IMR Classic
IMR 3031
A long-established medium-speed rifle powder. Hodgdon notes its history with 308 match shooting using heavy match bullets, its use in small-capacity varmint cartridges, and its standing as a 30-30 Winchester powder.
One of the oldest powders still in continuous production, and it earned its keep in .30-30 Winchester, .223 and light-bullet .308 long before most current match powders existed. It is fast for a medium rifle powder, which makes it a natural fit for small-capacity cases and for cast and reduced loads where a slower powder leaves too much air. Where it disappoints is modern heavy-bullet precision work in mid-size cases: it runs out of case room, and it carries no temperature-stability claim, so summer-to-winter zero shifts are yours to verify.
- .30-30 lever loads
- cast-bullet .30-06
- light-bullet .223
- reduced rifle loads
Who has IMR 3031 today
Checked October 11In stock at 1 store — lowest in hand $59.05/lb (8 lb at Hodgdon (direct))
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 8 lb | $440.99 | $59.05 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $438.99 | $59.55 | Out |
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 1 lb | $62.99 | $94.43 est. | Out |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $58.99 | $96.44 | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 1 lb | $52.99 | $99.89 | Out |
“In hand” is the shelf price plus that store’s hazmat fee and shipping, spread over one container. Stock is checked once a day — confirm on the store’s page before ordering. Compare all powders →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | IMR |
|---|---|
| Product family | IMR Classic |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | rifle |
| Grain form | extruded |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.0762 cc per grain · 0.85 g/cc |
| Composition | single-base |
| Temperature stable | Not marketed as temperature-stable |
| Burn-rate position | 100 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 308 Winchester, 223 Remington, 22-250 Remington, 30-30 Winchester |
Grain shape
Single-perforated extruded tube: the outer surface shrinks as the central hole opens, so gas production stays roughly level instead of spiking, which is part of why it behaves so well in low-pressure lever cartridges. The kernels are long enough to bridge in a drop tube and get sheared by a measure, so throw and check, or weigh.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Introduced in 1934 and still in production. Extruded single-base, made in Canada. Listed as subsonic-capable; not listed as temperature stable.
Burn rate
Medium burn speed, a little faster than IMR 8208 XBR and IMR 4895.
Chart agreement: consistent across the three charts that list it Ranked by: Hodgdon, Shooters World, Wolfe/LoadData.
Powders charted near it — neighbours on the chart are not substitutes, and adjacency tells you nothing about what charge either one takes:
- Hodgdon H322 (position 97)
- Accurate 2015 (position 98)
- Alliant Reloder 10x (position 99)
- Vihtavuori N133 (position 101)
- Hodgdon Benchmark (position 102)
- Hodgdon H335 (position 103)
Sources
The specifications above come from IMR's own published documentation, linked below. The two “RCM's read” sections are ours, not theirs — our assessment of what this powder is like to load, drawn from its published characteristics and from what handloaders consistently report. No manufacturer endorses them and no source below backs them. If you think we have one wrong, tell us — we would rather fix it.