Question about IMR 4064

c&rdaze · Nov 29, 2018

Quick question: My cousin gave me a bucket full of .30-06 SP reloaded for M-1 Garand on enblocs. I always want to check powder load and bullet weighton anything I don't load myself, so pulled some. He said it was loaded with IMR 4064. Weigh and bullet were good for that use. However, the powder was ball and what I have is short rods. This was loaded 20 plus years ago.. so did the powder formulation change or what???

Is this safe for M-1 or just use it in a bolt gun?

DaemonAssassin · Nov 29, 2018

c&rdaze said:
Quick question: My cousin gave me a bucket full of .30-06 SP reloaded for M-1 Garand on enblocs. I always want to check powder load and bullet weighton anything I don't load myself, so pulled some. He said it was loaded with IMR 4064. Weigh and bullet were good for that use. However, the powder was ball and what I have is short rods. This was loaded 20 plus years ago.. so did the powder formulation change or what???

Is this safe for M-1 or just use it in a bolt gun?

IMR 4064 is extruded (stick) powder.

Run it in a bolt gun, if you choose to do so, but personally, I'd pull every round and reload everything.

John from MD · Nov 29, 2018

I would pull a couple more and check the load data for Winchester ball powders before even using it in a bolt gun.

4064 is definitely extruded and is the slowest powder that should be used in a M1. Too much chance of bending an op rod to play around with it.

Uncle Duke · Nov 29, 2018

No doubt about it.

As mentioned, if it’s ball, it ain’t extruded (stick) IMR 4064.

And no, you can’t know for sure what you have by eyeballing it.

PowPow · Nov 29, 2018

It might be Win 760 if it's a ball powder. I believe the formulation of Win 760 has changed slightly when it moved over to Hodgdon. It wouldn't be worth the risk IMHO. Easier to pull and have piece of mind, good health, and intact rifle.

Uncle Duke · Nov 29, 2018

PowPow said:
It might be Win 760 if it's a ball powder. I believe the formulation of Win 760 has changed slightly when it moved over to Hodgdon. It wouldn't be worth the risk IMHO. Easier to pull and have piece of mind, good health, and intact rifle.

Might well be. And if it is, OP doesn’t want it in that rifle.

And..... it might be something else entirely. There’s already been one mistake, cuz 4064 like OP was told sure isn’t ball.

OP, if you get a sense from the posts here that you’d be better off pulling bullets and salvaging your brass and putting that powder on your lawn, you’re on the right track.

Blacksmith101 · Nov 29, 2018

Is a bucket of reloads worth a gun or your health? Reuse the components with your powder loaded to a safe level for your application. Your first clue is he says it is IMR 4064 but it isn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn0KBzK2Kho

c&rdaze · Nov 30, 2018

I'm going to meet with the reloader and look to see if he has any more of the powder. He loaded with two different 150gr SPs, one set is crimped and I can't seem to pull them. Other one comes apart with a couple of hits. There are several hundred loaded and on enblocs.

Thanks for the help as this didn't make sense to me.

John from MD · Nov 30, 2018

To pull the crimped rounds, first push the bullet deeper into the case. This will make it easier to pull with an inertia puller.

c&rdaze · Dec 1, 2018

Thanks, I had forgotten that trick. Had to do that a big lot of '43 dated m-2 black tip I was given. Then reloaded with IMR 4895.

K-43 · Dec 2, 2018

c&rdaze said:
Other one comes apart with a couple of hits.

A collet puller in your press is a whole lot easier and worth the price if doing a bunch like that. I'd broken two of the plastic hammers before I got smart and bought the RCBS kit.
I just broke down some old dead primer 8mm for the fmj bullets. The steel cases were rusty scrap inside. I've also screwed up or didn't want to shoot the rest of a ladder I loaded. Just put it aside until the press is free, then break down whatever I've got to do.

Pinecone · Dec 2, 2018

Pushing the bullet into the cases slightly is to deal with sealed bullets. It breaks the seal.

With a crimped bullet, you can drive the crimp deeper into the cannalure and damage the bullet.

c&rdaze · Dec 2, 2018

I met with my cousin, the reloader. We've determined that the powder was H-380. The ones I've pulled were in the proper range for .30-06 150gr SPs at 47.6-7gr powder. So safe for bolt gun but I don't know about the M-1 from the pressure curve. I know he shot in his M-1.

Any additional thougths?

Art3 · Dec 2, 2018

Shooting someone else's reloads...may be iffy at best. Neatly organized with a label showing all the specs :shrug:

maybe not so bad. In this case, I hear a "bucket" of mismatched ammo, some crimped some not and the reloader isn't really sure what powder is in them because he loaded them 20 years ago? :eek:

As to the inertia vs. collet puller. An inertia puller is a vital and versatile tool that, indeed, ever reloader should have. I use mine when I go a little too far when setting up bullet depth. For doing any large quantity salvaging like the OP's situation, I believe a collet puller is worth the extra expense. Personally, I get the heebie geebies if the inertia puller doesn't show immediate progress...pounding on a loaded round just doesn't feel natural.

The collet puller seems a little stronger (i.e. maybe don't have to bump the bullets back), but mostly it's just tidier. The inertia puller gives you a mixed up mess of bullet and powder to sort. With the collet puller, you just dump out the powder into whatever container you want and have the bullet drop right into your hand.

Uncle Duke · Dec 2, 2018

c&rdaze said:
I met with my cousin, the reloader. We've determined that the powder was H-380. The ones I've pulled were in the proper range for .30-06 150gr SPs at 47.6-7gr powder. So safe for bolt gun but I don't know about the M-1 from the pressure curve. I know he shot in his M-1.

Any additional thougths?

H380 is an even slower burning powder than IMR4064. The other concern here is that, at the charge weight you list and with a 150 grain bullet, these charge weights are approximately 10% below Hodgdon starting charges.

In light of the back and forth in trying to figure out what you might have here, and a load identification with a makeup that frankly doesn’t make sense to me, I’d have to seriously question that you or the guy working presumably from memory knows for sure just exactly what you do in fact have. One other thing that good reloading practices include is good notes at the time a load is assembled. That’s also missing.

Me, without a doubt, I’d not be taking chances. It’s not worth it.

PowPow · Dec 2, 2018

Uncle Duke said:
Me, without a doubt, I’d not be taking chances. It’s not worth it.

^^ This.

j8064 · Dec 2, 2018

Uncle Duke said:
Me, without a doubt, I’d not be taking chances. It’s not worth it.

PowPow said:
^^ This.

Shooting unknown or iffy reloads in a Garand? Definitely this! ^^^

Blacksmith101 · Dec 2, 2018

Your gun, your hands, your eyes, your face, your time to reload them right, your decision......but I know what mine would be.

Seabee · Dec 3, 2018

I agree with the other guys, pull em. As already stated, it is likely W-760 which was good in the 06. It is a completely different powder now. I have an old metal can of 760 and a newer can of H-414/760 and they are completely different. The old powder is much smaller granules and who knows about the burn speed.
I use a Forster collet bullet puller and I like it. It is best to use it in the Forster coax press

yellowfin · Dec 17, 2018

Get an adjustable/vented gas plug and you won't have to worry as much about the op rod.

Question about IMR 4064

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Active Member

Why should we Free BSD?

American Patriot

Ultimate Member

Where's the beef?

Ultimate Member

Grumpy Old Man

Active Member

American Patriot

Active Member

West of Morning Side

Ultimate Member

Active Member

Eqinsu Ocha

Ultimate Member

Where's the beef?

Garrett Co Hooligan #1

Grumpy Old Man

Old Timer

Pro 2A Gastronome

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics