4320 for cast in 308 Win

[newton]

I've been digging the archives, and finding some info, but not a lot when it comes to this powder and cast. I can find a ton when it comes to jacketed stuff though.

I have a lb of it that I tried in another caliber and I did not like it. I only used a little and figured one day I might own a gun that I could use the rest on.

I think this 308 Win would be a good one, but the unpopularity of the powder is making it difficult to find a starting point.

Anyone ever used this powder with cast boolits that can give me a starting point? I am really wanting to use the RCBS 180-fn which drops a little under 200 grains. I have thought about using the starting loads for jacketed in this weight range, but thought I would see if anyone has had some experience with the powder.

It falls right in the middle of a couple of very popular powders for the 308, and with jacketed data it lines right up with them as far as charge weights go(relatively).

Not looking for screamers, just something to get the boolit going about 2000 fps....maybe a tad faster if it does not cause issues. This is one of those times I wish I was a millionaire so I could get equipment to measure pressures.

[newton]

I should mention that I am not looking for top accuracy here. Just looking to use up the powder. I thought about breaking down and buying jacketed things.....but man that's tuff.

[oldblinddog]

I like 4320 a lot, but have not used it in .308. It is my go to powder for the .338-06 with a 200 gr Speer. For your 30-180 FN I would start at 38 gr and work up or down depending on results. I also have a 30-180 FN mold. Mine is the NOE version and casts about 195, so I will try the load (when I get back to Texas again) and report my results also.

[35remington]

4320 is such a good powder for full power loads in 308 that you should be using it for that purpose as well.

[oldblinddog]

Yeah, but I use Varget for that.

[tdoyka]

i've used imr4320 for years in j-word bullets. 270, 308, 30-06, 30-30, 7x57, 7mm-08, 25-06, 243...i never thought about it in cast boolits.

i'll be watching this one.

[MT Gianni]

It goes bang and is on target in 222, 223, 243, 7x57, 280, 308, 30-06, 358 and 35 Whelen. Like many mid speed powders I leave it for jacketed loads.

[35remington]

No reason 4320 cannot be used as well. It is one of the original "short cut" powders long before the others came on the scene. The powder's geometry makes it almost ideal for full power 308 loads, and it is a favorite of mine with 125's, 150's and 168's. High velocity and excellent accuracy is obtained with it

[richhodg66]

I have a lot of it I got cheap a long time ago, surprisingly, it was very good with cast in my .358 Winchester Savage 99, quite a bit better than 3031 was. I used 40 grains and the NOW copy of the RCBS 200 grain FP to kill a deer last year, pretty consistently got 2"-2 1/2" groups at 100 yards with it. Never chronoed it, but guessing it's full .35 Remington ballistics.

It worked well in my .32 Winchester Special too, just can't remember what the load was, I posted a thread about it a while back.

[newton]

Thanks for the info guys. If I can ever get the gun on its way I'll be starting to work up a load for it using the powder myself. I'm convinced that it will work just fine. I looked last night and I do have about 50 jacketed bullets 150 grain that I can use up some of the powder on and break the gun in a little. I have nothing else to use them in so I might as well shoot them out of this gun.

[35remington]

The IMR data is a bit hot. Consider 47 to 48 grains maximum with a 150. This gets 2900 to 2950 in my 22 inch barrel with a 150 Hornady SST.

[newton]

The IMR data is a bit hot. Consider 47 to 48 grains maximum with a 150. This gets 2900 to 2950 in my 22 inch barrel with a 150 Hornady SST.

This is where you find the best accuracy also? The jacketed ones I have are Sierra and they list 47.2 as max load with the bullets I have, and it falls right inline with your velocity.

[35remington]

Yes to your question. The 49 grain charge was a bit warm in my rifle.....this from Hodgdon's data. 47 grains was a little over 2900 in my Marlin 308.

[newton]

35,

have you used this powder with 160-170 cast boolits? I started looking things over real good, and I want to try getting one of those Lee 312-160-2R molds and pushing it around 2200 fps. I think it would be a good mild load, with not too much trajectory difference from 0-200. Of course, if it would group well enough is another story. Just wondering if this powder could be used for that.