AA 2520 PUBLISHED MAX LOADS with HORNADY 123 AMAX

[lrgrendel]

Hey guys.

I need to up my velocity on the Hornady 123 AMAX.

Western Powders publish max loads for the Scenar 123 and SMK 123 as 29.5g and 29.6g.

Alexander Arms publish for the same 2 bullets as 30.7g and 30.8g.

Does anyone have max loads for the Hornady 123 AMAX?

I have already loaded with 29.6 with no pressure signs and do realize the powder companies are very conservative with their published numbers.

BTW
It is an ALEXANDER ARMS upper I am shooting.

Thanks

[LRRPF52]

Hornady's published loads for the 123gr A-MAX with AA2520 were 29.3gr in the 8th Edition with a 14.5" Grendel, and 29.1gr in the 9th Edition with an 18" barrel.

[LR1955]

Hey guys.

I need to up my velocity on the Hornady 123 AMAX.

Western Powders publish max loads for the Scenar 123 and SMK 123 as 29.5g and 29.6g.

Alexander Arms publish for the same 2 bullets as 30.7g and 30.8g.

Does anyone have max loads for the Hornady 123 AMAX?

I have already loaded with 29.6 with no pressure signs and do realize the powder companies are very conservative with their published numbers.

BTW
It is an ALEXANDER ARMS upper I am shooting.

Thanks

LRG:

Sorry, the Grendel case only holds 30 grains of powder. You want a .260 or a 6.5 / 284 so might as well get one. Then you can shoot 140's at the speeds you think you will get with a Grendel shooting 123's.

I have shot the 123 Sierra and 123 Lapua using 30 1/2 grains of 2520. The load is too hot. If you decide to go that way, buy two new bolts because I guarantee you that within 100 rounds fired of that load, you will shear a bolt lug. No matter what the bolt is made of and no matter how well fitted, you will shear a bolt lug. I said two bolts because it is always a good idea to have an extra.

30 grains and you may get another couple hundred shots out of a bolt then shear a lug.

Having been there and done that several times, it is a better idea to stick with 29 1/2 grains of 2520 with the 123 grain bullets.

My GP load for the 120 Sierra is 29 1/2 although I have shot up to 30 1/2. I believe 30 1/2 of 2520 with the 120 Sierras is the absolute maximum one should attempt and don't shoot them in weather warmer than about 70.

LR1955

[XcountryRider]

Alexander load data for AA2520 is way to high for my rifle.

[bwaites]

Alexander load data for AA2520 is way to high for my rifle.

AA hasn't done any 2520 load development in a long time. The old board had a long running thread about the changes that we thought we had seen in 2520.

The old 2520 actually even looked different, if I remember the thread correctly. It was more irregular and inconsistent in appearance, more like an eastern european powder. Western Powder, who now markets 2520 swore that there was not a difference, but I had a friend with an old can and it sure looked different than what I bought. Once again, if I remember correctly, Bill Alexander had even noticed the change.

As always, start at least 5-10% below max and work up.

[LRRPF52]

Alexander load data for AA2520 is way to high for my rifle.

Starting loads or maximum loads? It doesn't make sense to a reloader to say someone's data is too high for your rifle, since every reloading manual will strongly advise and plead with you to start 10% below maximum loads.

There also isn't any Alexander Arms data for the 120gr TSX or 123gr A-MAX using AA2520. Every chamber needs to be worked up to individually, especially chambers with shorter leades, and tight bores.

[XcountryRider]

Starting loads or maximum loads? It doesn't make sense to a reloader to say someone's data is too high for your rifle, since every reloading manual will strongly advise and plead with you to start 10% below maximum loads.

There also isn't any Alexander Arms data for the 120gr TSX or 123gr A-MAX using AA2520. Every chamber needs to be worked up to individually, especially chambers with shorter leades, and tight bores.

[bwaites]

Please explain?

[LRRPF52]

It's easy. Where is the data for 120gr TSX and Accurate Arms 2520 from AA? There are loads listed in the reloading sticky here labeled: "Reloading Data from the old site", with 120gr TTSX and AA2520, but from where it came, I can only guess. It isn't on Alexander Arms' website. There are 5 powders listed from Alexander Arms that were pressure-tested with the 120gr TSX. None of them are AA2520.

[XcountryRider]

Do you really think 29.1gr of AA2520 is ever a good idea for a 140gr bullet? Follow at your own risk...

[LRRPF52]

Do you really think 29.1gr of AA2520 is ever a good idea for a 140gr bullet? Follow at your own risk...

