Alliant Steel

[sargenv]

I sort of wonder if you can get enough Steel into a 9mm to make it work. I have a bit of an older bulky slow burning powder called AL-8. There is data for it in the 357, 41, and 44 magnums but nothing for the smaller capacity cases. I suspect Alliant Steel will be similar when it comes to the 9mm, 40 S&W, and even 38 Super (The Super in particular since a lot of the usual 38 Super powders have been hard to find locally). 20 grains of steel with a 7/8 oz slug will likely result in a poof load. Most of the steel shot I am loading with Steel generally starts out in the high 30 gr loads for a 1 ounce shot charge. Loading light paylods with very slow powder will generally result in something that does not have enough pressure to burn right. Case in point.. I made up a 6 - 00 buck load with Blue Dot.. I used the data for the 1 1/8 oz load (9 pellets) for the 6 pellet load (3/4 oz). When fired, the pellets barely made it out of the barrel and they were going so slow that I was able to track their path to the berm I was firing at..

[Pinsnscrews]

Mike McNett of Double Tap has posted some 10mm loadings over at GlockTalk using Alliant Steel

For those of you using Beartooth WFN 200gr. bullets:
With each load, you should drop 1gr and work up:
Starline brass CCI 350primers 1.26"OAL 35F 5000ft
12.0gr. STEEL - 1380fps 6"KKM
12.5gr STEEL - 1396fps 6"KKM
13.0gr.STEEL - 1410fps 6"KKM
11.5gr STEEL - 1232fps G20

COL was 1.26in, CCI Large Pistol Magnum primers, once fired Starline brass, and Precision 220gr bullets
10.5gr STEEL PB220 - 1226fps 6"KKM
11.0gr STEEL PB220 - 1257fps 6"KKM
11.5gr STEEL PB220 - 1291fps 6"KKM
12.0gr STEEL PB220 - 1301fps 6"KKM

(Speer Gold Dots)
155gr GDHP 11.5gr STEEL - 1183fps (6"KKM)
155gr GDHP 12.5gr STEEL - 1394fps (6"KKM)
155gr.GDHP 13.0gr STEEL - 1425fps (6"KKM)

[beex215]

nice info. ive only used steel for 12g so far. i wondered what it could do in other calibers.

[Kevinkd]

Hey all. The below loads seemed FINE in my guns, but may not be in yours. The below is for information purposes only.

I've got a lb of Steel that I was wondering what to do with. So looking at everything I could online (I'm a sponge for information LOL), I came up with (in a 38 spcl case used in my smith 686):

7.2gr Steel pushing Lee 105gr SWC lubed with 45-45-10. Accuracy was OK, but could be better. Shot about 50, noted that quite a high percentage of empties has soot on outside of case (kinda indicates low pressure since they were very light to shoot). Also primers looked like I had just seated them (ie zero pressure signs). I dont want to crimp any further than I do or it may strip boolit.

I loaded up another 50 with 8.0gr and will see if they do any better this weekend.

As a side note, I loaded about twenty 45-70 cases using 20gr of Steel pushing a 340gr boolit and though they had a nice little kick, was minimal signs of pressure and shot pretty decently. May have to chrony them when weather is nicer. They did kick much more than the Trail boss loads I compared them too, but thats Trail boss LOL (powder puff loads). Shot out of an H&R buffalo rifle and a Henry lever gun.

[PWS]

I've been playing around a bit with STEEL in my guns. Around here, 2400 and H110/W296 are about as common as bugs in the chicken coop so running magnum handguns up to spec can be tough.

Shot a quick, 5-shot each, ladder this morning in my 4 1/4" S&W 69 .44 Magnum:

Accurate #43-240G, 238grFN, 19Bhn, lubed with TAC1, sized 0.431" in Star lubesizer, loaded to 1.635"OAL, WW Super brass, CCI350 (have a ton on hand)

STEEL 13gr - 1183.8avg 2.52%cv*
14gr - 1245.4 2.50
15gr - 1311.6 3.50
16gr - 1305.8 1.87, muzzle flash
17gr - 1318.8 2.19, muzzle flash

*"CV" - coefficient of variation, calculated by dividing the standard deviation by the mean. By doing so, it gives an easier to compare representation of the standard deviation's size relative to the mean. In pistols, I've found a cv of 1.50% or less to represent a consistent load and I don't think I've recorded anything less than 0.50%. Anything more than about 3% is quite variable and load with a difference of 5% is obvious in recoil, report, point of impact etc. The point of this is that in my recent tests, these loads with STEEL were not very consistent. Not giving up on it yet - don't have much choice around here!

[PWS]

Here is more data from tests this winter:

.358 Winchester, 22" Ruger M77MkII SS

MiHec 360640 (single GG and CG) 146gr PB HP, sized 0.359", 11Bhn, TAC1, necked up F-C .308 brass, S&B LRP, 2.460"OAL - result of one five shot group at 50yds

STEEL
8gr - 1139.4avg 2.84cv* 8moa, good bore
10gr - 1393 1.03 3moa, good bore
12gr - 1595.6 1.22 2.8moa, trace of bore leading
14gr - 1717.8 1.13 3.5moa, light bore leading

Funny enough, velocities were almost exactly the same as 2 grains less of 700X per load but accuracy was much better. Same charges of 800X produced slightly more velocity and no better accuracy.

Tried the same ladder with:

MiHec 360650 FN (single GG and CG), 152gr, 8Bhn, 0.360", 50/50lube, necked up F-C .308 brass, S&B LRP, 2.460"OAL - result of one five shot group at 50yds

STEEL:
8gr - 1095.6 5.60* 1.5moa, perfect bore
10gr - 1184.8 4.95 2.6moa, perfect bore
12gr - 1355 9.96 1.8moa, perfect bore
14gr - 1591.8 3.86 3.5moa, light bore leading

I believe the terrible consistency was due to poor powder dispensing.

