Anybody have a good load for a short barreled 30-06 with 180 gr Sierra BT spitzers? I have IMR 3031, 4064, 4350, 4198, 4227, H414, Blue Dot, and N130 to work with. Thank you in advance.

55grs of 4350 should work with a 180gr bullet. I don't know about the short barrel? How short? Perhaps a try with 4064 might be worthwhile.

I measure right at or a half inch shy of 20 inches. I was leaning towards 4064 (due to short barrel), was just hoping someone might have an '06 with a similar barrel and have a favorite load.

I have a Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine with 20" tube in .30-06. I use the same load for all of my '06 rifles which is.

Win or Fed brass
CCI 250
Nosler 180 Pt.
IMR-4350-57 grs.
MV-2725 fps.
Groups-average in the .5s-.6s @ 100

I also used this load in my Brno ZG-47-20" bbl. until I stripped it for the action, it was minty and shot just like the M-S. In my longer bbl'ed ZG-47, my Browning-FN-LE Safari and my P-64 Mod. 70 FWT. this load gives equal accuracy and higher velocities, pushing 2800 in the longer bbls.

This load is MAXIMUM in my rifles, so, work up to it, carefully. I also like the 200 NP over 58 grs. of RE-22 in the above mentioned rifles. I see not point in using faster burning powders as these are the best .30-06 loads I have found in 35 yrs. of loading for about a dozen rifles I have owned in that chambering.

Research I've seen on the subject indicates that whatever powder gives optimum velocities in a caliber with a "normal" barrel length of, say, 24", will also give optimum velocities in any legal length of barrel (16" or over). It IS true, however, that a faster powder will give a bit less muzzle blast in the shorter barrel than a slower powder (however, the muzzle blast will still be more than in a barrel of standard length with any powder.)

IMR 4350 is a fairly optimal powder for a 180 gr. in the '06, while 4064 is just a tad fast. That said, the difference in your "short" barrel will be less than in a longer barrel, and likely won't amount to as much as 50 fps.

I would shoot whichever powder gave the best accuracy. Outside of accuracy, all things being equal go with the faster powder for both economy and (slightly) less muzzle blast.

Stonecreek is correct, use whatever powder gives the best accuracy. i used to use IMR 4350 in my Mann./Schoen. 20" barrelled 270's, because I got better accuracy with 4350 than I got from H4831 or H450, despite the fact that I got lower MV from 4350 than from the slower powders....

Thank you one and all for the information and advice. It is much appreciated.

Have a care if you put 57grs of IMR4350 behind a 180. It is definitely a hot load and will be heavily compressed. Work up to it carefully and you might want to consider crimping the cases as that much compression might cause your bullets to lift otherwise.

My current stash of .30-06 ammo withh the load I gave is about 700 rounds as I got a deal on a bunch of NPs. I loaded this about 3-4 yrs ago and have not seen any bullet movement thus far, but, this is in virgin or once fired brass.

If, you are using brass that has been fired several times, you certainly should check your neck tension, as bullet creep can happen. I do not use brass for hunting loads that has been fired more than three times max. and use once-fired brass ONLY for my DGRs; I am pretty obsessive about rifles, loads and so forth.