2400 test in 308

[smokeywolf]

Waco, I sure do admire your Mannlicher style stock. Something about them exudes elegance.

While 5744 is a good smokeless for attempting to mimic black powder pressure curves, at lower pressures it leaves behind a lot of orphaned kernels.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Hodgdon site suggest a light or low pressure load for H4895 as 60% "max load" as opposed to "load density".

 

[waco]

Waco, I sure do admire your Mannlicher style stock. Something about them exudes elegance.

Thank you Sir.

 

[Brad]

Why is 5744 so expensive? If it was in line with other powders I would use it more but I can't justify paying that kind of premium.

 

[Ian]

I borrowed can of 5744 to try back when I was working up subsonic 300 BLK loads and to say that I was unimpressed is putting it mildly. It may be a fine powder for some things but it needs a goodly amount of pressure to work.

 

[waco]

I still have 12-14 pounds of SR4759
I won't be trying 5744 anytime soon.

 

[Tomme boy]

Has more nitro in it was I have always been told.

The hangfires I was getting I am pretty sure was from the temps. When I was out shooting in mid day heat in the 80's it did not do it. But I had errant flyers every once in a while. Once I went to adding a 1.2 gr of Dacron filler the hang fires went away completely and the groups tightened up.

The 54R it was more noticeable than the 308. But is also has a larger case volume than the 308. The 54R has some weird traits all its own I have run into over the years shooting jacketed bullets. One was it does not like RL15 or 748 powders. Stuck more than one 174gr hpbt Sierra matchking over the years in the throat with both powders. All because of the LONG throat and trying to seat the bullet out to touch the rifling. 748 turns to a solid green clay inside the case.

 

[Reloader762]

Waco, I sure do admire your Mannlicher style stock. Something about them exudes elegance.

While 5744 is a good smokeless for attempting to mimic black powder pressure curves, at lower pressures it leaves behind a lot of orphaned kernels.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Hodgdon site suggest a light or low pressure load for H4895 as 60% "max load" as opposed to "load density".

Hodgdon states "Find the H4895 load in the Reloading Data Center for your caliber and bullet. Take the maximum H4895 charge listed and multiply by 60% (.6). The load maybe adjusted up from there to achieve the desired velocity and accuracy." 60% of the MAX charge weight is only a starting point for a reduced load if you want to go that low to begin with, I didn't but I did start out at 32.0 grs. @ 75% of the MAX load using my 215 gr. cast bullet and found out I could go higher with no problems. At this point I'm up to 34.0 grs. recoil not an issue, accuracy is great and I plan to gradually keep pushing the envelope till I run up to 41 grs. of run out of accuracy first. Next Saturday is planned as a technical day over at my buddies house for load testing and data gathering.

 

[fiver]

they want you to use a 60% case fill.
so instead of say a 44gr max load reduction.
you would fill the case to the base of the neck then use 60% of that so you have enough volume in the case.

now LEE does a reduction factor of airc .96% for each grain dropped form a max load.
I done the math and predicted the speeds in a 308 with IMR-4895 and was only off about 50 fps all the way down to 1800 fps.
I'm pretty sure the barrel length was the cause of the initial 50 fps and it just carried over the whole scale.

 

[smokeywolf]

I used the 60% of max H4895 load in '06 cartridges, when I first took my boys (pre-teen at the time) out with the 03 Springfield. Also had some cartridges loaded with "the (16 grns of 2400) load".

 

[Ian]

I settled on 14.5/2400 in the .30-30, 16 in the .308, and 18 in the '06, all with the same 170-grain bullet. That's one of the things that got me thinking of powder abstractly in terms of energy units per unit of volume.

 

[Reloader762]

Ian, I haven't tried 2400 in my old Sav. 170 30-30, what kind of velocity are you getting with that load? I've been using 7.0 grs. of Red Dot with 150 to 170 gr. plinker loads.

I love 2400, my Chinese SKS cycles just fine with 12.5 grs. using 155 to 160 gr. Lee bullets an dumps the brass right at my feet in a nice little pile, but for general purpose shooting I like 14.5 grs. in all three variants I have. That along with 16.0 grs. of 2400 in my M44, M9130 and 300 Sav. is just a nice load for backyard shooting.

