IMR 4831 and IMR 4350
- Thread starter muzz
- Start date
6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,240
- 522
muzz I have not done any tests with my chronograph to see if there is much variation with IMR4350 but maybe I should so some of my own tests for curiosity sake. I have not loaded much IMR4831, but really like IMR4350 and it's worked very well for me in 6mm Remington, 25-06, 280, and 30-06. I hunt and shoot when it's quite warm - 90 degrees, and when it's quite cold - -30 degrees and it's performed well for me.
I'm switching to IMR 4451, I think that's the number, because it's reported to be more temperature stable.
I only use one rifle powder for three different rifles and right now that's 4350. I've found accuracy variations that I can only attribute to temperature at this point.
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I only use one rifle powder for three different rifles and right now that's 4350. I've found accuracy variations that I can only attribute to temperature at this point.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
- Thread starter
- #4
Being in the powder hoarding days I cant get any powder I need. I really want Norma MRP but we haven't seen it in places here for 3 years. I hear imr 4831 is temp stable and I hear it isn't.
Hell its like the weathermen, yup rain tomorrow and you wake up to blue skys
Hell its like the weathermen, yup rain tomorrow and you wake up to blue skys
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 298
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,312
- 5,976
I use both. All powders are temperature sensitive--some more so than others. I've never lost an animal when running either of these powders even when hunting in temperatures as low as -40 C.
I have been loading both of those powders for years and I have never had any noticeable problems with either one. I do try to do my load developement in hot weather so there won't be any pressure problems but accuracy wise I have never noticed a difference. I think the temperature sensitivity thing is a bit overrated, if one is shooting long range (say over 600 yards) then it could come into play.
I hunt in temps from the 80s and 90s for pronghorns down to single digits for whitetails, if it's any colder I stay in camp or in the house!
I hunt in temps from the 80s and 90s for pronghorns down to single digits for whitetails, if it's any colder I stay in camp or in the house!
wildgene
Handloader
- Jul 4, 2011
- 1,597
- 2
muzz":1qi6z9t6 said:
...growing up back in the "Dark Ages" when 3 MOA was considered acceptable for a service rifle, 1 1/2 MOA was the benchmark for the "Rifleman's Rifle", & MOA was the realm of varmint shooting gun cranks w/ highly customized rifles, bullet choices were 4 or 5 weights from 4 or 5 manufacturers & powder choices were even less, chronographs were as rare & magical as unicorns, IMR-4350 & 4831 were very good powders. That really hasn't changed...
...what's changed is our access to technology that makes consistent hits @ 600 to a 1000yds. & beyond w/i the reach of anyone willing to expend the time, energy, effort, & money to achieve it. We have rifles, optics, ammo, chronies that are magnitudes beyond what was available a half a lifetime ago. We have real time ballistic solutions for velocity, windage,, density altitude (all the pesky little environmental factors, like temp., elev., humidity, etc. that affect the bullet's trajectory), literally @ our fingertips. In a match rifle from a stable platform, shooting @ ranges of 600yds. or more temp. sensitivity in a powder is definitely a factor. From field positions w/ a hunting rifle @ normal hunting ranges, not so much...
I run RL-25 in my 300 Rum at Nosler Book Max, Charge is 91.5 grains. There is a 40 fps difference between 35-degrees and 80-degrees with this powder. POI does not change even at 300 yards in my experience. Every powder has some degree is temp sensitivity as Dr Mike suggest.
Don
Don
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 5
I have seen a data sheet on IMR 4350 which says it only changed -1,000 psi in 50,000 (2%) from 20*F to 80*F.
truck driver
Ammo Smith
- Mar 11, 2013
- 7,303
- 845
Until the past couple of years I only loaded with IMR and WW powders in rifles with IMR being used more than WW. I don't load for speed but for accuracy and have found that IMR 4831 gave the best accuracy in my 300Wby with a 180gr bullet and IMR 4350 was unbeatable in my 30-06 and 257 Roberts.
All these new powders and formulas have me relearning and thinking a lot more and second guessing what I have done in the past which worked well for me.
With IMR powders I can practice the K I S S method of reloading and find something that works most of the time.
All these new powders and formulas have me relearning and thinking a lot more and second guessing what I have done in the past which worked well for me.
With IMR powders I can practice the K I S S method of reloading and find something that works most of the time.
I have used both powders but IMR 4350 almost exclusively for my 270win for over 40 years and I have hunted in weather from 70F to -40F and I have never lost a animal because of temperature variance.
Supposedly RL-22 is less sensitive but I have never notice the difference.
Blessings,
Dan
Supposedly RL-22 is less sensitive but I have never notice the difference.
Blessings,
Dan
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 5
I use IMR 4350 in my .257R, .270 Win, .30-06 and my 9.3x74R.
I did some chrono work with IMR 4350 this past year. I found between 1.5 and 2.0 fps difference per degree temperature change going from 70 to 20 degrees. Didn't cause too much trouble with accuracy in one rifle, but altered accuracy in 3 others that all went over MOA with the temperature swing.
1100 Remington Man
Handloader
- May 1, 2007
- 1,164
- 323
IMR 4350 a Great powder. I use it in my .264 Win Mag with Nosler's 120gr BT & my 300 H & H with Nosler 180gr Partation & AB.
I sight my rifle in temp's between 30-50F and never had any issues. I have never seen a loss in accuracy in my two rifles. My longest shot to date was with IMR 4350 in my .264 Win Mag just over 500 yds. Just FYI I have both Rifles set up to shoot to 750 yds with this powder.
Good Shooting
I sight my rifle in temp's between 30-50F and never had any issues. I have never seen a loss in accuracy in my two rifles. My longest shot to date was with IMR 4350 in my .264 Win Mag just over 500 yds. Just FYI I have both Rifles set up to shoot to 750 yds with this powder.
Good Shooting
Darkhorse
Handloader
- Mar 14, 2014
- 819
- 172
IMR 4350 is my goto powder. It's the only rifle powder I really care to use.
IMR 4831 is a different story. I no longer load it in anything.
First off, I'll admit I may have had a bad lot. But I've loaded it in .243, 7X57, 7 RM and .300 WM and in all it seemed very touchy to environmental changes. I'm talking about pressure signs.
Example: In 7X57 fired cases would have a bulge just ahead of the web. Strange. Even with the bottom load this bulge would show up but only with IMR 4831. Not any other powder.
In the .300 WM I worked up a load right at max. It shot really well with no pressure signs. I even mic'ed the belt and had no expansion so I decided to hunt it. There came a day that was warm and very muggy with high sticky humidity and I shot a doe. When I tried to load another round I could hardly lift the bolt. I mean I almost needed a rubber mallet to get it open. I measured that case and it had expanded nearly .002 (I was maintaining records of each round) and that is at the point of stomping on the dragons tail. After that I no longer tried IMR 4831.
Down here it gets real hot and humid and that powder was just to sensitive for safety. Whereas IMR 4350 has never given any problem with any load in any weather.
Like I said, I could have had a bad lot.
IMR 4831 is a different story. I no longer load it in anything.
First off, I'll admit I may have had a bad lot. But I've loaded it in .243, 7X57, 7 RM and .300 WM and in all it seemed very touchy to environmental changes. I'm talking about pressure signs.
Example: In 7X57 fired cases would have a bulge just ahead of the web. Strange. Even with the bottom load this bulge would show up but only with IMR 4831. Not any other powder.
In the .300 WM I worked up a load right at max. It shot really well with no pressure signs. I even mic'ed the belt and had no expansion so I decided to hunt it. There came a day that was warm and very muggy with high sticky humidity and I shot a doe. When I tried to load another round I could hardly lift the bolt. I mean I almost needed a rubber mallet to get it open. I measured that case and it had expanded nearly .002 (I was maintaining records of each round) and that is at the point of stomping on the dragons tail. After that I no longer tried IMR 4831.
Down here it gets real hot and humid and that powder was just to sensitive for safety. Whereas IMR 4350 has never given any problem with any load in any weather.
Like I said, I could have had a bad lot.
ElmerThud
Handloader
- Jul 16, 2011
- 809
- 119
I use both IMR4350 & IMR4831 for each of two different bullet weights in my .25-06.
IMR4350 for the 100gn Sierra 1620 & IMR4831 for the 110gn Nosler AB.
Summer and winter, neither has given me cause for temperature concern, but then here in the UK I shoot in the summer with temps. around 24-28C and in the winter down to -7C.
Winter time I'm hunting from Sept to Feb, so not on the range much. Summer time on the range I don't leave my ammo lying in the sun.
Bottom line, I've never had temperature problems with either propellant & they've given me consistent accuracy within my load spec.
ATB ET
IMR4350 for the 100gn Sierra 1620 & IMR4831 for the 110gn Nosler AB.
Summer and winter, neither has given me cause for temperature concern, but then here in the UK I shoot in the summer with temps. around 24-28C and in the winter down to -7C.
Winter time I'm hunting from Sept to Feb, so not on the range much. Summer time on the range I don't leave my ammo lying in the sun.
Bottom line, I've never had temperature problems with either propellant & they've given me consistent accuracy within my load spec.
ATB ET
