What good is this stuff? I bought a pound because the seller was literally throwing it at me to get rid of it. I know it's used as a magnum revolver powder, but is it any better than either 296 or 2400 which I already use? It looks like its other redeeming quality is the .22 Hornet, which I do load on occasion. Is there anything else?

Dave Sinko

I've used it in 30 Carbine years ago. I recently loaded some 44 Specials with it and it did okay but it won't replace Unique.

I was researching loads for 7.62 x 39 and it was listed in the Lyman manual pg 242 for use wth a Hornady 123 gr sp #3140. Start load 20 grains. I have also seen it listed in the Lee, Hornady and Lyman manuals for use with various weight 357 loads.

It's also used for 32-40 and 38-55 loads with lead bullets at ca. 1200 fps. and 410 shotshell loads.

I have a buddy that swears by it for .44 mag loads.

Same here, it's great for .44 mags.

I've used both 2400 and 4227 in my 44 magnum and Imo burns a little cleaner than 2400 iirc at least for me.

I use it for my 25-20 Marlin. Works fine.

What loads do you use in your .25-20 with IMR4227? I have a Winchester 1893 chambered in .25-20 and 86 grain lead bullets. I never thought of 4227 for that gun. I haven't started reloading for it, but I'm ready any time. Thanks for the help.

Lee #2 has some info for the 25-20:
85 grain lead bullet is listed with 6 to 7 grains H4227 (1317 fps, unknown test gun, 20KPSI)
The jacketed loads run up to 25 KPSI.
Hodgdon may be the originator of this data as they list the same.

Glen Fryxell has an excellent article on the 25-20.
Read it here:
Cast bullets in the .25-20 Winchester
He says:
"In terms of powder selection, there is load data out there for the .25-20 for powders ranging from about Red Dot on the fast side,
up to Acc. Arms 2015 BR on the slow side, with 4227 appearing to be just about optimum (and 4227 has been a historical favorite in the .25-20)."
"For reference, the Lyman Handbook of Cast Bullets (published in 1958) reports loading data for the 85 grain gas-checked 257312,
it lists a maximum load of 10.7 grains of 4227 producing 1750 fps."
He got best results with a plain based 85 with 8 grains 4227.
He goes to 10 grains with a gas checked 86.
His conclusion:
"8.0 grains of 4227 was consistently accurate with all of the 85-86 grains cast bullets (PB and GC), and generally delivered 1650-1700 fps with them. The plain-based 257283 with this powder charge (1680 fps) is now my preferred small game load for this rifle. I don’t want any more velocity, and no GC is needed. Simple and easy. This combination is capable of shooting into just over an inch at 50 yards."

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NEMO
"Everything 44"

If you don't have a .357 rifle or bigger caliber..........

you better have Rose bushes !!

Nah... If you don't have a .357 rifle or bigger caliber.......

You better give that 4227 to me and I'll make good use of it

357 Maximum and 4227 are made for one another. You can burn it up in the 357 Magnum, but I only use it in my Max's. Works great!.

In the magnum it is a bit slower than 2400 and needs a good crimp to get it going. Think max loads only!

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SWCA 1646

I use it for .30 Carbine, .357 Magnum, and .45 Colt. There will be a few unburned kernals in the handgun loads, but accuracy is so good that I can easily overlook it.

Don

I switched to 4227 in all my .38, .357 and .45 Colt loads. Big improvement in accuracy. Always had trouble finding a good load for a snub .38 and this solved the problem.

That's about the last think I expected to hear. There's a lot of truth in 'your results may vary'.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Wow, a reply to a 5 year old comment. FWIW, 4227 is still my goto for a snub .38. For my particular atrocity I can't get the same accuracy with other powders.

I have switched to Bullseye for .357 and .45 Colt, only because of better availability. I have to reserve the hard-to-find 4227 for the snub.

What's h-t-f in any given area is another "YRMV"...

Works good in the .401 Winchester S/L.

It excells for trapdoor loads in 45-70.

