Ed, you replied to a really old thread! I shot 18 grains of Alliant 2400 with the RCBS 270 SAA and settled back to 17.5 grains for my hunting load, which is plenty for me. I tried some Accurate #9, thought it had a sharper recoil impulse than 2400? hc18flyer
It is an old thread, huh?! I didn't notice lol. I've never used Accurate #9 but I have noticed that 2400 has a very managable recoil impulse with it. I like it. I've been loading 2400 in 44 mag since back in Elmer Ketith days when he was writing. I worked it all the way up to 22.0 grains in my Ruger with Keith boolits and...like you, I thought it was too much so I wound up settling on 18.0 grains in 44 mag and that gives me 1287 fps in my 7.5" barrel. That's enough for almost anything!
That's why it seemed like a good idea for that 45 Colt too. I havent chroney'd the 18.0 gr in 45 colt yet, or 17.5 actually. I will this summer.
I remember attempting to work up some loads for my Colt New Service using 2400 pushing a Lyman 454424. Not very accurate until it got up to more pressure than I wanted to subject the New Service to.
If you have a strong Ruger, then you will likely start finding accuracy once you get up a bit over 16 grains of 2400. Probably not a good choice for guns needing lesser pressures as the powder just will not produce consistent velocities until it has reached the higher pressures.
73 de n0ubx, Rick
NRA Benefactor Life Member/VFW Life Member
These are Ruger loads.
Ruger Blackhawk 4 5/8" barrel
Noe 454 260rf starline brass cci 300 primer
20.5gr 2400
1192avg 26 sd 62 es
Now from 20" barrel rossi 92
1583 avg 15 sd 42 es
22gr 2400
1703 avg 8 sd 23 es.
Ahh, these were fired the same day, same bullet. According to hodgdon 26, around the same pressure.
45 colt starline brass 300 cci primers
Ruger Blackhawk 4 5/8" barrel
15gr HS-6 1202 avg 13 SD 39 es
13.5gr 800-x 1201 avg 15 SD 43 es
20.5gr 2400 1192 avg 26 SD 62 es
Interesting.
Rifle went
15gr hs6 1536 avg 10 SD 33 es
13.5gr 800x 1545 avg 10 SD 26 es
15.5gr aa5 1555 avg 12 SD 27 es
20.5gr 2400 1583 avg 15 SD 62 es
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |