Need some 168gr Garand loading help

[Ross]

I am using the Lyman, Hornady, and Speer manuals.

I have some IMR 4065 and Hodgdon H335 powders.

The Hornady manual has a section dedicated to the Garand, the other two manuals do not. For the 150 gr bullet, the Hornady shows H335 is a suitable powder for the Garand. The other two do not list it for 150 gr at all.

None of the manuals show H335 as a powder for 168gr.

For the 168 gr, the Hornady lists 4064 as a Garand powder. The other two also show 4064 as a good powder in general.

Here's my delima. The H335 is a ball powder and the 4064 is spherical. I am saying this cause I saw the shape of the powders.

Why does everybody say ball powder is the only thing for a Garand? Is there someting special about the 4064 powder burn rate? Did I not spend wisely when I bought the H335.

BTW - I loaded some 150 gr ballistic tip with H335. I am building up a hunting load. I also have 200 168 gr Sierra HPBT bullets I am using to work up to a target load. Hence the reason for the 150gr info.

TIA

[CSDGuy]

IMR 4064 is a good Garand powder. A lot of people like it for the 168gr loads. The pressure curve that it has is safe for the Garand, as long as you follow the recommended loads in the book. I like it a lot. I'm also a fan of Varget for the Garand too.

[Ross]

IMR 4064 is a good Garand powder. A lot of people like it for the 168gr loads. The pressure curve that it has is safe for the Garand, as long as you follow the recommended loads in the book. I like it a lot. I'm also a fan of Varget for the Garand too.

Cool, thanks.

Just got concerned because it is also the powder I am using for two Remmy 700s I am loading for hunting (a 270 and a 30-06). Both 700s are pushing 150 gr Spitzer ballistic tips. As as it not a ball powder, well a blowed up garand is not what I want.

[CSDGuy]

Ball or extruded or whatever, the bigger concern is that you're loading the proper amount of powder. If the book calls for say 46.1 gr of ???? then that's the amount you should use. IMR 4064 is an extruded powder, so it looks like little logs. It doesn't meter quite as well as spherical powders do in volumetric throwers. I just throw a grain or so light and trickle up to the desired weight of powder.

From what I've read, IMR 4064 is a good powder overall. In the Garand, I also like IMR 4895 as well. Those are right in the proper range for a Garand.

None of the powders I've used so far are ball/spherical powders. Just follow the book recommendations. You do NOT want to end up blowing up your Garand... Basically stick to powders that are between the recommended burn rates and recommended charge weights of powder and you most likely won't blow up the rifle... and no bullets over 180gr.

Personally, I'm liking the 168 gr Amax bullet...

[Ross]

Cool, thanks.

I have been doing the same thing with the weighing. Go a little light and trickle up to what I want..

Looks like I got my spherical and cylindrical (extruded) shapes in my pea brain a little off too.

[Bongos]

H335 burn rate is too fast