I found it to be very usefull in teaching me to appreciate 2400 and 296
when I tried it in the .357 mag and .44 mag.

If you load 44 magnum, try 22 grains under a 240-250 grain lead bullet. This is a slightly compressed load (it's ok, Hodgdon lists it as a compressed load in their load data). This load under 240 gr. lead truncated cone bullet from Penn Bullets is superbly accurate in my 44s. I got the load from Penn's website.

Doesn't seem to be as "sharp" in recoil as most other full 44 mag loadings. Quality of the slower burning powder, I guess.

I use it in my 22 Jet - 13.5 gr. with the Hornady 40 gr Jet bullet. I prefer it to H110/296 because it doesn't have as much muzzle flash.

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6/23/2022

It is my preferred powder in .460S&W and hunting rounds for .44mag and .357mag, both in revolvers and carbines. While it does not give me quite the velocities that H110/W296 gives, it is just as accurate and is much less temperature sensitive. Best accuracy comes from loads that are nearly to slightly compressed.

40grs in a 500 S&W with a 350gr bullet. Also good results in 44 mag and 357 mag.

Great in a .22 Hornet Contender barrel, very accurate..

It's my all time favorite in 44 mag

I guess I'll try it in the .22 Hornet and maybe 7.62x39. I load very little Hornet (it's my brother's Contender barrel) and it seems I hit the magic load on my very first try with 296. I find that the 7.62x39 is a tough one to load with softpoints. Very few handloaded softpoints produce acceptable accuracy in my AKM, so I'm willing to try anything different.

Does it need a magnum primer in the revolver loads? I have never used a single magnum pistol primer and have no intentions of starting now.

Dave Sinko

I've been using 23 grs with the 429421 in 44 mag for many years now. It gives 1250 in a 6 1/2" M29, 1300 in my Redhawk. It is accurate in every 44 I've tired it in, including a Marlin carbine. Primers are round, cases eject easily. Like Hammerdown said, recoil seems to be less sharp. As I've said here many times, I believe 4227 is easier on the revolvers than 296/H110. I saw enough back in the silhouette days in magnum revolvers to know it is true. It gives a little up to 296/H110 in ultimate velocity, but not enough to matter. A magnum primer isn't necessary.

yep, a killer .22 hornet powder.

I use it in my Winchester 32-20 with lead bullets.

Back in the day I loaded 22.0 behind a 240 Hornady FMJ.
Would really slam the rams at 200 meters.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

In my Marlin 32-20 4227 will push the 118gn cast bullet over 1800 fps. Makes a good varmint load.

4227 is the very best powder i have ever used in 44sp. and 45lc i have used it for years. when useing it use a mag. primer or it will not all burn. my load with 45lc is a 255 cast and 19gr. 44sp. is 17gr with a lyman 215 cast.

Good velocities, great accuracy, can't get enough in the case to create an overload, and it's single-based (which is what contributes to it being easier on the barrel than other powders in this burning rate range), makes it a fantastic powder for the 44 Magnum.

It works great in the other applications listed. If someone doesn't have good success with it, they haven't tried enough variations. It does like to be at 100% load density or mildly compressed.

I will say that since Hodgdon took over IMR and 4227 is now being manufactured in Australia, I'm not sure it's a single-based powder anymore. I have enough of a stash of Canadian 4227 that I just haven't bothered to look...

+1 for the .32-40...

I'm late to this post, but 4227 is the cat's meow in the 500 S&W Magnum. Its burn rate fits the caliber to a Tee.

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Where we go one, we go all

Seems like imr4227 and h110 are still on the shelf at a local gun shop. Saw a user contribution on a site using 10gr of imr4227 in a 40s&w with a heavy bullet. Anyone ever try this?

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CA ban no sharp pencils ovr 3"

IMR4227 was the first powder I ever handloaded with. The Lee Loader kit had a dipper for it. Worked perfectly with the 44 Magnum and 240/250 gr jacketed and cast bullets.

