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Message started by Olpeddler on Dec 7th, 2019 at 7:36pm

Title: Accurate 2250 Powder
Post by Olpeddler on Dec 7th, 2019 at 7:36pm
Has anyone had experience with Accurate 2520 powder in .30-40 Krag reloading? For about 20 years, AA 2520 was kind of a  'universal' powder satisfying for my needs when using .308" bullets - - .30-06 for '03 Springfields and Mi Garands, several commercial .30-06 rifles, and .303 Savage. (Interestingly, both my model 1899 Krag carbine and model 99 .303 Savage were made in 1900.)
As you probably know, AA 2520 is a ball powder that measures and meters very easily.  It's burn rate is close to R/15 and Varget, and it burns cleanly.  Most importantly, it is very accurate with 165 grain and 180 gr Hornady Interlock bullets.  With the iron sighted '03 Springfields, M1's and the .303 Savage it delivers 3" groups.  With the scoped commercial .30-06's it shoots sub 2" groups. 
For the last several years I have been unable to get AA 2520 here in "shooter friendly" Massachusetts, but now I can.  If you have used this powder in your .30-40 reloading, please share with me your recipes and results. Thanks a lot!

Title: Re: Accurate 2250 Powder
Post by psteinmayer on Dec 8th, 2019 at 2:34pm
I've never used AA 2520, but if it's a powder that's compatible, I'm sure someone has used it.  There should be data available in one or more of the established loading manuals (Hornady, Sierra, Nosler, Lyman, etc.). 

FWIW, 4350, 4064 and some others from IMR or Hodgdon are more commonly associated with Krag loads

Title: Re: Accurate 2250 Powder
Post by Olpeddler on Dec 15th, 2019 at 9:05pm
Paul, Thanks for your perspective on AA2520 powder and your responses to my other posts over the last few weeks as I try to "get up and running" with my Model 1899 carbine.  Evidently, AA2520 has not been used by forum members.  I wrote to its maker, Western Powders, and they shared that they have not tested 2520 with the .30-40 Krag cartridge.  However, they ran a couple of projections and sent me .30-40 load data for 165 gr and 180 gr loads.  In a few months, I may try their starting loads with those 2 bullet weights.
In the meantime I continue to work on hitting paper with the rifle.  You may recall that I was 24" to 28" high at 50 yds using IMR 4198.  I recently bought R/L 15 along with Hornady 220 gr Interlock bullets.  I have loaded 20 rounds with 30 grs of R/L 15; and 20 rounds of 180 gr Hornady RN atop 40 grs of IMR 4350.  I had planned on testing these 2 recipes at the range today, but the wind has been gusting at about 50 MPH all day. I will try to get this done later this week.  Lastly, I bought 2 boxes of Hornady 180 gr factory ammo.  It is possible that I am doing something horrendously wrong in my reloading process.  That will be confirmed if the Hrn. factory ammo shoots accurately.


Title: Re: Accurate 2250 Powder
Post by madsenshooter on Dec 16th, 2019 at 1:15am
30gr of RL15 under a 220 is going to give you around 1700fps and only 21000psi.  The RL15 may not be burning efficiently at that low pressure, I don't know.  40gr 4350 under a 180 will yield around 2150fps at 34000psi.  Factory fodder will be going around 2400fps with the same 180.  You're going to need a taller front blade.  I don't think you'll be able to get the bullets slow enough to make up the big difference you have.

The start loads of 2520 Accurate shows in their manual for.303 British should be ok for your Krag.  Guess you'd be on your own figuring a start load for 220gr bullets though.

Title: Re: Accurate 2250 Powder
Post by Olpeddler on Dec 17th, 2019 at 9:59pm
Thank You for generating the data on my 180 gr and 220 reloads with IMR 4350 and R/15 respectively.  I am disappointed on the R/L 15 data. 1700 FPS is anemic velocity.  I am thinking of "pulling" the 20 rounds I have loaded at that charge level, and increasing to 35 grs of R/L 15.  The 180 gr data looks fine and I am excited to fire those rounds.

Title: Re: Accurate 2250 Powder
Post by madsenshooter on Dec 17th, 2019 at 11:44pm
I hates pulling ammo, especially cast, cause they often leave the check in the neck when using a kinetic puller.  But I do it enough that I wore out one puller!  I had some too heavily crimped 30-06 to take apart.  35gr RL15 ought to give you around 1900@31500 with your 220.  Though it really doesn't matter, you appear to be working opposite of what most folks do.  Most would use the slower powder with the heavier bullet.  There's nothing wrong with doing it the way you are though.  Experimenting is part of the fun.

Title: Re: Accurate 2250 Powder
Post by waterman on Dec 27th, 2019 at 8:15am
One of the best investments I ever made is an RCBS collet-type bullet puller.  I no longer hunt, but I do punch a lot of paper.  I like 34 grains of IMR-3031 and a 168-grain match bullet. 

Presently, I'm shooting that load in a Uberti High Wall in .30-40 Krag, with a Lyman 17A front and an MVA tang sight.  I only need one sight-setting (as low as the tang sight will go) and a wide post front sight for 100, 200 & 300 yards.  Just hold low at 100 and a tad high at 300.  I used the same load on a gong shoot at 1,093 yards.  Hit the gong 7 out of 10 shots.

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