Interesting 2400 Observation

TXTad

TXTad

Active Member
I started reloading in the late 80s and did a lot of shooting through the 90s. Then life, marriage, kids, and now finishing college (38 years after starting, done next month!), I just haven't been shooting very much for the past 20 years. I'm planning on getting back into it and have even done a little bit of loading and shooting recently. Like everyone else, I'm aghast at component prices, but I've been buying some things when I can find some sale prices I can kinda stomach.

While I've never been a guy to go above published data*, I would always use whatever powder gave the highest published velocity for the cartridge I was loading. That is why I always loaded .357 and .44 Magnums with 296. I was looking over some newer loading data recently and noticed that current data has 2400 as the velocity winner for .357 and .44 from several sources. I suspect this is partially due to the better sensors now used in load testing, and in the case of .357, maybe the reduction in working pressure might give 2400 an advantage.

Anyway, there's no other point to this post than to notice and remark on this and note that this combined with my increased interest in mid-power loads, I jumped in and got an 8# keg of 2400 recently that I hope to use for still magnum, but less abusive to the shooter loads.


* Skeeter's .44 Special loads and some upcoming .38/44 HD loads being my exception.
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Before I read any further - congratulations on finishing!

Easy enough for a "kid" to do the requisite four years all in one whack and with all the support and the vigor of youth, but as a non-traditional student, with a family, a job, a LIFE, it's a tough row to hoe and easy enough to walk away.

I don't know what you majored in or where you're going but you've done well to keep at it over the years. As a teacher, I thank you for not throwing away the effort some of them exerted upon you. Not all of them, of course, but I'm betting one or two had invested some amount of faith, angst, concern and hope for you for your own accomplishments.

Oh, and if you have kids, you really should "walk" this coming spring. I detest such ridiculous pomp and circumstance, but on the otherwise wise advice of a slacker/goof-off class-mate/colleague, I did and I think it inspired my kids, both of whom saw furthering their education as a given after high school.

Now, I'll read the rest of your post, but congratulations and thank you for persevering. Thank you to your family who have invested in this as well.
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Can't go wrong with 2400! Not to assume you don't know that, and thanks for posting about such a wonderful powder. We could ditch the last twenty "new and improved" powders and focus the effort/production resources on 2400 and the world would be a better place.

Can't go wrong with 2400, Unique and Bullseye!

A dear friend JUST sent me a pic of a 50 yard target, sh0oting his Marlin 94 in 44 Mag with a 265 grain RDO bullet over a starting load of 2400 (from data recommended by Ranch Dog himself) with three shots touching.

2400 is just TOO useful to ignore. Other powders will give you more velocity, but for what? More range - flatter trajectory? At the distances we typically shoot handgun rounds, out of handguns OR rifles, that matters little. I've used a lot of H110 and WC820, but given the choice, if I needed 8# of a "magnum pistol powder" right now, I'd rather have 2400 than any other.

Scads of data for 2400 in cast-bullet rifle loads too.
 
RBHarter

RBHarter

West Central AR
The 357 wasn't neutered.........
Blue Dot was dropped for light bullets because it peaked in the barrel and was spiking when they started mapping charges . Max charges are more or less unchanged from the late 60s into the 2000s . What changed was going 35,000 max peak pressure instead of 45,000 cup wherever it hit and the case was still sealed .

Congratulations on the degree .
 
CZ93X62

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Congrats on finishing up, sir.

IME, Alliant 2400 is more useful by accident than WW-296/H-110 ever was on purpose. Those latter ball powders are one-trick ponies, while 2400 is useful across a wide range of applications.
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
it tends to stop burning because of all the coating, but a little whoosh of oxygen fixes that and then you got a pipe bomb.

i once drove from here to Casper Wyo. to buy a couple of lbs. of 2400 simply because i was down to 2 jugs and didn't know when i'd see anymore.
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I use H110 with cast when the need arises, no problems. It just gets used when top end loads are warranted.
2400 does well when downloaded and is very versatile. Might be why I have roughly 15# on hand?
 
waco

waco

Springfield, Oregon
Brad said:
I use H110 with cast when the need arises, no problems. It just gets used when top end loads are warranted.
2400 does well when downloaded and is very versatile. Might be why I have roughly 15# on hand?
Click to expand...
You and me both.
 
