Joined
·
568 Posts
What is your general feelings about IMR 3031? Is it temperamental, or more forgiving if ya know what I mean. Any comparisons to IMR 4895? This is for my wildcat 375 JCC I'm working on.
JOHN
JOHN
IMR 3031
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
Joined
·
1,143 Posts
My experience loading for the 30-30 is rather small but IIRC it was 3031 that gave me some very good results. The 45-70 loading that I have done has shown me that I prefer RL7 for this cartridge, but 3031 and 2400 are both very good for certain applications as well with 3031 being very wide ranging in it's usefulness. Our friend and fellow member Georgeky uses 3031 for all of his loading of these cartridges as I remember also. Hopefully he will chime in here and give us his own thoughts.
MM
MM
Joined
·
12,270 Posts
IMR-3031 is one of those powders that can fit a wide variety of applications. I've used it in the 30-30, 35 Remington, 30-06, 270, 338 ME, and 444. If you only had one powder, it would work in most applications to make your gun go "boom". However, that being said, it's not the powder I used for my hunting loads in any of those calibers I mentioned.
It's a long extruded powder, and doesn't meter very well. It's bulky, and in some applications takes a good bit of compression. In other cases I get better accuracy, or better velocities from other powders. I like H4895 much better in my 30-30 loads, I like AA2520 much better in my 35 Remington loads. I like H4350, and IMR-4064 much better in my 30-06 loads, and so on. But I always keep a pound or 2 of IMR-3031 on hand.
If I had to, I'd use it in any of the calibers I shoot, and not worry about being able to kill deer.
It's a long extruded powder, and doesn't meter very well. It's bulky, and in some applications takes a good bit of compression. In other cases I get better accuracy, or better velocities from other powders. I like H4895 much better in my 30-30 loads, I like AA2520 much better in my 35 Remington loads. I like H4350, and IMR-4064 much better in my 30-06 loads, and so on. But I always keep a pound or 2 of IMR-3031 on hand.
If I had to, I'd use it in any of the calibers I shoot, and not worry about being able to kill deer.
Joined
·
5,314 Posts
I have used IMR3031 in many and varied cartridges. It is not at all tempremental in it's use and I find that some of
my best groups have been shot with IMR3031. It is faster burning than IMR or H 4895 but also produces higher velocity with lighter bullets in many cartridges like the .308 Win. It so far has been the bvelocity winner for me with
150gr bullets in the .308 Win and 200gr bullets in the 35 Whelen and 350 Magnum. It has also by far shown the best grouping in the above mentioned cartridges. I have more empty cans sitting around of IMR3031 than any other
powder by far. I didn't realize just how much I use IMR3031 until this post.
358 Win
PS: The 358 Winchester ranks right up there as a cartridge that IMR3031 shines in.
my best groups have been shot with IMR3031. It is faster burning than IMR or H 4895 but also produces higher velocity with lighter bullets in many cartridges like the .308 Win. It so far has been the bvelocity winner for me with
150gr bullets in the .308 Win and 200gr bullets in the 35 Whelen and 350 Magnum. It has also by far shown the best grouping in the above mentioned cartridges. I have more empty cans sitting around of IMR3031 than any other
powder by far. I didn't realize just how much I use IMR3031 until this post.
358 Win
PS: The 358 Winchester ranks right up there as a cartridge that IMR3031 shines in.
Joined
·
568 Posts
Thanks for the input guys. The load data I have for the 375 JCC with 250gr bullets shows 3031 with the highest velocity at 103-105% load density. ImR & H 4895 are good also. Win.748 is also a good one.
I'm used to loading stick powders & trickle all my loads. It might be slow but not a problem for me. I have tried some H4895 loads in the bolt gun. They seemed to be consistent. I'm thinking I'll try 3031 next.
What I don't want is to use a powder that tends to be erratic at the top end & can't take compression well.
John
I'm used to loading stick powders & trickle all my loads. It might be slow but not a problem for me. I have tried some H4895 loads in the bolt gun. They seemed to be consistent. I'm thinking I'll try 3031 next.
What I don't want is to use a powder that tends to be erratic at the top end & can't take compression well.
John
Joined
·
9,026 Posts
3031 has been, hands down the most accurate powder in my heavier .45-70 loads, but it does take a fair amount of compression when it's out at max. 57.5 grains behind a 405 grain Remington soft point is so accurate in my custom converted Siamese Mauser that it's scary. My favorite powder for very light loads in the .45-70 is Red Dot. 12 or 13 grains behind a 405 grain bullet feels almost like shooting a .22 in my Trapdoor replica. I have tried 3031, with good results, in the .30-30, but, due to the low cost of .30-30 ammo, I haven't done nuch handloading for that cartridge lately.
