I was looking at a powder burn rate chart the other day and noticed that Hodgdon's BL-C(2) powder falls right between IMR3031 and IMR4320 in speed. Both of these powders work well for the 500 grn lead core projectiles but the faster powders are generally reccomended for lighter bullets. I also noticed that the density of the Hodgden BL-C(2) ball powder is greater than ANY OTHER POWDER LISTED including the staple for the 458 Lott Winchester 748 ball! I am wondering if this powder would give you a little more effective room to work up loads with long, powder space hogging monolithic bullets like the 450 and 500 grn Barnes X and the 500 grn monolithic solids allowing one to reach heretofore unreachable velocities with these bullets. I have some 450 and 500 grn X's I am going to try. I just wondered if anyone has already been there to give me an idea of what to expect.

I'd be intersted in your chronograph results,

---Catter

Catter--Start out with the 450 gr loaded to 88% fill and work up.IE measure what it will hold to base of loaded 450 gr and start with 88%.Solids increase pressure as it is and
BLC-2 may give too high of pressures in 450 gr.Never did in 400gr for me.Even with full load..If you want to be real careful grind 50 gr from the front
of few 450s and start from there, just to check pressures
in your particular barrel, while you are chronographing.Ed.

Anyone?

AA 2230 has a bulk density of 1.0 and is a bit faster than Ball C. It should be the perfect powder for the Lott with all bullet weights as it does so well in the 458 Win Mag with bullets seated out to match the Lotts usable case capacity.

See Speer Manual 13 pg 422 where the short 500 gr AGS clocks 2239 fps in the 458 Win with 78 grs of 2230. I have duplicated this velocity at moderate pressures with 2230 in my 458 Win Double.

IMR-42320 was the only powder I found to be totally effective in the 458 Lotts that I have owned...I tried them all and used a chronograph as I went...It was the only powder that I could get a SAFE 2350 FPS with a 500 gr. soft or solid....

This was confirmed by Rifle/Handloader magazine and a quote by David Miller as they also settled on about 83 to 84 grs. of IMR-4320...

At any rate, thats the only powder I would use in a Lott, others will come close enough for all practical purposes.

I do not like Ball Powder in a DGR as they unfortunatly have a tendency to cake at high loading density, and cause misfires under certain conditions..