IMR4227 was designed for the pistol sized rifle cartridges like the 44 WCF, 38 WCF and 32 WCF. Burns very clean in rifle length barrels. It does leave some unburned powder in revolvers. IME, it leads much less with cast bullets and is very mild on guns in comparison with other magnum powders. It also has very light flash.

I have managed to find good loads with it in 357 Magnum, 41 Magnum, 44 Special and 44 Magnum. If IMR4227 was the only revolver powder I could get, it wouldnt bother me too much.

.30 M1 Carbine and .50AE are the two I use it for.

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Minimize the variables

As others have said, it's the bee's knees for the largest revolver cartridges.
I use it in the 445 Supermag and 444 Marlin with a WLR primer.
I suspect it is available because of it's narrow range of applications.
It would be nice to know authoritatively if the IMR and H versions are the exact same thing these days.
Many manuals have different recipes for the 2 and QuickLoad has different properties for them.

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Nemo

Shortly after I started handloading in 1980 I started looking for a good load in the 41 Magnum. Ken Waters' Pet Loads book stated his best load for the middle magnum was 21 grains of IMR 4227 behind a 210-220 grain cast bullet, if memory serves. I used that load behind the Lyman 410459 for a lot of years; it was always more accurate than I was, and Ken's statement that recoil seemed softer than with other powders was exactly my experience as well...

After using it in a 38 snub nose to a 357 6" Magnum with
110 to 158gr bullets both lead and Jacketed.....

I think it is much better suited for the 40 caliber or larger cases.
It did not do well in my 22-250 target loads.... SR 4759 shot much better.

Way too slow for the little 9mm, also.

I did have a few loads that were accurate but at twice the amount of powder.......... so why use it ?

218 Bee, 30 Carbine, 32-20, 25-20, and 22 hornet.

Works o.k. in 44 mag, and 357 mag as well.

Give it a try for reduced lead loads, or 110 grain half jacket loads in 30-30 or 303 Savage.

Since 2400 seems to only be produced one pound at a time, and you need to know the secret handshake to buy it I, have also been thinking about trying 4227 for my magnum calibers.

Is there any things that I, should steer clear of, certain brands of bullets, or types of primers, ect, ect.

Thanks.

I just bought a 8 pound keg. I am a 2400/Unique guy but have all but given up on every seeing any again. I am just happy to finally find some powder i can use for handgun.

Wow, two years later and I still have not finished that original pound of powder! It works very well with 110 gr. RN bullets meant for the .30 Carbine loaded in 7.62x39 but only my Yugo SKS will feed these bullets. I never tried it in the .22 Hornet or the magnum revolver cartridges. Just a week ago I went to see my component supplier and he had a lot of this powder sitting on the shelves. If I didn't already have so much other powder I would've grabbed more of this.

Dave Sinko

I tried it in my 357, do to having problems finding my go to powders. I found it very accurate and now I might just start using it over my 2400 110 and blue dot.

It's a good magnum pistol powder, not a great one but a good one.
It's a little bit slow, and leaves unburned powder behind.
It might do a little better in the New breed of mega magnums like the 460 and 500.
myself, I'm looking to use it in 45-70 loads.

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it just needs more voltage

I hesitated to buy the IMR 4227 for handgun loads because I could only find load data for 357 Mag. What I wanted was a an available powder that would be used in the 38 Special. As everyone knows there seems to be a shortage of desired powders.

So I bought the IMR 4227 and used it in loading 38 Specials, 148gr DEWC with 8gr's of the IMR 4227 and Mag Primers. Lead was flush with lip of the brass. Shot standard pistol course of 10, 15, & 25 yards. Each distance carried well and pattern consistent.

Last thing, the IMR 4227 burned cleaner than most powders I use.

I was going through some old boxes of supplies and ran across an old unopened tin of 4227 that I had bought in the early 1980's for .357 loading instead of w296. Still had the price tag on it, $12.50/lb. Wonder if its still good?

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Mike in SouthCentral Kentucky