Imr 4227?

[jason280]

I have a chance to pick up a couple kegs of IMR 4227, and wanted to see if anyone else was loading it in .41 Mag, .44 Mag, or .45 Colt. How does it compare with H110 or 2400? Any reason to avoid the powder?

[GhostHawk]

I have some I use mostly in the .357 mag. I'm not sure about comparison, but I suspect it would be good for sure in .44 mag. I would not avoid it if it is available at a decent price.

I don't use it a lot, I have found a very accurate inexpensive load for my .357 using 4-5 grains of Red Dot.
But if I wanted a higher speed load for a heavier boolit it would be my first choice.

[scottfire1957]

I use it in .45 Colt, it shoots well enough. I don't have kegs though, just a couple of 1# cans.

[stillhere]

One of my favorite powders. I use it for 357 mag, 44 mag and 45 colt.

[Doggonekid]

I also use IMR 4227, I like the powder for the calibers you mentioned. It is also good for the big calibers like .475, .460 and .500. As how it compares to 2400 or H110, well you cant find H110 or 2400 and you can find IMR 4227.

[C. Latch]

It's a little *too* slow to get maximum speeds from magnum handguns, generally, but it's an easy, forgiving powder to work with, from what I have seen. I have a couple pounds of it and don't use it often. I actually loaded some .45 Colt with it the other day but haven't shot them yet.

[Coogs]

Absolutely great for the .357 Maximum and 180 gr and heavier bullets. Coogs.

[osteodoc08]

Its a great powder. I find it a little dirty until it gets to the upper charges. It is great in all the bigger magnums and also the 300 BLK. It doesnt meter as well as the ball powders, but well enough I dont worry about it cause I'm not on the ragged edge. I have a keg of it and am very happy with it in my 41, 45 colt and 300 BLK. Havent tried it in the 44 mag. I have used it in the 45/70 with collar button boolits with success too. So dont forget your rifle loads.

[edler7]

It's all I use in my 44 mag Marlin lever action.

Good stuff

[stubbicatt]

I use it in 32-40 all the time. Burns very cleanly. Most accurate choice in that chambering. I have used it in 357 magnum, and it works well. Not as clean I don't think, as 2400 in the 357 magnum. Also use it in 30-30 at about 15 grains with 180 grain RCBS gas check bullet. Works great.

[kungfustyle]

+1 for the 44 mag. Fills the case very well and I get great grouping with 4227 at almost every charge weight. Can't go wrong with it.

[claude]

It is my go to powder after I was forced to change from 2400 do to inavailability, I use it in my 44 mag loads with good results, and if I stay at the upper levels it burns clean in rifle and hand gun. I particularly like to run it at just compressed levels with a good roll crimp under 240gr cast.

[rondog]

Good for .30 carbine too.

[Screwbolts]

4227 and 2400 were originally developed for/to fuel the little 22 Hornet, It is a very good powder in many many Boolit loads/applications, I prefer it over 2400. Great powder, for Cast Boolitz.

Now it may not satisfy every ones Magnumitus situation, but it will usually get the job done just fine.

Ken

[ubetcha]

I believe 44man has stated that 4227 produces pressure spikes when it heats up. I hope he posts a comment about it though. I use it in my G2 357 Max and so far it work great. I would like to try AA1680 in the 357 Max if I can find some around here

[762sultan]

I began using 4227 when I couldn't find 2400 and discovered it worked well in my 45 colt. It doesn't produce the velocities of 2400 or H110 but it does the job. Also have used AA9 with good results...and both are available in my area.

[just bill]

Absolutely great for the .357 Maximum and 180 gr and heavier bullets. Coogs.

What are you shooting heavier than 180's. I found very few loads for 200's. I would like to find a load or 2 for the .357 to go with a .357 lever action I'm swaging for.
Thanks,
Bill

[spfd1903]

I tried it in .44 Mag for 240 grain and 300 grain boolits from a SRH. H110 and 2400 were much more accurate. However Sierra and Hornady 240 grain hollow points both shot to the same p.o.i with the same charge and excellent groups using IMR 4227. Just bought a .30 Carbine BH that I am going to try 4227 as a selection.

[jason280]

Thanks for the information. I'm also curious how it would work in non-magnum applications, as I also like to load 250-275gr bullets in the .44 Mag and .45 Colt at around 1000fps. Is it like H110 and W296 in that you can't use reduced loads, or will it do fine?

[C. Latch]

You can reduce it. I never have personally and can't tell you how dirty it will be, but yes, you can reduce it to the levels you speak of.

[44man]

It was my go to powder in the 357 Max and it works fine in a lot of calibers.
But I will never use it in the .44 again. Any gun heat made it burn faster, hit lower and lower until I turned my gun upside down to see if the barrel bent.
Changing loads up and down was no use. I was shooting IHMSA when I used it and I was 16 clicks over normal and hit the ground 50 meters short on the last 200 meter ram.
My first shot was always centered but the next was lower, next lower yet as I spun the elevation screw. Chrono showed increased velocity every shot and primers got dead flat.
I went to 296 and problem was cured. I have not tried 4227 in my big bores since I stay with 296.
It was funny because if I shot slow and kept the gun cold, it shot great 200 meter groups in practice.

[djgoings]

Have used H4427 in the past in 357mag & 44mag. Eventually switched to 2400 because it was cheaper and uses less powder than 4227, as well as giving slightly higher velocities. Both 4227 and 2400 allow decreased powder charges is desired. If 4227 is all you can buy is will work fine. 4227 gives a softer recoil than 2400 & H110.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

My preferred powder for 45 Colt with 260 grain plus bullets, very good for cast bullets in many rifles calibers - 35 Rem , 308, .30-30, 223 no surprises when doing load development unlike some ball powders, fine grained, measures well.

[ShooterAZ]

I use a lot of IMR4227. I use it in 30-30Win, 300BLK, 30Carbine, 44Mag, 357Mag. It serves me very well across the board.

[longbow]

I use IMR4227 for .44 mag Marlin with boolit sup to 300 grs. though they don't stabilize for me but it works well for anything up to 270 gr. Anything from 225 grs. or so on up to 270 works well for me. I tried it under my lightweight 165 gr. TC using 180 gr. loads as a basis but got poor burn under that ligh tboolit.

I also use it for general plinking and target loads for .308 Winchester and .303 British with very good results.

Yes, you can reduce charges safely.

My reloading manuals indicate that it will not produce the same high velocities that H110 will but is close enough for me and it is much more versatile than H110 for reduced charges and use in other cartridges.

24 grs. under a 240 gr. boolit produces uncomfortable recoil in the Marlin.

Longbow

[GrantS]

I've used IMR4227 since I couldn't find any other .44 magnum powder around at the time. I like it, and if I can find a 8 pound keg at a decent price I'll get one. It's only downside is it takes a fair bit of powder and locally at least, it was THE most expensive powder on the shelf.

Since then I've tried other powders (H110, AA#9, 2400) and I still like 4227, seems to be more accurate than the other powders and super-clean at near-max charges.

[44man]

It is a sticky situation because I shot in summer and a grounded gun for target setters was in the sun. Only took a shot or 2 to go overboard. Now with winter, it might be OK. So is one shot now and then. But when you have 2 minutes for five shots, forget it.
I wish more was posted about results instead of "WORKS GOOD." 296 was not affected by heat in the .44 and even with my standard Fed 150, -20° did not change it. There was a time I could tell you the make and whether you used a mag or standard and what powder you used by shooting your loads from your gun. I could tell the difference between H110 and 296 in your Ruger or S&W.
There was a time when any 5 shot group over 1/2" at 50 meters made me go back to the loading bench. It is harder, darn it I am 78 so you youngsters are missing something. 4227 would rot before I used it in a .44.

[Ricochet]

The first cartridges I ever loaded were .44 Magnum with Lyman #429303 over 27 grains of IMR 4227 using an old Lee Loader. Hammering in primers always scared the poop out of me, and I learned to wear heavy leather gloves after having a couple of CCI 350s go off while guiding that primer seating rod with my hand. The cartridges shot well enough to suit me in my Super Blackhawk, but seemed rather mild. They did manage to knock holes in the engine block of an old Buick Roadmaster straight eight, though. (I wouldn't do that now.)

[44man]

You lived a life of danger for sure. Where did you find that load?

[Naphtali]

I have a chance to pick up a couple kegs of IMR 4227, and wanted to see if anyone else was loading it in .41 Mag, .44 Mag, or .45 Colt. How does it compare with H110 or 2400? Any reason to avoid the powder? I used it in 475 Linebaugh and 480 Ruger with 400-grain LSWC WW+2. It achieved less muzzle velocity than H110 - 1050 fps versus 1300 fps, neither being maximum loads. The big difference for me was 4227 had significantly less muzzle flash and blast.

I have a keg of H110 from which I have loaded 15 45 Colt loads for my Freedom Arms M97s. If I could find a trade for 4227 for the H110, I would do it in a New York Minute. As you can probably deduce, for me H110 isn't worth its abuse from shooting it.

[Victor N TN]

I use it in 44 Mag and 30 Carbine.

[jason280]

Thanks for the information. I picked up 8lbs of IMR 4227 and 5k Tula Large Pistol primers, so I should be set for a while. Took a little bit of a chance on the Tula primers, but I was able to get them for a decent price.

[Victor N TN]

I have a friend that likes the Tula primers. Personally I have never used them.