One thing of note is that although I have a couple hundred pieces of factory 300 Sav. brass I started converting 308 Win. and 7.62 mm brass to 300 Sav. a few years ago form all that free brass people at the public range left behind. I just annealed,formed and trimmed and didn't even have to turn the necks on the 7.62 NATO as it chamber just fine. A side benefit is that I gain about 75 fps. added MV with an identical load due to the smaller case capacity of the NATO brass over the commercial 308 Win. brass.

 

[Ian]

I never chrono'd the 14.5gr load, using ~170-gr. bullets, it's not very fast, I'd guess 1500 fps.

 

[Brad]

I never chrono'd the 14.5gr load, using ~170-gr. bullets, it's not very fast, I'd guess 1500 fps.

I would agree with that estimate. Might even be 1450.

 

[VZerone]

Lyman's manual 48 states that as a starting load and gives it 1586 fps from their rifle for a 173 grains bullet.

 

[Ian]

Probably a 24" test barrel. Mine's a 20. No matter, my SWAG was exactly that and nothing more. It's a load that works great for popping turtles and reactive targets at 100-yards plus without having much recoil or blast, and seemed to work a little better for me at longer ranges than the 9-10 grains of Unique @12-1300 fps.

 

[VZerone]

Probably a 24" test barrel. Mine's a 20. No matter, my SWAG was exactly that and nothing more. It's a load that works great for popping turtles and reactive targets at 100-yards plus without having much recoil or blast, and seemed to work a little better for me at longer ranges than the 9-10 grains of Unique @12-1300 fps.

Yeah you are correct about that, in fact they used a 26 inch barrel!!!!!! Makes you wonder what they were thinking when they know that that Win 94 and Marlin 336 are the most common rifles for that round with 20 inch barrels!!!

Who knows though, might be like a 22 anything longer then a 16-18 inch barrels slows the bullet down. With that fast burning 2400 (as compared to slower burning rifle powders) the 20 inch may surprise you. I've had high powered rifle with short barrels come dang close to the longer barrels.

 

[35 shooter]

Yeah you are correct about that, in fact they used a 26 inch barrel!!!!!! Makes you wonder what they were thinking when they know that that Win 94 and Marlin 336 are the most common rifles for that round with 20 inch barrels!!!

Who knows though, might be like a 22 anything longer then a 16-18 inch barrels slows the bullet down. With that fast burning 2400 (as compared to slower burning rifle powders) the 20 inch may surprise you. I've had high powered rifle with short barrels come dang close to the longer barrels.

Had that very thing happen with a 20" bbl. rem. mod. 7 in 7/08. It shot 15 to 50 fps. faster than listed for a 24" bbl. with every bullet in the sierra line.
The only exception was the 175 gr. game king which was about 75 fps. slower with h414.

That little rifle was a 3 shot wonder too...after 3 shots you could fry bacon on the bbl. even with 2 min. between shots, and had to let it cool for the next three lol.

 

[Reloader762]

I never chrono'd the 14.5gr load, using ~170-gr. bullets, it's not very fast, I'd guess 1500 fps.

I'll give that load a try with my new 170 gr. FP bullet next time I go shooting, I'll just add it to the list of loads I need to test. Since I shoot lots of 2400 in various rifles and handguns might as well have some 2400 / 30-30 data to boot.

 

[KHornet]

Finally had a chance to shoot the other 5 rounds with the same 2400 loads that I fired at 50 yds. at 100 yds. Here is the comparison

50 yds: 17.5 gr 1.7" / 18 gr. 1.85" / 18.5gr. 1.4" / 19gr. 1.525 / 19.5 gr. .94 / 20gr. 1.4"

100yds 17.5gr 1.925/ 18gr. 1.95" / 18.5gr. 2.0" / 19gr. 1.85" / 19.5gr. 3 in .95 (two way out) /20gr. 4 in 1.375" and a flier.

NOE Hunter bullets were not weighed, and the first three w/19.5 gr at under an inch looked real good, and then I pushed one out, and have no understanding about the 5th shot which was out over nearly 2" in the opposite side from the one I pushed. So, I think I will weigh the next batch I load with the 19.5 load. My bottom line, it provided me with some interesting data for me with 2400 and the rifle I was shooting, AND it was a good day to be at the range.

Paul

 

[fiver]

I would think your starting to pressure up the alloy pretty good at about 19.5grs.
it responded by shooting better, but is on the balance edge and shows any flaws.

need to get that SIL of yours back from goofing off and put him to work with your new mold.
I think your gonna like it.