whats your favorite powder for accurate rifle reloading

[yman]

I have aquired a nice 6mm Rem (244) target rifle. It came with a nice set of pacfic custom dies & about 100 norma brass. The guy that sold me the gun gave me a loading for IMR 4895, but he had not reloaded for the gun in years. How about some input, whats your favorite powder for accurate rifle reloading? Also I would like to know if you think bench rest primers are worth it, and any little tricks you have to get the most out of the rifle would be appricated.

[Marine Sgt 2111]

I have a Rem 788 in 6mm rem, she trives on 45.1gr of IMR4350 and an 85gr HPBT (I will work with cast as time permits).

[Doc Highwall]

yman, are you looking for a cast bullet powder or a condom bullet powder?

[Larry Gibson]

yman, are you looking for a cast bullet powder or a condom bullet powder?

That be the question?

Larry Gibson

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Yep Yman, That is really going to depend -----------

I have shot a lot of 4831 in the .243, with 75 to 100gr "J" bullets, but of course those were with higher velocity then you'll want with the cast boolits.

Basicly I would let the rifle tell me what powder it liked with the "J" bullets, so hard to know without some testing.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[geargnasher]

They're all good powders. The best powder ends up being the one your particular gun and load like best.

Gear

[Rangefinder]

My 6mm Remi loves a 90gr FMJ/BT over H380... It's what I use for 1000 meter shooting primarily. Accurate enough for ya? Haven't had time to work up anything with cast yet.

[white eagle]

to hard to say oh this is the one
depends on cal too
I know you said 6mm
but if I choose 22 cal I go with one powder or if you say 7mm I would recommend yet another
someone else may and will recommend yet something entirely different
so to say which one is impossible
best bet is to find what you want in a powder,bullet,boolit combo and work up a load

[rintinglen]

I had pretty good results with Winchester 748 some years back in a 788 Remington. 85 grain jballs grouprd nicely with load of 40.5 grains under a Sierra bullet. In those days I thought boolits were only for revolvers and pistols--boy, was I off the mark.

[PDshooter]

4895..................

[Potsy]

Dad's got an A-Bolt 270 WSM and I've got an A-Bolt .25-06. Both love RL-22 to the tune of regular 1/2" groups.

[Shooter6br]

In 6mm Rem I like H414 with 75 g bullet. For cast rifle 4759 Pistol Unique or Univeral

[kelbro]

IMR4064 and Varget both work well with 85gr and up bullets in 6mm.

Try as you might, you will not get a consensus on this type question :) Many of us have found loads that work with the powders we had on hand. That's half the fun of handloading!

[Artful]

my 243 likes 4064, 4350 and 4831 for full speed j-word boolits.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

And you can throw AA3100, IMR & H 4831, AA4350, IMR & H 4350 Plus a bunch of others into the pot!!!!!!!!

Set down with a 2 - 3 good reloading manuels, look at what proforms the best in those publications - Don't use a powder manufactures publication for this, but rather a bullet manufacture who tests a broad range/brand of powders - then decide on the bullet/boolit of choice.

With the bullet/boolet in mind, Then pick the powder and the charge levels for your test series, of course always starting at a safe level.


As already said by other posters, this is part of the fun of reloading.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[yman]

Thanks guys, lots of good infor & suggestions. Hey, answer me this, how many rounds do you reload for a test. For example do you load 5 rds of bullet XX with XX grains of powder XX. or do you think 10 or 15 rounds is an accurate test. I dont think you could every test all the variables for the perfect load, but heck, might as well try, otherwise we would all shoot factory loads. :violin:

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

yman,

This is the method I have used for years.

The only change being that I mostly shoot three shot groups now, rather then 5 shot groups, with the end results being the same and a fair amount less costly.

For hunting with "J" bullets, I have found no substute for premimum quality bullets such as the Nosler Partition or others of like integrity. They are more costly and a whale of a lot better then the older cup an core bullets, but do add to the load development cost, therefore the 3 shot test groups.

A person can choose more then one kind of powder for a series, but with allowing the barrel some cool down time, the range session can get Looooong if you try to do to much in one session.

I like to have a number of firearms with me, as that allows my time to be productive, rather then waiting around for a barrel to cool. Been there and done that!

Let us say your working with a 30/06 and decided after looking at load info and doing lots of reading, that a Nosler Partition 165gr spitzer is your bullet of choice.

I am also a one bullet/load person, feeling that changing loads in a firearm, mid season or because of the switch from lighter to heavier game is a big mistake.

