Guess I've been out of the loop

[Tom]

Looking at other things at graf's and clicked on powders. They have 8# jugs of 2400 for the amazing low price of $339.99. That's about &42.50/lb!
I've lots of surp 844/imr4895/unique/h.universal and quite a few others, so I guess I'm good for awhile and maybe enough extra for my funeral pyre. Heck, I remember buying 844 for about$12/lb.
Anyway, just a rant. I've heard about shortages and prices but haven't really paid attention until this evening.

 

[Jeff H]

Rip Van Winkle Syndrome.

I have it too.

WC844, WC820, 8# jugs for $54 last time I ordered from G.I. Brass. Hazmat fee then was token gesture. It started out at $2. The "hazmat" fee on G.I. Brass as of yesterday is $35. shipping costs are obscene.

I bought CCI primers for $22/k in April of 2020.

Last 4# jug of anything I bought was not too long before that and it was something like $130.

SO many guns now are at or near $1k.

I'm still shaking my head.

 

[RBHarter]

I had trouble with 279 for 8# of IMR 4350 8yr ago , needed it then and it hadn't been available. 5 yr ago it was almost ok for the 8s of H322 and H4198 , the salvation is that there's 2200 plus rounds in each of those vs 1000 maybe of the 4350 . Sure glad there's 900-2000 in every # of Unique.

 

[dale2242]

I`m glad that I stocked upon powder.
At 81, I probably won`t buy any more .
As far as powder prices go, $45 is the new $25.

 

[Jeff H]

I don't THINK I'll have to buy powder again. I've even got an extra 8# jug (AA4350) I don't what to do with.

Primers,... maybe.

 

[fiver]

300 savage 250 savage 7.7 Jap 22-250 220 swift... will all do well with that powder.
heck someone might even wanna do a moon launch in their 6.5 manbun with the stuff.

 

[462]

Gave away a pound of IMR 4350, a couple weeks ago.

I'm done loading .30 caliber jacketed bullets, so if any of you want to stop by, I have a pound-and-and-a-bit of IMR 4831 you can have.

 

[Jeff H]

300 savage 250 savage 7.7 Jap 22-250 220 swift... will all do well with that powder.
...

Certainly will!

The 257 Roberts and 6.5x55 did marvelously with that powder for many years - when I could find suitable bullets, which didn't cost half what the rifle did.

I've regrouped and retooled. The only bottle-neck rifle cartridges I shoot now are the 222 and the 30/30 and only cast bullets. Never was one much for jacketed in handgun to begin with.

I'm not paying boutique prices for boutique bullets with a sexy name just because there are millions of ignorant and superficial idiots out there who have to have the newest, biggest, baddest and bestest, whether it really is or not, who WILL pay, because it's the only way they can emit any illusion of manliness or credibility anyway.

No sweat off my nose - I'm happier tending to fewer chambers and enjoying my time being more attentive to a few old cases I love.

Sorry, @fiver , you pushed a button there and the outburst wasn't directed at you.

Every other week, a new cartridge, a new powder, new bullets that do all sorts of wonderful things for you so you can sit on your butt and watch TV and drink beer all year and count on the newest wonder-cartridge to bag your deer at 600 yards. HOW are SO many people SO stupid ALL AT ONCE???

It annoys the CRAP out of me when someone uses more than ONE question mark, so you know I'm riled if I do that.

Dang, @fiver , sorry man.

 

[fiver]

no problems here.
heck if i elicited a little rant, that means we're either on the same page with things, or we really hate each others opinion.

hey 462.
that 4831 would be instantly snapped up if i was anywhere close to you.
it works in a bunch of rifles pushing lead down the Pipe.
the 30-30 is a particularly good place to use it [think 170grs. at 18-1900 fps] and the 308 does good if you wanna go a bit faster than regular cast speeds but not quite jacketed speeds.

anyway:
going over slow with your powder speed doesn't hurt anything.
the worst that happens is you end up using a case full of powder, get a few mummies in the barrel,,, and the bullet speeds are a bit low.
who cares?
the stuff's paid for,,, and you get another 1000 trigger pulls.

 

[Jeff H]

no problems here.
heck if i elicited a little rant, that means we're either on the same page with things, or we really hate each others opinion.
...

Probably more like on the same page.

Great post too!

Regarding the use of 4831 in the 30/30, I've been using some IMR 4350 in the 30/30 with pretty impressive results. I have not chronographed them, but there's no way you can stuff into that case what the manuals say you can, so I'm on the low end, where a lot less pistol powder would likely be doing about the same thing. I also get enough unburned kernels (using magnum primers) that if they get into the chamber, they'll give yoiu a fit getting the cartridge in. Same for the 222 - impressive accuracy, but that one pain in the neck quirk.

