temp sensitive powders??

[savage hunter44]

kinda new to reloading was wondering, i know varget and imr 8208xbr is not temp sensitive. but can thay be used in a 30-06? next, how sensitive is imr 4350 and imr 4895. i live in FL and can hunt hogs all year, wanting a powder that will hold a 1 inch group @ 100 yards all year without having to change my loads ALL the time. or is that possible? i dont have alot of time to load. i use 150 - 168 gr bullets thanks

 

[bullet]

kinda new to reloading was wondering, i know varget and imr 8208xbr is not temp sensitive. but can thay be used in a 30-06? next, how sensitive is imr 4350 and imr 4895. i live in FL and can hunt hogs all year, wanting a powder that will hold a 1 inch group @ 100 yards all year without having to change my loads ALL the time. or is that possible? i dont have alot of time to load. i use 150 - 168 gr bullets thanks

I do not find IMR4350 (new lots since Hodgdon owns it) when I run my loads across my chrony in the cool weather or hot weather, the difference is not worth noting. H4350, IMR4350, IMR4320, RL-15, 17,19, W760 are some of the powders you could use in a 30-06 with 150, 165 or 168 grain bullets. H380 and IMR8208 in my opinion are not good choices. Your Nosler, Speer and Sierra load manual will give the powders you should use so stick with the manuals.

 

[FOTIS]

Personally I do not worry about stuff like that too much. I live and hunt in Wyoming . Can be 20 below in the winter and 100 in the summer. Never had an issue.

 

[DrMike]

A lot of people worry about temperature in developing hunting loads. I hunt some reasonably severe weather, and I've never lost an animal because of velocity problems. I'm more concerned to hunt rather than shoot.

 

[FOTIS]

YUP! :wink:

 

[Guy Miner]

Had some .308 loads with Vihtavuori N135 Powder that worked fine in cooler weather. They were loaded near maximum for 600 yards target competition. One warm day during a match they started giving me fits!

I don't know what the velocity was that day, but I had to take several "clicks" of elevation off my sights as the load was shooting high. As the temperature rose, my rifle developed a very stiff bolt lift. The loads did shoot well, and I finished the match with a good score, but in retrospect, I probably should have dropped out of the competition that day rather than shoot that ammo in warm temps.

Later I tried to reload my expensive Lapua brass. The primer pockets had expanded to the point where I couldn't successfully seat a primer. Had to throw out the ruined brass, all of it.

After that I returned to using Varget in my .308 Win, and later some RL-15 which has been altered to be a temperature insensitive powder in recent years. No problems at zero degrees or at 100+ degrees. Too bad, because the Vihtavuori N135 Powder produced a very accurate load. It just didn't handle the heat well.

For the .30-06, my favorite recommendation is H4350 for 165 or 180 gr bullets. Here's a link to a good article on getting the most out of your .30-06, by John Barsness:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/newsletters/May_2009.html

Temperature sensitive powders, and temperature insensitive powders exist, and there are advantages to choosing a temperature insensitive powder. Hodgdon clearly labels theirs. H4350 is very good about working well in different temperatures, as is Varget. Varget though, would NOT be my first choice for the .30-06 cartridge.

Regards, Guy

 

[ElmerThud]

Hi Guy, I concurr with Vihtavouri propellants I've used (N140 & N160). If you're loading with them at or near max, they'll be fine in cool/cold conditions. But watch out for a pressure leap in hot sunny conditions.
Can't say I've had this kind of issue with IMR/H 4350. Cheers, ET

 

[savage hunter44]

thanks guy, & everyone that was a good article

 

[usmc 89]

i have had problems with re-15 and higher temperatures of course i was running it through a 22 cal and not a 308 that may have had something to do with it.

 

[WYcoyote]

In your case I would pick a Hodgdon Extreme powder that performs well in your '06 and work up the load in some of the highest temperatures you expect. When it cools down just deal with whatever happens. I doubt that you'll notice much difference. That should avoid the over pressure condition that Guy experienced.

 

[Bruce Mc]

I can attest to H-1000 being consistent over temperature from 105 down to the 20s. We don't get much below zero weather here in South Texas so I can't really speak for anything below 20. My 7mm Rem Mag loads with the 160 AccuBond only vary 50 fps or so from the 100s to the 20s. I can also say that my groups open up a tad when its in the 20s. Not likely the gun, but my teeth chattering.