I am working on a load for the 180 Partition and ended up using H4831SC. It shoots very well in my 22" barreled Model 70. I went up to 62 grains which yielded 2680 FPS on the Chrony and should be almost 2700 FPS at the muzzle. Primers are a little flat but these loads were fired from new Winchester brass so the flattened primers are probably due to the new brass being a little short and stretching to fit the chamber. The flattening is no worse than factory ammo shows. Extraction is completely normal. The case heads show zero expansion. The books all stop at 61 grains H4831 but I wonder if that is because of the case capacity with the old H4831. My velocity is 100 fps below what many people claim with 180's so I figure my pressures can't be to high. I looked at Collins test above and he got about 63,000 PSI with 62 grains which is in 270 territory. And he got 2773 Fps with a 24" barrel. 2" longer barrel but 100 Fps more velocity so I expect my pressures in my factory barrel to be somewhat below his. I am wondering if anybody else is using 62 grains H4831 with a 180 on a regular basis.

Incidentally 56 grains IMR4350 gave 2570 FPS with a 180.

You can't get caught up in making assumptions when it comes to vel. v pressures. A load dev. in your rifle is not going to match one dev. in a loading manual or my rifle. I know several shooters that use 180gr/H4831 in their 06s for a bit over 2700fps. I load 62gr of RL22 in my son's under 180gr bullets to a bit over 2725fps in his 22"bbl. Anytime you go over max. listed charges you are running on thin ice but your rifle may support that load indefinetly. Remember, what a lot of people "claim" their vel. are is from a WAG, not run over the chronograph.

If you want above 2700, try 60grs. RE19, alliant manual says 2750 with that load from a 24" Bbl. Ive loaded just recently 48.5 grs RE15 in a buddies 06 with 180 IBs, which is good for about 2710 from the same Alliant manual, 48.3 max for the Partition @2660. Just a thought.

Just forget chasing an extra 100 or 200 fps. Use the load that's more accurate in your rifle.

When you carefully work up a load, at the lower end of the load range, the groups will probably be large in size, get smaller as the load is increased and then, at some point start to widen out again. As they widen out again, you may notice a sudden and dramatic change in impact point. You should stick with the load where the groups are smallest. If you aren't satisfied with the velocity of your best accuracy load, then try a different powder if you must have more velocity.

Of course, don't continue increasing a load if you get excessively flattened primers (not a particularly dependable indicator of pressure), pierced or leaking primers or sticky extraction even if accuracy is improving with the increased load.

I have more than one load that is higher than published in manuals that I've determined to be safe in the gun I'm using it in.

I have had two 30/06 rifles and gave one to my oldest son and the other to my daughter, but I still do some loading for them. I use 60 grains of H4831SC behind a 180 Hornady IL, which gives excellent accuracy although I never chronographed this load because I knew it wasn't real fast. I have shot deer at ranges out to about 600 yds. with the '06' and these "not so fast loads". I am not against loading them hotter/faster, I just found the accuracy I was looking for before I reached the higher published speeds. BTW, I have made up loads for other calibers that reached optimum accuracy at slightly over published max load without sticky bolt lift or primer pocket expansion and saw no reason to reduce. I keep this load to myself if another reloader is seeking a "good" load for their rifle simply for saftey reasons. I approach these full house loads carefully but have known some loaders that think if it works in so-and-so's rifle it will work in his, and I don't want to feel responsible for their kaboom.

While most often accurate H4831SC is not really the best choice for the '06 with 180 gr bullets, particularly in 22" or less barrels. Most often IMR4350 will give the same or better accuracy at 100+ fps higher in barrels of or less than 22". However with 190-200 gr bullets H4831SC comes into it's own in 24 or 26" barrels. I've two 24" barreled '06 hunting rifles (a Huskvarna M98 and a New M70) that push the 190 gr Hornady SPBT at 2750 fps (Oehler M35P) and the 200 gr Speer SP HotCore bullets at 2710 fps. Both are slight compression loads and neither is exhibits signs of max pressure. A friend with a 27" barreled '06 is getting 2835 fps with the same 190 BTSP load.

Larry Gibson

I'd call it a day if it is accurate.. tons of people start treading on thin ice to try and get an extra 100 fps when they don't know what they are doing...

your load is perfectly safe...

I use 4831Sc in the 06, in fact the same charge with 200 grain bullets, but the velocity is higher than what you are getting and so is the pressure...

I run up to 65 grains of 4831SC with a 180 grainer.. but I have a reputation for running things hot to some members here...

Stick with your 62 grains, and click the scope up 2 clicks and you just compensated for the 100 fps trajectory loss...

DANIEL KOCUR, AKA M 98 in Austrailia who posts here occasionally is far and away the best provider of data and the tagged thread above is justifiably been there for a long time. His data is supported with actual pressure data and his work is the best I've ever read. When one makes the statement that he should be able to load the 30-06 to .270 pressures (very justifiable IMO) Mr. Kocur's data is the best you can get. Read it carefully.

Thanks for the answers. I am comfortable with this load. I looked at the primers again and they still have rounded edges and with no case head expansion pressures aren't out of line. I fired three of these with 62 H4831 and they went into .54" at 100 yds. This is from a pre-64 Featherweight barrel. I don't see any way to do better than that. I am not interested in eking out the last 100 FPS. On the other hand I don't see any need to underload it.

The max load in most of my sources for IMR4350 is 56 grains and that only gave 2570 FPS and acceptable accuracy but not as good as the H4831. An old IMR Handloader's Guide goes to 57 grains so that probably isn't out of line. That is as far as I would go with 4350 but it still wouldn't get me to 2700 FPS and 4350 isn't as accurate in my rifle. I am more comfortable pushing the envelope with the 4831 anyway.

I've read to never, never Chrony your best hunting loads.