Lapua's max load for the 140gr Naturalis is 28.7gr of N540, which is a high energy, double-based, slow-burning powder. Lapua has some of the most conservative data published.

Reloaders also don't look at the max load when approaching load development. Everyone I know approaches a load carefully, working up from a good start load, watching for pressure signs on the chronograph, then case head, and finally the primer.

For the OP, that is what I recommend. Watch the chronograph for erratic velocity departures from a predictable curve.

[XcountryRider]

Take the example of the 129gr SST. Hornady has it at 28.5gr for max load BUT Alexander Arms has it at 29.4gr for a max load. Be careful with the AA data.

[LRRPF52]

Take the example of the 129gr SST. Hornady has it at 28.5gr for max load BUT Alexander Arms has it at 29.4gr for a max load. Be careful with the AA data.

Hornady also used Hornady brass, and 14.5" and 18" barrels respectively. The AA data was done on a different 24" barrel. Notice that the Hornady max loads are different between the 14.5" and 18" guns. That's probably got more to do with individual barrel character than anything else, which is why we start with starting loads.

Be careful with ALL reloading data, like any reloading manual will tell you in bold red print in the beginning. Your barrel is yours alone. If you have a short throat in one of the variant chambers, you will build pressure faster, in the initial pressure curve of the burn as well, where it is most likely to do damage.

[XcountryRider]

Here's the accurate powder reloading data for AA2520 recommend you use this as a start instead of AA. Alexander Arms lists AA 2520 at least a grain higher than Accurate reloading powder.

Accurate 2520 reloading data
85 SIERRA HP 30.5 2,724 33.9 2,996 51,491 2.130
95 HDY V-MAX 29.3 2,591 32.5 2,858 51,902 2.200
100 HDY SP 29.4 2,556 32.6 2,806 51,589 2.215
100 NOSLER B-TIP 28.6 2,512 31.8 2,767 51,834 2.230
100 BARNES TTSX 28.8 2,476 32.0 2,737 51,359 2.260
107 SIERRA HPBT MK 28.1 2,413 31.2 2,682 50,413 2.260
110 BARNES BAND-S 27.3 2,360 30.3 2,608 50,001 2.245
120 SIERRA HPBT MK 26.7 2,262 29.7 2,498 51,623 2.215
123 LAPUA SCENAR 26.5 2,232 29.5 2,471 51,833 2.260
123 SIERRA HPBT MK 26.7 2,259 29.6 2,491 51,736 2.260

[bwaites]

OK, enough is enough!

XCR, LRRPF52 runs a couple private businesses out of his home in the Rocky Mountains, including AR Buildbox and specialty firearms classes, including shooting, training, and working with military sniper groups. He has NO official affiliation with Alexander Arms. Nor do I, nor does the owner of the website. None of us are paid in any way, shape, or form for our work on this website. LRRPF52 hasn't ever received a paycheck from AA, nor have I. The web owner may have performed some professional work in his full time occupation in advertising, including preparation of marketing materials, but I am not even sure about that. I do know that none of us has ever been paid by AA for our work here, though!

I have done destruction testing for AA, from time to time Bill sends me uppers, or new parts that he is considering, and lets me see what happens in everyday hard use. I was the first outsider to see the .17HMR, while it was still on the drawing boards, for instance. I had a preproduction upper for testing and it went back to AA, where further changes were made to the production rifles and mags. But I don't get paid to do that, I do it for the fun of seeing new stuff. To the best of my knowledge LRRPF52 has never received any compensation apart from some outdated ammo that AA no longer sold, and that he wanted to test for the reloading manual or something else.

You are way off base with your innuendo.

I've placed this in other posts, but NO ONE EXCEPT BILL ALEXANDER ON THIS SITE IS ON ANYONES PAYROLL ASSOCIATED WITH AA, PERIOD. The only ones on this site that are actually in the industry and post regularly are Mark from Precision Firearms; WooHoo, otherwise known as Constructor, who owns/runs AR Performance, Bill Alexander (Guess Who?), and occasionally we see a post from one or two others, but its always pretty obvious who and what they represent. LR1955 and I are the only two moderators, and HANKA is the owner. LR1955 is retired from the military and teaches long range and precision rifle. I have a full time job in the medical profession.

You chose to run what were some maxpower loads, and multiple guys here with more experience reloading than you are likely to accomplish in your lifetime tried to keep you from hurting yourself, and the best you can do is make stupid posts.

I don't have time for stupidity. Don't do it again.