Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 1 powder for 3 calibers

Good luck with that notion! Even if there was a good candidate, it's probably out of stock. Even if available, chances are it's not going to shine in one or more of your rifles, or you won't find enough to go around. Might want to choose the best for each cartridge, a backup choice or two, and then start looking. You never know where something may suddenly pop up (!), so keep looking on a regular basis. A big jug of one of the 4350s or 4451 might do you, if you can find it.

StaBall looks really good in the 7-08 and '06, but there's no data from Hodgdon for the 7RM, either in the book or on their website. I found a pound locally, then a couple more online, as well as my preferred powder for 120s in the Grendel. While you're looking, check for primers if you need some. They can ship both in the same box and save you some money.

Powder Valley has both IMR4350 and H4350 in stock. Don't dawdle.

Canada gets the leftovers after the US get 1st dibbs. Hoarding is the only way to avoid running out.

I can vouch for IMR 4350 in ALL three of those 'cartridges'.


Jerry

From my experience I'd say IMR or H 4350, and believe IMR 4451 would fill the role as well.

Once upon a time I handloaded for all the centerfire rifles I owned with IMR4895, IMR4350 and H4831. They worked fine for everything from the .223 Remington to the .338 Winchester Magnum. (The only reason for both IMR4350 and H4831 was one usually resulted in a little better accuracy. Probably wouldn't bother today--but mil-surp H4831 was still cheap back then!)

Would much rather do something like that than use one powder.

With what and how I load today I could do well with a Unique class, a 4895 class and a 4350 class powder.

Another vote for I 4350. Or H4350

H4350. 'Nuff said.

Back when I only used IMR4895, IMR4350 and H4831 for rifle reloading, also kept Red Dot on hand for loading shotshells. Eventually started using it for reduced rifle loads as well, especially after reading "The Load" by C.E. Harris in Handloader's Digest.

I am not an advocate for just 1 powder for multiple rifles/cartridges.
My inventory has many diff brands and burning rates of powder.

I practice what I wrote on P 2

Yeah, as others have said, something in the 4350 burn range would likely work best for all three, given the right bullet selection. That isn't how I do it, but I can see the desire to do it that way. Stockpiling a bunch of different powders has drawbacks as well, and there's a lot to be said for simplification.

DING DING!!! We have a winner!! IMR-4350 is a great choice.

I've loaded it for several 7RM and 30-06 rifles with great success. I'm sure that it would be great in the 7-08 as well!

It may not give the fastest velocities in those calibers, but for a one powder to do it all, it would be hard to beat. RL19 may be the next best choice.

elkcountry,

Apparently you missed all the posts that already stated the same thing.

Personally, I would choose H4350, for two reasons:

First, because it's "short-cut" granules are enough smaller than IMR4350's that more powder can fit into the 7mm-08 case. I have played considerably with both powders in the 7mm-08, and found the edge goes to H4350 for that very reason. (As an alternate would go with IMR4451, which is very similar in burn-rate to H4350 (and IMR4350), but is double-based so usually results in a little more velocity.

Second, because H4350 (and IMR4451) are more temperature-stable than IMR4350. This doesn't make a lot of difference in the 7mm-08, but does in the .30-06 and, especially, the 7mm Remington Magnum. Any powder becomes more temp-stable (resulting in better accuracy overall) when the case is filled with powder, or especially slightly compressed.

I like RL 17 can't find it plenty of H4350 and IMR 4451. Thanks for info.

Old stand by IMR-3031.

Might not be the fastest in one but it should work to send bullets down range.

I’d have to look at the data.
But look up Hunter by ram shot
http://www.ramshot.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/WPHandloading-Guide-7.0-Web-REV.pdf

Have never had great luck with Hunter in the 7mm-08. It's a little too slow with bullets lighter than around 150 grains--and Hunter (like TAC, Big Game and Magnum) likes to be pushed near max before results become consistent. That's not the case with H4350 or IMR4451.

Would love to hear where you're finding 7mm Remington Magnum data for IMR3031. I have several bookshelves full of old loading manuals, and even the first manuals published after the cartridge appeared in 1962 don't include any 3031 data for ANY bullet weight.

I have some in an old IMR PDF I downloaded from the web. Looks to be from 2003. Data using 3031 for both 120 and 175gr bullets.

http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/imr_reloading.pdf