[maclords]

I have a chance to pick up a couple kegs of IMR 4227, and wanted to see if anyone else was loading it in .41 Mag, .44 Mag, or .45 Colt. How does it compare with H110 or 2400? Any reason to avoid the powder?

I really like 4227 as a fast rifle powder in 30.06 and 35 whelen. It's pretty good in 357 mag but Unburnt powder. I don't shoot bigger revolvers now, but I suspect it works better than in 357mag.

[DocSavage]

I use 4227 in my mag pistols,with cast bullets in 45/70 and 7.62x39.

[jason280]

I have a friend that likes the Tula primers. Personally I have never used them.

Ive had great results with Wolf small rifle primers in 5.56 loads, but I am not sure how closely Tula and Wolf are related...

[Ricochet]

You lived a life of danger for sure. Where did you find that load?
I think it may have been in the Lee Loader instructions. Or in the old spiral bound Lyman manual I had.

[44man]

I think it may have been in the Lee Loader instructions. Or in the old spiral bound Lyman manual I had.
Reason I ask is all my books say 23 max for a 240/ 250 gr. Most at IHMSA used 25 and it was HOT with a 240 bullet.
The thing I remember most is all that used it did a lot of cussing on the line.

[lolbell]

It is a sticky situation because I shot in summer and a grounded gun for target setters was in the sun. Only took a shot or 2 to go overboard. Now with winter, it might be OK. So is one shot now and then. But when you have 2 minutes for five shots, forget it.
I wish more was posted about results instead of "WORKS GOOD." 296 was not affected by heat in the .44 and even with my standard Fed 150, -20° did not change it. There was a time I could tell you the make and whether you used a mag or standard and what powder you used by shooting your loads from your gun. I could tell the difference between H110 and 296 in your Ruger or S&W.
There was a time when any 5 shot group over 1/2" at 50 meters made me go back to the loading bench. It is harder, darn it I am 78 so you youngsters are missing something. 4227 would rot before I used it in a .44.

How long ago was it that you had the heat related problems? Seems I've read that 4227 was changed a few years ago. I have used it in 327, 357 41, 44, and 45c with no heat related problems. I don't do any rapid fire competition though, and if it is very hot out side I don't shoot much.

I have a load for a 240 swc in 44 that is above any max loads published now, but is in an older manual that is the most accurate load for a SBH Hunter that I use for deer. It did not preform well in the 327, but is acceptable in 357 and just shines in 41, 44, and 45c.

I have shot the 44 and 41 loads over a chrono and not noticed any drastic swings in velocity or pressures. But, as I said earlier, I am a fair weather shooter and I don't get in a hurry when I am at the range. The loads I use for white tail deer were developed in 70ish temps and used in winter 20-45 temps with no noticeable change in POI.

I have most of a pound of 110 that will never get used because of the narrow load range. I have used AA9 and found it OK but 4227 gave me by far the best accuracy at 100 yards in all 3 of the 40's.

The heat thing has got my curiosity up. This summer I'm gonna have to pack a cooler and go brave the heat with the chrono and see what happens. That could be a bad situation if loading max loads in mild weather and firing in summer heat.

[lolbell]

Reason I ask is all my books say 23 max for a 240/ 250 gr. Most at IHMSA used 25 and it was HOT with a 240 bullet.
The thing I remember most is all that used it did a lot of cussing on the line.

Thats the load my Super Blackhawk Hunter groups 2" at 100 yrds. No cussing from me yet!

[quail4jake]

Is that recent IMR 4227 of older than 10 years or so? I recently started using it in .357 for carbine, worked well for 180gr cast boolit. I found data for H4227 and couldn't find any so I called Hodgdon and the "tech fella" there gave me a wealth of information, including the fact that H4227 and IMR4227 became the same after which H4227 was discontinued. Most data is interchangeable but IMR4227 was changed some years ago and there are differences. Might be worth a call to Hodgdon.

[Ricochet]

Reason I ask is all my books say 23 max for a 240/ 250 gr. Most at IHMSA used 25 and it was HOT with a 240 bullet.
The thing I remember most is all that used it did a lot of cussing on the line.
I was using a 205 grain boolit. Wasn't hot.

[doc1876]

I too, and enjoying IMR 4227. I use it in my .44 sp, .45 colt, and .44-40. I have a load for it in the 45-70 for a very hot load, but am not really in the mood for that right now.
I find it shoots much cleaner than the W231, and has a real easy kick in the revolvers.

[44man]

I was using a 205 grain boolit. Wasn't hot.
Ok, explains it.

[jgh4445]

I use it to duplex my 45-70 BP cartridges when I duplex them. I've also tried the old "standby" as some call it for 45LC. I believe it was 19 or so gr under a 260 gr Keith. I was testing 231, HP38, Unique and Herco. Tried a cylinder full of 4227 loads and wasn't impressed enough to develop a favorite load for it. Now Herco is a different story!