Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Budget 223 Powders: Alliant 2400

I also posted this on the Predator forum here...

I do experimenting with other powders in the 223, based on rising costs of components.. and product availability...

I have used Alliants 2400 powder in the past in the 223.. Referencing some load data for the 221 Fireball, I worked up data in the 223, using 2400...

To make things simpler, I am submitting data that is below max for each bullet weight tested, but came up with load recommendations that are simple to use and uncomplicated...

Accuracy has been excellent in my 223s, the testing being primarily done in a Ruger VT...

For bullet weights in 40, 45 and 50 grain I am recommending a max of 18.5 grains of 2400.. max with the 40 grains was 20 grains of 2400.. and max with the 50 grainer was 19.5 in my rifle..
hence settling on 18.5 grains...

For 52, 55 and 60 grain bullets, I settled on a max recommendation of 18 grains.. once again below the maximum that each bullet weight would actually take....

Here is the info chronographed for those that are interested...
This is using a small rifle primer ( Winchester)
a Ruger VT with a 26 inch barrel..

18.5 grains of 2400 and
40 grain Sierra HP: 3626 fps
45 grain Speer SP: 3430 fps
50 grain SPSX Hornady SP: 3363 fps

18 grains of 2400 and
52 grain HP Speer: 3293 fps
55 grain Hornady SP: 3150 fps
60 grain Hornady SP: 3077 fps

Cheers
seafire

I use plain old Varget

As always, thanks, Seafire. I'll write those down. Seems to me they fill a gap between our "Bee-level" loads with Blue Dot and full-power loads with traditional powders. Good to know for that dreaded empty powder shelf day at Bubba's Bullet Store.

Might also be a bit easier on my PD-hunting buddy's ears when I haul out Black Death (my 20-inch ported 223!)

This might be a fluke but this past weekend my ecore 223 shot .241 with military brass and 24.5gr. of 2230 under a 50gr. nbt. 24gr. was .5 and 25gr. was about .75. I only had 3 loaded in 24.5 so I did not get to shoot anymore. Will know more after this weekend.

Seafire:

I decided to try a 223 for the first time in years and am having a dickens of a time with it. All of the published loads seem to be way too hot for the Lapua brass I'm using. I have flattened primers a good 2 grains below max. Don't know if it's because Lapua brass has a little less volume than others or what.

So, what brass and primers were you testing in the above?

AI, take and do a water test with the brass, get a piece opf remmy or winny brass, and fill it with water, do the same with the lapua, see how many grains of water the cases hold. Les

All I have is once fired Lapua and PMC, but fired from the same gun, so that should be a start, huh? I don't think I have any Rem brass anywhere.

AI..

This is a Blue Dot question on a thread about 2400... I only say so, because I hope someone is paying attention and doesn't confuse these two as interchangable..

I have never used Lapua brass, I admit...

I have used PMC and they present no problems...folks with quick load tell me that the loads I normally use myself, are in the 45,000 CUP range, according to their Quick Load program...

If you are experimenting with this, it goes back to my formula for instructions...

1. Start out with pistol primers if need be.. they are softer...
2. Determine max case capacity for the case you are using Blue Dot in.. to do that, fill until the case overflows...scrape off the excess until it is flush with the case mouth... then weight the charge...
3. Take 20% of that figure.. that is your minimum charge. and will not result in a squibb load...
4. 40% of the full capacity figure is the place to start working up slower...start working up in smaller increments here..
5. 50% is where the max charge should be lurking somewhere around...

case shape and capacities can vary the max point here..
for instance a 284 and a 280 case both have the same capacity... but the short fat case of the 284 is more condusive for B/Dot efficiency vs the 280 case... the 284 will usually run 60% of full case capacity, but the 280 will only run about 50 to 52% safely...

Blue Dot likes short fatter cases than it does long skinny ones..for max capacity, not accuracy..there is no real difference in accuracy potential..

if someone was doing a wild cat, and wanted to use Blue Dot.. and say the bore desired was 20 cal.. if they were looking for efficiency, I'd say use the 20 Tactical.. if they wanted max velocity, without being overbore, I'd recommend either the 20 BR case, or if they wanted a little more max velocity then use the 22.250 or 22.250 AI case....if they were looking for max efficiency, I'd recommend the 222 case necked down first, and the 221 Fireball case next...the fireball case would be my choice to work with 32 grain bullets, and the 222 case would be my choice for efficiency with 40 grain bullets..

Blue Dot doesn't get trickier on smaller cases, just the parameters get tighter tolerances is all...

above 40% full case capacity work in 1/10 grain increments...
more time consuming yes.. safer tho, yes..
worth the time investment in the long run, yes....

one last thing on primers.. pressure signs show up faster with pistol primers, because they are softer.. once one has a comfort level, then they can move up to rifle primers.. I usually don't see the need for mag primers, even for light loads with Blue Dot...they will work, but are not needed and the max load should be reduced a little to compensate.. they will generate higher pressures without any increase in velocity...

Alliant has 2400 loads for 223 listed in their:
Handgun Reloading Data ,,, Silhouette Loads section.
Alliant homepage