* see post 105

[PWS]

And more, this from a 24" Winchester M70 SS .30-06

RCBS 30-180SP, 0.310", gas checked, 18Bhn, White Label CR, F-C Brass, S&B LRP, 3.170" - results of one five shot group at 50yds

STEEL:

14gr - 1533.4 1.63* 4moa, HANG FIRES, good bore
16gr - 1658.6 0.54 3moa, HANG FIRES, good bore
18gr - 1808.3 2.20 1.2moa, good bore
20gr - 1900.4 1.19 1.8moa, good bore

Rifle liked the 18gr load. Lighter loads were hanging fire - NOT GOOD.

*see post 105

[PWS]

And more!

.458Win Mag JGS (tight throat) 22" 1-18twist PacNor

Accurate #46-396BG, 400gr GCFN, 0.459", 28Bhn, White Label CR, Assorted brass, S&B LRP, 3.090"oal - result of one five shot group at 50 yards

STEEL:

18gr - 1261.7 2.04cv* 2.5moa, HANG FIRE, over lube (bore has dusty, greasy look, especially near throat)
20gr - 1357.7 2.00 3moa, HANG FIRE, over lube
22gr - 1407.3 1.96 2.5moa, HANG FIRE, over lube
24gr - 1517.3 1.03 3.5moa, Good bore, a bit dirty
26gr - 1566.3 1.51 1.5moa, Good bore, a bit dirty

* see post 105

[PWS]

A few speculations regarding STEEL is that it does not appear to like a lot of airspace as evident by the hang fires in the larger cases - '06 and .458. Did not try magnum primers and probably won't.

It also appears to be well behaved when subjected to increasing pressures and not "spikey". I do find it interesting that in the .44 Magnum, the two loads with a bit of compression also gave a big muzzle flash. Perhaps compressed loads should be avoided and 100% density is best?

STEEL does not meter well but my old Lyman 55 with the square sliding bar handles it well enough to meter loads. Diligence with tapping and stroking at the powder measure resulted in consistent charge weights but you certainly can't slop out a bunch of loads like ball powder.

I would prefer Unique or Universal for my plinking and dinking rifle loads and H110/W296 for top performance pistol loads but don't have a choice right now. I have more tests lined up with STEEL and will report my findings.

Of course, all the above is for informational purposes only. I am not a professional nor are these tests professionally monitored!!!

[PWS]

And one last ladder for the moment, this in a 7 1/2" Freedom Arms .454 Casull

Beartooth 340gr LFNGC, 21Bhn, Blue lube, .452", F-A brass, Fed205, 1.740" OAL - result of one five shot group at 50 yards

STEEL:

12gr - 1070.6 1.06cv* 10moa
14gr - 1177.5 2.57 6moa
16gr - 1289.2 1.23 5moa

Being completely uncharted waters, I did not go any higher than 16 grains. The load appears on the mild side but the velocity jump was significant and sufficient so I stopped there.

* see post 105

[Bill*B]

STEEL - the more I play with it the more cautious I have become. In my .30-30 with 180 grain bullets it seemed just as Alliant advertised - a burn rate about midway between Blue Dot and #2400 (as judged by velocity). However, the very same lot, in my newly acquired .358 Winchester, with 240 grain bullets, is entirely different! In the .358, the velocity it provides is almost exactly what QuickLoad predicts from Herco! I would start low, and work up carefully with this powder.

[bruce drake]

STEEL data for the group

400 Corbon fired in a 1911 with a 5" barrel
8.4gr STEEL with 140gr Lee SWC. Accuracy at 25 yards was excellent. brass was CCI SP 45ACP reformed brass
6.4gr STEEL with 180 Lee TC good accuracy but case mouths were sooty.

7.62x54R
14.5gr STEEL with LEE 200gr RN. Good plinker for 100yds. Cartridge was russian surplus berdan-primed steel cases. Fired in a Russian M44 carbine.

Perhaps more tests in the future

[OnHoPr]

I have used Steel for the 12 ga for turkey, buckshot, and slugs. I also used it for the 30-30. I never got around to messing with .2 grain increments though. Starting to get over 13 gr I started noticing a little stickiness on ejection and the primers were starting to show. This was in a 94. I can't remember which dipper, but I would just Lee dip them to charge the case for my pizza box deer cut out targets for before season warming up the ole trigger finger with them. I think it was about 11 or 12 gr and they shot fine for that purpose.



This was at 100 yd. I was also checking on barrel heat up scenarios. After my barrel heats up it tends to creep up and to the right just a smidgen. I don't know, barrel, barrel bands, stock, something, its only a 94.

[quickshot]

has anyone tried Steel with the .223 Remington and jacketed bullets?

[PAndy]

I tried a few 30-30 loads today. no standard deviations, just some test rounds over the chrono. Alliant Steel, 150 gr plated bullets. comparing to 2400 for velocities.

13.0 gr 1675 fps
14.0 gr 1744 fps
14.5 gr 1794 fps
15.0 gr 1845 fps primers starting to flatten, extracted fine

That's 'faster' than 2400 for sure, as others have noted. previous sessions with this rifle , 26" barrel
2400 17.5 gr .....1800fps same 150 bullet
2400 15.0 gr ...1670 fps

One other load from today's session is relevant (to me):
h4198 20.3 gr with 150 plated...1870 fps similar speed to 15.0 gr of STEEL
but of course this 4198 load is lower pressure.