This eight pound jug was purchased in March, 2006. There is probably two pounds of powder left in that jug. Every bottlenecked rifle caliber I load for has a recipe that uses 4895. From the .223 to the .45-70, I've worked up a load for that powder. Listed at #89 on the Hodgdon Burn Rate Chart, it's a medium fast rifle powder.
IMR 4895 is an old powder. It's been around forever, and newer powders have eclipsed it in many ways. In the reloading hobby, as in all of man's endeavors, newer is better and we tend to try the latest and greatest. Still, IMR 4895 is one of my go-to powders, simply because it is a well known commodity. It's still superb in the .30-06, but I find it especially useful in reduced charges for cast bullet work, both in the .30-30 and the .45-70, some of my favorite loads feature 4895.
The jug in the picture above is from a military surplus seller. Lots of 4895 was released on the market in years past as surplus powder, at attractive prices. I suspect that the surplus 4895 is long gone. However, it is so versatile that when I use the last of that eight-pound jug, I'll start shopping around and buy another 8-pound jug from somewhere. I trust 4895. It's a wonderful powder that's overlooked by lots of shooters.
8 comments:
I bought some H4895 last year.
It was backordered so it was good that I had a bit left to make hunting rounds that fall.
If I was down to two pounds of a good rifle powder I think I'd shop for more now.
Prices seem to be down a bit at the moment too.
PawPaw, you're bringing back a lot of reloading memories with your current series. 4895 was the first rifle powder I loaded. Must have been 1968. I was a deppity shurf and part time college student when I went to Knight's Gun Shop in Fort Worth and asked Hollis Pricer what to load for .30'06. He answered off the top of his head, "[blank] grains of 4895 and anybody's 150 grain bullet." I bought those and new RCBS dies and went home and loaded up my 30 cases.
The last rifle ammo I loaded, this past fall, was some .308 with Sierra 165s and IMR 4895. The oldies are often the goodies.
PawPaw,
I just want to thank you for this series. I'm a beginning reloader and this info is invaluable.
I don't reload for rifle right now (nowhere to shoot!) but I bought a jug of IMR 4895 because it was listed as _the_ powder for use in an M1 Garand. It certainly worked well. I never had the chance to try it in another caliber. Someday.
I love your blog. Keep it up.
n8fan.net
www.n8fan.net
Old guys rule! They are usually the wisest! 4895!!!
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45-70 Bullets for Reloading
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