doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com .30-06 loads with 3031

Does anyone here have any recollection of the loads that Michael Petrov seemed to favor in his .30-06 loads? I recall every summer he would show rather nice groups on his paper plate targets and I seem to remember that they often were shot with 3031 powder. But I don't remember how much or what bullet.

Is there any chance that some of you might remember or have access to his notes/photos of some of these loads?

Thanks,
Brent

I seem to recall that Michael shot a medium weight charge of 4064 with a 150 gr bullet.

Hi
I dont know about micheals loads but im using 16gr 2400 behind 180gr cast garand wont cycle them but they will shoot 1/2 the group size t 100 than the mil will. under 2"had an 03a4 that would put all in one hole when i first started reloading 50 years ago my mentor told me i only needed 2 powders 3031 and 2400 2400 dosnt get its due credit for some reason the 2 groove barrels shoot cast better than the 4
Tom

I'm wracking my brain trying to remember and all I can come up with is his using 4895, so I don't know who is right. I have Michael's RCBS .30-06 loading dies along with the dummy cartridges he used to set the seating die, but there is no load data with them. (I now use those dies myself, and it's gratifying to shoot ammo loaded with them, in a nostalgic sort of way.)

I tried searching on this forum and came up goose eggs. Perhaps Joe D. has access to MP's loading records? (I can't imagine Michael loading ammo and not making detailed notes.)

I don't have 3031 data but here is verbatim from an email from Michael several years ago.

"I've used the same load for years, 150gr bullets, used Remington Core-Lokt until they got expensive now using some repack (Hornady) 150gr FMJ. I've used 45grs of IMR-4895, FL resize all cases and set the bullet at factory OAL.
This was a load I started using years ago when i took up the custom rifle interest. It's near a factory 150 load and I shoot it through everything." MP

HTH,
Art

I'll try to do some searching too, but I'm not sure how to do it w/o wading through all of Michaels' posts. I just remember paper plates with nice holes in them and loads written on them. 3031 was that I recall being the powder.

That said, if anyone had one good, safe, load to try in an 03 with a 220 gr 311284 bullet, I would be interested. I have Lyman cast bullet loads where I can look one up, but one that has worked well in other 03s would be helpful. I do have a little 4895 on hand. I don't use jacketed bullets.

I'm preparing for Raton now and I have the big guns ready, the medium guns are nearly ready but the fun guns for show and tell and plinking are in need, and this is one of them. I don't have time for a lot of load development in the 9 days I have left.

Thanks

Coincidentally I was shooting that particular bullet this past Sunday in my 1903A1. Loads ranged from 18 to 22 grains SR-4759. Bullets were bhn 10, cast from wheel weights, air cooled. Accuracy hovered in the 1�-2" range, 100yds., issue sights. Equal charges of 2400 perform about the same. (Initial load testing session with the newly re-barreled rifle, CMP Criterion barrel.)

With cast bullets, I only switch to 3031/4895/etc. when loading hotter rounds for hunting. I have no data stored in my head for those powders.

I don't know how to do a link, but try 29 Oct. '09 under the topic, '03 loads. It seems to match what Art posted.

I suspect that Michael got the 3031 idea out of Phil Sharpe's Handloading book. I just looked and 45.0 grains 3031 is the starting load with 150 grain jacketed bullets. That 's not very different from the 45 grains of 4895 per Art's post.

If you have 165 to 175 grain jacketed bullets, try 38.8 grains of 3031. MV is about 2200 to 2300, depending on bullet weight. Very accurate, mild pressure, not much recoil.

All-

Michael only shot 1 jacketed bullet in the .30/06. I know because I sent him his last batch. He liked Remington 150 gr. PP Corelock. His load is on a target in a post. I think that is the only place he did not experiment!! I will add that for me IMR 3031 is NOT the powder for .30/06 loads. Too fast for full power, to slow for reduced loads. The target is in one of these threads.