Powder substitutes

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Wendyj

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I just ordered some 80 grain Barnes Tsx in 243 calling on Barnes for h4350

Also ordered Barnes 180 TSX in 308 win. Calling for h4895.

Need substitute loads with comparable powder. I have Varget, Benchmark, IMR 4064 3031 and 4831. Any of the powders I have come close to the burn rates Barnes lists?
 
CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond or not covered by currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

You won't get grain-for-grain substitution. But the loads that call for IMR4895 will have some equivalent load you can put together with IMR4064. IMR4064 is bulkier, so maximum loads may be compressed. Hodgdon shows loads for a 180 grain Speer Soft Point. QuickLOAD suggests that with the harder, longer TSX bullet, you will need to drop those loads 3 grains to get similar pressure.

IMR4831 will function in the same cartridge that want's 4350. But, again, not a grain for grain sub. Hodgdon has data for an 85 grain TSX that will be safe with an 80 grain TTSX (they don't seem to make an 80 grain TSX).
 
Straight from the web sites of Hodgdon...

IMR 4064 data for 85gr TSX in 243 Win, 33.8 gr starting, 36.0 max. 2964 starting, 3112 fps max.

Barnes lists 130gr TSX and 168gr TSX BT loads for Varget. Using that I can make an educated guess about the 180 TSX BT

130/52.0= 2.5
168/45.5= 3.6
38 gr difference between the two bullets gives a 1.1 gr bullet per gr powder difference. So adding another 12 gr (one third roughly of 38gr) of bullet should be adding one third of 1.1 to 3.6, call it 4.1 to 180/x=4.0, so x=43.9gr estimated max charge. You can do the same math to estimate a starting charge.

Hope this is helpful

Jimro
 
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I get great results in the grandson's 308 with IMR3031. And IMR4064 is always a good choice. And if 4064 is good, so should Varget be. I'd use the 3031.
 
Jimro, I went to Hodgdon website and my magazine manual. I see Sierra and Hornady as only bullets listed. Would you send a link of what you showed with TSX bullet. I'm evidently on wrong web site.
I went to Hodgdon reloading. Picked rifle. Chose 243. Chose IMR chose 80 gr. don't see it. Not doubting anyone. Looks like I'm surfing wrong site.
 
Thank you Jimro. Thought I was losing my mind. Lol. May have. After seeing that high dollar custom gun blow back out of bullet and make bolt into mush with two nuts beside me at the range this past weekend I'm in no hurry to get hurt.
 
I understand Barns load info. is good to have/important, but what's wrong with finding a load in your reloading manual? Perhaps it won't be exact replica of the Barns loads, but you'll get a good, safe starting point with the powders you mention. K.I.S.S....
 
I've been using bullet manufacturer recipes when possible. I used nothing but Hodgdon site when I started. Sometimes they had me under lowest load and over max on others. I started out loading a lot at lowest and working up .3 to.5 tenths of a grain to mid range loads. Running close to max now since finding the 308 like lowest or highest. Pretty much nothing in between. Figure 243 is going to like close to Max speeds also. Just my opinion but I'm far from expert.
 
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