I just an excellent deal on an unopened 20 pound keg of IMR-4064...

It was FREE...It was given to me by a friend who no longer reloads...

I have used it with excellent results in my 7mm-08 with 140 grain bullets and it shoots well in my 9.3 x 62 with 270 grain Speers..

I'm interested in using it in several other cartridges since I now HAVE so much of it ...According to the manuals it would appear to be a pretty versatile powder...

I'd be interested to hear of some your experience with this powder in some of the other rounds that I load for...

They are .260 Rem, .270 Win, .280Rem, 30-06, .303 and 8 x 57....

In my experience, it's more fussy and pressure-sensitive than some of the slower powders. Quite honestly, I don't care for it as a propellant, and never have. I've probably had the best use out of it in the .308 Win.

IMR4064 used to be a standard in the .30-06, but IMR4350, IMR4831, RE19, H4350SC, etc., all produce higher velocities with less pressure.

It also used to be standard in the .375 H&H, but RE15 has largely replaced it.

In the .270 Win., .25-06, or any of the belted magnums .300 and smaller, such as the .300 Win. Mag., slower powders such as the various 4831s, Winchester WXR, IMR7828, RE22, etc., are much better.

In the .338 Win. Mag., the various 4350s, 4831s, and RE19 perform better.

In the .30-30, you can make IMR4064 work, but usually IMR4320 outperforms it.

So I'm not sure what use I'd personally have for IMR4064 outside of the .308 Win., but FREE is a good price......

AD

I think that where 4064 shines is in the 308 and the 243, which is probably why you're seeing great results with your 7-08. It should work great in the 260 also, I would think. It meters poorly but I always have an 8 pound keg on hand.

IMR-4064 is indeed a versatile powder.

I found it to be the "best" in 93 different loads, and "usable" in 930 different loads.

T list them all here would be rediculous, but feel free to go to my reloading data pages and take a look...

I use it in the 375 quit a bit...Also in the .308 Win. Mostly I like the slow burning powders, but IMR 4064 is great in the above two calibers...

One thing it will do is dampen the bark of a rifle, and recoil will be less than with a slow burning powder if thats worth anything.

When I started handloading there were only some of the IMR's and Hi-Vel. I found that IMR 4064 was not all that universal but it was best for some loads and still is.

In the 219 Improved Zipper it's the best propellant. In other cartridges I have found RL 15 quite useful.

If I got IMR 4064 free or almost free I would find a way to use it. It's an excellent powder. That's why I have burned so much 4895 and 4831.

I find IMR4064 a very versatile powder. I use it with excellent results in my .22-250, .243Win., 6mm Rem., and .308Win. The only problem is it's difficult to meter well. The grains are forever getting hung up in the hopper so the amounts of powder thrown vary a good bit. I find it's worth the aggravation to get the results attained. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

30-06, .303 and 8 x 57....

4064 is just about perfect for these 3 cartridges

I use IMR 4064 in my .22-250, .30-30, .30-06 and .338-06.


In the .30-06 I get 2800 fps with a 165 grain Hornady SP out of a 22" barrel. I have reloaded some cases more than 15 times and they are still tight in the primer pockets so I would assume the pressure is not overly high.

In my .338-06 it the best powder I have found when used under a 200 grain Ballistic Tip. 1" groups and 2850 fps out of a 24" barrel. A friend gave me a box of 175 grain "X" bullets to try in the .338-06. This load moves along at just over 3000 fps using the 4064 and produces 3 shot cloverleaves at 100 yards.

Unlike the Slow powder crowds, IMR 4064 is my first powder choice in the 260 Rem. That is one of my main hunting cartridges.

It has proven the best for the accuracy AND velocity Combination.

I use it frequently in the other cases you mentioned also.

20 pounds of it would keep me happy for a long Time !!!

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

I found it to be the best powder for my 6mm Remington. It is also the best I've found for 150 grain bullets in the 30-06 -- but not for heavier ones in that caliber.

I have never shot IMR 4064 but I do shoot XMR 4064 from Accurate Arms. I have found it to be the perfect powder for my 7-30 Waters in both a T/C Contender Pistol and a Win 94AE carbine lever action.

My 260 Rem favors it with 95 grain Hornady V-Max's. Haven't had a chance to shoot it in any of my long action rifles. I tend to favor slower burning powders in these.

