Is the current 2400 powder really that much hotter?

[Tim Zowada]

I just got a chronograph. It has opened a whole new world, or maybe a "can of worms". I checked my .44 mag loads and got: 1186 fps from 18.5 gr 2400, 258 gr cast ww sized 0.430", CCI 300 primer, Starline brass. This is from a Ruger SBH with a barrel set back to 4.5". There is no leading.

The gun has the stock Ruger barrel that has not been lapped, but is quite smooth with no constriction  Bore = 0.4295", Cylinder throats = 0.431"

I was reading in my old Keith Gun Notes and he said they got 1200 fps from 22gr 2400 and 240 gr cast, 4" barrel.

So it seems that I'm getting about the same performance with 3.5 gr less powder, (heavier bullet/ longer barrel).

Upping the charge to 19.5 gr gives 1246 fps and moderate leading.

I noticed that Alliant now lists 20.0 gr, as max on their web site. I would be interested in any insight you could give.

Thanks.

[iiranger]

You want to be careful with that Keith Data. Old Elmer knew that of which he spoke but times change. I had a friend, gunsmith, give me some old .44 Special cases he said he bought to load for his .44 Blackhawk, yes, one of the first before the Super Blackhawk came out, bought in the 1950s or early 1960s... POINT: The cases, .44 Special, from the 1950s were balloon head.

Mr. Harvey listed loads for his .44 Special loads [he developed the zinc ring base bullets] from that era specifying that if the case were balloon head it needed 2 more grains of powder. That was over a 10% increase.

From there, you are on the road to learning. Each case, primer, etc. will show slightly different results. And commercial powder is held to a fairly close burn rate to avoid unexpected results. I had Bruce Hodgdon tell me that he stopped selling the powders that were "close" because of the liability... I had some slow H335 that said "use 3031 data." Luck.

[Lone Star]

Alliant does not even list current data with 2400 and a 240-grain cast bullet.  For a 240 jacketed bullet their maximum is 21 grains at 1434 fps.  Based on that data, you probably just have a "slow" barrel.  It is not uncommon to see one hundred fps or greater differences in velocity with identical loads in different handguns - see past Speer Manuals (Why Ballisticians get Grey) for details.



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[Tim Zowada]

Here is their current 250 grain cast bullet data:

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/RecipePrint.aspx?gtypeid=1&weight=250&shellid=33&bulletid=47&bdid=159

20 grains maximum for 1390 fps.

I wish it gave a barrel length... I know things get slower quickly as the barrel gets shorter.

[Lone Star]

Good catch Tim, I missed that one. 

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/recipedetail.aspx?gtypeid=1&weight=240&shellid=33&bulletid=52

.

[wncchester]

I  greatly admire Keith.  He did know what he was talking 'bout but he didn't have a chronograph, few people in his time did, they simply weren't available.  Always wondered how he arrived at some of his velocity claims.