Powder Question

[dustinm]

I am reloading some .308 Nosler CT Ballistic Silvertips. My Nosler manual calls for IMR 4350, I only have Hodgdon 4350. I've checked the burn rates and they are almost identical, in fact the chart I read lists them right next to each other. Is it okay to use these interchangeably?

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[levi333]

No manual will ever recommend it, they will tell you to NEVER substitute, burn rates don't tell the whole story.
That having been said, a quick google search will show people's experience.

 

[dustinm]

Thanks

 

[giddyupgo55]

What are you loading?

 

[motoman98]

The Old Timer's rule of thumb: If you change ANY component in your load, you must work-up your load again.

Don't ignore safety, it Ain't worth it!

Be SAFE and shoot another day.

 

[pokerace]

Go online and download charges for 4350. diff. books use diff. charges and powders. I keep at least 3 diff. books so I can look up diff. powders and see diff. powder charges.

 

[dustinm]

What are you loading?

180GR Nosler Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertips

I decided not to chance it and paid $20 for 1LB of recommended powder. Cheap security!

 

[civilian75]

What caliber, .30-06? In any case, it is not unusual to find yourself w/o specific powder/bullet combo data. You have to learn how to judiciously develop your own data. If I were to load only what I find in my books, I would have had to pass on at about 60% of my rifle loads. This is what I recommend:

1. Buy as many loading data book as you can: Nosler, Hornady, Speer, Sieera, to mention a few. You can download data from many of the loading component manufacturers, too. Click <broken link removed> for Hodgdon's
2. Do not take muzzle velocities like gospel. There are so many different factors involved like different, primers, case capacities, barrel lengths, actual chamber dimensions, barrel wear, just to name a few. They could be off by as much as 100 to 200 fps.
3. Follow typical rules of thumb: start at 10% from max load, then, work it up until you are about 2-4% max and then increase by ~0.2gr until you see the first sign of over pressure. Then dial it back about 0.5gr, and start looking for the accuracy load.
4. If you like to develop for a bunch of odd calibers, powders, bullets, combos, get something like Quickload s/w. It is a lot of fun and very helpful.

If loading for .30-06, here is what the Quickload data I got for the 180gr Nosler BT (39583), COAL: 3.340", H 4350:
* 53.5gr, 50.8Kpsi Pmax, 99% case fill
* 55.0gr, 55.7Kpsi Pmax, 101.5% case capacity
I would treat 53.5gr as the max load.

 

[dustinm]

.308. Thanks for the info, already have Barnes, Nosler, Hornady, and Speers manual. Just wasn't sure if IMR and Hodgdon 4350 (same company) powders were the same. Problem solved.