The AA2230 powder has made the 458wm what it was meant to be. I have a Ruger Hawkeye that was a 375 Ruger that was rebarreled by Danny Pederson using a #5 contour @22inches, rifle weighs 7.9 lbs basically the recoil feels like my 10.4 lb 500N.E. a beauty to pack all day. Rifle feeds flawlessly with no work needed.

1. Rem 405 grain plinker bullets 68grains AA2230 2260fps
2. Swift a-frame 450 grain bullets 75 grains AA2230 pushing 2250fps
3. Hornady DGS 500 grain 70.5 grains 2120fps.

Very happy with the velocity of these loads cases were measured on the belt and extractor groove no expansion/pressure signs at all, zero.

quote:

Originally posted by dirklawyer:
The AA2230 powder has made the 458wm what it was meant to be. I have a Ruger Hawkeye that was a 375 Ruger that was rebarreled by Danny Pederson using a #5 contour @22inches, rifle weighs 7.9 lbs basically the recoil feels like my 10.4 lb 500N.E. a beauty to pack all day. Rifle feeds flawlessly with no work needed.

1. Rem 405 grain plinker bullets 68grains AA2230 2260fps
2. Swift a-frame 450 grain bullets 75 grains AA2230 pushing 2250fps
3. Hornady DGS 500 grain 70.5 grains 2120fps.

Very happy with the velocity of these loads cases were measured on the on belt and groove no expansion/pressure signs at all, zero.

Should do the trick quite nicely!!!

Have 4 lbs of 2230. Will be interesting to see what quick load says about using this powder in the 10.75x68. Seems both calibers like the same range of powders.

You might also try AA2460...I ran some tests and also contacted AA for their opinion for which powder would work optimally for use in my SMLE at ~45-49kCUP...They said AA2460 has a slightly better burn curve.

The tests I ran with several 350-500 gr bullets confirmed this. The loads I settled on for 405, 430 and 500 gr bullets, hard cast and jacketed all were either just slightly compressed or very close, had the highest velocity for each bullet weight, and I got at least 10 reloads from each case.

H4895 proved the best all around powder for 300 and 350 gr bullets in both the SMLE and NEF BC 45-70(at that time), and the most accurate powder for the Sierra 300 gr bullet at well above 2600 fs...well over the recommended velocity range.

That is working up the "best" load...highest velocity AND accuracy along with long cartridge life. Even the 500 grainers I stoked as far as I dared would go a minimum of 8 reloads before the cases started to thin out at the web.

AA2460 didn't produce the highest velocities of the powders I tried including AA2230, but using it did produce the most uniform, accurate and long lived cases with the velocities running not much more than 50 fs below the hottest loads.

I was using WW cases, loading one with whatever load showed the most promise and continued reloading it until the case died.

You might try a pound if you've a mind to...

Luck on your project.

Using Norma brass and AA 2230, I have reloaded cases five times with loads not far from Dirk's. After five, I discard the cases. I have had no issues with any cases, and they may have more life.

JPK

Some at least of the 2230 use came from Mike Brady. He was pretty insistent about not using any other AA powder in the 458 WM.

Good enough for me.

Selecting AA 2230 to try is a no brainer. Just thumb through the Hornaday manual, get to the 458wm, find 500gr bullets and look to see which powder produces 2250fps (out of their 24" barrel) and not coincidentaly produces 50fps more than any other listed powder...

JPK

Interesting ... H335 is right next to AA2230 on the burn rate chart, and I've found it to be a super propellant for the .458 AR

Any thoughts on H322? I use it in my 6PPC and have been giving some thought to trying it in the .458WM and the 10.75. Bob

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
Interesting ... H335 is right next to AA2230 on the burn rate chart, and I've found it to be a super propellant for the .458 AR

Mike, I believe the chamber pressures for AA2230 are lower than with the H335 plus you get one heck of a muzzle flash with the H355 that's some of the reasons I changed over to the AA2230.

quote:

Originally posted by VFR1:
Any thoughts on H322? I use it in my 6PPC and have been giving some thought to trying it in the .458WM and the 10.75. Bob

VFR1, I've not used the H322 maybe someone can pipe in but again the higher chamber pressures of both H322 and H335 got me liking the AA2230 better.

I do not reload, but have shot some .458 WM loads with AA2230 and H4895 and it seemed like my rifle somewhat preferred the H4895. The sample size was pretty small.

Hoping to start rolling my own if I can get my study sorted out and make room for a bench. Of course, I have been saying that for years.

Dirk,

Note that you are writing H355 and MStarling is writing H335. A typo?

