Re: Alliants new Power Pro 2000mr
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BCP</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Alright, I tried out my test loads. Didn't do any shooting for groups though as I couldn't get to my normal range so just went to a pistol shooting area. Was 40 degrees out and a little foggy. Both rifles were 18" gas guns.
223 loads I stopped at 26 grains with a 75bthp, new rem cases, CCI SR. Didn't see pressure signs and the velocities were okay but nothing to scream about. My accuracy load 24.3 varget at 2600fps, 26 of this stuff gave me a little more speed but there was a 60fps spread. Varget spread is like 20-30, hand thrown. I think for this to work in 223 w/75 you need to go to 27-28 and /or use a mag primer.
178 amax, 47-48gr, win case, CCI LR primer 2.8 coal. 48 was max with obvious signs on case head (UNSAFE), velocity over the chrono was 2540. Varget over the same chrono tops out at 2500ish, and on the range it's about 2530-50 so I would guess I was getting 2570fps but without shooting it and checking drops hard to tell. I also had 1 slow 48 that was 50fps below the others, perhaps due to a weak primer or maybe CCI regs are borderline too light for a 48 grain charge in this weather.
208 BTHP, LC brass, 43-44 grains, CCI LR primer 2.82 coal. 44 showed signs of pressure and was 2370-2390 over the chrono. Pretty good considering varget was 2300 and no slow primers, very consistent too. This one catches my interest the most.
In conclusion I think this powder is good for heavies in 308 (and maybe 80-90 in 223 if you shoot those) but I wouldn't go for it unless you are really needing a bit more velocity over your standard loads and are using heavy bullets.
edit: I didn't do this as a test to find a new accuracy load, just to see how it performs for me vs. varget (what I usually use). So far it looks like 30-50fps difference over varget, with almost a 100fps difference with the 208's which is nuts. </div></div>
A couple things, 1) I am really surprised at the nominal gains in velocity you're getting over Varget, and 2) I don't think the CCI primers are an issue, I did most of my load workups mid-winter 30-40F and I exclusively used CCI BR-2's. Never had an issue. I'm still mulling over what this data is telling us about the pressure curve of this powder, but my initial feeling is that it might be a flat curve powder like the one from St. Marks in the Hornady Superformance ammunition. This would make sense and fall in line with it not yielding a significant gain in velocity in a shorter barrel. A longer barrel would give that flat pressure curve more time to push on the bullet giving it a greater amount of acceleration over standerd curve powders like Varget. But it seems you might need a longer tube to take advantage of this pressure characteristic as a short barrel will not give this curve enough time to make any noticable velocity gains over standard powders. Still chewing on this, just my 2 cents...
-SBS