2400 published load data

[280Ackley]

I see that 2400 is a very popular powder for loading midpower cartridges. I bought 4lbs this week for my 30's to try with a variety of projects this year. I have most of the load manuals published in the last 10 years and am finding very few published loads for CB's and 2400. Is there a published source for CB data other than the Lee and Lyman manuals?:confused:

[JW6108]

I have a Lyman manual from the late 50's or early 60's with a lot of 2400 data. I'll be glad to pass the info along; let me know what you have in mind. jw

[280Ackley]

Other than my 30's a 7.5 Swiss, 300 Savage and an 30-06 the three rifles I am most interested in developing CB loads for this year are a 243, 257 Bob and a 358 Winny

[JW6108]

This is what the older manual has:

.243 Win.

Bullet: 245496, 85 grain w/gc
Starting load: 11.0 grains 2400; velocity 1825
Max load: 19.0 grains 2400; velocity 2590

Bullet: 245497, 95 grain w/gc
Starting load: 11.0 grains 2400; velocity 1775
Max load: 18.5 grains 2400; velocity 2430


.257 Roberts

Bullet: 257463, 75 grain w/gc
Starting load: 14.0 grains 2400; velocity 2070
Max load: 18.0 grains 2400; velocity 2500

Bullet: 257388, 80 grain w/gc
Starting load: 14.0 grains 2400; velocity 2080
Max load: 18.0 grains 2400; velocity 2450

Bullet: 257312, 85 grain w/gc
Starting load: 14.0 grains 2400; velocity 2050
Max load: 19.0 grains 2400; velocity 2520

Bullet: 257464, 90 grain w/gc
Starting load: 14.0 grains 2400; velocity 2040
Max load: 20.0 grains 2400; velocity 2500

Bullet: 257418, 100 grain w/gc
Starting load: 14.0 grains 2400; velocity 2000
Max load: 20.0 grains 2400; velocity 2450


.358 Winchester

Bullet: 358315, 200 grain w/gc
Starting load: 18.0 grains 2400; velocity 1560
Max load: 28.5 grains 2400; velocity 2270

Bullet: 358318, 250 grain w/gc
Starting load: 17.0 grains 2400; velocity 1500
Max load: 26.5 grains 2400; velocity 2050


From the 45th Edition of the Lyman Handbook:

.243 Winchester: no cast bullet data using 2400

.257 Roberts

Bullet: 257420, 69 grain w/gc
Starting load: 14.0 grains 2400; velocity 1990
Max load: 16.0 grains 2400; velocity 2195

Bullet: 257312, 90 grain w/gc
Starting load: 11.0 grains 2400; velocity 1525
Max load: 15.0 grains 2400; velocity 1950

Bullet: 257418, 100 grain w/gc
Starting load: 12.0 grains 2400; velocity 1530
Max load: 15.0 grains 2400; velocity 1860

.358 Winchester

Bullet: 358315, 206 grain w/gc
Starting load: 21.0 grains 2400; velocity 1587
Max load: 27.0 grains 2400; velocity 2016

Bullet: 358318, 247 grain w/gc
Starting load: 20.0 grains 2400; velocity 1595
Max load: 26.0 grains 2400; velocity 1872

Maybe this will get you started. Good luck. jw

[Char-Gar]

2400 is a great cast bullet powder. My favorite in fact. In most 30 caliber rifles (30-30,308,30-40,300 sav, 30-06 etc.) you will find happyness is the 14 to 18 grain range. When velocites get past 1.8 -1.9 K or so, you will be better off using a medium to slow burning powder. In the 30s I like:

Unique for 1 to 1.5 K fps loads
2400 for 1.4 to 1.8 K loads
4895 or 3031 for 1.8K to 2.4 K fps loads.

Then there is WC872 which does wonderful things in some cast bullet cartridges and loads and bad things in others. It is a powder that is hard to codify.

[280Ackley]

Thank you both. It is really nice to find a place where someone new to a sport can get the kind of support that I see here. The cast community is a very generous one with it's time.

