Anybody use H4350 to load the 470? Hodgdon's 2004 soft cover reloading guide lists a load for 4350 with both 500 and 600 gr bullets....around 104 gr. with the 500 if I remember correctly (starting load) for around 2040 fps. If I also remember correctly (older age is setting in), in Shooting the British Doubles, the author has a blurb in there about 2 Aussie gentlemen who loaded the 500 NE with both 4831 and 4350 and could definitly tell the difference in recoil between the 2 loads...the 4350 load kicked less. This all being said...if the 4350 loads work OK in the 470..wouldn't they occupy more case and eliminate the need for filler...as opposed to RL 15? Any thoughts from you folks in the know? As always, thanks in advance.

Gary B.

Sorry....forgot to mention their load was with 24" barrels.

Gary B.

GarBy,
I think it is a good idea. That is my pick to replace my RL-15+filler loads in .470 NE., as soon as I finish playing with the .404 Jeffery and .450 Dakota loads on deck.

I am sure it will be no problem for my Merkel to digest H4350. I hope the accuracy and uniformity are as good as with RL-15.

The temperature stability of H4350 is better than RL-15.

In testing the .375 Wby, I found that RL-15 changed 1 fps per degree F.

H4350 was about 1/2 fps (0.5 fps) per degree F.

Hey RIP...thanks. It's just the engineer in me trying to think this one through. I too shoot a 470 Merkel and really don't mind the filler but if I can get real close (or better?) results with 4350 and no filler....all the better. Thanks, again.

Gary B.

Gary,

I have used 108gr H4831SC, bell brass and F215 primers. Works like a charm, no filler.

Brett

You will also note a perceptable increase in the recoil between the RL 15 load and the 4350 load, for the same reason as stated in the book. The RL 15 is a faster powder, and you use 15 grains less of it to drive the projectile to the same velocity, and it give you less perceived recoil. This is even more noticeable with the .500 NE. Don't take my word for it, load some of each, shoot the 4350 loads first, then the RL 15 loads. I don't think you'll need much convincing after that. I'd venture to say that there is 12-15% difference between the two. Now I only load RL 15 for both the .470NE and the .500 NE. Recoil of these two is bad enough without adding some you don't have to endure.

Geronimo

I agree with the point about recoil. But my standard .500 NE load is with IMR4831. I have used 4350 and when the temp outside warms up I plan to perfect a 4350 load for hunting.

Varget Extreme would be a good alternative to RL-15.
Use filler and one or two more grains of Varget Extreme and get similar ballistics with better temperature insensitivity.

But really, RL-15 is excellent. Varget Extreme or H4350 Extreme might be better. H4831 Extreme could be great too, SC or long grain, either one, We shall see.

Might be Extremely good.

Forgive me if I don't remember the exact post, but the individual was comparing varget and H4350, and his findings were that the varget loads recoiled a lot more than the H4350 loads. Makes you wonder since H4350 already kicks more than RL15 or H4831.

I found the post, and I am backwards. The H4350 kicked and the Varget was more "pleasant". My mistake.

I use 97 grs of H4350 behind a 500gr Barnes x or a Barnes solid for 2150fps in my Searcy .470. Excellent accuracy and recoil is fairly tame.

quote:

---

Originally posted by surestrike:
I use 97 grs of H4350 behind a 500gr Barnes x or a Barnes solid for 2150fps in my Searcy .470. Excellent accuracy and recoil is fairly tame.

---

That is good news.

When working up loads for my 470 I found that the perceived recoil using Varget was much worse than Rel 15.

As I recall, the burn rate for Rel 15 more closely matches the burn rate of powders that the 470 originaly used.

As far as fillers, Kynoch markets a Nitro Express Wad (size 2) that only weighs 1.1 grain.

Jim....where are you getting those Kynoch wads? I've tried Galazan...they e-mailed me back and said they only carry the ammo...no wads. Kynoch's site ain't runnin'. Anywhere else? Thanks.

Gary B.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GarBy:
Jim....where are you getting those Kynoch wads? I've tried Galazan...they e-mailed me back and said they only carry the ammo...no wads. Kynoch's site ain't runnin'. Anywhere else? Thanks.

Gary B.

---

I bought them at the SCI convention/Kynoch booth.

Good Luck

Is a 470 Nitro case much bigger than a 460 Wby case. The dimensions make them look similar. Similar base, the 470 is longer but more tapered.

The only reason I ask is that in the last 460 I had 85 grains of 4064 did just over 2000 f/s with 500 grain Hornady, perfect accuracy and no fillers. The 460 also has huge freebore which comes against you when using backed off loads. On the other hand the smaller bore as compared to the 470 would aid the 460.

I realise of course you have the added issue of regulation of the doubles but I am just wondering if people are using fillers when they might not need to.

Mike

I will argue that their is any difference in recoil between RL-15 and 4350 all day long..I will say there is a difference in IMR-4831, the chosen powder for the .470, and IMR-4350, the 4350 does recoil less...

There is precious little difference in RL-15 and 4350 in most any caliber..

I like all three of these powders in about any double rifle caliber..IMR-4831 is, however, the velocity champion...

I don't believe Federal Factory 470 uses a filler, but they have the luxury of a hot "216" primer, not available to the reloader.

You're right, Jim. No filler in a Federal. That powder shakes around like a baby's rattle.