Picked up a pound of Accurate #2 yesterday, I haven't loaded this powder before so any tips would be appreciated. I mostly shoot lead round nose or LCN 125 gr. 9mm. The closest I can seem to come on their site is 4.0-4.5, I loaded 5 rounds of each in 10ths, will be shooting out of a 5 inch barrel 1911. I'll try the 9mm first then load a few 45acp later. LGS had a good price on it but only one pound left.

I tried Accurate #2 more than twenty years ago with several cast bullets in 9mm. It worked well with the Lee 125 grain round nose in a Beretta; accuracy was good according to my notes. However, I didn't find #2 to be as versatile as other powders from an overall accuracy perspective. Your results, of course, could be far different.

I also tried Accurate #5 with similar results. Good luck-

#2 is my favorite pistol powder: meters great, low flash, burns clean. Not much to say about it having quirks or peculiarities that need special attention. It's too fast burning for top velocities in 9 or 45 but for target or midrange loads it's good.

Accurate,2, has proven to be the most accurate powder for 9mm I've ever tested in the ransom rest. Your loads look to be rite in the ballpark. I also load 185 xtp's/jhp using accurate 2. If I had to have 1 pistol powder that would be it.

After giving AA#5 a try in 9mm , 38 special+P and 357 magnum, I was impressed with accuracy . I spotted some AA#2 in Cabela's and grabbed it to try. Haven't loaded anything yet but will soon.
Western Powders will send you a reloading manual for the $3.00 postage. I have received one and it has lots of info and data. Combined with the downloaded data I printed it will cover a lot of different handloading territory.
I load cast bullets at target velocities so AA#2 should be a good fit for me.
Gary

I just took a brief glance at notes going back to 1988 when I began working with cast bullets in various 9mm handguns. Over the years, I've tried at least twelve different cast bullet designs ranging in weight from a little over 100 grains to about 160.

As for powders, I've used at least as many as I have bullet designs. Looks like best results overall have been with Bullseye and 231. For some reason, I didn't use Bullseye until I was well into the project.

The best bullet I have found so far has been a 150 grain roundnose design using an obsolete .38 Special Lyman mould, #358212, cast from wheelweight alloy and sized as large as will chamber without difficulty. Don't remember offhand if this is .358" or .359".

With Bullseye powder, this load is quite accurate and 100% reliable in functioning in my three 9mm pistols. Also shoots to point of aim offhand at 25 yards, something lighter bullets may or may not do.

Not that much different from 700-X, Clays, or Bullseye.

I've been tempted to try #2 but never see it locally. I've settled on Bullseye instead. One of the reasons I like Bullseye (in addition to its excellent accuracy) is its versatility. In my .45 and .38 it is not a 'low velocity target load only' powder, it is easily capable of producing full power loads. Can #2 do that?

It will be a looooonnngggg time before I use up my stockpile of Bullseye, so I will probably never get around to trying #2 though.

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Common sense isn't so common.

I've been loading A #2 since the early 90's in 9 MM and I love the stuff. It won't give top velocities but makes for a good target round. I had no accuracy problems with it either. But I've mostly used it with jacketed bullets, not cast. It meters much better than BE too, which is to be expected since it is a fine granular type powder instead of flattened disks like BE. I have some 45 ACP I loaded up to try it with too, but haven't run them through my 1911 yet. I've also loaded it in 380 ACP with good results also.

You can see some of my results with it here.

Ramshot ZIP vs Accurate No. 2 vs HP-38 / W231 comparison test results

Mark in GA

I don't care so much about velocity or sd. I want it to cut the smallest hole at 25 yards. People get too caught up with the velocity etc.. if we were loading rifle rounds for 1000 yards yeah let's talk about velocity. As for pistols I've tested maybe 50+ loads in my m&p 9mm with apex fitted barrels in the ransom rest. Bottom line Accurate 2 has given me the smallest average groups with 124/125 jhp zero bullets/xtp's which is all I shoot in 9mm.

I use these powders as "fast/medium-fast target powders"...

AA2, VVN310, VVN320, Bullseye, W231, WST

Among the Master/High Master bullseye shooters demanding 10 shot groups of < 1.5" with a .45ACP at 50 yards from a Ransom Rest ...you'll find them using VVN310 & WST.

The USMC team uses (and wins) with VVN310.

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Carry.."hope" isn't a strategy

I'm working up the ladder with #2 in 44 mag. On request, Accurate powders will send loads not listed in the reloading guide.
For example, 200 gr. cast bullet and 10 g gives 1200 fps. Not "full power" but stout enough in a light, short barrel revolver.

The BIG caveat here is that one has to be extra careful in the loading process because the pressure curve rises so steeply with fast powders. Probably why loads like the one above are not listed in the manual.

I was introduced to AA powders about 25 years ago. I have used moderate quantities of AA Nitro 100, AA #2, and AA #5 in pistol calibers from .38Spl and 9X19mm through the .44's (44Spl and .44-40) and .45's (ACP and Long Colt). Just about everything I regularly shoot is cast bullets.

Also tried some AA 4350 in .30-06 and other larger rifle cases with very good results.

I have been pleased with AA powders. So far they have done just about anything I have asked of them.

I did note that the canisters are mostly 12-oz. rather than full pounds, so when comparing to other brands that should be kept in mind.

I've never tested any vitavouri powders. However 4.5 - 4.9 g of wst with a 185g jhp col of 1.200 will cut the bullseye out with most guns. I prefer wst for my 45 loads as I'm not loading for rifle caliber velocity. Again I'm focused on total accuracy. To get results Similair to wst using acc 2 I need around 7.1 g. Thats super accurate but alot faster- snappier. 5.0 g of bullseye is also ridiculously accurate just very dirty.

Just got back from the range, loaded AA#2 with 4.0-4.4. All shot with very little recoil and accurate to with 2" groups at at 20ft. out of a 1911 FS 9mm. Hard to say which load is best but I seemed to like 4.3 best. This powder flows nice also. I do like it. Going to load some 45acp next.

Try shooting from sandbags at 25 yards. That will open up the groups and you can tell a lot more about which one groups the best.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I've loaded some 115gr plated bullets over 4.1gr of #2 and liked it a lot. I only had an issue with ONE gun. That was my Ruger P94DC. That round didn't always work the slide forcefully enough to properly eject the round every time. That's because that ol' FS Ruger has a really heavy slide, and I'm sure that when I up the charge to 4.2gr that problem should go away too.

OH HAPPY DAY ! ! ! I'm not the only reloader using AA #2. I'm not the lone voice crying in the Wilderness.

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S&WHF 366

LOL, I think lots of people would be using it more if they could find it. Last I heard it was kinda hard to find in a lot of places. I lucked into 7 pounds of it for 85 bucks a while back and consider that to have been a very lucky day for me!

Back when I was doing CAS, I used 7 grains of either Bullseye or AA#2 in .44 Mag cases with 240 grain SWC bullets. Performance was about the same with either. I dropped it to 6 grains of either for use in .44 Special cases for use in my .44 Mag carbine - it held more of the shorter rounds.

I like Accurate #2. I use it in .38 special with 148 HBWC loads. Nice and accurate.

I think of Accurate # 2 as “improved metering Bullseye”
Bullseye is sure not the worst metering powder, but Accurate # 2 is to my mind anyway, the best !

I totally agree. I've used Accurate #2, #5, #7, and #9 in handgun cartridge loads. All meter extremely well through my two RCBS and five Dillon powder measurers.

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Dave
SWCA #2465