[Grapeshot]

I've got a 1974 eddition of the Lyman reloading manual. It gave a charge of 42 grains of 2400 under a 500 grain .458 bullet in a .45-70 for the Ruger #1.

I fired that load in my Navy Arms Rolling Block Rifle. The gun held together, the brass flowed and left a ring around the head/case junction. Needed to litterally kick the breech block's tang to get the breech to open and extract the case. I'd say that the load was a might to much for the Remington brass. I was in my early twenties and was led to believe that all loading data published by the reloading manufacturers was accurate.

I'm not as trusting now.

[RayinNH]

You're lucky, a Rolling Block rifle is no Ruger #1. I'll bet that recoil was a might stiff...Ray

[Rocky Raab]

Others pooh-pooh this, but I am absolutely convinced that today's 2400 is not the same as the 2400 of the 1930s. All the other components have changed, too: primers, cases and bullets. It cannot be disputed that the methods used to measure pressure are very different, and more accurate now. So I wouldn't use data that's more than a few years old with any powder, and especially with 2400.

[johnly]

I agree. I believe the current product has a slightly faster burn rate.

John

[gon2shoot]

2400 is a great powder, I can build decent loads for almost everything I shoot with it.
my start point is usually 11gr, in 30 cal stuff.

[barrabruce]

Can some-one please give me some 2400 loads for 30-30.
150's 165's 182's.

Not sure how low I can go with this powder with out a wad of some kind ..or not recomended at all.
I have tried 10 -12 grains with the 180's plain cast no gas check.
Not sure of velocities thou...
Any help muchly appreciated as I'm fly'n by the seat of my pants at the moment.


Thinking of around 1100 fps if possible and upwards to what ever.
In all or any of these weights

Any help appreciated.
Bruce

[cephas53]

Howdy, Please realize I'm a rank amateur here compared to most of the posters on this board. I've been working with a Win. 30-30 carbine for awhile now, and here is some of my findings with 2400. With Lyman 31141, 170gr, gas checked, tuft of dacron over powder, BAC lube, I found 15.0 grs averaged 1691 over my chrono. Then went to IMR powder for this load. Did more work with Lyman 311008, 115 gr plain base, dacron used with BAC lube. Approaching 14.0 grs I've noted velocity average 1700. Settled on 10.5 grs that averaged just a tad over 1400. Alloy was half wheel weights and lead. Good luck and would appreciate hearing what you find out.

[barrabruce]

Thanks. the only thing I know is 150'-180's Plain cast 10-13 grns 2400
Gas checked 13-16 grains.
I'm new to this game too.
I did try 10 then 9-8-7 grains. Unburnt powder no filling. Theink the velocities where in the 6-800 fps range (gesstimated..2 " low 100 but 6 inches high at 50yds) seated with a good clearance to the throat.
From 9 -12 grains so far burn is clean. No idea of velocity but I can hear the bang then the thump as the bullet his the target at 100 yrds.With 182 Lee rnd nose alox lubed no gas check. mostly in a 2" ish group in my gun so far.

Still looking thou.

Bruce

[leadman]

2400 is not real good as the small charge weights you were using. For the low velocity loads I have had better results with a faster powder like Unique or Blue Dot.

[barrabruce]

Hmm yeah I think that I won't be going under about 11 grains for the 2400 in the 30-30.

I have found an Alliant booklet2005 editioin.
30-30 Silhouette loads
152 cast lead 16 grs 1650 fps 33.3 CUP
170 Rem SPCL 16 grns 1500 fps 34.7 CUP

Barra

[Old Ironsights]

2400 is a great cast bullet powder. My favorite in fact. In most 30 caliber rifles (30-30,308,30-40,300 sav, 30-06 etc.) you will find happyness is the 14 to 18 grain range. When velocites get past 1.8 -1.9 K or so, you will be better off using a medium to slow burning powder. In the 30s I like:

Unique for 1 to 1.5 K fps loads
2400 for 1.4 to 1.8 K loads
4895 or 3031 for 1.8K to 2.4 K fps loads.