If I get stuck with the AA 4350, it'll go toward the 30/30, but I may be able to trade it for 8# of Unique or 4895. Still not sure which way to go yet.

That long, slow push on the back of a cast bullet seems to work well though, at least at 50 yards. I've not tried it farther than that yet.

 

[462]

hey 462.
that 4831 would be instantly snapped up if i was anywhere close to you.
it works in a bunch of rifles pushing lead down the Pipe.
the 30-30 is a particularly good place to use it [think 170grs. at 18-1900 fps] and the 308 does good if you wanna go a bit faster than regular cast speeds but not quite jacketed speeds.

anyway:
going over slow with your powder speed doesn't hurt anything.
the worst that happens is you end up using a case full of powder, get a few mummies in the barrel,,, and the bullet speeds are a bit low.
who cares?
the stuff's paid for,,, and you get another 1000 trigger pulls.

My sole bottleneck cast bullet rifle is the four-groove 03A3 and its been happy enough with 180 to 220-grainers and either 2400 or Unique. But, if I were to experiment with either bullet and IMR 4831 would I start with jacketed starting loads?

The rifle's jacketed load is 56.0-grain of IMR 4831 and Sierra's 165-grain SPT, and I've two .30 caliber ammo cans filled with them, but no more bullets. Hmmm . . . I ought to post a want to buy . . .

 

[RBHarter]

With IMR 4350 in the 30-30 165s and 32 Rem 175s I was getting near jacketed maximum speeds about 2.5 gr under start loads to accommodate the extra intrusion.

I know it's a different powder and 2-3 steps away but I was really surprised that it was running that fast .

 

[Thumbcocker]

Just ordered 8# of promo. I hope to get 8# of 2400 before the election silliness starts. I am good on other powders and primers. I think it is a good idea to stock up now even at higher prices than we would like. I don't have any sympathy for those who will be crying about a powder shortage in a year or 2. Most anyone can swing a pound of powder and a couple of flats of primers every other payday.

 

[Bret4207]

My local shop has a lot of powder ins= stock, but it's all powder I know nothing about. I never used Accurate powders and there are new numbers/names of Hodgdon I'm entirely unfamiliar with. Ask for 2400 or Unique and there is never a "Yup, we've got it." Is there an outline somewhere of which powders are close to others, beyond burn rate charts that is?

 

[RicinYakima]

Is there an outline somewhere of which powders are close to others, beyond burn rate charts that is?

No reliable ones that I know of. However the Hodgdon reloading sight has good data you may be able to use for older cartridges with the new powders.

 

[todd]

Reloder 7, IMR4895, 2400, Unique, HS-6, Lil'Gun and IMR4350 are the powders i use most. i have about 2 - 3 lbs of IMR4320 (discontinued) and H4831SC. then i have 1 lbs or under for the rest of my stash (H322, Superformance, IMR4831, IMR3031...). i'll use my stash till it is gone and when it is done, its done.

 

[Winelover]

I've used AA4350 with good results in 243W with jacketed bullets. IIRC, the heavy for caliber, like the discontinued 100 grain partition.

 

[Jeff H]

I may use the AA4350. I like the slow push I get from slower powders, but I have access to either 8# of Unique, which always an emphatic YES, or 8# of 4895 from G. I. Brass I could probably trade for.

Right now, I'm trying to decide if there's a powder which would be more suitable for the 222 AND 30/30, plus maybe an occasional 223. I still have enough WC844 to shoot the 222 and 223 (and 30/30 even for longer than I would have to use it up at my current rate of fire.

I do appreciate hearing the real-life applications experienced by people on the forum. Loading manuals and the powder companies' online data are great, but only get you so far, similar to @Bret4207 's query.

I almost want to dip into that sealed jug and see how many "mummies" are left or whether standard primers will work. I shot the WC844 (H335 data) for some time in the 308, 223, 257 Roberts with standard primers and never knew the difference, but never shot it in cold, cold weather either, with no excess debris left behind.

"Mummies" are not usually an issue for me, but with IMR4350, they were getting into the chamber, especially in the 222, and preventing the cartridge from going home. Maybe something I could work out or work around. I didn't get to work with it that much.

 

[Winelover]

IIRC, AA2520 suggests Magnum Primers.

 

[fiver]

i'm not sure they are still making 2520.

462:
44-45grs. of 4831 with a dacron tuft will push you to about 2400 and be right past the edge of the 31 burning properly.
it's 'about' the same pressure as 13grs. of red-dot. [i'd say maybe 3-4K higher]

if you back it down from there you'll for sure get the dirt in the barrel, one grain will back the speeds down around 50 fps per step.

i'm sure you guys have seen that long range cast bullet Video that Walter posted here some time back.
he was using 4831 in that 500 yd. shooting vid with the XCB bullet in his 308.

hey Jeff.
try a little blow tube to shove stuff into the barrel.