[big dan]

well last night i finished off an 8lb jug of AA4350 and it won't be long and i'll be replacing it... to me 4350 is just one of those powders that a fella has to have on hand.
i was looking for some opinions/thoughts on whether or not i should stay with the AA powder or consider trying some hodgdon or imr 4350... i like what the AA does for me but to be honest i don't know if the newer versions of the H or IMR 4350 are shorter cut or less temperature sensitive than the accurate powder or not as i've only used the accurate stuff for several years now.
i guess what i want to say is that i'm not married to it and seeings how it's made by general dynamics in canada, in the same plant as the imr powder there may be little if any difference than the packaging?

 

[mattsbox99]

I'm not aware of a Short Cut version of the 4350s. Nor did I know that the AA version was the same, I know AA is shorter than the IMR and H versions though.

Surprisingly, its not my go-to powder, I strongly prefer and use a lot of Reloder 22. My Remington 25/06 really likes AA3100 though, not enough to stock it over the Re22 which it shoots into miserable 3/4" groups

 

[recoil junky]

Honestly, there's not much difference (in burn rate) between the afore mentioned powders, but there seems to be a lot of difference of opinion. If one of the four is working in your rifle why switch.

So, Matt, Havre huh. I gradiated tappakegabeera from what was then NMC in'85. I know the town well. The ranch was about 40 miles south of Chinoock on Cow Creek.

RJ

 

[broom_jm]

I've used IMR-4350 in a .270 Winchester and found it to be more temperature-sensitive than I liked. When I would sight in the gun in California, then hunt with it in Wisconsin, the temperature drop caused a combination of stock contraction and velocity drop that would see my POI falling 6-9". I saw this 2 years in a row, before switching to a composite stock and 4831. Later results suggest most of that change in POI was from the stock, but the chronograph shows ~80fps drop (in my gun) when shooting at 80 degrees and then again at 30 degrees. IMR-4831 is roughly a quarter of that, only loosing about 20fps. I still keep IMR-4350 around because it is very accurate in a couple of my guns, but I use it less and less. 4831SC meters better than any 4350 I've ever used.

 

[big dan]

matt, i don't know that imr & aa 4350 are the same but they are now made in the same facility so i'm sure that the same pile of raw materials goes into both brands. i agree with you on RL22, it is indeed a great powder! i've had good results with all of the RL powders, i haven't tried any RL25 yet but based on past experiences with it's litermates i'm sure that it's a good powder too.
i've thought about switching over to 4831sc but don't know that there is all that much to gain... i like the accuracy that i'm getting and the velocity is more than adequate. the 3 main uses for 4350 in my house are my 260 & 7/08 encore pistols and my 280 rifle with 140gr sierras... i have tried it in my 338/06ai with great results but there really is more powder compression than i care for.

 

[dmsbandit]

If you really want to give something a try, get some Rel-17. I've tried it in my 30-06 and seen very nice velocities. My standard '06 deer load is 56 grains of IMR4350, but I'm playing around alittle to see if it's worth changing. So far, the results are mixed.

 

[Harry Snippe]

I might buy a can of different powder from time to time , but usally stay with a brand that I may have a lot of , or is serving me well. You know what to expect from what you settled on loading , and change everthing with a new powder , componet or firearm and then start from new .
I use H4350 in the 3006 for that reason and H 1000 in the 300 WM . Then Varget in the 308 and 338 F . So I stock more than a pound in these powders because I like them for the rifles I use them in , but stock many pounds of this and that , for anything new that comes through the door .
It never worked to buy one powder for them all. Sure you might find a powder to almost work in all, but rather have a lb that works best for one that 8 that would do.

Then I will only buy a lb or so to try before buying a Keg or so if I like that powder a lot better .

 

[kdub]

Used IMR4350 for years in everything from 25-06 to 35 Whelen and especially in the 7 RM and 30-06. Thought of it as THE perfect powder. Lately, have been more cartridge specific with various powders and use a lot of Varget and H4831SC.

Nothing wrong with the IMR4350 in the '06, though. Never used the AA stuff beyond the hotter powders for smaller capacity cases.

 

[MikeG]

I like Harry's train of thought. Too much trouble to switch! My experience is that IMR-4350 is a very good powder indeed, but H4530 meters MUCH better.

Time not spent trickling powder is time available to argue trivia on the forum!

 

[wildhobbybobby]

If you want to use a powder that duplicates 4350 for all practical purposes yet meters easily, give H414 a try.

 

[mattsbox99]

RJ- Yep, I took a position with my company up here. It wasn't technically a promotion, but I really wanted out of Billings and I don't get laid off up here like I did down there. I like the country a lot better and I'm the only employee up here, so I am pretty independent and that is always good to not have anyone looking over your shoulder all the time.