Charles,

I have found that H 4895 can be better for lighter bullets. I also found that with 500 grainers it seems to "top out" and become inconsistent as loads are increased, even well below max listed loads, whereas I found that AA 2230 stayed consistent with predictable increases in velocity with incremental increases in charge weight. At least in my rifle's two barrels.

JPK

quote:

Charles,

I have found that H 4895 can be better for lighter bullets. I also found that with 500 grainers it seems to "top out" and become inconsistent as loads are increased, even well below max listed loads, whereas I found that AA 2230 stayed consistent with predictable increases in velocity with incremental increases in charge weight. At least in my rifle's two barrels.

JPK

This was with NF 450 grain FPS, so maybe that qualifies as "light"?

Charles,

With the original 450 NF's I loved H 4895 and my rifle loved it more. Clean burning, good velocity, great consistency.

For some reason the redesigned 450's, with the added bands, just didn't shoot well with H 4895 in my rifle. All the same issues I found with 500 Woodleighs.

I switched to AA 2230 for the 450's too, but it isn't as clean burning as the H 4895. However, in my rifle, it produces more velocity while shooting to regulation - not enough to make a difference on game - and was consistent.

If the H 4895 is working with the NF's for you, all the better. BTW, 450 NE No2 reported no difference between the old NF's and the new in his rifle. He uses the same load. Wish I could.

JPK

So why are you not using the NF 500 gr. FPS now that it is around (on their site anyway). Too long?

Will,

I have a couple hundred 450gr NF FP's and maybe a hundred CP's from when Mike owned the firm, so I have more than enough to work through.

I wonder if the 500's would be too long. Maybe not in my rifle since COL is only limited by the length of freebore, or leade for Brits. Even seating the 450's out well past where Mike recomends for bolt rifles, with about one calibre in the case, I have about 1/4" before the bullet touches the lands. Loading the 500's out to give .1" off the lands would give me Lott OAL and some.

JPK

Well folks, my favorite in the .458WM is Accurate 1680. A high energy, double base propellant of high density that gives no problems with the .458's limited case volume. I get 2790 fps with 300gr Impala LS and 2380 with Impala RN solids. My laods are pressure tested and rather mild.

I use H335 with 500's in my 458WM (CZ550), and the 450 Swift. It works wonders! I can't get AA2230 locally, so H335 being a ball powder doesn't have a problem with compaction to achieve optimum accuracy and velocity (2200 fps). No muzzle flash from my rifle either.

Hornady recommends this powder for both the 458WM and the Lott for consistency and temperature stability. My SD is 3 shooting the 500gr Hornady RN.

Hodgdon's manual shows the following from a 24" test barrel:

500 GR. Hornady RN:

H335 75.5grs 2163fps 50,300cup

H4895 74grs(C) 2161fps 50,300cup

H322 69.5grs(C) 2109fps 52,000cup

"C" is a compressed load, so 75.5grs of H335 is not compressed.

It's true that the Accurate Arms site shows much lower pressure from AA2230 at approximately the same MV. Of course, this flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that says it takes a certain amount of (peak) pressure to achieve a certain muzzle velocity using a particular bullet in a .458WM (for example).

H335 also works near miracles in my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 Improved.

Bob

www.bigbores.ca

quote:

Originally posted by VFR1:
Any thoughts on H322? I use it in my 6PPC and have been giving some thought to trying it in the .458WM and the 10.75. Bob

I've been using H322 under 400Gr for my CZ550. So far it has been accurate enough (<2" groups @ 50yds with open sights), and no signs of pressure yet, up to 72 gr.

At 72 grains I'm measuring 2290FPS. I'm guessing there is another 100 FPS available as I work the load up a bit higher.

I'm just about out of the H322 and plan on giving the H4895 a try, and see if I like it any better.

quote:

Originally posted by scarabeus:
Well folks, my favorite in the .458WM is Accurate 1680. A high energy, double base propellant of high density that gives no problems with the .458's limited case volume. I get 2790 fps with 300gr Impala LS and 2380 with Impala RN solids. My laods are pressure tested and rather mild.

Scarabeus,

What's the weight of the Impala RN solids with which you get 2380?

Sorry, I did not mention the bullet weight. It's 420grains. Here you can see what the bullets look like: www.impalabullets.at
The bullet has all the penetration and course stability that this "flat roundnose" offers plus the shock effect of the cutting edge. My hunting buddies, among lots of plains game and some buffalo, have killed already 6 elephant with this bullet with spectacular results. A bull, shot through the heart with the 350gr Impala RN from a .416 Rem.Mag. did not move a songle step. He died on the spot and the bullet even exited. All other were brain shot with instan "game over" as one might expect. One ele shot through the lungs with the .416 made a dead run of 200 yards.