IMR Handloaders Guide

[Pharmboy]

Does anyone use old Handloader Guides for their reload recipes or should you stick to the most cuurent ones? I am fairly new to reloading and enjoy reloading very much but don't want to get a whole bunch of powders accumulated. I found an older manual for  IMR 4227 on the internet and it lists loads for the .308 Win, .35 Whelen and the 7mm Mag and would like to reload those calibers.  I figured it was safe if I stick to their loads and work up the loads like they reccommend. I know that this powder is not optimal for these calibers but that really doesn't bother me to much. I just don't want to have a catastrophe.

I currently can reload 11 different calibers with the IMR 4227 based on published literature.

Thanks,
Pharmboy

[quickdtoo]

All of Hodgdon/IMR/Win data is on their website, you can also get the free 2008 Basic Reloading manual.

Tim


http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

http://www.hodgdon.com/Order/Order.php?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HP&Product_Code=am&Category_Code=RD

[Pharmboy]

Thanks Quick, but the new Manual does not list the IMR 4227 as a powder suitable to reload said calibers. The May 2003 manual that I found on line lists such recipes. I was just wondering if you think this was safe if I followed all the guideline?

Pharmboy

[quickdtoo]

Maybe that's telling you something!!  The current powder isn't the same as powder made years ago, I'd go with current recommended powder, there are powders made today that are far more proper for those chamberings than 4227,  I'd think, specially if you prefer to avoid a catastrophe!!  IMR lists 4227 as a magnum pistol powder and for use in the 22 Hornet and 221 Fireball, more hints. 

Tim

http://www.imrpowder.com/imr4227.html

[Pharmboy]

I guess that was my point. There are all types of powders out there. IMR  (Improved Military Rifle) has been around for a very long time. It is recommended for magnum pistols because of its slow burn rate (as far as pistol powders go). It is however one of the fastest rifle powders and would not be well suited for large cases with heavy bullets. I see that if you use IMR 4227 in these types of cartridges then you must use light bullets with fairly slow velocities to keep the pressure within SAAMI guidelines.

Pharmboy

[jhalcott]

  I do not under stand why you want any one to condone a POTENTIALLY unsafe act. Is your can of powder from the SAME lot as the 2001 manual? If not ,then I would not use it for those applications. It is FAR cheaper and SAFER to get a can or 2 of the correct powder. Besides ,you will not get many rounds of 35 whelen and 7mm Mag from a single pound. I would get a couple different powders to play with, some that are MORE applicable to these larger cases. 1 good thing about gun powder is that is a great fertilizer. You can dump it in the garden or on the lawn if you have to much.

[quickdtoo]

I looked in my Lee 2nd manual, it lists IMR 4227 for the 35 Whelen, 200gr jacketed, 32.4gr start, 36.5gr max, but at a velocity of only 2290fps, they also list IMR4064 at a max velocity of 2700fps, so the 4227 doesn't sound like a good choice in that chambering to me.

Lee lists IMR4227 for the 175gr 7RemMag, 31.4gr start, 35.5gr max at 2240fps, but here again, it's the slowest of the bunch of powders, IMR7828's max load is 2910fps.

They list it for the 110gr jacketed 308 Win, 28.2 start, 32gr max at 2835fps, but again, a poor choice for velocity, top velocity for that weight bullet is 3300fps. 150gr jacketed bullets get 2260fps with a max load of 26gr, bottom of the pack again. I don't understand this, but the 180gr bullet max is 27gr at 2110fps, one grain more than the 150gr jacketed.  

You can use it, but it's far from ideal.  

Tim

[Pharmboy]

Thanks Quick,
I have the 110 gr Hornaday SP .308 bullets loaded up with the 4227. I started with 29 gr and incremented up to the 32 gr max. I will be going to the range and see what it does. I will inspect the cases after firing for signs of pressure. I will be shooting them out of a Savage 10FP.

Later,
Pharmboy

[stimpylu32]

Pharmboy

Pick up a copy of the Hodgdons 2008 loading annual , it contains quite a few diffrent loads using IMR4227 , i'll have to look to be sure which ones , but i know it lists them for the 308 , 25/06 and a bunch more .

stimpy

[quickdtoo]

Sorry Stimpy, but the 2008 Annual shows no IMR4227 data for the 3 chamberings Pharmboy mentioned.

Tim

[stimpylu32]

Tim

Your right , i just looked .

It was the Lee 2nd Edition that had the 308 , 7mm Rem Mag along with the 25/06 , 30/40 Krag , 300 Win Mag plus some others .

Hodgdons lists the little ones like the 17 Ac. Bee and Hornet , 218 Bee , 22 Hornet , 221 Fireball and the 222 Rem.

Thats what happens when i try to remember and not look first .

JUST ANOTHER REASON TO NOT TAKE INTERNET INFO AT FACE VALUE !!!!!!

Sorry Pharmboy

[quickdtoo]

I've been bit by the bad rememberer too often, just when ya think things are working great, ya disappoint yerself!!

Tim

[Pharmboy]

Thanks you guys,
I figured loading data is kinda like medications. When newer therapies for diseases come along everyone seems to forget the old remedies. The older listed load data are probably safe they just might not be as good.

I just wanted to treat several ilnesses  with one medication, kinda like prednisone.

Pharmboy