Accurate Powder

[Maximumbob54]

No, not what powders are accurate...

Accurate Powder:

Accurate Powders

I usually don't stray too far from my personal big three in Hodgdon/IMR/Winchester and still sometimes try some powder from Alliant but with the current shortages I've tried some Accurate #9 and #7.

WOW.

I like this stuff. It flows like water from the Uniflow, with a magnum primer all my .357 magnum loads have been great, and it's fairly decent at filling the case making it obvious if you have a double charge.

Next I would love to find some #2, #5, and 4100 to try out when powder is more available again. 4100 sounds like a heck of a magnum powder for real solid loads and #2 and #5 sound like good powders for the common pistol calibers like 9mm, .38 special, .45 ACP, and more.

I look forward to finding them. I would assume I would enjoy their rifle powders as well. Tidbit of history, I read they used to be half of what made "Hercules Powder" and when the company split Accurate and Alliant were born. I won't swear that to be the truth though as it's an interwebz history lesson...

Anyone else care to share their results with these powders?

 

[ronnie gore]

powder

I have been using accurate powder for years, no. 5 in 40,no.2 in 38 special, 9mm, and no. 9 in 44 mag and no. 7 in 357 mag and 41 mag. I like it because it meters very well from the dillion square deal presses I use.

 

[jayman9207]

I have been using quite a bit of #7 and really like it. I just got some #2 in yesterday and want to test it out for some heavier loads with my Speer Gold Dot bullets.

 

[DWalt]

If you want to magnum-ize .38 Super, AA #5 is the best propellant available. High bulk density allows a maximum load and getting >1400 f/s is easily obtained using 124 grain bullets. I use 9X23 brass for better safety.

 

[adams484]

About 2 months ago I had to buy one of their powders and was so impressed by how it metered I quickly started working up loads for #5 through #9. The standard deviations I am getting with it are acceptable and the accuracy is well within my expectations. I am very happy with what I have seen so far.

 

[BigBill]

I use unique in my 45acp, 38 special & 44 special leadcast loads. For my magnum charges I use 296 & 2400.

I'm not seeing any powder or primers yet???

 

[quinn]

I've been using Accurate #2 in 9mm and 45acp for years (15 - 20). Meters well in Dillon 550b and ran clean in several full auto guns where they could get several thousand rounds in a day w/o cleaning.

 

[rwsmith]

I would LOVE.....

I would LOVE to try Accurate powders. The only powder I've seen in 6 months was a lone pound of 2400 and that was just last week.

 

[scooter123]

Last weekend I took a 177 mile drive down to Ashland, Ohio to pay a visit in "The Fin", otherwise known as Fin, Feather, and Fur. Picked up 2 lbs. of Accurate #5 and 500 45 caliber Speer Gold Dots in 185 grains.

Once home I loaded up 25 test rounds using the Gold Dots and 25 using Hornady XTP's in the same 185 grain weight. BTW, the length of the Gold Dot and the XTP bullet is the exact same 0.531 inch. Tested the ammo Sunday and while it's a bit hot it's not any worse that the 180 Caliber Ranger-T I use in my 40 calibers. It also functioned perfectly in my newish Ruger SR1911 CMD. According to my Lee manual and Accurate's data the 9.8 grain load I'm using should produce a velocity of 1050 fps from a 5 inch barrel.

As for the metering quality I would evaluate that as excellent. I'm using a Lee powder measure and once set I never saw any throw that was more than 1/10 away from my target weight. In testing those 1/10 variations were exceedingly rare and I would guess that 85-90 percent of the varation was in the 0.03 to 0.04 grain range. However, trying to eyeball a deviation this small on my RCBS 502 is a bit of a challenge. What I can state is that at least 85% of my throws were within a literal hairs width of being perfectly centered. BTW, I weighed 30 consecutive throws to check for metering quality.

Cleanliness. I was shooting these loads in 45 ACP which is a low pressure caliber notorious for staining cases. Case staining was a bit less that what I see shooting Federal Champion or my own range hardball. So, pressure was at the higher end of the range for 45 ACP. However, there was no obvious indication of excess pressure and fired cases match the diameter of fired range ammo. Muzzle flash was observable from a 4.25 inch barrel if you watched for it but not noticable unless you were looking for it. So, it's a moderate to low flash load. My SR1911 CMD also stayed fairly clean during the 50 round test phase of this new powder. However, 200 rounds of a mix between some powder puff range loads using Unique and newer and stouter loads using SR-7625 insured I came home with a pistol that needed a good cleaning.

PS; I now consider the new SR1911 CMD as well broken in. Out of the box it was the tightest Ruger 1911 I've ever seen and I had a few feed failures in the first 200 rounds. It's now at the 700 round mark and for the past 400 rounds there has not been one single malfunction, even when I got out some of those older powder puff loads.

 

[Cdog]

I've been using Accurate brand powders for years. I remember when it used to cost less than the competition too. #5 is just great in full power .45 acp loads.

I went the other way though. As the Accurate powders became more costly and less available in my area, I found Longshot and Universal Clays to be my two standard caliber favorites.

 

[fyimo]

My experience with accurate brand powders has also been good.

 

[125JHP]

I've been using AA since about 1987, it has been a mainstay on my bench for rifle and pistol.

 

[mtgianni]

I really like #2 in 9mm, 38 special, 45 ACP and 32 Long. #9 equivalant [wc820] does great work in magnum loads with heavy bullets.

 

[H Richard]

I've used Accurate powders for quite awhile. They are excellent. My most recent load development was the 32 H&R Mag with the 100 Gr Hornady XTP. 6.3 gr. developed accuracy of .374" at 10 yards. Chrono's very consistent.

 

[jfp357]

Its only been a few weeks Accurate #5 has been working fine in my Lee press with my .38 spec, .45 auto, and now my 9MM.

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

I have a pound of 4100 that I will be testing some 44 magnum loads. The powder meters beautifully filling the casing about half way. I will report what I find.

S&W 629 Performance Center 2.6 inch barrel.
240g flat nose
19.8 grains
cci 300 primers
Starline brass

 

[Grayfox]

No.5 is my go to powder for .45acp, 38 Super and 9mm.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Accurate powders are ok and I use aa9 a fair amount but I have found that they have a larger "lot to lot" variation than other powders so I use the rest rarely now.

 

[venomballistics]

I've burned a few pounds of the stuff ... AA#9 earned a solid place on the bench .... makes power like H110 without the reduced charge issues.
The only downside is that I dont always see it on the shelves like Alliant and the Hodgdon trio of brands.

 

[fredj338]

I like some of the AA powders, AA#7 for 357sig, 40 & 10mm. AA2520 is my 223 & 308 powder for my semiauto stuff.

 

[ultratec00]

45acp
185 JHP
AA5 10.0gr

Good all around load for practice or field. Accurate with manageable recoil.

 

[Maximumbob54]

Looking at powder burn rates I'm feeling like AA2 is similar to Bulleye and AA5 is similar to Unique.

Yes / No ???

 

[forestswin]

Looking at powder burn rates I'm feeling like AA2 is similar to Bulleye and AA5 is similar to Unique.

Yes / No ???

maxBob why are you looking at powder burn rates?

do you know how many of us are waiting to find out what's going on with your primers?

 

[carpriver]

I have used AA#2, 5,7,9 . it works in all everything. It what I started using when I began to reload. I have tried tighegroup but I find it dirty just my opinion.

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

I finally got out to the range today to try out my test loads. 4100 is very nice to say the least. Not a full power load but nice for plinking. There was 0 muzzle flash and no smoke. Burned very cleanly and left the casings clean. The pictures are a bit blurry but you'll have to take my word that the gun and casings were clean after firing them. I would even say that the powder burned cleaner than the gold dots that I shot. There was also definitely some muzzle flash with the gold dots. I will be using 4100 and enforcer for plinking from now on.

 

[Moonman]

Maximumbob54,

WHAT was your PRIMER ANSWER?

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[Maximumbob54]

Maximumbob54,

WHAT was your PRIMER ANSWER?

Inquiring minds want to know!

I think I have the answer now. I ordered a new set of rods for the bench prime a while back and I had to assemble them myself. They like to back out from being screwed in which makes them taller. So I thought I fixed that with thread locker. Nope. They were both just a bit backed out yet again. Everything I did today looks good but I need to get my butt out to the range to verify this is the case. Second is the M&P R8... The firing pin in that gun is almost hard to see how far is doesn't stick out... I ordered a C&S extended firing pin and wow is that thing extended. I'm going to order an Apex firing pin as that's what fixed one of my J frames a while back and I bet it makes that gun run like a top. I'm also ordering a standard mainspring and will forgo the softer trigger pull of the reduced mainspring that I didn't know until today it came with installed at the PC. I'm hoping those to parts will have that gun running in circles around the target.

 

[gaijin]

AA9 is my "accuracy load" powder in moderate .41 mag., 44 mag. and +P .45 Colt with cast bullets.

 

[BigBill]

In my '75 colt python my most accurate load was with 2400 powder with a 140gr. JHP SPEER bullet, I could ping small rocks on the 100yds. Berm at will.

 

[bluetopper]

4100 is the only powder I buy anymore for magnum handgun calibers. From 357 up to 500.

Performace and accuracy are great with full charges and it can be downloaded a LOT with no issues. I've even seen 45acp data for it. And a magnum primer is not required.