H4895?

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Hi all;
I bought some of this to try in my M1A1....was told it might help with cycling problems. Made up some test loads at the beginning of fall, but haven't had a chance to test them yet due to being on call, hunting season, Christmas stuff, ect.

Anyway, I was going through some of the handloading manuals and noticed that this powder was listed for a lot of other cartridges that I shoot, most notably .223, .30/30, and .30-06. Have any of you tried this powder in these calibers? I would like to par down what I currently have in the reloading cabinet.....it would be great if I could find a decent load in .223 and use it in both my AR15 and M1A1.
Any experiences would be greatly appreciated....thanks in advance.

[Joe Boleo]

I have been buying H4895 to fill in when IMR4895 was not available. Have used it in .223 and .30-06 loads and it works just fine. The curious thing is that Hodgdon makes both H4895 and IMR4895, but more H4895 is around for sale. The link below shows that suggested loads are within a few grains of each other for a specific caliber and bullet using either powder. I prefer IMR4895. Take care...
Joe



http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

[skeet]

Both of the 4895 powders are good and can be used in many calibers...but it is really not an all around powder. In my opinion there really is no such thing for the whole gamut of cartridges. BUT there are some powders that can be used im many groups of cartridges. Like 4198 or 748 in the smaller cases. 4895 in the medium cases and of course H4831 in mag cases. Another powder that can be used in many cartridges is IMR 4064. If you aren't looking for max loads though..4895 will work in many just fine.

As far as Hodgdon making both powders they sure do sell both as they distribute Winchester powders the IMR brand and their own brand. Much of Hodgdon's ball powderw used to be made by Winchester..now some overseas. I still have some WWII 4831 powder I bought from Hodgdon IIRC in 1965. 100 bucks went a long way then. Cost about a dollar a pound or so..delivered....and it still shoots just fine. In fact I have 3 lbs of HiVel #2 made in 1939 that still shoots just fine.

[Rocky Raab]

Either 4895 is amazingly versatile. They are not quite the same powder, and have slightly different characteristics, but are very close.

4895 is an excellent choice for a gas semi-auto in 30-06, but it is a bit slow for the same kind of gun in 223. The pressure would be still a bit too high when the bullet reaches the gas port. I'd pick a faster powder for a gas 223.

[Gil Martin]

I prefer IMR4895 for no particular reason and use it to load .223, .30-06, .308, .303 British, 8mm Mauser and a few other rounds. Let us know how your loads work in your M1A1 (or M1A?). All the best...
Gil