4064 in a 308 pistol

[Greenmtnboy66]

Hay guys I have been shooting and reloading 308 encore for some time now, I just bought a 308 13" barrel from a member and was pouring over loading info for it last night.
I noticed that in the Lyman reloading mag # 48 that 4064 isn't mentioned as a recomended powder, but It all I use in my encore rifle 308.
I also noticed when I cross referenced with the loading info of the 7mm 08 that 4064 is common.
What gives?
Has any body tinkered with 4064 in the 308 pistol?
I'm gonna shoot 150 grn bullet eather Horaday RN or nosler partition.
I not looking for extream speeds or max loads but a nice little deer gun with manageable recoil.
Thanks

[Dezynco]

You can use any rifle cartridge in your 308 pistol.  It's just that the shorter barrel will not make the most efficient use of the slower burning rifle powders.  What you will find is that faster burning powders (ie. less powder in the case) will be as effective as slower burning powders (ie. more powder in the case).  If you have 4064, use it, but you'll burn less powder with the same velocities with IMR3031, 4198, etc.  Burning less powder means that you can load more cartridges per can of powder.

If you get a BIG fireball coming out the end of the barrel, you are wasting powder.  Looks real purty though!

[yooper77]

Go to http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp and use the IMR-4064 rifle data for your pistol.

Fireball coming out of the barrel isn't any indication of too much powder.

Any rifle powder used in the 380 Winchester will give you a fireball in the 13" Encore barrel, it doesn't matter, accuracy is what counts.

I used IMR-4064 in my 10" & 15" Encore 7mm-08 Remington barrel with good accuracy.

yooper77

[Grumulkin]

Fireball coming out of the barrel isn't any indication of too much powder.

Any rifle powder used in the 380 Winchester will give you a fireball in the 13" Encore barrel, it doesn't matter, accuracy is what counts.

I would agree with that.  IMR 4064 is what I use in my 308 Win. Encore rifle.  I not too long ago got a stainless steel Encore 15 in. 308 Win. handgun barrel which I'm having cut off behind the screw hole for the front sight and having a T/C Muzzle Tamer installed.  Then it will go to SSK Industries for their T'SOB base and, when I finally get to shoot it, it will be with my favorite IMR 4064 load.

[Dezynco]

OK let me rephrase what I stated:

It's not that there's too much powder, it's just that a good bit of the slower burning powder is not getting burned in the barrel, therefore is being burned off into the atmosphere.  That's where the big fireball comes from.  Doesn't hurt a thing, just that there are more efficient powders for the 308 pistol barrel than IMR4064.  The Lyman reloading manual backs me up on this statement.  There is a whole section in the back that deals with the TC handguns.

If I only had 4064, then by all means I would use it, and it certainly makes for a great powder in the rifle barrel.  However, I would eventually give some of the faster burning powders a try (like 4198, 3031, etc) to see how they work.  What you'll gain is more cartridges per pound of powder with the same end results.

[yooper77]

I understood what you meant, but the IMR-4064 and IMR-3031 are both medium burn rate powders and are very close in powder charges.
-IMR-3031 is an excellent powder, I use it in my T/C Encore 243 Winchester for varmint bullets and would also be good for his 308 Winchester.

H-4198 or IMR-4198, are better used for lighter 110 to 130 grain bullets, not so good for his 150 grain bullet.
-I use H-4198 in my T/C Encore 223 Remington, perfect for light varmint bullets.

Other good powders for the 308 Winchester and 150 gran bullets along with IMR-3031 and IMR-4064, would be H-4895, Varget, BL-C(2), IMR 4007, IMR 4320 & IMR 4895.

yooper77

[Redhawk1]

I have used rifle loads in my 308 Encore pistol using INR4064. Works just fine. But I have switch to Varget now.
I am getting better accuracy with it in my barrel.

[Greenmtnboy66]

Thanks guys.
 

[Steve P]

The DEBATE goes on.  Accuracy vs. Cost vs. Loading ease vs. Burn rate vs. reliability....etc.   I guess we can all agree, 4064 will maintain burn rate better in a longer barrel.  4064 is also a great powder for the .308 cartridge.  Boils down to the need of the original poster.  Already has 4064 for the rifle barrel.  Already decided on 150 bullets.  Wants to know if the 4064 will work in shorter barrel.  Yes, it will.  Same as the longer rifle barrel, NO.  Are there better powders, Yes.  Will any critter on the far end of the barrel notice a difference, NO. 

Look up the 4064 use in some of the loading manuals for Contenders, Xp-100s, etc.  You can also use the 307 load data for the Winchester model 94.  If you get an undesirable flame out the end, try using a little less powder and/or a hotter primer.  (BACK OFF THE LOAD BEFORE JUMPING TO A HOTTER PRIMER!)  It will get you where you want to go and very accurately.

Steve