260AI...HBN...H4350...140VLD

R

Rock Knocker

Well-known member
Well it's been at least two years since I've seen a viable powder for my reloads on the shelf and I got so excited seeing 3lbs of H4350 at the shop i had to try my first pound.

Right now I'm shooting H4831SC with unlubed 140VLD and a case full of it with the bullet touching the lands of a 30" 1-8 criterion large shank barrel. I dont have my notes and I haven't made a new batch in 2 years ether, 47.1gr of powder rings a bell maybe... with great accuracy and speed. Never shot over a chrono with those but I confirmed drop charts from 100 to 1200 yards with 3125ps typed into a ballistic calc for fps.

I've always heard good things about H4350 but I loved cramming the case full of slow powder for the 30".

I will be HBN lubing these bullets for the first time and if it does its job dropping pressures a bit i should be able to get nearly a case full of H4350 under the 140s

Where would you start? I'm also using freshly fireformed Nosler brass instead of my old Winchester stuff with 10 or 11 reloads.
 
RK,

What is your aversion to buying an 8lb jug online? There was a decent amount of time when many of the big names had it available online.
 
I really havent needed it, I've had enough of everything but I decreased shooting a bit. Despite buying land I can shoot on all I want suddenly my outdoor time has been gardening, hauling wood and trying to start a ginseng farm.

I've had the 260 for a while now and I've always wanted to try the H4350 and I regretted not buying a pound last chance I saw it 2 years ago.

I'm thinking I want to try 130gr bullets with the H4350 now, unless the HBN decreases pressure a lot it sounds like I will be able to still fit a few more grain of H4831SC with the 140gr. I was reading some guys using 48gr or a tad more of H4831sc in the 260AI with 140gr. I think my 47 or 47.1 was starting to get compressed with a lightly seated VLD in the old winchester 7-08 brass, I havent done a capacity test yet with the Nosler brass but it isnt even 100% formed... or I have water tested and wrote it down I'm my now scattered notes.

I'm reading around 43gr of H4350 with 140gr, HBN and I think I could add a grain to that but i wouldnt expect it to beat the H4831sc for speed and I couldnt really ask for better accuracy. Or go down to the new 130gr Nosler with nearly the same BC as the 140VLD, lube the heck out of the 130s and cram more H4350 in. Theres something satisfying feeling that powder crunch.
 
"I'm reading around 43gr of H4350 with 140gr"

Will be Close, and may be as much as 44.5 at 2850- 2900ish on a 24", so you are going to be smoke'n with that 30" tube...AI of course.

Personally, I would only use the H4831 on the 156....you are about to find out why!

Nosler brass sucks hind tit, so does federal. Lapua first, then PMC, then Hertenberger 308 brass for toughness. No flies on some LC years also, cull off center flash holes in the primer pockets.

The Toughest is Lapua 308 Palma, use a Rem 7 1/2 with the H4350. I got 900 rounds on 30 cases in the 6 xc with hot loads.

129g Nosler long range accubond seated .003 off the lands is worth buying 10 boxes of if you can find any. 129g Hornady flat base is a great 3oo yd and under bullet on deer and hogs, it just performs. 130g Hornady ELD-M shoots a bug hole in my rifle, opening up a single bullet hole. I am going to try the Sierra 130g Game changer this year, H4350 of course.

As you have found, the 260 AI is like the 6 PPC, easy to tune with fantastic accuracy.

I put a Wyatt's extended mag box in my short action 700, making it .125 longer COAL.

A final point, AA4350 is simply outstanding in this 260 AI, 6.5x47Lapua, and 6.5 Creed, burns cooler also.
 
That's a bummer about the Nosler brass quality but at least I got it dirt cheap. I was running low on winchester brass and I really wanted to try some of the small primer brass but I was at a Fleet Farm and they had Nosler 260 brass half off on the shelf, when I brought the box to the counter I only owed half of what the clearance tag said on the shelf. I went back for the last box and got 100 pieces for $35...get what you pay for.

Good to hear about other powders though. I started with reloader 19 and I remember it being dirty. I've shot 140 Nosler Custom Competition and 140 Amax with R19 and 140 Amax and 140VLD with H4831SC. Hodgdon was cleaner and better with MN temperature swings but velocity wasnt a big change. At this point I'm a pretty big fan boy of Hodgdons extreme powders and I can usually (before...) find it on everyone's shelf around here. I could go online I suppose but IMR, Hodgdon and Alliant is all I see around here, some Ramshot here or there. Is AA4350 the same as IMR4350, how many 4350s are out there now???

I guess i will start lubing bullets and see if i can get closer to 48gr H4831SC with HBN, I've got what I need for that. Those new 130 Nosler RDF bullets look fantastic and I think they would make a better pairing with H4350.

Hunting is my last concern, the rifle is a single shot Savage target action which weights 5.5lbs itself then the unfluted 30" large shank barrel on that, it operates as much like an artillery piece as a hunting rifle.... I've tried. I haven't been shooting Fclass and now the only time I shoot is in winter when snow flattens vegetation and I can walk a 1000 yard straight line across swamps and ponds to set up targets.
 
Cabelas had 8# of AA4350 on the shelf!



$324.99!!!!!!!!!

I guess that's only $40/lb, it seemed crazy expensive at first.
 
Last edited:


Write your reply...
Back
Top