D

dale2242

Well-Known Member
Being old school and an Elmer Keith fan, I started loading 357 and 44 Mag heavy loads with 2400.
I finally switched over to H110/296.
Don`t get me wrong, 2400 is still one of the most versatile powders out there and I still use it.
 
JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
I do like 2400, like all the others here,
BUT, if you want a accurate MAX load pushing a heavy bullet in 44 mag or 41 mag, H110 is the cat's meow.
 
TXTad

TXTad

Active Member
Jeff H said:
Before I read any further - congratulations on finishing!

Easy enough for a "kid" to do the requisite four years all in one whack and with all the support and the vigor of youth, but as a non-traditional student, with a family, a job, a LIFE, it's a tough row to hoe and easy enough to walk away.

I don't know what you majored in or where you're going but you've done well to keep at it over the years. As a teacher, I thank you for not throwing away the effort some of them exerted upon you. Not all of them, of course, but I'm betting one or two had invested some amount of faith, angst, concern and hope for you for your own accomplishments.

Oh, and if you have kids, you really should "walk" this coming spring. I detest such ridiculous pomp and circumstance, but on the otherwise wise advice of a slacker/goof-off class-mate/colleague, I did and I think it inspired my kids, both of whom saw furthering their education as a given after high school.

Now, I'll read the rest of your post, but congratulations and thank you for persevering. Thank you to your family who have invested in this as well.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I started out in Computer Science, but after working in that industry for 30 years, I didn't see much point in finishing with a BA in CS. MSU Texas out of Wichita Falls has an online degree completion program that will let you earn a Bachelors of Applied Arts & Sciences (BAAS) in several different disciplines. I chose the Industrial Technology concentration. Commencement is this December, and I was going make the 125 mile drive there to walk, but I wasn't clear with my ex what my schedule was and my son is actually going to be at his cousin's graduation in Lubbock on that day. Other issues came up and made it a bit of a pain, so I just decided that they can mail me my diploma.

My graduation present to myself is going to be a lot more casting, loading, and shooting.
 
TXTad

TXTad

Active Member
Jeff H said:
Can't go wrong with 2400! Not to assume you don't know that, and thanks for posting about such a wonderful powder. We could ditch the last twenty "new and improved" powders and focus the effort/production resources on 2400 and the world would be a better place.

Can't go wrong with 2400, Unique and Bullseye!

A dear friend JUST sent me a pic of a 50 yard target, shooting his Marlin 94 in 44 Mag with a 265 grain RDO bullet over a starting load of 2400 (from data recommended by Ranch Dog himself) with three shots touching.

2400 is just TOO useful to ignore. Other powders will give you more velocity, but for what? More range - flatter trajectory? At the distances we typically shoot handgun rounds, out of handguns OR rifles, that matters little. I've used a lot of H110 and WC820, but given the choice, if I needed 8# of a "magnum pistol powder" right now, I'd rather have 2400 than any other.

Scads of data for 2400 in cast-bullet rifle loads too.
Click to expand...
I also have a lot of 296 and 820 stashed. I have a .300 Blackout and hope to burn those up in that.

The 2400 is just too useful to not have and my interests have changed to more closely overlap almost everything it's good at.
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
CZ93X62 said:
IME, Alliant 2400 is more useful by accident than WW-296/H-110 ever was on purpose.
Click to expand...

Yes sir.

WW296/H110 has it's place IMO, mainly with loads for which it was designed using 110 grain FMJ bullets in the M1 Carbine. It also happens to be a dandy in the 300 BLK under max jacketed or gas-checked, powder coated cast bullet loads with bullets in the 125 grain range. The Sillywet shooters wouldn't be without 296 for absolute maximum bullet energy, but I don't want or need that kind of power in a handgun.
 
P

popper

Well-Known Member
Congrats on the degree. Got my HS & university certs in the mail, too much going on walk. By the time I could afford MS, passed on it. Industrial is good, always a need for machine expertise. 2400 (heavies) & 110/296 both great for BO.
 
TXTad

TXTad

Active Member
Ian said:
Yes sir.

WW296/H110 has it's place IMO, mainly with loads for which it was designed using 110 grain FMJ bullets in the M1 Carbine. It also happens to be a dandy in the 300 BLK under max jacketed or gas-checked, powder coated cast bullet loads with bullets in the 125 grain range. The Sillywet shooters wouldn't be without 296 for absolute maximum bullet energy, but I don't want or need that kind of power in a handgun.
Click to expand...
Please tell me a little about .300 BLK and cast 125 gr loads...
 
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