Varget has become my favorite powder in the .35 Remington, although it doesn't produce the highest velocities, it's so very accurate.
And, I agree with Hal, IMR 4064 in the .30-06 is a champ. 52 grains behind a 150 grain bullet is the best load I have found so far, and I use 54 grains in my 8mm-06 Imp behind a 150 grainer in that cartridge. I'm sure that that is not nearly a max load in that wildcat, but it's a very accurate load, and, in the very light weight little Mauser carbine, it has all the recoil I need, and then some. I do plan to try Varget in some more cartridges because it is so accurate in my .35. And a guy at the range said that he uses it in his 30-06 loads with excellent results.
But, since I've gotten so hooked on my Marlins, I haven't shot my bolt guns very much at all. At this stage in my shooting life, it's levers uber alles.
Varget has become my favorite powder in the .35 Remington, although it doesn't produce the highest velocities, it's so very accurate.
And, I agree with Hal, IMR 4064 in the .30-06 is a champ. 52 grains behind a 150 grain bullet is the best load I have found so far, and I use 54 grains in my 8mm-06 Imp behind a 150 grainer in that cartridge. I'm sure that that is not nearly a max load in that wildcat, but it's a very accurate load, and, in the very light weight little Mauser carbine, it has all the recoil I need, and then some. I do plan to try Varget in some more cartridges because it is so accurate in my .35. And a guy at the range said that he uses it in his 30-06 loads with excellent results.
But, since I've gotten so hooked on my Marlins, I haven't shot my bolt guns very much at all. At this stage in my shooting life, it's levers uber alles.
Joined
·
3,854 Posts
3031 has worked fine for me in the 30-30 but I haven't used it in quite a while and there are a lot of new powders out now that may work equally as well. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it could be temperature sensitive and loads that worked OK. in cold weather had more pressure in hot weather. In the summer 32.5 grns with a 150 grn bullet was too hot for my Marlin so as always work up to maximum loads carefully. With 3031 I shot better groups than factory ammo with 150 grn loads but 170 grn federals worked very well for me and that's what I eventually stuck with.
I really can be used in a lot of different cartridges, maybe not the fastest, but often very accurate. Shipton's had a big tent sale about 4 years and I loaded up on IMR 4198 and 3031 at $10.00 a can. Then they restocked the shelves with the new plastic bottles at twice the price. :
. The cans fit better on the shelf or in the old coolers I store my powder in anyway. DP
. The cans fit better on the shelf or in the old coolers I store my powder in anyway. DP
Joined
·
9,428 Posts
$10.00 a can, oh I remember those days. ;D Heck I even remember when it was around $5.00 a pound and people would wonder why I was buying reloading equipment back then. :dpe.ahoy said:I really can be used in a lot of different cartridges, maybe not the fastest, but often very accurate. Shipton's had a big tent sale about 4 years and I loaded up on IMR 4198 and 3031 at $10.00 a can. Then they restocked the shelves with the new plastic bottles at twice the price. :
Good old powder...I used it way back in my first Win 94, M1 Garand and I still have a part can or two. It works good for specific loads in different calibers. It fallS between AA2015 and Benchmark. Because it is an "old" standby and has been superceded by many newer powders, it is forgotten or not know by many. It came out in 1934 for the 30-06, it is left out of many reloading references, you have to go back 20 or more years in the manuals to really see where it shines. Propelland Profiles has some good information on it. It always does a good job for me whenever I try it again. I've used it in my 17 Rem, 250 SavAI and 25-06, 300 Sav, etc and seems to work well in all cases running around 30-50 gr H2O and I got some pretty amazing numbers in my 45-70 NEF BC with 300-350 gr bullets.
Anywhere you see 4320, 4064, 4895, H322, H335, Rl-10X or RL12 you can use 3031...just knock it down 3-4 grains and work up slowly.
Yeah...it is a PITA to meter, but use a Lee dipper and it works OK. ;D
Best thing to do it try it and see.
LUCK
Anywhere you see 4320, 4064, 4895, H322, H335, Rl-10X or RL12 you can use 3031...just knock it down 3-4 grains and work up slowly.
Yeah...it is a PITA to meter, but use a Lee dipper and it works OK.
;DBest thing to do it try it and see.
LUCK
Joined
·
568 Posts
Most of the older powders are temp sensitive that's true. That was one reason I tried H4895 first. It also has proven itself in the 375 JDJ & 375 Hawk that are similar to my JCC round. Won't hurt to try it i guess.
Thanks for the replies all
John
Thanks for the replies all
John
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
