I've got an Arma-lite M-15 rifle that I'd like to load 77 grain Sierra Matchkings in and was hoping to use Accurate's 2520 powder based on looking at Sierra's manual.

Problem is, I cannot find this powder anywhere.

What SPHERICAL (ball) powders do you all use with heavy .224 bullets in the .223 Rem./5.56 NATO cartridge?

I know that many different powders are actually made by the same manufacturers and just labeled and marketed by different companies. Any chance 2520 has a 'ballistic' twin in another powder?

I would like to stick to the ball powders for ease of use in a progressive press. I've never had any measure of success getting any type of extruded powder to work in through the powder meter regardless of grain size.

Thanks.

I have shot kegs of AA2520 with 68's, 69's, but not so much with my 75 Hornadys. There is hardly a difference between powder charges between a 75 H and a 77 SMK. Often what you see for charge differences in manuals is due to the differences in burn rates between lots of powders. That is how they hid, for decades, that H110 and W296, HP 38 and W231, were the exact same powders. The charge differences in the manuals were just due to lot to lot variation.

I called Accurate Arms and asked them about 2520. They told me that grain for grain it has the same pressure curve as IMR 4895. Based on all my 308 tests, I would agree. I also am of the opinion that the pressure is the same for these powders in 223. Loads I developed with IMR 4895 are so close, charge weight and velocity, that I am of the opinion that you can substitute AA2520 for IMR 4895, by weight. I have done so for 223, 308 and 30-06, shooting AA2520 when it was cheaper than IMR 4895/H4895/IMR 4895.

I am going to recommend that you avoid AA2520. While it shoots fine, it is extremely dirty. You will see lots of residue in the gas system and it leaves lots of residue in the barrel. I have found, as others, that if you shoot AA2520 out to 300 yards and switch to a stick powder at 600 yards, you see "settling". I have had wild sighter shots and then got lucky that the first shot for record was where it should be. I had heard about this phenomena, did not believe it the first time, believed it the second time, and have not experimented with ruining my score since then. If you shoot AA2520 you shoot all the way out with it.
I am going to recommend that you use stick powders, even though, the ball powders throw better. When it comes to reloading, you often see that the illusion of precision does not translate to actual control. As long as you are using short cut stick powders, your accuracy with them, with thrown charges, will be just as good, if not better, than thrown charges will ball powders. That is one reason the market walked away from AA2520. Back when it was introduced, in the 80's, a lot of 308 service rifle shooters jumped on it, shot good scores, and now fatuously Accurate Arms calls it the "Camp Perry Powder". Actually, Camp Perry walked back to stick powders decades ago. The better throwing ability of ball powders did not necessarily translate to better groups, and ball powders have their own issues. Stick powders are cleaner and more predictable. It also did not help that early lots of AA2520 had a lot of glass in it and ate barrels.

Let me recommend as stick powders, IMR 4895, H 4895, or AA2495. These are so close copies of each other I can't tell the difference over my chronograph. I believe H4895 has more advanced additives, but since I don't make the stuff, I can only read the advertizing. I think the best all around 223 powder is Varget.

Barrels and chambers vary so much, for example loads I developed in my Armalite Wilson match barrel, I had to cut my loads by 1.5 grains in a Krieger barrel. Basically, with a 68, 69, 77, and 80, start around 23.5 grains with any of these powders and don't exceed 24.5 grains. If you see blown or leaking primers, cut the load by a half grain.

Don't use AA4064. I tested it. It is a short grain copy of IMR 4064, shot bug holed groups, but the velocity was not there. Unfortunately it is too slow in a Wilson barrel. It works fine in my Krieger barrel and I won medals at Perry shooting the stuff out to 300 yards, with thrown charges.

The only time I weigh powder is for 600 yards and 1000 yards. It is a waste of time out to 300 yards. And based on the HM scores I have shot at 600 yards, with thrown charges of N140 and 75 Hornadys, it becomes very hard to justify the extra time it takes to weigh. Most long range shooters I know weigh charges.

I am currently using N140 with my 75 Hornady's. Vihtavuori powders are very expensive, but if you have some, try it. I predict that a load between 23.5 and 24.0 will be max.

Thanks for the data dump. I'll definitely leave the 2520 alone now.

Besides, it's always nice to have some H4895 on hand for some reduced loads in my .416.

Thanks for the information and experience SlamFire.

As we all know some of the problems now are you have to take what you powders and other components that you can get. I was able to get some AA powders here and use the 2230 and the 2520 both. It does meter great as your say. I use the 2520 with the Sierra 69 grain MKs and the 2230 with just AR blasting rounds. I haven't noticed it to be that dirty in applications here. I use the Remington 71/2 primers or the Federals with the bolt action loads, and the CCI mil type primers in most of the AR loads. Maybe they are getting good ignition characteristics. The 2520 produced some very accurate loads though.

I never got the good blasting loads with the Win powders so the AA in something like a Dillon 650 worked well. For the bolt loads I use the RCBS 1500 ChrageMaster though. With that the stick powders are just as easy. In the Redding 3BR I seemed to have more cut sticks and in the Dillon 650 too - but as you say it may not make all that big of difference.

I would like to just have a half dozen powders as I am one of those guys that doesn't like the RL powders so well except for RL 15, and I really like the Win 780 (for other loads) but it isn't being made, so you always have these other powders to fill the gaps.

Varget is indeed great for the 223 and other applications too. I would really like to see some Varget too but what has it been 2 years or more now that it has been almost unavailable? I recently saw some Varget on Gunbroker for $300 I think for 5 lbs. I decided to just use up my 2520 while I wait.

But I will keep my eye open for 4895 too.

With the aa2520 I've used I've had nothing but good results in a number of .223s using bullets up to 70 grains. roger

I used AA2520 in my 19-223 Calhoon with great results but can't find more so i have been using H4895, seems to work great also.