Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 30-06 Powder of choice?

What is the powder of choice among the group for the 30-06 with 150gr loads?...most load manuals show IMR 4350 as one of the best but other input is apprecaited..

Varget or H4350 is my vote.

W760 and H414 are also good. My uncle is a 30-06 fan and shoots more than anybody else I know. W760 is what he likes with 150 and 165 grain bullets.

4350

There's lot's of good powders for the 30-06.

I've used:

IMR 4350, H4350, H414, WW760, RL22, H4831, Ramshot Hunter.

My favorite powder, 150's to 200's, is H4350.

Accurate 4350 is my choice.

In 165s I've used IMR 4350 and H-4831SC with great results. I currently use IMR 4350/165gr Hornady SPs at about 2700fps. When my current stock of that powder is gone, I'll go to H-4350.

FWIW, I've only used H-4895 with 150s (Hornady SPs) and it works great in my friends rifle. Sub MOA and dead deer.

IMR 4350....

I go with 52 gr of IMR-4064 - you may want to work up to it, as it is a max load according to today's manuals. It's the load my Dad used, and started us with back in the late '60s. In every .30-06 I have owned, it has shot into less than an inch at 100 yards and runs right at 2900 FPS, depending on barrel.

With the heavier bullets, I use IMR or H 4350.

I use IMR 4350 with 150Gr bullets... I am think of trying H4350SSC.

In trying to simplify my reloading and make room on the shelves I've also settled for H4350 all around for the '06

IMR 4350

All-around .30-06 powder it is awfully hard to beat either H or IMR 4350. Strictly for 150s, I would have to go with H414 with a good look at H380.

For 150's 52grns of IMR-4064 is tough to beat. Right around 2900 in a 22" tube, good accuracy. H4895 is a pretty good one for reduced loads and 150's. The always true 4350's will work pretty good also. I think RL15 would be awesome as well. It works real well w/ bullets less than 150, but havent tried it w/ 150's. H414 works, the list is endless. I have tried IMR 4831, H4350, IMR 4350, H414, IMR 4064, H4895, RL15......IMR 4064 is what I settled on.

I've not heard of a powder that won't work in the 06 yet, so I wouldn't even try to pick the "best".
I will however say that H414, and 760 have served me well with bullets from 110 grs to 190's.

Nobody's mentioned IMR 4320 yet. That is the first powder which actually got my M670 Winchester shooting decent groups with 150 grain handloads. I knew the rifle would shoot. It loved those old red box Federal 180s after I gouged a trough in the barrel channel which was too big for the windy birch stock it wore then.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned RL-15. It's by far my favorite powder for 150 gr 30-06 loads.

I've used R15 a fair bit with the 125's had excellent speed and accuracy with the TNT was just out of this world!

I can't imagine why R15 wouldn't work with the 150's.

Mark D

I think it's because most '06's that we own, have been with us a longtime....mine has. Because of that, most of us probably found that perfect load/powder for our uses way back when (much prior to the existence of RL15). Being "avids", we've purchased or otherwise acquired many other firearms in the interim and placed our attention and/or priorities in finding their perfect loads. I know that I've done that and have just felt all along that the ole' '06 is good to go....which it definitely is.

RL15 is no newbie compared to some other powders, but it is when compared to many that have already been mentioned as a great powder for the '06. Seniority of some of the aforementioned powders seems to correlate pretty well with our own seniority (at least mine).....grin.

I'm a dedicated Alliant fan and have been for several years. I use most of their powders in most of my rifles. If I were to purchase a new '06 or get a wild hair to work up a new load for my current rifle, RL15 would be a powder at the top of the list. I just don't feel the need to go there and I've always got other projects I'm working on that need more attention.

Just my .02's.

Because I am inclined to keep things as simple as I can(lazy),I only load H4350 in the 30/06 with 165 and 150's.But I only recently started playing with 150's again after laying off them for 25 years.Had to shoot some AB's!