Then there is WC872 which does wonderful things in some cast bullet cartridges and loads and bad things in others. It is a powder that is hard to codify.

That's about the way I see it too.

I use 18gr in my 9.3x72R - a load I copped from Lyman 47 for the 38-55.

[Char-Gar]

"I've got a 1974 eddition of the Lyman reloading manual. It gave a charge of 42 grains of 2400 under a 500 grain .458 bullet in a .45-70 for the Ruger #1."..Grapeshot

Grapeshot-- That load is clearly way way over the top and Lyman doesn't make those kinds of mistakes, so i dug out the books from that period.

Lyman No. 45 (1970) give a max charge of 30/2400/482 GC and 26/2400/552 GC (Win. 86 loads)
Lyman No. 46 (1982) give a max charge of 34/2400/332 PBHP and 28/2400/464 PB (Ruger loads)

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook (1973) gives a max charge 27.5/2400/482 PB
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook (1980) gives a max charge of 27/2400/482 PB (Ruger section)

These are the only Lyman books from 1970 to 1983. I have every Lyman loading book as far back as 1932.

I don't know where you got that 42/2400/500 load, but it was not from Lyman, nor do I believe any other reliable published source. I wonder if you fliped those numbers from 24 to 42. I have a form of dislexia that flips numbers in a series and I wonder if that is what happened to you.

I have to write down hotel rooms, phone numbers, hospital rooms and powder charges and then double check. I will flip the numbers and swear that is what I read...not!

Anyway... Lyman should not eat the ofal on this one.

[Char-Gar]

"Others pooh-pooh this, but I am absolutely convinced that today's 2400 is not the same as the 2400 of the 1930s. All the other components have changed, too: primers, cases and bullets. It cannot be disputed that the methods used to measure pressure are very different, and more accurate now. So I wouldn't use data that's more than a few years old with any powder, and especially with 2400. "......Rocky

Rocky... I can't say anything about the 2400 powder from the 30's as I was not loading back then. In fact I was not even breathing.

But I was breathing and loading in the late 50's and early 60's and shot a lot of Hercules 2400 from that era. There is no significant difference from the Alliant 2400 made today.

When the first batch of Alliant 2400 came out it was indeed a hair hotter than the last batch of Herculese 2400. But, the difference was not more than the differences that occur from, batch ot batch of smokless powder. Ammo maker buy in very large amounts and test each lot as it comes in and adjust their loading charges to maintain uniform ballistics.

This is why loading books have "starting loads".

Subsequent lots of Alliant 2400 are will within the burning rate of Hercules 2400 as it has been made for generations.

Primers are a different story. The primers of today and the primers of the 30's are different chemical compounds. However there is not enough diffrence between the primers of the 60 and the primers of today to make change on. Yes, there will vary a little from maker to maker and from lot to lot, but they have always done that.

[Pepe Ray]

Chargar;
Thanks for this expose. I've been ransacking my library ,trying to confirm this 'misinformation".
I can find no Lyman 1974 Ed. The 47th Ed. did give some Ruger loads w/2400 but the only set of numbers that would cause a dyslexic this value of error would be a starting load of 24.0gr. under the 500 gr #457125 boolet.
It all makes sense now.
I shiver, thinking how often this kind of error takes place.
Thanks again.
Pepe Ray

[Old Ironsights]

Just that Dyslexia could be why they dropped 2400 for the 45-70 (and a bunch of others) between 47 & 49... Any cartridge case that would allow a number inversion/volume increase of that magnatude was asking for a lawsuit... unfortunately.

I bought 49 and was terribly dissappointed when my favorite 2400 loads were missing. Glad I kept 47 as a "backup".

