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Posted: 8/7/2012 8:16:34 PM EDT
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Im looking for IMR 4064 users out there that are using or who have used it on 308.
Ive read some partial good reviews yrs back as far as its accuracy and consitancy. Ive used it before, but it was some old powder and I didnt know how old it was so i used it for blow ammo. pain in the ass to meter, but im used to metering varget any way so i can handle it What are the pros and cons. Is it temp senitive? accuracy ? I know its burning characteristics are slightly hotter than rl-15 and varget. the reason im asking is becauce ive come accross a deal where theres a full case for sale 4 8lb jugs, sealed, same lot#. the barrels ill be using if i do buy it will be either 24" 1-10 or a 24" 11.25 |
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4064 is a very good powder for .308
It will cover the lighter projectile weights in the 150 range very well and has no problem with the 168 either. It is considered one of the classic standard loads for .308 and for .30-06 as well. You can see it referenced in this article about half way down where they discuss powders. http://www.6mmbr.com/308win.html No real negatives that I can think of. The loads are among the best I have ever seen and many of my friends had the same luck over many years. I am sure you know that newer powders have come along that have a slightly shorter grain length to allow for better volume-based charging. However, 4064 will run with the best of them in terms of accuracy. Some newer formulations claim to be less temperature sensitive, but it isn't as if 4064 has a sensitivity issue. Before I changed to heavier bullets in .30-06, my main hunting powder was 4064 and it showed no issues with climates from deep desert heat to -25 at 9000 feet. If that price is right, I wouldn't hesitate on 4064. |
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Quoted:
Good powder. But, Measures terrible, quit using it years ago. in your measure? in different ones? lucy you've got some 'splainin to do...... i'm asking because i have'nt had any weight issues, drift or otherwise. I actually prefer IMR4064 because I can do 150s 168s and even 180s. |
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I use IMR 4064 for 155, 168, 175 nd 190 gr bullets in my 308 bolt rifle with a 24" barrel.
I use one powder charge weight with all of them. It is a stout charge for long range and gives good velocity and accuracy. It is a moderate load for the 155's but I use light bullets when I want low recoil, so a lighter charge is appropriate. My Dillon measure throws it reasonably well with proper technique. It flat out works. If it were me, I'd base the decision on price. What are they asking? |
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Quoted: Quoted: Good powder. But, Measures terrible, quit using it years ago. in your measure? in different ones? lucy you've got some 'splainin to do...... i'm asking because i have'nt had any weight issues, drift or otherwise. I actually prefer IMR4064 because I can do 150s 168s and even 180s. Not much to explain. It measures terrible. Uniflo, Hornady, Redding PM. It's a long extruded powder. Like Varget, measures terrible. If you want accurate charges you have to drop light and trickle up. Or buy one of those electronic $300+ measures. Not for me. There are other powders that measure better and shoot the same or better. Your choice.
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dryflash3,
Can't argue with that. I have heard that the Lee powder measure don't do too bad with stick powders but have no first hand experience with it. I did however get a Chargemaster 1500 for Christmas a couple years ago (on sale at Midsouth for $279 IIRC) and now have rediscovered stick powder including IMR 4064 and am loving it. Over the years I have used IMR 4064 in many calibers including 338 Win Mag and have never had a negative experience. I still like my old ball powders too that the Uniflow will throw as accurate as you can trickle but I digress, this thread is about IMR 4064. |
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Quoted:
I've been using IMR 4064 in my match .308 loads for years and have no issues throwing consistent charge weights with my Prometheus II powder measure ^^^^^. IMR-4064 is all I use in match, long range .308 Winchester loads. I've tested Varget, Reloader 15, 17 & Vihtavouri N540. IMR-4064 out performed them all using Sierra 180 & 190 hpbt. Also Hornady 208 A-Max. I'm not a hundred yard shooter. One hundred yards is where I sight my zero. Results are gaged at 600 yards. Powder is metered using "poor mans" Prometheus, my fingers trickling on Veritas S123. |
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yep, meters a bit roughly due to its lincoln log sized kernals but you can't argue with the accuracy on paper. I use it in my RCBS uniflow and just power through the crunchies and trickle up. You don't throw 4064 with a light touch. You smash it, get what you get and trickle it up.
It's fantastic in my bolt .308 heavy gun, best powder I've tried in the garand, works the nuts in the m14, and does quite well in any of the large capacity milsurps that I like to play with. For jacketed bullets in bolt action large capacity cased milsurps you can't go wrong with 4064 or 4350. I will always have some Imr 4064 around. About the only thing they could do to make it better is to make it in a short grain but I think they call that Varget. Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit there, 4064 is just a touch dirty but it won't hard cake carbon deposit like varget. I also like RL15, and IMR and H4895 for the .308. Varget has fallen from my favor, it's accurate but not worth the extra expense, extra carbon in the throat et cet. |
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Cant disclose the price, but from the reseatch Ive done....its worth it.
Id like to use it on any thing from 150-168-175 gr proj. as dryflash said, I dump the load light and trickle the rest....been doing it for 15 or so yrs with varget so im used to it. I really like to see how it does for heavier pills and long range |
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Quoted:
Cant disclose the price, but from the reseatch Ive done....its worth it. Id like to use it on any thing from 150-168-175 gr proj. as dryflash said, I dump the load light and trickle the rest....been doing it for 15 or so yrs with varget so im used to it. I really like to see how it does for heavier pills and long range If the price is right, buy it. 32 pounds will last a long time, no matter how much you shoot. My favorite 308 load uses a 190 gr Sierra MatchKing.It has stout recoil but it shoots really well. |
| About the only time I really won't use it is in .224 necked cartridges. waay too much fiddling to get the charge inside the case. That said, I have used it in .223 and .22-250. It performs extremely well in the .22-250 if you got the time and patience to jiggle/vibrate the kernals through the funnel. |
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Quoted:
Im looking for IMR 4064 users out there that are using or who have used it on 308. Ive read some partial good reviews yrs back as far as its accuracy and consitancy. Ive used it before, but it was some old powder and I didnt know how old it was so i used it for blow ammo. pain in the ass to meter, but im used to metering varget any way so i can handle it What are the pros and cons. Is it temp senitive? accuracy ? I know its burning characteristics are slightly hotter than rl-15 and varget. the reason im asking is becauce ive come accross a deal where theres a full case for sale 4 8lb jugs, sealed, same lot#. the barrels ill be using if i do buy it will be either 24" 1-10 or a 24" 11.25 When I was developing loads for my Tika 308 I was loading 4064 and 4895. I thought the 4064 was going to be my best load but when it was all said and done the 4895 ended up being my powder of choice. Once I got my OAL about 4/100s off the lan I had a tack driver at 200 yards. That said, I could take and identical gun and find that a different powder/load works better. If every barrel was the same there would be no need for load testing. |
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