44 Sbh

[EMC45]

I have found a load that seems to be pretty good. I tried H110 and Unique without much luck. Well.............. loaded up some 240 gr. Lee GC bullets over 19 gr. 2400 with a WLP primer and got nice groups with it. I am gonna cast some more of these bullets. They are nice. Maybe put meat on the table this year.

[Snapping Twig]

When you use H110/W296 (same powder) a strong and uniform crimp is the single most important factor for accuracy.

Glad you found a powder you like - nothing wrong with 2400, good stuff. :)

[44man]

NOPE, NOPE, NOPE! crimp has only a limited effect. Case tension is needed with a boolit hard enough so it is not sized when seating.
The reason 2400 worked is because it does not need to be held back as much and is the reason it was popular in the old days when dies did not do the proper job on brass.

[TCLouis]

I had issues with my SBH and had about 1200 rounds out of it without a decent shooting load. I finally dug out a can of 2400 and 19 grains with Ranch Dogs or maybe 45 2.1's 250 gr. RNFP boolit and it shooting very well.

I hadn't used any 2400 in a pistol case in years, but it was a performer here!

Bought a bran spanking new can of old 2400 from a fellow club member the other day.

How can I be sure it is "old" 2400?

It is in a Square can, that leads me to believe that it is older production!

Seal is still on the lid!

[Blammer]

I have one of those cans of 2400 too! Square metal can with the metal "pop" top. Haven't opened it yet, but am getting close to having too. :)

[EMC45]

I also found that the 2400 worked very well in my .357 Blackhawk. I loaded 13 gr. under a Lee 158gr. SWCGC with a WSP and they did great! My 2400 came in a deal from a pawn shop. There was a ton of reloading gear, powder, bullets, brass, primers etc. All new so my cans (3 1 lb) say Hercules on them. They were all sealed. I like the 2400. Elmer did too.

[Shuz]

NOPE, NOPE, NOPE! crimp has only a limited effect. Case tension is needed with a boolit hard enough so it is not sized when seating.
The reason 2400 worked is because it does not need to be held back as much and is the reason it was popular in the old days when dies did not do the proper job on brass.

44Man, Well said!
Down thru the years, it has always been much easier for me to get good groups in the .44 mag with 2400 than with H-110/296 and Wc820. I've attributed that to it's ease of ignition. Altho...if you work at it, good groups can be obtained with the others. Last week, I "lucked" into a .681" 5 shot group at 25yds with a scoped 629Classic DX and 17g of WC820, CCI-350,and RCBS 44-250-SWC. I also got a .94" group with 429421 square lube groove, and a 1.35" group with 429421 round lube groove...all with 17g of WC820. I'm trying to determine which of the 429421's and it's clones is the most accurate. So far with just a few groups shot...the jury's still out. My guess is that it will turn out to be a hung jury anyway. They are all good boolits.

[44man]

2400 is a great powder and was my standby for years until 296 came out. That does not say 2400 is out of date because it still works but is dirty and I can get higher velocities with 296 and super accuracy and lower pressure.
All that is needed is to understand the powders require different loading practices. It is harder to get 296, H110 and similar powders to work with dies that do not give case tension.
I had to dump my old RCBS dies because they didn't work.
Of all of the cheaper dies, Hornady gives me the best results. And I have special BR collar dies for the .44. A real pain to use but they do work.
2400 is better for the lighter boolits but when you step up over 300 gr's in the .44, the slower powders are better. But with case tension, the 240 gr boolits will shoot super.
Anytime you have a flier, that brass was lacking tension that the rest had. Or it could have had MORE tension then the rest depending on the POI. Less tension will give a high shot and more will give a low shot.
The ideal is to have every boolit held with the exact same tension. That is real hard to get but is the only way a revolver will group.
Of all the things that can ruin groups, uneven case tension is the worst. The only way to work around it is to use a faster powder.
2400 can save you when your dies don't do the job or your brass varies all over the place.
Don't blame yourself, there is more to it then that.
Then again, imagine how much better 2400 will work with even case tension!