Winchester 748 in 30-06

[happycowboy]

A friend of mine wants to use this powder with 168 gr. nosler hp. and is having trouble finding loading data. Any suggestions you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

[Rocky Raab]

You probably won't find any. W748 is too fast for that use. He might be able to use it in the 30-06 with bullets under 130 grains, but even then he'd have to back down a bit on the throttle.

W760 is perfect for the 30-06.

[happycowboy]

Thank you, i will pass on this bit of information to my friend.

[PJgunner]

From the Winchester loading booklet. data for W-748 in the 30-06

125 gr. bullet: 51.0 gr. 3060 FPS 46,000 C.U.P.

150 gr. bullet: 48.0 gr. 2810 FPS 46,000 C.U.P.

180 gr. bullet: 45.0 gr. 2540 FPS 48,500 C.U.P.

While those pressure figures seem a bit low, I'd still start a couple of grains less and work back up. I do agree that W-760 would be a better powder. I use a lot of W-748 and W-760 and those ball powders sometimes get a bit squirrely at top pressure levels. They also sometimes don't like being compressed very much.


From an older One Book/One caliber (The Complete Reloading manual for the 30-06 Springfield) they show higher charges for W-748 yet is/was official Winchester load data. Their loads in that book show data one to two grains higher than the latest booklet from "Big W."
However, they do show data for 165/168 gr. bullets which the newer Winchester book does not. It is as follows:

165/168 gr. bullet: Start: 46.0 gr. 2538 FPS 44,600 C.U.P.
Max: 48.0 gr. 2642 FPS 49,500 C.U.P.

I an't say if there was a change in that powder or if the lawyers have stuck thir greedy noses into the mix and they've just gotten more cautious. Your call. Note that the older data has start and max load data where the newer data sheet only has what? Is ir start data and you work up or is it max data and you start low? I do know that contacting winchester for information has resulted in not very satisfying answers. They just asked me for my adress and name and sent me their latest booklet which DID NOT answer the question. Anyway, the powder is usable, even if a bit fast for the cartridge.
Paul B.