Add the 9.3X74R to your list (Norma brass, 57 grains of IMR4064, and a 270 grain Speer). IMR4064 seems to have been made specifically for that case. I also concur that is shines with 150 - 155 grain projectiles in the 30-06 (first choice for Garand ammo duplicating ball). It is also a top performer in the 303 Brit, and the one I use. Burns much cleaner than either IMR3031 or IMR4895, as well.

Also used it extensively in the 308 Winchester, when I was loading that one, it was only beaten by Rel15 and then only in the accuracy department (marginally I might add).



I have used it in the 416 Rigby with equivalent success to IMR4350, but it does run at higher pressures. That said it is still no problem to achieve 2780 fps with a 350 gr Speer Mag Tip (Norma brass & 97 grains of 4064), although accuracy is a hair worse than IMR4350 (Norma brass, 104 grains and the 350 Speer Mag Tip).



It is also an excellent performer in the 460 Weatherby magnum and 500 A Square. I actually achieved my best accuracy results in both those cartridges with this powder.



EDIT



460 WM loads:

My rifle (Japanese MkV) 104.2 grain of IMR4064, Weatherby (Norma brass) brass, and 500 grain Hornady - muzzle velocity of 2503 fps (avg) with a chamber pressure of 58,785 psi (max avg). Groups around 1.5" at 100 yards. This was a max load as 105 grains caused sticky bolt handle. Even this load would occasionally provide me with a bit of serious bolt handle torque required, syndrome.



To illustrate the significant differences that CAN and DO exist between different rifles.



Friends rifle - again a Japanese MkV. Best load and still not a true maximum, but we stopped as recoil was not overly pleasant anymore. 110 grains of IMR4064, Weatherby cases (same as mine), 500 grain Hornady, muzzle velocity 2627 fps (avg)with a chamber pressure of 61,500 psi (max avg). If we did our part this load would shoot consistent MOA. Believe me when I say it was not a pleasant load to shoot, with a Weatherby stock (far too small of a butt area for such recoil), from the bench. It took considerable personal discipline to shoot it well.



Both rifles had 26 inch barrels, which included the muzzle brake. I have always figured that his locking lugs were better fitted than mine, and that was the reason his rifle could take more than mine. Both rifles were factory stock, with the exception of being rebedded. We had not lapped the actions, in other words.



ASS_CLOWN

As posted above, I have used it with the 30-06 and it was one of the most accurate with some loads. A friend and guide in Texas uses it preferentially in his 375 H&H and 416 Rigby. Good hunting. "D"

I have used IMR4064 in the .30-30, 8x57, .22-250, and the .243.

I find IMR 4064 to be an excellent powder that is quite versitile. My .250 Savage shoots it's best groups with 4064 and has close to the best velocity as well. I have also had great luck getting my Remington 7600 in .30-06 to shoot 150 and 165g bullets fast and accurate.

Additionally, I use IMR 4064 in the 7.62x54R, .303 British, and 7.92x57mm (8mm Mauser).

Like 7-30, I use "XMR" 4064. It has been really great in my .308 and it meters well in my RCBS powder measure.

Next I'm gonna try some loads worked up for my 22/250 and see what it will do.

But f someone gave me 10 pounds of any powder, I'd figure out what to do with it.

I've use it in 30-30, 30-40, 308, and 243, all with great results! I'm stickin with it!

ME TOO! Shooting 54 gr. behind a 90 gr. Sierra HP in a 270 Win. This load will group under 1/2 inch in my rifle.

Personally I think 4064 really sucks as a powder. If I were you I would get rid of it.

I will be more than happy to take it off of your hands and dispose of it at my local range, grain by grain.

Cheers and good shooting
seafire

I agree with both of Seafire's posts on 4064.

It is interesting to me that it has been a one-time factory standard for many different cartridges. That says a lot for its flexibility. While it may be true that in many of those cartridges, there is something that may now perform a bit better, it is also of value to note that those replacements comprise a lot of different powders.

So, one can stock up on 8 or 12 or whatever different powders to get the absolute max performance from each cartridge. Or, one can just use a 20-lb keg of 4064 and shoot them all with at least good enough results than neither the animals nor the targets being shot at will ever know the difference. <G>

Sounds like a heck of a deal to me. Colour me Jealous Green.

AC

I've really enjoyed this thread and I've learned a lot.. I love this froum...

4064 won't replace RL19 in my pet .280 load or RL15 in my pet 9.3 x 62 load, but it's already featured in my favorite 7mm-08 load and it looks like it will do well in most of the other cartidges that I load for...

Keep the good info coming...