Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters H4350 v IMR4350

Gents:

Other than the fact that H4350 is temp insensitive, and the loading data isn't entirely interchangable, do you find any real performance differences between these two powders? What I'm looking for is an available substitute for H4350.

Thanks

RM

The other major difference is the size of the granules. H4350's a "short cut" powder, so dispenses pretty well through mechanical measures, and a little more powder will fit inside cases when capacity is marginal.

The best substitute I've found for H4350 is IMR4451, as it's also temp-resistant and short-cut, and burn-rate is very similar. Have been converting all my H4350 loads to 4451 over the past couple of years. So far its been easy, with the H4350 loads duplicated with very similar charges of 4451, usually within half a grain.

Even with all of its short-comings, I've always been quite fond of IMR 4350.

Tag.

Is H4350 going away?????

For a while now and in a lot of places it has been a pain in the ass to get.

John,

Have you used IMR4451 in any of the 6mm and/or 6.5mm cartridges? I'm looking at both a .243AI and a 6.5x280AI for load data.

Thanks!

Ed

Tag for when I run out.

APDDSN0864,

Have used 4451 in the 6XC, the unimproved .243, and the 6.5 Creedmoor, and its worked great in all three.

It would probably also work in the 6.5/.280AI, but I'd probably try one of the slower-burning Endurons, IMR4955 or 7977.

Thanks, John. Have you found it (4451) to give comparable velocities in your 7x57? I know you've written a lot about using H4350 over the years.

4451 has given comparable velocities in every rifle I've tried it in, including my 7x57.

My standard load in the 7x57 for many years was 46.0 grains of H4350 and any bullet from 156-162 grains, for 2650-2700 fps, depending on the bullet. 45.5 grains of my present batch of 4451 does exactly the same thing.

Thanks. I expect I won't have much of an issue getting 2600 fps with a 154-grain Interlock then. And 4451 is a lot more available than H4350.

Another great powder is Accurate 4350.I tested all three and find A-4350 to be as good or better than the other two.

Better in what ways?

Not arguing, just would like specifics. I've done quite a bit of shooting with A4350.

I am comming up on my next 8 pounder, switching from H4350 to AA4350. How do charges compare, and how is temperature stability with the Accurate stuff?

Well, darn, this is the pitfall of being a hoarder.

I still have to shoot through about 22 pounds of H4350 before I can try something different...








Actually, I lucked out and placed an order at Powder Valley last year during the few hours one day they actually had some 8 pounders of H4350 in stock. Could have cleaned them out but got two jugs which is sufficient for my needs for quite a while.

I've seen a number of posts and articles indicating that Ramshot Hunter fills the increasingly vacant H4350 niche as well. John, do you find that 4451 is a better performer than Hunter?

IMR4350 has given me more velocity than the H version.

I saw the same too.Loaded all three 4350's in my 30-06 same weight charge,I think it was 58.0grs,Winchester case.A-4350 was a the highest,followed closely by IMR and H being the slowest.The interesting thing I noticed was,A-4350 powder was the lightest by volume in the case,filling it to near half way up the case neck.IMR-4350 filled the case about 1/4 up the neck and H-4350 filled the case up to the bottom of the case.

IMR 4350 gave me higher velocity and just as good accuracy in my .260, as H4350. 4451 worked well too, and pretty much mirrors H4350 in my rifle. If you are talking about 6.5 stuff, then Re 26 and 16 are real good too, but are getting hard to find in some areas for the same reason-they work!