How to use old 2400?

[Patrick L]

A friend gave me a can of older Hercules 2400 (yes Hercules, not Alliant,) probably close to 3/4 of a pound. The powder was properly stored and seems to be fine.

I have read that the burning rate of 2400 has changed slightly over the years. My standard, go-to load in the .30-06 is 18 gr Alliant 2400 and a 196 gr SAECO boolit. Depending on which manual you check, this load is a good 5 - 6 gr below max. My question is, can I burn up the old 2400 in this load without any undue concern?

[redneckdan]

Not safe to use, send it to me and I'll fertilize my back stop with it....:kidding:

[w30wcf]

Patrick,
Yes. I have found very little difference between Hercules and Alliant 2400.

Have fun!
w30wcf

[HWooldridge]

Treat like a new lot and start below max then work up.

[SierraWhiskeyMC]

Yep, just like HWooldridge sez.

But if you're not sure, I have a .44 that could use some 2400 food. :)

Curious - where did you find your load? I'm looking at an old Lyman reloading book (#45, vintage '70); its' suggested starting for a 193gr GC boolit with 2400 is 20gr for 1666 fps @25,800 CUP, max 27gr, 2040fps @32,500 CUP. They were using Win 8-1/2 primers in Winchester cases in a 26" barrel with a 1:10 twist.

[XBT]

Patrick,
Yes. I have found very little difference between Hercules and Alliant 2400.

Have fun!
w30wcf

I agree. In any case your load is moderate and safe.

[Rocky Raab]

The new powder IS different, but it won't matter with that load. All of my cans of 2400 are Hercules. I don't like the stuff in handguns at all, so the only place I use it is in 30-30 cast loads. I use 16 grains for 1975 fps under a Lee 170GC or the commercial Laser-Cast of the same design.

[1Shirt]

This is a good example of why it is great to have at least a small collection of older reloading manuals. I do believe that old 2400 is not quite up to the level (power wise) of the new 2400. Think the same is true of Unique. I load both in rifle and handgun, with a preference on 2400 for rifle and 357 mag. I load it in hornet, 30-30, 308, 06, and 45-70.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[JIMinPHX]

I've been loading old 2400 ( square metal can with the pop top). 15 grains gave me about 1800fps in a 7.63 x 39 fired from a Chinese SKS. 14 grains also worked reliably, but I didn't chrony it. Ole reported that his Yugo SKS would not cycle with 15 grains of 2400. he bumped it up to 15.5 grains & got full function. I think that his powder was fairly new. I'm not sure if the difference was him using a Yugo & me using a Chinese rifle, or the age of the powder, but from that information alone, I would back off at least 10% when working up loads with old 2400 unless you get better info from elsewhere.

[Blammer]

I too have 2 square cans with the metal pop top of 2400, I'm using it nicely in my 44 mag and loading the same loads that the current manual says.

I'm not near max and don't plan to be but it works just as good as the newer pricey stuff.. :)

[MtGun44]

I have both Alliant and Hercules 2400, use it interchangably, can tell no difference.

Bill

[454PB]

I agree on keeping those old reloading manuals.

I have some old 452AA that I'd like to use up in my 45ACP and 9mm. I dug through my collection of old manuals and found that the Speer #11 (1988) has a lot of loads for this now obsolete powder.

[Recluse]

The new powder IS different, but it won't matter with that load. All of my cans of 2400 are Hercules. I don't like the stuff in handguns at all, so the only place I use it is in 30-30 cast loads. I use 16 grains for 1975 fps under a Lee 170GC or the commercial Laser-Cast of the same design.

Pretty much in the same boat--I still have quite a bit of Hercules powder that has ben stored in cool, dry climates and it still loads and shoots dead-on as it's supposed to.

I'm not crazy about 2400 except for one particular light .44 Magnum load. After that, I like playing with it for my cast boolit loads in the long guns.

Rocky, I'm gonna have to try your 16-grain load for the 30-30. I've got that Lee 170GC flat-nose boolit.

:coffee:

[Char-Gar]

All powders will vary slightly in burning rate from lot to lot. When the first batch of Alliant 2400 hit the market it was a tad faster than the last batch of Hercules . But it was well within the lot to lot variance between lots by the same maker. Later lots of Alliant were a little closer to the last lot of Hercules

Commercial ammo makers who buy powder by the barrel, test each lot and alter the charge in their rounds to keep a consistant product velocity.

All of of this is to say, that 2400 is 2400 no matter who made it or when. When you switch lots of powder it is always smart not to go instantly for top end loads. Reduce the loads a little and work up. I never run anything at the redline so I just dump the new lot in the measure and go.

[9.3X62AL]

What Chargar said.

Alliant/Hercules 2400 has become one of my most-used propellants for cast boolit loads in rifles and magnum revolvers. It even gets some love in higher-end Special revo work and 10mm. I've gone through most of an 8# caddy in under 2 years.