IMR 4895

In the review of gunpowders on my bench, we come to IMR 4895. Originally used as a powder for the .30-06 it was produced by DuPont and sold to the government armories. After the Second World War, it was one of the first powders Bruce Hodgdon bought and repackaged for the reloading hobby trade.



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.