Reduced loads & H4895

[VikingsGuy]

The topic came up in the middle of a long thread in firearms, so thought I would post here too, in case some reloaders with interest might find it here easier.

H4895 is a very versatile reduced load powder. The attached document used to be distributed by Hodgdon but has disappeared from their website recently. It gives a lot of good starting points for reduced loading with H4895. In general, if you have a cartridge and bullet type that have published load data using H4895, you take 60% of the max published load and work up until you get to an accuracy node that has the recoil, velocity and terminal performance you are looking for. As with all hand loading - use at your own risk.

 

[Gary]

I have an old Speer reloading manual that gives reduced loads for many different calibers. IMR 7828 allowed me to push a 115 gr bullet (in a 280 Rem) @ around 1700 fps. My kids (aged 7 & 9 at the time) loved shooting that combo. Not much more recoil than a 22 LR, with a little more noise.
Reduced loads are out there, you just gotta dig around.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

I've done reduced loads in a 30-06 with Unique and 100 grain plinker bullets. It was also on par with shooting a 22 Magnum. Absolutely no recoil at all. I used reduced loads with H4895 for hunting, just be mindful of the distances you are having your kids shoot at. I found it very easy to load with, and could get MOA accuracy with a wide array of powder charges.

 

[Irrelevant]

So what's the risk with loading below the recommended range for a certain powder?

 

[Deleted member 20812]

So what's the risk with loading below the recommended range for a certain powder?

Having a bullet stuck in the barrel for one.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I've never tried a "reduced load" but I can say that I've consistently gotten my best accuracy in .308 with H4895. It's pretty good stuff.

 

[Brian in Montana]

Having a bullet stuck in the barrel for one.

I've read this can be a very dangerous scenario. Too much pressure can damage your gun, but not enough pressure to get the bullet down the barrel creates dangerous pressure spikes as well. Just because there's not enough force to get the bullet down the barrel - there's still an explosion of expanding gases that has to go somewhere, might be right back in the shooters face.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I've done quite a few reduced loads with this powder and have had great success. That said, I did have the experience, once, of not fully expanding the case and having a lot of soot getting back into the chamber. So, you may not be able to always go down as far as 60% without that complication. H 4895 has become my favorite powder, even for the full-strength loads. I use it for all 3 of our hunting loads, in 7mm-08, .308 and .30-06 (though I've been working up an elk load for my son with Varget recently)...

 

[Gary]

Going below minimum powder recommendations can lead to increased pressure. Dangerously increased pressure.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I've read this can be a very dangerous scenario. Too much pressure can damage your gun, but not enough pressure to get the bullet down the barrel creates dangerous pressure spikes as well. Just because there's not enough force to get the bullet down the barrel - there's still an explosion of expanding gases that has to go somewhere, might be right back in the shooters face.

This is my understanding as well. Safe pressures are like an upside down bell curve.

 

[Pelican]

IMR Trail Boss powder has data available for reduced rifle loads and also a procedure for developing reduced loads for any rifle cartridge. Trail boss is a donut shaped powder developed for cowboy action shooters, who don’t need or want high velocity. I’ve never developed reduced loads, but this information is still on the IMR’s webpage, so I’m assuming it is safe with this powder.