Recommendations for H4831SC

crm3006

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Nov 26, 2021
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Texas City, Texas
Looking for anyone with experience with loading H4831SC in small calibers, such as the .223 and .22-250. I have had good success with a Varget load and 55 gr. NBTs or Hornady VMax, but have a limited supply of Varget, and a lot more available H4831SC. I shoot 55 gr. loads almost exclusively, because that is what the rifles shoot the best.
Also, any suggestions on the use of Winchester 760 would be helpful, as the only thing I am using that powder for now is a load for .25-06 with 115 gr. NBTs. Again, what the rifle shoots well.
Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.
crm
 
Looking for anyone with experience with loading H4831SC in small calibers, such as the .223 and .22-250. I have had good success with a Varget load and 55 gr. NBTs or Hornady VMax, but have a limited supply of Varget, and a lot more available H4831SC. I shoot 55 gr. loads almost exclusively, because that is what the rifles shoot the best.
Also, any suggestions on the use of Winchester 760 would be helpful, as the only thing I am using that powder for now is a load for .25-06 with 115 gr. NBTs. Again, what the rifle shoots well.
Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.
crm
Any load data to support that? My first thought is it's not going to burn all the way and velocities will be slow and all over the place. Might be a nice fireworks display!
Go to Hodgdon reloading center.
 
Looking for anyone with experience with loading H4831SC in small calibers, such as the .223 and .22-250. I have had good success with a Varget load and 55 gr. NBTs or Hornady VMax, but have a limited supply of Varget, and a lot more available H4831SC. I shoot 55 gr. loads almost exclusively, because that is what the rifles shoot the best.
Also, any suggestions on the use of Winchester 760 would be helpful, as the only thing I am using that powder for now is a load for .25-06 with 115 gr. NBTs. Again, what the rifle shoots well.
Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.
crm
I'd say you'd be better off seeing if someone would be willing to trade you some Varget for your H4831SC.
 
You might have to make a few more posts to get cleared to do PM's. Once you get to that status I'd post in the classified reloading section to see if anyone is near you for a trade.
 
Any load data to support that? My first thought is it's not going to burn all the way and velocities will be slow and all over the place. Might be a nice fireworks display!
Go to Hodgdon reloading center.
No load data at all. That is why I am asking for advice, I don't want a fireworks display. Been to Hodgdon reloading center, they are no help, either. If it won't work, it won't work.
 
I will address your question directly. No. I have not nor would I, use 4831SC in 223 or 22-250. That powder is completely too slow for the smaller center fire cartridges. Must agree with Lefty7mmstw. My 25-06 has been fed only a diet of 4831, haven't tried 4831SC, because it will shoot one hole, five shot groups under .375 at 100 yards all day. Given your situation I would recommend as above. Use the 760 in your smaller calibers and build a load based on 4831SC for your 25-06.
 
H4831 will work in the Swift but not real well. You'll never get the pressures you need for consistency with the .223. 760, or H414 will be better but for some reason I ain't the biggest fan of most ball powders. Even the "temp insensitive" seem to be pretty temp sensitive. My Swift will go from what appears to be a good load to overpressure when worked up at 50-60 degrees to the 105 degree dogtown days.
 
From my Sierra Manual 1971 I load for my 220 swift 1-14 twist 24" barrel. IMR 4064 powder is what I use, Fed 210 primer. Grains are from 35.3grs to 39grs. Stated velocity is from 3500fps to 3900fps. In the newest manuals they show different. I believe that comes from faster twist rates barrel to shoot heaver bullets. The 55grs is all that I shoot from my swift. Other manuals I feel that they have slowed down the swift to show that their rifles are better. It bug the hell out of me. I know better. That's why I don't ever throw out my older manuals. I do purchase new manual all the time to stay up on new chambers and there loading. I use this 39grs in summers @ 100+ degrees without any problems.
 
Ken Waters book Pet Loads shows data for IMR 4831, but nothing for Hodgdon's powder with that number designation. Since Hodgdon's is listed as being slightly slower on the burning rate charts, it should be safe to use these loads. He lists 38-40 grains with 60 to 70-grain bullets, but nothing for 55 grains. The slowest powders he had data for with 55's was 4350. I've used 4350 with the 64-grain Winchester Power Point bullet, as well as the 70-grain Speer semi-spitzer. I got excellent accuracy with both at around 3300 fps ( dime-sized groups ) as well as very good terminal performance on 100 to 130-pound whitetails. Like yourself with the 4831, I used that powder because I had a lot of it on hand for the 30-06, and it worked fine. For ball powders, H-414 was the one that Waters listed a handful of loads for. I've read that it's about the same as Winchester 760, but don't know for sure. That should be easy enough to find out, with a quick phone call to Hodgdon.

I used to know a bloke who would take 4350 and just scoop his 22-250 cases full, level them off, and seat a bullet. I remember that he used 50-grain bullets, and he said that he couldn't get enough of that powder in the case to hurt himself. While this is probably true, there's a lot more to it than just not blowing yourself up. He couldn't hit prairie dogs beyond about 150 yards, so I'm guessing that inconsistent combustion wasn't doing anything favorable for his grouping ability with those loads.

If you've got some heavier .224" bullets, you might find a load that works OK with the 4831. The bullets I tried that were over 70 grains wouldn't stabilize in my rifle, which had the standard 14" twist. The 70-grain Speer was the biggest bullet that would stabilize, but it did that beautifully. It's a funny-looking bullet with a rounded nose profile, but it shoots great and kills well. Deer out to about 150 yards al went down right away with rib-cage hits. I sawed one in half to see how thick the jackets were, and they were easily twice as thick as a 50-grain hollow point was. Ditto for the 64-grain Power Point, as these bullets are built for deer, not prairie dogs or woodchucks. You now know everything I know about the 22-250 and slow-burning powders, and I don't know anything at all about the 223. I doubt that you're going to get anywhere with that cartridge and 4831, but let us know how it goes.
 
No load data at all. That is why I am asking for advice, I don't want a fireworks display. Been to Hodgdon reloading center, they are no help, either. If it won't work, it won't work.
If there is no load data it is because this powder is not suitable for this cartridge. Usually one will not find one powder to fit all cartridges, and the family of cartridges with the particular powder (4831SC) that you are asking about does not work.
 
If there is no load data it is because this powder is not suitable for this cartridge. Usually one will not find one powder to fit all cartridges, and the family of cartridges with the particular powder (4831SC) that you are asking about does not work.
Yup or it won't work well. And since the OP has a load using Varget I'd try to find someone to trade with. Might come up with a win win situation.
 
You might have to make a few more posts to get cleared to do PM's. Once you get to that status I'd post in the classified reloading section to see if anyone is near you for a trade.
Probably have better luck trading by posting on the bulletin board at PSC.
I will address your question directly. No. I have not nor would I, use 4831SC in 223 or 22-250. That powder is completely too slow for the smaller center fire cartridges. Must agree with Lefty7mmstw. My 25-06 has been fed only a diet of 4831, haven't tried 4831SC, because it will shoot one hole, five shot groups under .375 at 100 yards all day. Given your situation I would recommend as above. Use the 760 in your smaller calibers and build a load based on 4831SC for your 25-06.
Thanks. That is what I was looking for, straight out advice, without BS or snarkiness. I use the 4831SC for the .25-06, because it meters better. My accuracy is just as good as I can hold it, the M77 LH Ruger Hawkeye is a lot more accurate than I am.
 
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