2400 in '06

[Newtire]

I suppose this is old stuff around here but new stuff to me. I loaded up a batch of .30-06 to just engrave the rifling in my M-70. I loaded 20 from 3-different brands of cases. 10, 5 & 5. Used 19 gr. 2400, the 311407 group buy mould bullet sized .310", Remington LR Primers. Man...that is one good shooting load. No recoil to speak of and the Federals & Winchesters shot to the same place. The Lake City 68 brass put em just 1/2" higher. These were all in .62"-.73" @ 50yds. Time to move out to 100 with these.

[NVcurmudgeon]

Newtire, I am not familiar with the boolit you are using, but I shoot 2400 almost exclusively in my NRA Sporter Springfield. My favorite mould is Lyman 314299, and I am just starting to experiment with 311466. Like yours, my .30/06 shoots so well at 50 yd. that I have to shoot 100 yd. groups to be able to tell any difference between great loads and merely good ones!

[Char-Gar]

I have been shooting cast bullets over 2400 in the 30-06 for the past six months. It gives excellent accuracy, fully equal or better than any other I have used.

my theory tell me that it isn't the best powder to push the bullet much more than 1.8K fps, but I have not tried it yet to test the theory.

[Patrick L]

I shoot NRA Highpower (100 yd reduced course, cause 100 yds is all my club has) and for the past 10 years have shot my 03A3 with cast lead bullets. I settled on 18 gr of 2400 as my match load.

I used the Lyman 311644 bullet for several years, but switched to the SAECO 196 gr (not sure of the #, maybe 301?) due to its easier casting qualities. I will substitute a Lyman 311041 in a pinch for a practice load if my supply of match bullets is running low, and the poi is close enough that I don't worry about it.

I like powders that serve many needs. That way I can buy larger quantities of fewer powders. 2400 does my '06 cast loads, magnum pistol (which I shoot very little of anyway) and my .410 skeet loads.

[Bass Ackward]

my theory tell me that it isn't the best powder to push the bullet much more than 1.8K fps, but I have not tried it yet to test the theory.


Please report your findings when you do test.

[Newtire]

NV Curmudgeon & Chargar,
The bullet 311407 is like a Loverin design with the nose flattened out. We had a group buy on it last year. I have been having really good luck with it in .30-06 and .30-30 both.

I see some guy say he uses 25 grains of 2400 with it in .30-06. I'm thinking that may be too much of a good thing with that powder as far as being too much pressure for the bullet--still looks like a safe load though. You never know until you try it.

I have that 150-ish gr. 311466 too and it's a real shooter with around 21-23 gr. of the medium powders like 4198 speed. I never tried to push it faster and never tried 2400 in it. I know it is the most accurate 150 grainer I've shot in my '06. I would like to try the longer brother of that 311466 (311467) as that seems like it would be a good one.

Will have to work on '06 loads. Just about got enough great loads for .30-30's! Keep us posted on that 2400!

[KCSO]

16.5 of 2400 and a 165 gr cast bullet + 1 1/2" in my Springfield Sporter consistantly!

[Will]

20gr with Lyman 311291 gets MOA in my 03

[9.3X62AL]

I agree with Patrick L's take on the powder-for-many-venues capability of 2400. It gets A LOT of use for cast boolit loads in several rifle calibers, has been a stand-up fuel for cast magnum revolver rounds for years, and does fine work in my 410 bore 3" shotshells too. Herco is another versatile fuel for all three platform types, too--EXCELLENT in field load shotshells, not bad in mid-range revolver loads either. 2400 trumps it for rifle work, but it would serve well I'm sure. In all shotshell gauges I load, Herco (12 through 28 gauge) and 2400 are all I use these days.

[GooseGestapo]

I'm probably the one who posted 25.0gr of #2400 in the .30/06.

I have an older Lyman manual that lists 20.0gr a starting load, and 27.0gr as max with 155-170gr bullets.
But, my experience is that above 25.0gr accuracy begins to fall off. I was using this with the Lee .309-155GC, which is a pointed bullet with a high BC (for a cast bullet), and I was using it to hunt deer, so I worked up the load to flatten the trajectory in improve terminal performance. (It worked !!). But, initial loading of 20.0gr as a "reference standard" was most accurate (accuracy tested at 50yds). The higher loading often does better at 100yds due to less sensitivity to wind gusts.

I have a "Handloader" publication that was a reprint of articles on bullet casting from the late 60's to mid 70's. One of the authors was part of a bench-rest group that shot only cast bullets.

The 20.0gr load with the Lyman #311284 was his choice, and with a '03 Springfield and a bull bbl, he routinely got sub-moa at 100yds, and won matches against all comers. But he did go into length on "wind doping"!

I've since not shot anything else through the '06 with cast bullets. For higer velocities with cast bullets, I use the .30/30 as a "dedicated" cast bullet gun because you can use same powders and charges as jacketed bullets, only with the cast bullets getting ~100fps higher velocities, and often better accuracy.