IMR Classic
IMR 4198
A fast-burning rifle powder aimed at small-capacity varmint cartridges and at large-bore, low-pressure lever and straight-wall cartridges. Hodgdon calls out both ends of that range in its own description.
A fast rifle powder with two quite different constituencies: small varmint cases like .222 Remington and .221 Fireball, and big straight-wall lever cartridges such as .45-70, .444 Marlin and .450 Marlin, where it fills a large case at low pressure without heavy compression. It is also a mainstay in 7.62x39. Because it is fast, charge errors matter more here than they do with a magnum powder, and it is not a place to be casual.
- .45-70 lever loads
- .444 Marlin
- 7.62x39
- .222 Remington varmint
Who has IMR 4198 today
Checked October 10Out of stock at every store we track
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 8 lb | $401.99 | $56.11 | Out |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 8 lb | $465.95 | $62.17 est. | Out |
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 8 lb | $466.99 | $62.30 est. | Out |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $462.99 | $62.55 | Out |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 1 lb | $63.95 | $95.39 est. | Out |
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 1 lb | $66.99 | $98.43 est. | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 1 lb | $55.99 | $102.89 | Out |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $66.99 | $104.44 | 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) | 0.0792 cc per grain · 0.82 g/cc |
| Composition | single-base |
| Temperature stable | Not marketed as temperature-stable |
| Burn-rate position | 89 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 222 Remington, 221 Remington Fireball, 45-70 Government, 450 Marlin, 444 Marlin, 7.62x39mm |
Grain shape
Short extruded single-perforated grains, neutral-burning, which is exactly what a low-pressure big-bore lever gun wants: steady gas rather than an early spike. Shorter kernels than the 4064-class sticks mean it meters better, but it is still an extruded powder and still worth verifying on a scale.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Extruded single-base powder, made in Canada. Listed as suitable for subsonic loads; not listed as temperature stable.
Burn rate
One of the fastest-burning rifle powders in the IMR line.
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:
- Accurate 2200 (position 86)
- Alliant Reloder 7 (position 87)
- Accurate LT-32 (position 88)
- Hodgdon H4198 (position 90)
- Shooters World SOCOM (position 91)
- Vihtavuori N120 (position 92)
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.