30-06 AI Load Data

[LateForDinner]

Hi,
I am looking for starting load data for an old rifle of my dads, its chambered in 30-06 Ackley Improved. I've loaded for it 30 some odd years ago but can't find any of my notes. I'm using H4895 and 150gr Hornady 3037 bullet. This is a 22" barrel. I have manuals that list powder charges and bullet types but no over all lengths. I can find some overall lengths but none with my specific needs. Just planning to plink, not hunt.

Thanks,
Bill

[CCrawford]

The 20th printing (1994 reprint of 1964 data) of P.O. Ackley's Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders on page 428 shows loads of 52 grains at 2960 fps and 54 grains at 3035 fps. Hornady's 2nd edition (1973) on page 229 shows from 46.6 grains at 2600 fps to 53.9 grains at 3000 fps. Speer's 8th edition (1970) on page 253 lists from 48.0 grains at 2792 to 52.0 grains at 2961 fps. I believe when they speak of 4895, it is of the IMR version, not the Hodgdon version. Start low and go slow and work up to what your happy with.

I would seat the bullet in the crimp to start with and experiment from there for overall length. Brass should be 2.494" length and overall is 3.340", same as standard .30-'06. Since the rifle was most likely rechambered, no telling the freebore and/or throat length. There is lots of information out there that talks about seating depth and such.

Nosler's 7th edition (2012) covers the A.I. (page 702), but does not include 4895 (lists H414, RL15, VV N150, RL 19, IMR 4350, and W760). But it is "current" data as opposed to 50 year old plus.

Good luck and have fun with Dad's old rifle!

Criss

[Bumslie]

You'll need to measure your gun.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[LateForDinner]

[QUOTE=Bumslie;22883568]You'll need to measure your gun.

Thanks for your reply. What kind of measurements are you talking about?

[Divernhunter]

Since you asked about bullet seating depth I would guess the amount of bullet jump to the rifling. But that is just a guess and what I would do.

[LateForDinner]

[MongooseV8]

Make sure you get a slight crush fit with your shoulders. If you fireform brass with the shoulders set back too far you can stress the brass a lot more than a non AI chamber.

[LateForDinner]

Interesting you should say that, I bought some cheap PPU ammo and went to the range a few months ago and couldn't close the bolt on half of it, I mean it would not go into full battery. Contacted PPU and sent them cases and of course they said its not their ammo. I've never run into Springfield 06 ammo I couldn't shoot in this rifle. The Hornady cases I have now and testing with are fine. No more PPU for me...

[MongooseV8]

Cool. You should be able to see a faint shiny ring where the chamber is making contact with the parent case's shoulder. For starting loads in an AI, I like to load around 70-80% of max published data. So if the 30-06 load range was 56-60 grains I would start at 58 or 59 grains, and seat the bullet a little longer than min oal.

[MongooseV8]

I should also clarify that the above applies to fire forming brass. If you are talking about loading formed brass, then I use the parent max load as my starting load.

Also be aware that not all 98 actions can take the 60k psi of a modern cartridge, so plan accordingly.

[Fjold]

As long as you're not loading hard into the lands, the overall length is the last thing that I'd worry about.

To start out:

Find the bullet(s) that you want to use, select a powder that will give you your desired velocity with a 95% - 100% fill density, load your starting loads and work your way up.

[LynnJr]

I do mine two ways.
First way is with 15 grains of pistol powder and fill the case with Cream Of Wheat.
Second way is to seat the bullet as long as you can get it and still close the bolt. This helps in keeping the case against the bolts face so you don't stretch the area just in front of the web.
It sounds like your gun us a sporterized military gun so go with the maximum magazine length as your starting point.

[LateForDinner]

Thanks everyone for some excellent advice and information!

[ar15barrels]

Hi,
I am looking for starting load data for an old rifle of my dads, its chambered in 30-06 Ackley Improved. I've loaded for it 30 some odd years ago but can't find any of my notes. I'm using H4895 and 150gr Hornady 3037 bullet. This is a 22" barrel. I have manuals that list powder charges and bullet types but no over all lengths. I can find some overall lengths but none with my specific needs. Just planning to plink, not hunt.

Thanks,
Bill

This is NOT load data.
This is a Quickload simulation of what specific powder charges would do under a specific set of test conditions...

