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Old 06-15-2014, 02:43 AM
lanenebraska lanenebraska is offline
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Default Alliant STEEL for 223 :)

Alliant STEEL has huge flakes, and is a very bulky powder.

So I ran some test loads today in my AR15 with 34 and 40 grain HBN coated bullets. None of the loads fully cycled the action. Pressure signs started to show up around 14g powder and 40g Vmax, flattening of primer with slight cratering. Had issues with my chrono, and only got some shots to register

34 Grain Dogtown/Nightmare bullets, Rem 7.5 primers, PMC .223 brass and Alliant STEEL powder. AR15 with 24inch Barrel
Here's what my prochrono told me (When it was working):
12g = 3017 fps
14g = 3320 fps
17g = 3652 fps


40g VMax
10g = 2562 fps
12g = 2860 fps
13g = 2993 fps
14g = 3194 fps
15g = 3298 fps
17g = 3565 fps Very hard to extract.


I had read about others using Blue Dot powder for .223 loads, and thought I'd give this STEEL powder a try. It is slower burning than bluedot, and from what little data i have to compare, looks like Blue Dot does it better and tops out with about 14grains.

I had to manually cycle/eject all the rounds, and the cases were cool to the touch. These pistol/shotgun type powders shoot with a lot less heat transfer. Kind of like Trail Boss, but with more power of course.

Anyway, it was great to get out and shoot!

Hope this info can help you guys

Last edited by lanenebraska; 06-15-2014 at 02:52 AM.
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Old 06-15-2014, 12:42 PM
260Ackley 260Ackley is offline
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This is interesting to read about. I have about 5 lbs of steel powder laying around from reloading non toxic shot. I switched to heavy shot factory rounds and wondered what could be done with it. If you do more testing I would enjoy hearing it.
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Old 06-15-2014, 02:56 PM
barretcreek barretcreek is offline
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Alliant stresses that Steel is a very specialized powder and your results confirm that for me. Sounds like it hits a certain pressure and skyrockets.

C E Harris developed "the load" based on Unique and hasn't changed it.

In the '70s some nukes from Hanford put out a loading manual for the 30-06. Used every powder and bullet weight, did piezo pressure traces with an oscilloscope and graphed the pressure and velocity curves. All powders would reach an ideal pressure and as it was exceeded the pressure deviation would start to increase. Rapidly. Some powder/bullet combos demonstrated a double hump; chamber pressure would peak, fall off and peak again then fall off as the bullet moved down the bore.

Internal ballistics are pretty complex. My 2 cents

Last edited by barretcreek; 06-15-2014 at 03:04 PM.
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Old 06-15-2014, 05:42 PM
lanenebraska lanenebraska is offline
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Here is some more light reading and info on BlueDot loads.

http://www.bersachat.com/forums/show...3-range-report

FYI
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Old 06-16-2014, 12:06 AM
john john is offline
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Default loading manual

I got the 243Win manual that matches the 30-06 one mentioned by Barretcreek. It is excellent. Wish I'd shelled out for another one or two in the series. The one I have has been my bible for the 243. Have not heard a word about those publications for years. I think I bought it through Precision Shooting mag.
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Old 06-16-2014, 12:33 AM
AzSam AzSam is offline
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I do not recall exactly where I read it, but any given powder should not be used for loads that exceed the operating pressure range for which it was intended. As many of us know there are a number of faster burning powders that work well in both shotshell and handgun loads and a few rifle loads. However, there some powders that were specifically designed for shotguns and 11,000 psi is the upper end of the pressure scale for shotshell loads.
IMO one would do well to heed to the information in barretcreek's reply. Michael.
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Old 06-30-2014, 12:34 AM
lanenebraska lanenebraska is offline
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Got back out with my Newly repaired prochrono...epoxy'd it
So it was hot and humid, and even started to rain a couple of times. But it finally cleared up. This time took out a Savage Axis bolt action with a 22 inch barrel.



It looks like I gained about 100fps with the bolt gun over the AR15.
The chamber was warm at the end of the 40g VMax testing. I wanted to see the effects of a longer string of shooting to simulate a Pdog town on a hot summer's day. Well that looked like a blown primer at the 15.5 - 16.0 grain of powder stage.

I saw some very good accuracy potential with both bullets from 11-14g of powder.
The loads above were safe in MY gun, your mileage may vary.

Last edited by lanenebraska; 06-30-2014 at 05:10 PM.
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  #8  
Old 07-01-2014, 12:21 AM
lanenebraska lanenebraska is offline
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Default James Calhoon's .223 BlueDot Gopher Loads

Some more good reading on BlueDot Pistol Powder reduced .223 loads:



· To Bee, or 223 Revisited - More reduced loads for the 223.

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/tobee2.php

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