Imr4350 - quickload

NeilG

Well-Known Member
Morning All.

Please may I ask a favour from somebody with QUICKLOAD ??

Using IMR4350, in a .30-06, with a 150 grn bullet and Sako case, what is the best powder load / capacity for a 20" barrel ??

OR to rephrase, what powder weight in IMR 4350 is the most efficient in a 20" barrel ??

Not asking for powder recommendations, as this is what I have to use.

Thank you in advance.

Neil.
 
Neil,
I think the expression, "It is what it is" applies here. You will have a spread of about 4 grains of powder between minimum and maximum, with a speed differential of about 200 fps between each end. What can Quick Load tell you other than that? Start a the bottom and work up.~Muir
 
Hello Muir.

Never a magic bullet solution is there... I was hoping to save time and narrow the margin down, but you are right, I will work up from a minimum. My PC with QUICKLOAD was not backed up as it should, and today the hard drive has failed , so I lost virtually everything on it, hence the request.

I will go with 1 grain increases, and then work around the best result from there.

Thanks Muir.

Neil.
 
Neil, you cant really match a powder charge to barrel length, as the barrel length does not have any effect on the powder charge, however barrel length will effect velocity for any given charge weight.
Use your usual load data but expect to loose 60-100fps for every inch of barrel length less then the test rifle barrel.
Ideally you should choose the fastest powder you can get away with in order to achieve a complete burn of the powder in the usable barrel length.

Ian.
 
Hello Ian.

Thank you for your reply. I suppose I was trying to ask, how many grains of IMR 4350 can I completely burn in a 20" barrel - rather than what powder is best in a 20" barrel.

Quickload was only to give me a basis to start with. However, my PC hard drive is totally unresponsive, so I went back to the manuals and started working up from the minimum.... Have got to 55grains, and the barrel does not get fouled to the end, so I can burn a few more grains by increments. 54grn gives me 2680fps over a chrono. I was looking for approx 2800+ fps, which may be approx 58grn of IMR 4350. Max load was 58.9 - we`ll see this week....

All the best.

Neil.
 
Hello Ian.

Thank you for your reply. I suppose I was trying to ask, how many grains of IMR 4350 can I completely burn in a 20" barrel - rather than what powder is best in a 20" barrel.

Quickload was only to give me a basis to start with. However, my PC hard drive is totally unresponsive, so I went back to the manuals and started working up from the minimum.... Have got to 55grains, and the barrel does not get fouled to the end, so I can burn a few more grains by increments. 54grn gives me 2680fps over a chrono. I was looking for approx 2800+ fps, which may be approx 58grn of IMR 4350. Max load was 58.9 - we`ll see this week....

All the best.

Neil.

You need a little more data, ie. fired case capacity before the question can be answered.
 
Accuracy aside, if your intent is to find an optimum burn for a 20" barrel with this powder you can use an old muzzle loading technique. Make up your loads and shoot them with a piece if white muslin fabric in front of the muzzle. Start with your low end loads and shoot until you see unburned grains of powder in the muslin cloth. Not saying that it'll be an accurate load, but it'll tell you when you not burning up the full load of powder in the barrel. As a rule of thumb, a load just starting to have excess (unburned) powder residue is generally the most consistent (i.e. maximum pressure right at the muzzle end of the barrel). Everything else is a waste (internal pressure curve not withstanding)...
 
Quick look at QL and you may not find that you can reach 100% burn in 20" even 26" only amounts to 96% burn.
Reality is without case data seating depth bullet data the request means little...
 
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