[Newtire]

I see that 2400 is a very popular powder for loading midpower cartridges. I bought 4lbs this week for my 30's to try with a variety of projects this year. I have most of the load manuals published in the last 10 years and am finding very few published loads for CB's and 2400. Is there a published source for CB data other than the Lee and Lyman manuals?:confused:

Since noone else mentioned Carpetman Ray's famous .243 load here, I'll do it.
12.5 grains 2400 and the RCBS 95 grain boolit. Groups close right up with that combo.

[Beaverhunter2]

"I've got a 1974 eddition of the Lyman reloading manual. It gave a charge of 42 grains of 2400 under a 500 grain .458 bullet in a .45-70 for the Ruger #1."..Grapeshot

Grapeshot-- That load is clearly way way over the top and Lyman doesn't make those kinds of mistakes, so i dug out the books from that period.

Lyman No. 45 (1970) give a max charge of 30/2400/482 GC and 26/2400/552 GC (Win. 86 loads)
Lyman No. 46 (1982) give a max charge of 34/2400/332 PBHP and 28/2400/464 PB (Ruger loads)

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook (1973) gives a max charge 27.5/2400/482 PB
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook (1980) gives a max charge of 27/2400/482 PB (Ruger section)

These are the only Lyman books from 1970 to 1983. I have every Lyman loading book as far back as 1932.

I don't know where you got that 42/2400/500 load, but it was not from Lyman, nor do I believe any other reliable published source. I wonder if you fliped those numbers from 24 to 42. I have a form of dislexia that flips numbers in a series and I wonder if that is what happened to you.

I have to write down hotel rooms, phone numbers, hospital rooms and powder charges and then double check. I will flip the numbers and swear that is what I read...not!

Anyway... Lyman should not eat the ofal on this one.

I realize this is an old thread but I'm bumping it back up because there are a lot of new reloaders/casters these days. With all due respect, the gentleman that put a Ruger #1 load in a Remington Rolling Block is lucky his gun didn't explode and take his face with it. There are certain calibers that have different loads based on the type of gun they are to be fired in- and 45/70 probably has the largest spread. Be CERTAIN that the load you are making is appropriate for the type of gun, and that they don't get used by someone else in a weaker action. A load for a modern lever action 45/70 is not safe in trapdoor and rolling block-type actions; and those loads that are acceptable in Ruger #1's and modern bolt actions are not safe in lever action rifles.

Be safe!

John

[1006]

I used 17.0 2400 with a 165 grain cast bullet in the 30-30, and got 1840fps out of a 16” Winchester 94. The bullet left a little lead in the bore. So, I dropped down to 15.5 2400 for about 1700fps. 15.5 seems to be the sweet spot for me with Cast 165’s and Berry Plated Bullets weighing 150. I have used between 14.5 and 17.0 2400 with good results in the 30-30.

Sorry just noticed this thread is very old. I will leave my post....

[Beaverhunter2]

Thanks, 1006!

I just picked up 8lb of 2400. I've used it a little before and will obviously be using it a lot more. Your 30-30 data is helpful to me (and others, I'm sure)!

[imashooter2]

If you have Alliant manuals, check the silhouette section.

[Old School Big Bore]

Several "general loading" books such as Nonte's, Grennell's and the NRA's have sections on light loads. I learned handloading from Grennell's ABCs and Nonte's "Modern Handloading" and "Handloading for Handgunners" as well as the NRA "Reloading", and all those have light load data, mostly with Unique and 2400, plus some good data with the SR powders.
I'd list off mine, but my loading log dating from 1975 to 2014 was lost in a move and I've had to start over from scratch.
Ed <><

[Krag 1901]

In my .308 and .30-40 I've found 2400 to be very effective at higher than the "starting load" in .30s of 16.0 gr . I found increasing the grains up a few makes a lot of accuracy difference. I've seen this effect also with 4198 and call it "getting on the step" where a one gr increase adds a lot to velocity and accuracy. I attribute this to finding an effective pressure where the powder burns more consistently.
Some of the data I've recovered lists pressure tested loads way over what I'm using so I feel comfortable with my testing so far.