Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles No Love For Accurate 4350?

Given that 4350 is such a popular burn rate powder, it seems like the Accurate brand of 4350 is not very popular. I've seen it in stock for multiple days now on Powder Valley, Natchez, Brownell's, Hodgdon web sites. I have never used it. Burn rate charts and load data manuals suggest it is the slowest of the 4350 powders (maybe Shooter's World is a tad slower).

Are there temperature stability issues? QC problems?

What say you??

I've never used their 4350, but I'm a big fan of Accurate 4064. It's a bit slower on burn charts than IMR4064, and has become a good replacement/sub for me for the now extinct IMR4320. I've never had any noticable temperature issues or jug to jug variations in my shooting with it yet.

I believe it’s a good powder. The competition is tough.
I’ve developed loads with IMR4350, H4350 & IMR4451 all near the same burn rate.
I’d use the Accurate brand too. Just have not yet.

H4350 is temperature stable in the 30-06. AA4350 and IMR4350 are not.

Just because it's called 4350 doesn't mean much. Lot to lot variations with the 4350s over the years has been rather large. In one case, with 2 lots of H4350 made within 6 months of each other in 2020, 250fps difference with otherwise same components in the same rifle on the same day. Then there are the manufacturer's differences. Just cant depend on nuthin'.

The lot of A4350 (2021) I have is almost as slow as SW4350 (2021)... within 5fps with all else exactly the same in a 22-250 Ackley with 53s.

In a 7x57 w/150s the difference is about 70fps., A4350 showing the higher speed while still running 100 to 150fps behind various lots of H & IMR 4350s. Again all other components exactly the same on the same day. With the load used, A4350 fills the 7x57 case while SW does not. The same charge weight of an older lot of IMR4831 (in a metal can) gets approx. 60fps more speed than A4350 & 130fps more than SW4350. A newer lot (2021) of IMR4831 was within 1/2 gr. charge weight to equal velocity of the older lot of the same powder in a 300H&H.

My current A4350 is significantly slower than a lot of older data ('90s & a lot of QL data I've seen) suggests. I'm unsure of the production history of this powder, but am fairly sure the actual manufacturers have changed over the years. At least I wont have to buy any IMR4831 for a while.

The unopened SW4350 was moved along to an appreciative reloader down the road & I'm waiting to get my grubby mitts on some SW Long Rifle to try.

Your stuff is likely different than my stuff, so use the above observations & substitutions with care.

I bought 2- 1 lb containers of A4350 last year as it became available and worked up loads with it in my .260 Rem with 140 gr. BT’s and my .338 WM with using 210 Barnes TTSX. Both gave excellent accuracy, but are 150-200 fps slower than published data for the same loads. I tried it in some of my other guns and accuracy and velocity, neither were there. I have enough to load about 8 more rounds for my .338 and when it’s all gone, I’m not buying any more. I’ve talked to others and they have said they have had slower velocities as well in Their rifles from it.

We shoot it in our 6.5x47 Lapua with Rem 7 1/2 primers and 140g bullets with amazing success.

No mention of the recall on this powder. Anyone here affected by that?

I bought either 3 or 4 8lb jugs of it when it was introduced. I still have about 2/3rds of a jug and loaded some 7X57 with it this morning. 50 grs will come more than halfway up the neck of 7X57 R-P brass, making me compress the powder to seat a Hornady 139 gr SP. This load gets a little over 2700 fps with my long throated Mausers. This bullet is seated very shallow because of the long throat. I've used the stuff in many cartridges and love it! Accuracy is usually outstanding even when the velocity is on the slow side.

Since I have only used one lot of it, I've never had to worry about variations in burn rate. I know this has been an issue with most Accurate Powders over the years. I loved the 3100 but also bought it in multiple jugs when it came out, so dodged the varying burn rate issues with it as well.

The recall was in 2016. I think most people using it recently was do to the recent shortage caused by the plague when they couldn’t find diddly squat. That’s the only reason I picked it up. I walked in my LGS today and they had a shelf full of it and it stayed there. About 4-5 others looking for powder left it there as well. I’m only looking for primers at this point, as I’m well stocked on powders and $5.09 a gallon for gas is hurting my pocket book as well.

Never used it, have the H and IMR versions. Use them a lot!

I hear that.

Have had good accuracy with it in 243 and 308 . Can’t speak for velocity but load data doesn’t show a tremendous loss .
But at game ranges around here , seldom over a hundred yds it gets it done .
Kenneth

My most recent manufacturing lot of Accurate 4350 was closer to H4831 in burn-rate than any of the other 4350s. Provided the results on this in THE BIG BOOK OF GUN GACK II, in Chapter 9, "Different Batches of the 'Same" Powder."

Just finished a load test of A4350 to compare to H4350. Now, understand that these were Cast bullet loads using the NOE version of a Saeco #315. Gas checked, powder coated and water dropped from the oven( heat treat) and a year later than when I tested the H4350. Some will question the use of such slower powders with cast, but this rifle has an oversized throat and I was trying to give the bullet a more gentle push out of the case than what the faster powders would do. H4350, N202 and Varget have been the most accurate with this bullet in this rifle, H4831SC has also been very good.
Same rifle and chronograph. I ran a 4 grain increase, at each level A4350 was 200+ fps slower than the H4350.
In the one rifle I've tried jacketed bullets with this lot of A4350 speeds have been much slower than published loads from the old Accurate website.

I think if you talk to others that have used it in the last couple of years the 200 or so fps slower than published data seems to be the norm. I was running out of time getting a bear load for my .338 WM and settled on it with the 210 gr Barnes TTSX as the accuracy was great. The most I’m going to get sitting on a bait stand is maybe a 100 yard shot. It sure will not be my moose load with this same bullet as 300 yards is doable.

I ran 8 pounds of A4350 through a 7x57 pushing 160 grain bullets. Shot just fine and gave expected velocities. I bought it because it was cheap and available. Part of the choices we had back in the good old days.

I did a couple of test with the three 4350 powders.This was my results

In one of my 30-06's with 168gr Nosler Ballistic Tips
58.0grs A4350 2917fps
58.0grs IMR4350 2911fps
58.0grs H4350 2890fps

In one of my 308 Norma Magnums with 168gr Nosler Ballistic Tips

69.0grs A4350 3125fps
69.0grs IMR4350 3111fps
69.0grs H4350 3148fps

As for accuracy,all of them are good powders.The last ten years,I've used more A4350 than the other two.As for case volume with the above load,the A4350 is lighter weight by volume and fills a Winchester 30-06 case about half way up the neck.The IMR4350 is next and it fills the case about one quarter up the neck.The H4350 is the heaviest by volume and it fills the case up to the bottom of the neck.

I use AA4350 in my 30-06, 165 TSX gr bullets and 375 Ultra, 270gr TSX.

I’ve had good accuracy with it in .270 and 30-06. I bought it because it became available when I was just starting reloading at a strange time for component availability.

I like the 2 Accurate powers I’ve tried. I also get great accuracy with AA2495 and 165g Sierra GameChangers in .308.

I don’t know that I’ll use AA4350 if H4350 becomes readily available. But idk that I won’t.