Hi I'm new here to the rifle reloading business and was wondering if anyone could help me through the reloading process. I purchased an accuracy International AW 308, With Federal gold medal match rounds, I'm printing aprox .375 with those, I would like to duplicate or come close to that load. I have Federal Gold medal brass that I have fired, Federal 210 Primers, Sierra 168 match kings and IMR4064. The press is a Rock Chucker with RCBS full lenghth dies, I have a Redding comp seating die on it's way. I also purchased the RCBS Precision mic but have not had a chance to use it yet. Thanks In advance for any and all suggestions. Best Regards Steve.

For great accuracy & vel. close to Fed. match ammo in my M700VS, I have had good luck w/ IMR4895 & any of the 168gr match bullets (under 1/2"). RL15 opens the groups up slightly but I get a bit over 100fps more vel. I also find the match primers give me slightly smaller groups as well. Good luck w/ the new toy.

Disassembled rounds indicate they are using 43.3gr of IMR4064 in the GMM ammo, I'd start with that in mind and see if you can't improve it by load or seating depth changes. Good luck.

How do you know it is IMR4064? Just curious.

bigcountry, he evidently had a chemical analysis performed on the powder kernels, DUH!

I have had great results with IMR4895 and 150 grains pills.

Axel

When I fill the powder trickler with powder and then come back later with no memory, I am faced with powder idenification, or powder matching.

By comparing look and smell I can differentiate all my powders except two: Bullsye and Power Pistol. Power Pistol was once called "Bullseye 84" is looks and smells just like Bullseye. The way I have distinguished the two is density. Power Pistol is more dense.

My powders:
Red Dot
Bullseye
Herter's 164
SR7625
Unique
AA#5
Power Pistol
HS-6
Blue Dot
2400
3N37
800-X
AA#7
N105
Long Shot
STEEL
Enforcer
AA#9
N110
H110
LIL'GUN

XMP5744
RL-7
V-133
RL-10
H335
RL-12
IMR4895
RL-15
Varget
H414
IMR4350
H4831SC

[ 04-11-2003, 20:53: Message edited by: Clark ]

"Disassembled rounds indicate they are using 43.3gr of IMR4064 in the GMM ammo, "

Factory ammo does not use cannister reloaders' powder. They use bulk powders. They figure out a load that meets pressure, velocity and accuracy requirements. They blend powders in large lots to meet the specifications.

You know how surplus bulk powders vary all over the place on burning rate?? That is because exact buring rate is unimportant. They work up loads and test them for pressure and accuracy. They don't care about the exact weight of powder needed.

As a reloader you want to be able to use published data for your loads. You get a can of xyz powder and it need to perform like the xyz in the book and like the xyz you bought ten years ago. You can't get reliable information by breaking down factory cartriges and weighing charges then visually comparing the grains of what you bought, since the manufacturer does not use xyz.

[ 04-12-2003, 00:59: Message edited by: scot ]

Intersting link here. I, too am of the school that the "special blend" of powder theory is essentially crap.

http://www.snipercountry.com/hottips/AmmuFed168Match.htm

JohnTheGreek

Another powder to consider for match loads (or any loads, really, for that matter) in the .308 is Hodgdon's Varget. It works wonders with all practical match bullets and really shines with the 155-grainers, a combination that is the standard 1000-yard International Palma load.

Varget is also very close in burning speed to IMR 4064.

Scot,
If FC were using bulk powder for the .308 Gold, then different vintages would have different powder charges?
I have some really old Federal Gold...

If FC were using bulk powder for the .308 Gold, then different vintages would have different powder charges?

I am not sure, seems logical, I have not called Federal on this subject. Give them a call and find out.

All the information I come across has told me that the factories do not use reloaders' powder. Reloader's powders are also blended but, to attain a very specific burning rate so, that you and I can use published data. Why would they care about that? It may the that Federal's 308 ammo uses a charge that is the same as 4064. It does not mean that they used IMR4064 to get that result. Their solution may be a powder that is like 4064. Dupont might have made it, but, it is not necessarily the same as IMR4064 that you can buy. It may be that in the case of their 308 ammo may be simmilar to what you can get, it is not always the case in all cartridges. I know for fact that in shotshells they they get bulk powders and adjust the loads to get the desired result. They use stuff like "red dot #16".

Again, call Federal, ask real nice, I bet they will talk to you. I have had success in calling ammo companies and getting information.

scot,

My guess is there is no way Federal will give you the straight poop on this issue. I can't really blame them . . . how else are they going to get people to pay $18 for 168 grain match if it comes from the horses mouth that they use the same everyone else uses. Why, in Gods name would a theoretically profit maximizing company like Federal go to the trouble to "blend" a "perfect" new powder that is unavailable to the general public to get 1/4 minute from my 40x when they can use powder that is readily available and obviously much cheaper to achieve the same result? If Federal is doing as some have said here, the stockholders should rise up and kick whoever made that decision out on his ass!

JMHO,

JohnTheGreek

......."My guess is there is no way Federal will give you the straight poop on this issue"

I heard back from Federal regarding the powders used in their rifle cartridges.

I wrote:

Do you use "cannister" powders, ie, IMR4064" in your rifle ammunition? Or,
do you use bulk lots of powder? I have a debate going and am interested.

They said:

"Greetings

Some are similar , some are not.Generally speaking the commercial grade
propellants we use are not available to the handloader."

Hope this helps,

Scot

You have a good rifle, there, which will probably shoot well with many loads. At some point you will have to develop a load for your rifle, so I'd stick with the bullets and cases you like and go with the standard powders and published data. It will be fun.