Choose one bullet that will do the job for all your game animals and stay with it!

So, looking at the books/publications you see that "VZX 4782" is showing good groups and velocities in a number of publications and the starting levels of loads begins at about 46grs and maxes out at about 53 gr.

This might change a bit providing I have used this firearm/powder for a number of tests, but with a new firearm, I'd do something like the following series -----

3 at 46gr. -- 3 at 47gr. -- 3 at 48gr. -- 3 at 49gr. -- 3 at 50gr. -- 3 at 50.5gr. --3 at 51gr. -- 3 at 51.5 and so on up to the max of 53gr.

During the firing watch/feel for any pressure signs, and if possible shoot the loads over a chronograph as you also shoot for groups.

I did it for years before the affordable chronographs came along, but your getting a lot more info from your tests if velocity and groups are both available.

BE prepaired to stop shooting and pull down some loads if anything strange or high pressures begin to show up.

After this series is fired, and providing anything promising has shown up, it is time for reshooting those loads that show promise.

You may need to test a number of different powder before you find the sweet spot for your firearm, but if you are shooting the ones showing a number of good published reports, 2 or 3 should do it.

If the groups still "suck at that point, it might possibly mean a change in bullet is called for.

Don't forget to ask questions. I can recall the time I couldn't get a 270 to shoot and a friend suggested using as I recall, IMR4064. My feeling was that it was too fast for the 150gr "J" bullets in use, and said so, but the friend just said, "try it."

Surprise, that was the one the rifle liked.

Now, if your planning on shooting cast boolits, well you have just opened up a much larger can of worms. Not a bad one mind you, but one which contains MANY MORE veriables!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

However, the tests are about the same with the addition of the variables of alloy, lube, boolit to bore size/relationship etc..

I started late in this cast boolit rifle - 45/70 - shooting for hunting, but did manage to take my first cast boolit critter this Fall. My groups aren't there yet, but I am getting there providing I last a few more seasons in the woods.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot :lovebooli

[Three44s]

+1 for Crusty Deary Ol'Coot's post

I too have gone to 3 shot groups as opposed to five shot ......... except:

As I approach the upper end of the safe range (nearing max charges) I usually switch to five round tests. Not everytime but often, you find the best accuracy a few percent off max with most powders that "fit" that cartridge.

What do I mean by "fit"?

Well, consider this:

If you are loading a sub velocity load with a pistol or shotgun powder in a rifle ....... that accuracy could be ANYWHERE ........

But a powder that "fits" a particular cartridge ...... say IMR 4350 in a .243 win. ........ you'll likely find the sweet spot around 1 gr. below max .......

The risk is that a 3 shot group will either fool you into a false sense of accomplishment (an apparent good group) ...... or allow you to miss an otherwise good charge level because you pulled a round or two and blew it.

So what happens is that as I am searching for a good load, I may well go back over some of the more promising charges and either repeat them or split frog hairs and charge in between those interesting charges and try to squeeze more blood out of the turnip as it were.

Three 44s

[shooterchris]

Varget in my 308 and 30BR under a 180 gr LBT. I fill the case 1/4 of the way into the neck for the 30BR. I'd have to look up my 308 data. Unfortunately I'm at work right now. Finding the right bullet, in my experience, is more critical. Most of these are good suggestions, but if the bullet works many powders will produce good groups. If none of the powders you try work try a different bullet.

[shooterchris]

The BR primers are only worth it IMO if you are shooting benchrest matches.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

OooooooooooooH ya, One thing I forgot to mention is CONSISTANCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And in this case I am addressing those little brass things that seal the chamber at firing and thereby keep the firearm from self distructing.

Buy your brass in as large a quanity as you can afford, and then keep it separated by the number of times fired etc.

Do not mix brass lots or brands for anything other then lower pressure "banger/practice" loads unless you wish to face the possibility of greatly excessive pressures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I pick up range brass? YES. Do I reload range brass? YES.

BUT I learned way back that brass, even from the same manufacture and with the same head markings can be way different as per internal dementions.

If you must use odd ball brass, for higher pressure loads, at least take the time to weigh each case. The gun/eye sight you save may be your own.

As per loads at or near published max shoot the best. I have also, as the poster a couple back indicated, found this to be true.

This has been with "J" bullets where in most cases my tests have given the best groups at or near those levels published in the good manuals.

Now with cast boolits ---------------- well now we are in a whole different ball park!

Still a good game, but the rules can be a bit different.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot