Alliant 2400 With Cast Bullets

[SWIHARTMARK]

Back when there was a Schutzenfest, people were loading cast bullets in their rifles using Alliant 2400 powder. I forgot how much powder was used but I think it was in the 15 to 18 grain range. I was told its advantage was it didn't need any filler. I've read elsewhere that 18-20 grains is also okay. Any comments?

Best Regards,

Mark

[Ozzman]

What cartridge are you referring to?
18-24 grains of 2400 on a cast bullet depends on quite a bit.
Missing the following information:
- Bullet type/caliber
- What cartridge
- Bullet weight
- Bullet lube
- Which rifle?

Lots of questions still left to be answered.

[SWIHARTMARK]

I will be reloading mainly for 30 cal with bullet weights from 155 to 200. I'll use the Lee Alox tumble lube for now. Rifles would include Enfields, Arisakas, Mosins, an M1917 and a MAS-36. All bullets will be gas checked. Hope that helps. I will not be shooting much past 200 yards, and mostly 50 to 100 yards. No need to really go for a high velocity. Thanks for your reply.

Best Regards,

Mark

[sowbelle]

The Lyman cast bullet handbook is availabe online or any book store.
It has recipes for all the calibers you plan to load using several powders as well as Alliant 2400
This is a very good book to have if you want to go cast bullets.

[SWIHARTMARK]

Thanks, I forgot I had it since my wife put it away on a book shelf I don't see often. I saw several 2400 loads, most in the 18 grain range. Looks like I'm in action again.

Best Regards,

Mark

[DaleH]

For 30-cal class cartridges, per C. E. Harris’ famous loading advice called “The Load”, I’ve never had any reason for anything but 16-grns of Alliant 2400. I myslef play w/ the overall length and use a Lee factory crimp die and get nickle-sized groups at 50-yards. Not much worse at 100, less how good the rifle’s sights are.

For my 38-55 Schuetzen Stevens 44-1/2, you can’t beat 10-grains of Unique with a 255-grn bullet (and alloy, I use 20 to 1) sized properly to the bore.

[SWIHARTMARK]

Just cast some 30 cal bullets with a 6% tin, 4% antimony and 90% lead alloy. I'll be making sizers for them in the next few days as Lyman sizers aren't too hard to reproduce. I've heard nothing but good news about shooting cast bullets, especially at shorter ranges. I hope to find a toaster oven and experiment with some crude heat treating as well. I'll let these bullets sit a while and let them shrink before sizing or heat treating.

I get my antimony from ROTOMETALS super hard alloy of 30% antimony and 70% lead. Not bad as it melts at a reasonable and safe temperature. Its only sold in 5lb ingots. Pure antimony is pretty toxic to mess with.

Best Regards,

Mark

[DaleH]

Heat treat ... ? WHY bother?

Most of my 2400 cast loads use bullets don’t even require gas checks ...

[SWIHARTMARK]

Call it insurance. I've seen a leaded up M1917 bore once that somebody else owned. I'm not letting that happen to me. Besides, one hour at 450F then a dump into water isn't that hard even with an el cheapo toaster oven. Put bullets into tin pie pan with holes in it to let water pour through and after you get them to temp for an hour, dump into a bucket of water still in the pan. Just let sit for a few minutes and your done. I don't have a chronograph, so better to be safe than sorry.

Best Regards,

Mark

[res45]

I will be reloading mainly for 30 cal with bullet weights from 155 to 200. I'll use the Lee Alox tumble lube for now. Rifles would include Enfields, Arisakas, Mosins, an M1917 and a MAS-36. All bullets will be gas checked. Hope that helps. I will not be shooting much past 200 yards, and mostly 50 to 100 yards. No need to really go for a high velocity. Thanks for your reply.

Best Regards,

Mark

16.0 grs. of Alliant 2400 is the standard load for all the rifles calibers you mentioned with cast lead bullet weights suitable for the caliber. In my Mosin rifles I generally use 16.0 grs. with 150 to 170 gr. gas check bullets cast from wheel weights, water quenched from the mold size an lubed on my RCBS Lub A Matic, Alox or a 45/45/10 Alox / JPW lube will work just fine as well using the Lee push through sizers. If I'm powder coating my bullets I water quench after coating straight from the toaster oven and gas check while sizing with the Lee sizers.

Depending on the caliber an bullet weight you can increase the charge weight of 2400 up to 20 to 22 grs. if need be. Consult you Lyman #3 or #4 Cast Bullet Manual for bullet weights and charge weights with 2400. The Lyman #3 has lots more load data using 2400 than the #4 manual. 16.0 grs. of 2400 works in just about any 30 cal. rifle with the exception of the 7.62 x 39 as the case is to small causing pressure issues.

[SWIHARTMARK]

Thanks for the info. I did buy a toaster oven for water quenching. That's a nice group with your Mosin. I have a former sniper rifle, but no scope. I'll have to seen what issue Lyman book I have.

Best Regards,

Mark

[roverboy]

Res45, good groups you got there. I've never shot 2400 in a rifle load but, have used a lot in handgun loads.

[res45]

Res45, good groups you got there. I've never shot 2400 in a rifle load but, have used a lot in handgun loads.

Alliant 2400 is a pretty versatile powder with cast bullets in handguns as well as rifles and it's why I keep several lbs. on hand at all times. For pistols, I only use it in my 357 mag. cast loads but I use it in all my 30 cal. rifle cast loads including 7.62 x 39, 54r, 300 Sav. an 30-30.

[Cattus Borealis]

Kind of off topic but I found that Vectan BA 9 powder is also a wonderful cast bullet propellant. It has a similar burn rate to Unique and is quite affordable.

Grafs has it on sale for 19.99 per half Kilo...1.1 pounds

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/pr ... ctId/28091

[SWIHARTMARK]

Ummh, you noticed the Graf sale as well. I wish they had Graf brand black powder in stock, argh, growl, argh. I already have a can and a half of Alliant 2400, so I'm stuck with it. Work is slow right now, so I'm hesitant to spend money so I have to use what I have. I'd buy some GOEX BP, but I still have two pounds of GRAF, argh, growl, argh.

Thanks for the tip on Vectan BA 9. I'll have to research some loads for it nonetheless.

Best Regards,

Mark