Alliant Steel

[Bullshop]

From what I have seen with it its very flexable and very predictable.
Flexable because it seems to burn well at a wide pressure range.
Predictable because it seems to build pressure at a proportional rate with charge increase. No spikes even when pushed hard.
I mentioned that it has become a favorite in 357 mag. In a Ruger Bisley 357 mag I am shooting 13gn Steel with the 200gn RCBS rifle boolit. It is a stout load and maybe too stout for some guns. The Ruger Bisley 357 uses the same cylinder as the 44 mag so has very thick chamber walls. Its good in my Ruger but a bit too much for my Marlin 1894 357 mag. Wierd hugh!

[runfiverun]

it's my main powder for steel shotshells.
i don't recall shooting behind everything once the temps dropped.
i did use the cci mag primer in my load work-ups however.

[blaser.306]

Thinking out loud here , I wonder what it would be like in the 357 max with a 200 gr RCBS boolit on top?

[brotherdarrell]

brotherdarrell

[Bullshop]

Today I maxed out the load for the 22/250 55gn CBE boolit at 15gn. The 1/2gn increase over the 14.5 from yesterday opened the group by 50%. Also I am just beginning to see a slight crator around the fireing pin indent so think thats about it right there. This does show the smooth predictable pressure I had mentioned where some powders of this type will suddenly spike when pushed to the top. The bhn on these boolits is about 15 so maybe a harder alloy would have hung in there right to the end but for this rifle with this boolit and alloy 14.5gn was the best load. Now I will have to chrono the load.
I know its no sloutch because I was hitting a RR tie plate at 300 yards and was enjoying the sound of a very solid SMACK!!! and watch the tie plate do a little dance.

[hithard]

What do you all think of 20gr. of steel pushing a 200gr ranch dog with gas check in 338 federal as a starting load?

[Bullshop]

[Bullshop]

What do you all think of 20gr. of steel pushing a 200gr ranch dog with gas check in 338 federal as a starting load?

Sounds about right. I have some 30/40 Kraig loaded with a Lyman spitzer boolit of 175gn and 20gn to try next.

[Bullshop]

I shot the 30/40 today with the 20gn Steel and 175gn Lyman boolit. I was pleased with it. I didnt try to shoot groups because my range faces south and when I started shooting the sun was dead center in line with the target.
Shooting an apiture rear sight with a brass bead front was not going to work for group shooting.
Instead I just played with 100, 200, 300, yard steel gongs. Great fun for a little bit but not very challanging.
The 200 yard is about 12" square and the 300 is about 16"x30". Once I got the hold right it was too easy.
Hope to try that load under better group shooting conditions.
Anyway there are a couple starters for whoever was interested in trying the Alliant Steel powder.

[brotherdarrell]

Thank you sir, you information has been invaluable.

brotherdarrell

[felix]

I am interested, Dan! Keep adding 1/2 grains until you get a clean burn or when primer flattens properly. That outside group caused by the mag primer is the point of interest. Its ignition is setting up a way different vibe. ... felix

[Bullshop]

I forgot to mention that I have been throwing not weighing charges.
Felix
The mag primer I used was the Fed #215 the magnum of all mag primers. Its use was for no other reason than it being the closest mag primer at hand when I was loading. For others I would have to have left the shop and gone to a storage area.
The Fed 215 being what it is I am not surprised it made such a change in barrel harmonics.
It may well prove to be the most accurate but with the price difference between mag and standard primers today I dont want to go that rout. I have often found that I can get the same results by adding a grain or so of powder so would rather explore that first.

[Bullshop]

I got to do some chronographing yesterday but wouldnt you know I forgot to bring the 22/250 DRATS!!!
Anyway here are some numbers with the 30/40 and 30/06
30/40 is a model 1899 sporter,
boolit for both is the Lyman 311413 175gn @ .313" alloy 6/1 WW/Monotype quenched apx BHN-20
30/40 load is 21gn Steel thrown not weighed,
5 shots- 2024, 2027, 2062, 2045, 2068
30/06 loadis 25gn Steel thrown not weighed,
9 shots 2340. 2195, 2346, 2223, 2257, 2206, 2211, 2214, 2224
For some reason the first part of the string for the 30/06 was giving a wide velocity spread maybe due to throwing not weighing charges or possibly bore conditioning. It started with a clean oiled bore. The 30/06 load was max in this rifle but grouped fairely well. I think about 23.5gn would be best for this 30/06 rifle a 1943 03A3 two groove.
I hope to get the 22/250 chronoed soon.

[Shiloh]

I asked a fellow who has talked about it. He uses it in 10 ga. only. No cast boolit applications.

SHiloh

[brotherdarrell]

Gave it a shot today in a 7x57 w/NOE hunter boolit.

50 & 100 yds. Shows some promise


This stuff is fluffier than Trailboss

brotherdarrell

[NYBushBro]

I'm looking forward to someone trying this stuff in a 30-30... could be very interesting!

[sargenv]

One more thing to add.. I've been using Steel for loading 10 gauge hunting ammo for the last couple of years.. something I noticed tonight.. it doesn't seem to leave a whole lot of unburned powder granuals anywhere except a little in the barrel.. When I was loading Blue Dot, Longshot, et al for my 12 gauge, it seemed that after a few hunting outings, the gun would gunk up and stop working.. I've hunted about a dozen times this season, probably 10-12 boxes of shells and just did a tear down this evening and was actually quite surprised at the lack of ash, soot, or unburned powder in the action, on the bolt, or basically anywhere.. anyway, just wanted to put that out there.. Firearm in question is a Light 10, Gold Hunter.

[brotherdarrell]

I was able to shoot the 17 gr. load in the 7x57 over the chronograph this morning. I kept having trouble keeping the sky screens on so was unable to get a lot of readings, but I found them interesting.

NOE 7mm hunter - 1980, 1969,1960,1968
accuracy was same as above pics @ 100 yds

Lee soupcan - 2074,2064,2081,2070,2059
accuracy was horrible, about 3" @ 100 yds

An interesting observation was that cases formed from Winchester brass showed primers very slightly flattened and Fed cases were very flat. I am guessing I am pushing max and will try lower charge weights next trip.

All charges were weighed on scale.

brotherdarrell

[cylinderman]

I have several 30-30s both lever action and contender barrels. I only shoot cast in them and will be testing this powder. I am a big fan of Blue Dot in pistol cartridges even though it is a little dirty and a bit touchy on the top end, so this may have some promise there too. And I won't leave out the 30 and 357 Herrett. Might be a little bit though range is one nasty place right now

[brotherdarrell]

I ran some more loads from the 7mm and 30-06 today over the chrono.

The -06 load was 18.2 gr weighed and the 165 gr. RD from NOE and WLR primer. Average over 11 shots was 1877 fps with a low of 1844 and a high of 1911 fps.


The 7mm was the NOE hunter mold and WLR primer:

13 gr. - 1834,1819,1820,1823,1853
14 gr. - 1927,1921,1908,1899,1938
15 gr. - 1997,2003,2016,2002,2002
16 gr. - 2100,2087,2026,2070,2091

I attribute the higher velocities versus those from previous post due to these loads using a different lot of primers. The 15 and 16 gr. loads were starting to show a little flattening of the primer but extraction was easy.

brotherdarrell