Cartridge          : .30-06 Ack Imp
Bullet             : .308, 150, Hornady FMJ-BT 3037
Useable Case Capaci: 62.481 grain H2O = 4.057 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.150 inch = 80.01 mm
Barrel Length      : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder             : Hodgdon H4895

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.962% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-09.6   82    47.00   2652    2342   41055   9274     96.7    1.220
-08.7   82    47.50   2678    2388   42212   9369     97.1    1.203
-07.7   83    48.00   2703    2434   43398   9462     97.4    1.188
-06.7   84    48.50   2729    2481   44615   9553     97.7    1.173
-05.8   85    49.00   2755    2527   45864   9641     97.9    1.157
-04.8   86    49.50   2780    2575   47145   9727     98.2    1.142
-03.8   87    50.00   2806    2622   48460   9810     98.4    1.128
-02.9   88    50.50   2831    2669   49810   9890     98.7    1.113
-01.9   89    51.00   2856    2717   51195   9968     98.9    1.099  ! Near Maximum !
-01.0   89    51.50   2882    2766   52616  10042     99.1    1.085  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0   90    52.00   2907    2814   54075  10114     99.2    1.072  ! Near Maximum !
+01.0   91    52.50   2932    2863   55572  10183     99.4    1.059  ! Near Maximum !
+01.9   92    53.00   2957    2912   57109  10249     99.5    1.045  ! Near Maximum !
+02.9   93    53.50   2982    2961   58687  10312     99.7    1.032  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.8   94    54.00   3006    3010   60307  10372     99.8    1.020  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.8   95    54.50   3031    3060   61971  10428     99.8    1.007  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     90    52.00   3022    3042   63466   9826    100.0    0.999  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     90    52.00   2746    2512   44820   9958     94.7    1.168

If your bullet has a cannelure, let me know what the overall length would be with the case seated so the cannelure is at the case mouth and you can crimp the case into the cannelure and I can re-run the simulation at that overall length.

[LateForDinner]

Hi Randall,
Thanks very much for running this simulation. The bullet DOES have a cannelure and the COAL is 3.183" with the case crimped into the cannelure. Also, I just measured the barrel and its more like 20 1/2", not 22". Thanks again for helping!

-Bill

QUOTE=ar15barrels;22890178]This is NOT load data.
This is a Quickload simulation of what specific powder charges would do under a specific set of test conditions...

Cartridge          : .30-06 Ack Imp
Bullet             : .308, 150, Hornady FMJ-BT 3037
Useable Case Capaci: 62.481 grain H2O = 4.057 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.150 inch = 80.01 mm
Barrel Length      : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder             : Hodgdon H4895

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.962% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-09.6   82    47.00   2652    2342   41055   9274     96.7    1.220
-08.7   82    47.50   2678    2388   42212   9369     97.1    1.203
-07.7   83    48.00   2703    2434   43398   9462     97.4    1.188
-06.7   84    48.50   2729    2481   44615   9553     97.7    1.173
-05.8   85    49.00   2755    2527   45864   9641     97.9    1.157
-04.8   86    49.50   2780    2575   47145   9727     98.2    1.142
-03.8   87    50.00   2806    2622   48460   9810     98.4    1.128
-02.9   88    50.50   2831    2669   49810   9890     98.7    1.113
-01.9   89    51.00   2856    2717   51195   9968     98.9    1.099  ! Near Maximum !
-01.0   89    51.50   2882    2766   52616  10042     99.1    1.085  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0   90    52.00   2907    2814   54075  10114     99.2    1.072  ! Near Maximum !
+01.0   91    52.50   2932    2863   55572  10183     99.4    1.059  ! Near Maximum !
+01.9   92    53.00   2957    2912   57109  10249     99.5    1.045  ! Near Maximum !
+02.9   93    53.50   2982    2961   58687  10312     99.7    1.032  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.8   94    54.00   3006    3010   60307  10372     99.8    1.020  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.8   95    54.50   3031    3060   61971  10428     99.8    1.007  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     90    52.00   3022    3042   63466   9826    100.0    0.999  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     90    52.00   2746    2512   44820   9958     94.7    1.168

If your bullet has a cannelure, let me know what the overall length would be with the case seated so the cannelure is at the case mouth and you can crimp the case into the cannelure and I can re-run the simulation at that overall length.[/QUOTE]