Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Your 200 gr 30-06 loads

I have been fooling with the 200 gr Accubonds in my Savage 30-06 using up to 59 gr of H4831sc for a little over 2500fps with excellent accuracy. I would like a bit more speed though what powder are you using in your loads? I am planning on trying RL22 next. I had never really considered this bullet before but with a listed B.C. of .588 they sure don't slow down very quickly and should expand well out farther then I want to shoot an animal. The old '06 with these new generation bullets is looking better all the time.

Gerry,

From what I have seen your pressure with that load is still only in the 47,000 CUP range... 50K is SAAMI specs.. I work my H 4831Sc loads up a little further, but not by much, but it brings the pressure into the 50K range...Mine are 61.5 grains of H4831SC.. that extra amount will really rev up your MV...work up of course, but all my 06s seem to shoot it just fine.. with cases being reloaded 5 times and still having tight primer pockets in my rifles...

I might give the 60 gr H4831sc load a try and see what happens before trying H 4350 and RL 22.

59.5 grains of h4831 in my 06 shows pressure and bolt is to hard to open

I use 60gr RL22 under 208 AMax, and 210 Berger in my 30-06. Gives 2620 fps via 22" bbl. I'm using Winchester/Norma brass, and moly.

60-61gr should be good with the 200 Accubond, but work up to it.

Man, I went to 61 of R22 with a 180 and that farther north than what I care to go to again....

Shane, you get away with it and I hope to heck everything always stays together for you.

Dober

Mark,
The old '06 is so old now that it can be a sloppy as a horses collar in various chambers.

I have tested some that would shoot 61 grains of IMR 4350 with 180's and 64 grains with 150's and the cases fall out of the chamber, load 10 times easily and not a skerrick of (excess)pressure signs.

Have seen others that were maxed out at 58 grains and 60 grains with those same bullet weights.

I believe the coloquial terms is a crapshoot? Either way, it is not a cartridge to trust (as if any of them are) and all loads need to be worked (sneaked) up with accuracy testing as well as the usual backyard assessments we all do from time to time.

Most of us do not have, nor will ever have pressure testing equipment, so out methods will continue in the real world of handloading.

JW

AGW-trust me I hear you, I've worked with a lot of 06's and I buy into that theory a bit...

How on earth did you get 64 into an 06 case anyway?

Dober

Mark,

Yeah, there are significant differences in volume of different 30-06 brass, and chambers.

In my rifle, I use 60 gr with the 208/210s. Quickload calcs my pressure at 57K lbs-psi.

I did a little test awhile back where I worked up to 64 gr. I wanted to see where excess pressure became apparent. I was comfortable "going there" with a slow powder like '22, in the 30-06.

Pressure signs were there at 63gr, but no blown primers or difficult extraction even at 64gr. A little soot around the primer at 64gr.

Hornady 208gr AMax, moly'd
22.4" bbl
Brass: Norma
OAL: 3.46" (3.47" OAL kisses lands, 15Feb08)
CCI-200 primer

Reloader-22
60 gr - 2660 fps - 57K psi
61 gr - 2710 fps - 62K psi
62 gr - 2765 fps - 66K psi
63 gr - 2800 fps - 70K psi, flattening primer
64 gr - 2850 fps - 74K psi, flattening primer, brass flow in ejector, .002" web expansion, dark ring (soot) around primer



Left to right - 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 gr RL22 under a moly'd 210gr Berger. The brass is already reloaded 20+ times (neck-sized via collet die, primer pockets still snug...), and is fairly beat up. I should have used some virgin brass just for clarity.

With 200gr bullets the 4831's are usually the best bet in an '06. W760 and H-414 will net more velocity though, most of the time.

The 60 gr H4831sc 200gr Accubond load shot fairly well at around 2550 fps but 53 gr of H4350 yielded 2575 fps and a group around 1/2 an inch. Hodgdon shows a max of 53.7 with that powder and bullet so I will try 53.5 gr and see how it does. H4350 has done very well with other bullets in my gun so I think my search for a good load is over. Mr Black Bear look out!

Emulates my experience. 760 and the '06 case are a match.

JW