2400 Powder - What's it good for?

[GypsmJim]

I enjoyed the Bullseye and Unique threads and agreed with all of the comments. Now, how about 2400?

I bought a 410 shotgun for the boys when they were young and saved all of the hulls. I found a reloader on E-Bay a few years ago and bought it to be ready in case I ever wanted to reload them for the Grandkids...LOL.

All of my books show 2400 as the only powder and that's why i never bought any.

So, what else is it good for? I load 38, 41, 45, 9mm, 3006, 308 and a few more. Any good ideas?

Or......as an option, what else will work in 410?

 

[michael thornton]

2400 is a good 44 mag and 357mag powder, its is good for shotgun shells but i cant tell you alot about that

 

[GLV]

I enjoyed the Bullseye and Unique threads and agreed with all of the comments. Now, how about 2400?

I bought a 410 shotgun for the boys when they were young and saved all of the hulls. I found a reloader on E-Bay a few years ago and bought it to be ready in case I ever wanted to reload them for the Grandkids...LOL.

All of my books show 2400 as the only powder and that's why i never bought any.

So, what else is it good for? I load 38, 41, 45, 9mm, 3006, 308 and a few more. Any good ideas?


Seeing as you asked the same question about Unique and Bullseye, I would suggest you invest in a couple of reloading manuals.

I use or have used 2400 in 44, 460, 300 Whisper, 45AR, .38Sp, .357, and more I don't remember. Started using 2400 in about 62 if I remember right.

 

[Joed49]

I use 2400 for anything that I used to use H110 in. It works great in the .357 mag, 44 mag and any other revolver round you want a mid to hot load in.

 

[jj2am44]

Like Joed49 said, it is good for full power loads in 44 magnum. If you are punching paper, Unique will fill the bill better as less powder has to be used.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Agreed, 2400 is an excellent all around powder for any of the larger rounds from .357 on up, (and even in some .38 special loads), with 3/4 to full power loads.

It won't quite match H-110 for top speeds, but it isn't too far behind, and it's a lot more flexable with less than top end loads.

 

[dg101win]

As far as what else works in the .410, look at Winchester 296.

 

[GypsmJim]

Seeing as you asked the same question about Unique and Bullseye, I would suggest you invest in a couple of reloading manuals.

I use or have used 2400 in 44, 460, 300 Whisper, 45AR, .38Sp, .357, and more I don't remember. Started using 2400 in about 62 if I remember right.

I wasn't the one that asked the question about Unique and Bullseye. I merely commented that I found the answers to be right on.

What I did say was that 2400 was the only powder listed in my manuals for .410. Actually, I must have at least a half dozen store bought manuals going back to the 1960's, plus just about every manual printed and given out by the powder manufacturers.

I guess I should have phrased my question better. I load 12, 16 and 20 ga. using Unique exclusively. I shoot so little .410 that I hate to buy a dedicate` powder for it. What I would really like is load data to use Ulique in .410.

I see from the manuals that 2400 is a good fit for magnum loads. I rarely load my magnums to full throttle, sj I have no use for the 2400 there either.

 

[gjamison]

i use it for my 41mag. works for me, the doe i shoot this year thought so...

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Just an FYI- Hodgdon Lil'Gun was designed specifically for use in the 410.

2400 does not have to be run all the way to the top like I said above. It can be used in decent 3/4 level loads with complete satisfaction.

 

[Wheelgunner840]

I got great results using 2400 in my heavy .44 mag loads. I use 2400 and AA#9 exclusively for that caliber.

BTW, I started the "Unique. What is it good for" thread, and I have a bazillion reloading resources. I wanted to know what you folks used it for!


WG840

 

[s&wchad]

As far as what else works in the .410, look at Winchester 296.

I use 296 for 2-1/2" .410 skeet loads.

 

[Paul5388]

2400 is good for a lot of cartridges! All the way from .38 Special and .45 ACP to rifles with cast bullets. It tends to use more weight density to do the job, so many times there are other powders that are more efficient.

I think I've seen a powder, .410 by name, maybe from Alliant or Hodgdon. I haven't used it, so I can't comment on it.

I have successfully used Blue Dot for some .410 loads, mostly heavier shot than normally encountered and it was in brass hulls.

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

 

[flat top]

It amazes me that no one has come on this thread and said that 2400 does not throw well, or that 2400 is dirty.....That seems to happen with every powder that has been discussed recently. Thank goodness, maybe that is over and done with.

 

[Paul5388]

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.

 

[GF1]

2400 is the finest magnum handgun powder ever made. 30 years ago, I wore out a Model 29 w/ it (no kidding), it's great in the .357 and .41 Magnums, and the 10mm as well. Easy to burn, don't need killer crimps or magnum primers.

 

[cjw3]

I get higher velocity with 2400 than I do with comparable loadings with H-110 in my 4" barrel 686. 2400 is a tad faster, so maybe it is better in the shorter barrel.

 

[redlevel]

30 years ago, I

I find myself starting more and more sentences with this phrase lately, except I say "35 or 40 years ago , , , ,"

 

[hoppes-no9]

Just an FYI- Hodgdon Lil'Gun was designed specifically for use in the 410.

Lil'Gun is tough on hulls -- tends to burn the plastic after a few loadings. H110/WW296 are better choices, IMHO.

 

[Cyrano]

I just got through reloading 150 rounds of 357 with 2400. Used H&G's#51GC bullet; a 156 gr swc fitted with a gas check. I'll be shooting some of them at 100 yds when the weather is good enough to get out.

 

[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