sr4759 dried up, I tried a bunch of powders, including 4895, imr 4198 and a few others. 3031 is not only more accurate, but I get better velocity and can use a wider range of charge weights (38-42 grains), whereas the sr4759 seemed to have a "sweet spot" around 24 grains, with accuracy falling off above and below that weight.
I have also used 3031 in the 45-70 with jacketed bullets with good results.

[claude]

Best uses for 3031
I like to dip a big lipful like copenhagen and go around shooting my mouth off..............................