I've got 8 lbs of Accurate Magnum powder that I bough a few years ago and haven't tried. The piece of paper that they stick in it says to use loading data for AA3100 or IMR 4831. Has anyone used this stuff in ther magnums ??? I've got a .300 RUM and figured I could burn up some of this stuff, maybe it'll even shoot well, who knows ???

bowhuntr

bh - I have an old jug of powder that is labeled as "Magnum Rifle Powder" from Accurate Arms. Just below that label is the number MR-3100. I bought 8 lbs. of it in 1983 and have always used, per Bob Hagels Handloader article, IMR-4831 data. We've had good success with in our 300 Winchester's with 180 and 200 grain bullets and my 340 Weatherby. My lot of that powder matches the loading data in Accurate's reloading manual for their newer AA3100. Use their starting data for your caliber and work up from there.

[ 10-25-2002, 18:33: Message edited by: Guy ]

I agree that you guys are on the right track. My experience with the stuff is you won't get as good of velocity as with imr or hogdon powder but it is still a real usable powder and if I remember right it was pretty darn cheap. Even if max loads are 80-100 fps slower it won't matter to an animal. If you look at nosler and sierra manuals you'll see it listed as an excellent accuracy powder in many calibers.

"Magnum" (NOT THE NEW "MAGPRO) equals MR3100 and XMR 3100, and, who knows what new designation they'll come up with next. Never top velocity, but, historically, superb accuracy.

Speaking of Hagel's article (I think it was in the "Propellant Profiles" section), he said it actually WAS IMR4831. If it was, they must have taken some of the juice out of it, because it never came close to I4831's velocities, but, the accuracy, especially in the 7RMag with 150 Nosler SB's and Partitions, has been excellent (64 grains and Rem 9-1/2M primers in R-P cases gives around 3,000 - 3,100 FPS and numerous sub 1" groups).

I remember using it in a 30-06, 59 or 60 grains if I remember correctly, heavily compressed, with 180 grain R-P Core-Lokts, thinking I was getting around 2700 FPS or so; then I got a chrono, and discovered it was only producing 2,580 FPS Course, the deer I shot with it didn't seem to notice Placement, not velocity, within reason, is the key.

And, it's still pretty cheap

R-WEST

[ 10-25-2002, 19:30: Message edited by: R-WEST ]

I agree that velocities were down in most of the calibers we used it in. The only exception has been the 200 grain Nosler in the 300 Win mags. Velocity over 2900 fps and excellent accuracy in all of the rifles.

The stuff was real cheap, as I recall, somewhere around $6 /pound. I was thinking of trying it out in my .300 Ultra Mag, simply because I have so much of it. I'm trying to develop a 150 gr load and was thinking of starting somewhere around 86 grains of it. Does this sound ok or should I save it for heavier bullets ????

bowhuntr

bowhuntrrl -

Almost forgot. If you contact Accurate Arms http://www.accuratearms.com/ and tell them what you're working with, they'll get some load data to you pretty quick. Just in case you don't HAVE any data lying around.

(edit) They're showing 80 grains to start and 90 max with a 150 Barnes "X", so, you should be okay.

R-WEST

[ 10-25-2002, 21:42: Message edited by: R-WEST ]