claydee

Hey Guys
First timer here, I'm reloading 30-06 with 165 gr. Hornady SP's
I'm starting at 56 grains of IMR4350 working up batches of 5 at 56,56.5,57,57.5 and stopping at 58 grains. Being new I'm using a Lee Perfect powder measure by volume, making each load a little light and then using a powder trickler to bring up tofull charge on a Lee Safety Powder Scale.
My concern is that the powder is almost a 1/2 in below the top of the case neck and when I compare where the bullet seats it seems that the bullet is sitting directly on top of the powder charge.
I got my load data from the 13th edition of Speer manual.
Is this anything to be concerned About?
Thanks!!

SJAdventures

Not really. The loads I am trying right now for my Rem 300 suam with IMR 4350, 165gr Scirocco II, Rem 91/2 M primers ispretty close tothe case mouth.Don't rememberexactly all the loads I have loaded without going and checking thembut they are all straight out the Lyman 48 Edition for the 165gr Scirocco with IMR 4350 powder. It is actually a compressed load and I can hear the powder crunch just a little bit everytime I seat the bullet.

shewe

not really a problem. just religiously follow the amount of powder as stated in your load manual. welcome to the forum and good luck.

shewe

would like to add that you're wise to work up the loads as youdid and never start near the maximum load. pay close attention to signs of high pressure as you increase the amount of powder. good luck. lots of sound advice from some of the guys on this forum.

bigbulls

Having the bullet touch the powder is not a problem at all and is actually prefered as it keeps the powder "settled" and doesn't allow it to move around inside the case too mcuh. If there is too much air inside the case you could get varrying pressures, varrying velocities, etc... becasue of where the powder charge is in relation to the primer flame... IE shooting steeply up hill or down hill. There are many powders that when loaded the bullet will actually contact the powder enough to compress the powder charge. Of course, too much compression can be a bad thing as it can bulge cases and push bullets out of the cases over time.

eldeguello

Certainly having the bullet sitting right on the top of the powder charge is nothing to be concerned about. As a matter of fact, that condition, or having the bullet just slightly compressing the powder charge, is very close to the ideal of +-100% loading density. This situation promotes unfirform ignition and consistent burning of the powder charge, leading to potentially high accuracy.

Some of my most accurate loads are actually quite compressed, using slow powders, as a matter of fact! I think IMR 4350 will provide excellent shooting with the 165-grain bullets.

TJEN

Watch to see if the OCL is maintained if so your good.

mello_collins

The lee manual has the starting charge at 51.8gr with max at 54.0gr with a 165grin-jacketed bullet using IMR4350. H4350 starts at 53.0 and maxs out at 59.0. Make sure you use the right data for your powder and bullet!

From the Hodgdon site http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

165 GR. SIE SPBT 165 H4350 .308" 3.300" start 53.0 2678 38,400 CUP max 59.0 2938 49,400 CUP

165 GR. SIE SPBT 165 IMR 4350 .308" 3.300" start56.0 2746 48,100 PSI max60.0C 2934 57,600 PSI C=compressed load

168 GR. HDY HPBT 168 H4350 .308" 3.230" start55.0 2695 40,400 CUP max59.0 2897 48,100 CUP

168 GR. HDY HPBT 168 IMR 4350 .308" 3.230" start54.0 2720 48,500 PSI max58.0C 2903 57,800 PSI C=compressed load

This info is what I could easily find and is only close, as it does not reference your exact bullet. Notice that they use quite a bit more IMR4350 than the lee manual states and it does become a compressed load near the max. See if you can find data for your exact bullet, you may have to call hornady. And make sure you zero your scale. Have fun and enjoy.

mello

Pavomesa

Speer data is good to go. I've never gotten bad info from them. Wait till you try some loads in your /06 with 4831 and the powder comes right up flush with the top of the case.[:-]

No big deal. You just cram the bullet down and go hunting. I feel safer with loads like this than the smaller charges.

harter66

Dittowith Mello . My books max out Imr4350 at 57.0 with 150s. My 06' shoots its best way down at 53.0 . In fact I built up a load in the first batch of brass (LC 42) and at 50.3 the groups jumped from 5 all but touching to about 2" and at 51.5 were out to 4"+ at 55.0 the shots were spread about a foot . as I recall I started at like 52-53-54-55 and shot the 55s first. If at first ...........................