2400 Powder - What's it good for?

[Skip Sackett]

2400 is a good powder and has been around for a "gazillion" years. It was the powder of choice for the Old Timers and magnum loads. It even was a favorite for some of the "special" cartridges before the "magnums" were even thought of!

I have used it successfully in the 44Mag and 45AR cartridges. One thing though, while you can download it some without dangers of squibs, it tends to leave unburnt powder in the barrel if you do. Not dirty but ........................

Like all powders it has it's favorite pressures to work at. It works best when it is near the top end.

 

[Paul5388]

It even was a favorite for some of the "special" cartridges before the "magnums" were even thought of!

That may be a little bit of a stretch Skip, since there was only 4 or 5 years from the introduction of 2400 to the introduction of the .357 Magnum. However, I'd almost be willing to say the magnum came into existence because of "new" powders like 2400.

The original .357 factory offering is reputed to have been loaded with non-canister 2400. Elmer extolling its virtues in heavy loaded .44 Specials probably had something to do with the introduction of the .44 Magnum.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I stand corrected. Chalk it up to literary license!

 

[Paul5388]

I didn't say it wasn't true, because I don't know one way or the other. It's just supposition on my part.

 

[flat top]

Why would anyone say that anyway? 2400 is just about like a ball powder, so it does meter good.

It also burns clean, if one doesn't try to use it for weenie loads.

Paul; I was being facetious (remember the Unique thread...dirty...hard to throw, etc). I have used 2400 for 50 years in the 44 Mag, and it is an exemplary powder for that purpose and many others.

 

[Cary]

As mentioned earlier it is a powder used for rifle loads as well. I use cast in my 30-30 and 45-70 99% of the time and have several loads for them using 2400 as the propellant. Some have selected it as their favorite powder for cast bullet loads in these calibers. I myself haven't found it to be my favorite for these yet. One characteristic of it I like is the physical size of the powder grains. H110 is a great magnum level powder except the grains are so small that some powder measures do not operate very well with it. The powder gets into the drum area and makes the movement gritty and rough. Some measures even leak it out on the bench. Not true on all powder measures but some. I have found that with 2400 that this problem doesn't happen for me. They both meter consistent for me.
Cary

 

[Rule3]

I use it for the 30 cal carbine, 357 and 44 mag. You can reduce the loads by a little bit more than H110.

I think I saw some recipes for use in other rifles 30-06? with lead bullets but can't remember where.

 

[Paul5388]

OCD1, I posted a site yesterday that's similar to what you're looking for.

You can find some pretty good cast bullet 2400 loads for rifles here.

 

[Treeman]

2400 is good magnum revolver fuel, good in 410 shotgun , good in .22 Hornet , excellent reduced load/cast bullet fuel in larger centerfire rifle and will give near full performance in the 7.62x39.

And, for the original poster......Unique isn't suitable for .410.

 

[wheelgun28]

Just shot a bunch of my 44mag with 20g or so of 2400 with a home cast 215g gas checked bullet. Shoots nice, throws one heck of a flame out a 4" barrel almost like a camera flash indoors

 

[Rule3]

OCD1, I posted a site yesterday that's similar to what you're looking for.

Paul,

Thanks! Some good stuff there.

 

[Nard]

Makes a good reduced load in .458 Win. Mag.

J.B.

 

[duckloads]

I'll be the stick in the mud on this one. I've tried 2400 with various bullets in 460 S&W Mag along with H-110. I shoot the H-110 loads more accurately that the 2400 loads. It's to the point that I have no use for 2400 in my 460 loads. I'm talking about shooting these out to 100 yds.

Having two pounds of 2400 on the shelf, I'm trying 2400 vs H-110 in my 686, 357 mag loads. So far, I shoot the H-110, 158 gr JHP loads more acurately than the same bullet with 2400. I still have to compare the lighter bullet weights with the two powders. I'm shootin my 686 out to 75 yds, but this will change. A scope is on its way.

I still use 2400 in 45 colt rounds with 250 gr XTp's. It works ok at indoor range distances such as 25-30 ft.

I'm not a big fan of 2400, yet.

 

[Paul5388]

I began my handgun reloading career with Alcan 8, then became enamored with light and fast, which meant switching to another powder. It was close to 40 years down the road before I even tried 2400, sometime around 2004. Since then, I've gone through about 8 pounds of the Alliant variety.

I really don't have any use for H110/W296, even though I have some on the shelf. One reason is because of the flexibility of 2400, while producing comparable results on the high end of loads. Part of that flexibility is reflected in the ability to use 2400 in reduced rifle loads, a practice that certainly isn't a possibility with H110/W296.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Kind of like Paul in this area!

Using 2400 is relatively new to me as well. In fact, and I know some folks will call this heresy, I didn't even try Unique until sometime this century!

I think that the place that 24000 shines is with heavy lead bullets. Not that it has no place anywhere else, it just shines there. The whole Elmer/Skeeter thing.

As for H110/W296 I do have a use for it. Didn't used to be that way, but it is true now. Full power magnum loads for the 44Mag rifle loads I use from time to time.

I have to get serious though about using another powder for my heavy rifle loads now. The ones that I just took to Oklahoma were loaded with WC820, a MILSURP powder that works like a dream with jacketed bullets.

At any rate, it really comes down to the individual and their firearms.

 

[Paul5388]

I really don't have any use for H110/W296

I really should qualify that statement by saying I don't have any use for it in handgun loads. It seems to be usable in carbines chambered in pistol calibers, but not that much different to justify keeping it in stock.

 

[flat top]

Just got back from the range. In my 44 mag handguns, I was shooting, 240's, 300's, 325's and 405's all sitting on top of 2400...I like 296/110, but, I think I like 2400 better.

 

[David Sinko]

I have found that 2400 shoots reduced power cast bullets closest to the sights in the .30-06, compared to all the other powders I have tried. They all shoot low, but 2400 shoots the least low. I am trying to find a powder that will shoot the 150 gr. cast Lee bullet to the sights at 50 yards (the rifle is sighted for full power jacketed bullets) and am to date unsuccessful. Maybe it can't be done, but 2400 does it best.

I have also found that 2400 will not scorch my revolver brass, like 296 does with top end loads in the .45 Colt Redhawk. The only time I think 296 is really necessary is with the really heavy bullets like 335 grs. and heavier.

Dave Sinko

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I love 2400!

It doesn't provide the velocities that H-110/296 does in big rounds like the .475/500 Linebaugh and the 460/500 S&W, but it will get the job done in most other rounds in fine fashion.

 

[running iron]

I never tried 2400 until about two months ago and I was working up a load in 44 Magnum using a 300 FP lead bullet. I loaded three different weights of three different powders and the 2400 came out last. I know this means nothing except to me. I will try it again, but the powder that was the most accurate was AA#5 using 10.4 grs., the starting load. Velocity was 1063 fps, the most accurate. Next was Unique. The recoil and flash from 2400 was much more than the other two. Granted I was not looking for the most powerful load I could make, just the most accurate. So maybe I should not have expected 2400 to work at the lower end of the scale, but I will keep trying to find a load my 629 with 8 3/8 barrel likes. I'm going to try AA#7 and #9 next too. The only other information I had for 2400 was Lyman and it was not very hot for the 300 gr. lead. So I was not loading it to it's best at only 15.7 grs., their max, at 1001 fps. I couldn't find a hotter load for the 300gr. lead F.P. using 2400.