Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Need a "standard load": AA2230+55grain softpoint

I've come into a bunch of AA2230 powder (same as XTerminator).

I need a "standard load" with 55 grain softpoints that is accurate and runs well in all guns.

That's my favorite powder for light .223 loads. I have found best accuracy with different 55 gr, bullets is in the 24.5 gr. - 25.0 gr. range. That's in a 16", 1:9 twist barrel.

I like 25 grains with a 55 grain bullet for plinking. It seems to work in most everything I shoot.

kwg

I started using 2230 a long time before it became popular; it was virtually unheard except in Accurate Arms load data. I loaded 25.5 grains with the 55 grain Speer spitzer soft point for a muzzle velocity of just under 3,100 fps. I realize no one uses Speer bullets, but this load shot quite accurately in a Ruger 77 MKII.

Same here.

I hear its ok now, but I used 2230 and 2520 when it varied over 200 fps per lot at times...

I"m assuming thats not the case these days? I vowed to never look back to it again, but maybe if its ok now, then its worth considering if I ever wanted to shoot light bullets in a 223 again.

Lot to lot is ok these days? Hell I'm going out on a limb and going to try AA9 in Carolyns 10mm soon enough I think.

Stop me before I make a mistake?

rost,

I haven't seen those kind of swings having used both X-Terminator and A2230, which both used to be identical powders out of the same factory.

Recently Western Powders has split the manufacture of those two powders between Belgium and the US.
I sent them an email asking if the identical load data from the 6.0 Reloading Guide still applied and here is their response:

Rob Behr <robramshot.com>
It is absolutely safe. Their burn rates have remained unchanged. Splitting production between Belgium and the USA gave us some advantages. The Accurate 2230 now uses a different lamination process that helps it at temperature extremes. The Belgian made X-Terminator has tin nitride added to the propellant mixture which acts as an anti-coppering agent. They both have the same burn rate, we just took advantage of technological innovations offered by the two manufacturers.