I just received 1000 rounds of 30-06 PS-74.I disassembled several Rounds with the intent of "customizing the load to my Rifle".
Several questions to the experts: Powder type??
Powder appears to be like sugar and meters like sugar. Not similar
to IMR4895 or Varget.

Safe load starting point -10% ?. I measured several rounds most averaged 57.5 to 58 grains.

Last question :how much of a powder reduction if I decided to switch to CCI34 Or 210M primers

Thanks

Factories have no reason to use cannister grade powders (the ones you and I can buy)...those are expensive as they have to be configured to match year to year.

Factories have every reason to use whatever powder comes close to their requirments. As they will want multiple tons of the stuff, all they as is that the powder meets thier specs., it doesn't ever have to be made exactly that way again as the factory will pressure test it and adjsut loads accordingly.

SO...the stuff loaded in that ammo may not be quite like any other powder EVERE made before or after....what counted is that they bought enouhg of it, tested it, figured out a load, and produced a few million rounds of it. Next time, the pwoder can be completely different looking, take 4 gr. more or 4gr. less to meet recquirments.


There is an urge to get it doen with the LEST powder possible to meet the cartridge specs. A savings of 2 or 3 gr. doesn't sound like much, but multiply that by a couple of million rounds, and it is a tangaible savings.

Were I to try to use that salvaged powdeer, would note dthe average charge weight of your pulled ammo, and start 10-15% below that.
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BTW: once pulled, take a long hard look at the BASES of those bullets. May notice a difference in FMJ bulet jackets where they turn at the base. Even visual sorting will help accuracy...usually visually set into 3 groups (fully turned over, turned over, and nearly raight angled). From there, weight checking (not sorting...just checking and tossing the high and low ones to the side) usally helps.

Some kind of ball powder, there's guys who can tell you what went into every cartridge ever made, but I'm not one of them. Probably made by Olin. Not a great idea to reduce ball powder too much, a couple of percent is probably OK.

Anyway.... I would first try substituting better bullets of the same weight, and instead of reducing the powder charge, 'even' it out so every case meets the average. Bet you'll find a variation of several grains worth.

After you run some commercial softpoints through the gun, you can go back to the FMJ and see how accurate they are by comparison. If they are .... great.... if not, then you won't waste a huge amount of time/frustration on it.

MikeG has a good suggestion.

Had about 500 rds of Russian 7.62x54R military hardball that I suspected of having corrosive berdan primers. Yanked the bullets (free to anyone who wants to pay the shipping), dumped the powder after verifying an average of 50 grains and discarded the brass. Have no idea what the stick powder's burn rate was, so merely put back 50 grains of it into commercial cases with boxer primers and a similar weight soft point bullet. worked out fine.