AA 2520 PUBLISHED MAX LOADS with HORNADY 123 AMAX

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • LR1955
    Super Moderator
    • Mar 2011
    • 3355

    #31
    Originally posted by lrgrendel View Post
    LRRPF52

    First of all I really appreciate the detailed advice.

    Yes I can load longer than mag length but will be limited by the mag well as I single feed by just putting a single round into the mag. I am a little hesitant without knowing where my lands are but I will have a modified case and insert to use with my Hornady comparator in a few days.

    How did you know I have a digital scale!! Yes I do, a RCBS Rangemaster 750 which I don't trust. I put the powder dish back on the scale after every powder charge to make sure it is zeroed. I may go back to a traditional scale.

    I will certainly work with the 30.0g charge. I aim to shoot with it on Monday out to at least 700 to 800 and let you know.
    LRG:

    If you are single loading, drop or push the cartridge into the chamber and let the bolt go forward. Has been done that way for years in High Power. That's how we get the bullet seated out farther.

    At those distances it is a good idea to have the OAL as long as possible so there is as little jump as possible. You won't get enough more powder into a Grendel by doing this to make a difference but you will get better performance. In fact, there is nothing wrong with having the ogive just touch or just off the rifling. You won't get the huge pressure spikes you would if you jammed it into the rifling.

    As to reality and ballistics programs read outs. The chronographs may be off quite a bit from a real velocity for a number of reasons. I suggest you take the mean velocities and understand that a real velocity could well be 50 fps greater or less than what the chrono is reading. I would pay attention to the SD read outs. Yours are way, way to high for performance at distances past about 300. You want a SD to be under 15 and ideally under 10. If your load is showing a SD of more than 10 or 15, you need to change something and get it lower. And remember that ballistics programs assume perfection in everything. If your bullet is nutating or precessing too much at those differences, you will have a bad time and never get it straightened out.

    Depending on the precession or nutation of your bullet, at these slow speeds, at 1000 yards, in a transonic zone, my bet is that the bullet design itself may not be maintaining stability. May shoot fine at 600 but not so at farther distances.

    Having been there and done that, my advice is for you to try bullet with more of a secant (conventional) ogive such as the hybrid 108 or 123 Lapua, seated just off the lands, and see how it does. If that doesn't seem to be on par with the .308's of your buddies, try a 140 or 142 Sierra Match King. It should have an easier time in a transonic zone. Do not try a 120 Sierra as you will never get it there even close to the speed of sound with a 30 grain cartridge. Sure, a ballistics program may say something else but it won't make it there with a 30 grain cartridge.

    LR1955

    Comment

    • XcountryRider

      #32
      Looks similar to the ES i'm getting.

      Comment

      • bwaites
        Moderator
        • Mar 2011
        • 4445

        #33
        One of the reasons I went away from 2520 is that I couldn't get great accuracy out of it. I got a load that would shoot 1 MOA at 200, but just barely.

        I got lots better accuracy out of BLC2 back when I was using 2520, and similar velocities, so I stayed with BLC2 for quite a while. Then I found XTerminator and TAC, both which gave me much better accuracy than 2520, and a little better velocity than BLC2, (but only very slightly better, around 20-50 FPS depending on bullet). The only drawback to BLC2 was its fairly dirty, and its temp sensitive, so I had to have winter and summer loads. (In eastern Washington I shoot in the winter when it may be down to 10 degrees, and in the summer when it might be 110).

        Now I've found 8208 and CFE223, and although Hodgdon might not think CFE223 works well in the Grendel, my groups and speeds say different. 8208 gives me .25 MOA groups with the 107 Sierra in my 28 inch gun, and I think that as I refine my CFE load I'm going to get similar from 123 Amaxs. Amaxs and 8208 aren't a good combo in my 28", because by the time I get velocities up, I start making Grendel belted magnum brass. The load that shoots great in my 20", with no pressure signs, simply won't work in my 28".

        2520 has given me great velocities, but I could never get consistent ES spreads, so I gave up on it.

        Comment

        • lrgrendel
          Warrior
          • Jul 2013
          • 662

          #34
          Shooting out beyond 500 yds again on Monday. I will try and shoot a couple of groups on paper at 500 and 600 even though it is supposed to be a steel practice. I have loaded 25 of each 29.4g and 30.0g. I will take the 30.0 to a 1000 also to see if it performs any better. As previously mentioned I have the modified case and sleeve coming and will then will load front the lands. Also ordered 1000 Lapua Scenar 123 today.

          Has anyone noticed how dirty the AA 2520 is. My case necks are black and the ground up walnut shells won't get them clean.
          Any ideas?

          Comment

          • Tedward
            Banned
            • Feb 2013
            • 1717

            #35
            Any idea what will happen if Large Rifle primers are used on Grendel reloads?

            Comment

            • bwaites
              Moderator
              • Mar 2011
              • 4445

              #36
              Originally posted by Tedward View Post
              Any idea what will happen if Large Rifle primers are used on Grendel reloads?
              The only Grendel brass with large rifle primer pockets us Wolf. Start about 3 grains under max and work up from there. Wolf brass is soft and the primer pockets tend to loosen after 4-5 reloads at normal pressures.

              Comment


              • #37
                bwaites,would you mind sharing your load data using tac.will be running mag length. thanks in advance

                Comment

                • bwaites
                  Moderator
                  • Mar 2011
                  • 4445

                  #38
                  Originally posted by nugentr View Post
                  bwaites,would you mind sharing your load data using tac.will be running mag length. thanks in advance
                  Depends on bullet, on 120-123 start at 27. With 123 AMAX, my best accuracy was at 28.3, in my 20". In some ways TAC is like XBR 8208, there is definitely an edge where you go from good to bad. It is also more temp sensitive than XBR. I had winter and summer loads, with summer loads about .5 less.

                  Comment

                  • XcountryRider

                    #39
                    Originally posted by bwaites View Post
                    The only Grendel brass with large rifle primer pockets us Wolf. Start about 3 grains under max and work up from there. Wolf brass is soft and the primer pockets tend to loosen after 4-5 reloads at normal pressures.
                    Well if use use 7.63X39 brass then you could load those.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      10-4,planning on using 123s,so will start at 27.thanks for the data

                      Comment

                      • bwaites
                        Moderator
                        • Mar 2011
                        • 4445

                        #41
                        Originally posted by XcountryRider View Post
                        Well if use use 7.63X39 brass then you could load those.
                        Hmmmm.....thought I was pretty specific, when I said WOLF was the only GRENDEL brass with large rifle primer; but if you are using fireformed 7.62 brass you need to back off a couple more grains from what the suggested starting loads in Grendel brass are.

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          In the several samples of 7.62x39 brass I have (including Lapua and Federal), the case capacity is much lower than Lapua and Hornady Grendel brass. Lower volume with the same load = higher pressures.

                          I would recommend using 100gr or short shank 120gr for fire-forming 7.62x39 brass if anyone really feels the need to do it for whatever reason.

                          Comment

                          • LR1955
                            Super Moderator
                            • Mar 2011
                            • 3355

                            #43
                            Originally posted by Tedward View Post
                            Any idea what will happen if Large Rifle primers are used on Grendel reloads?
                            Ted:

                            Not sure if AA still has a load sheet for the Wolf brass and large rifle primers. The one they used to have didn't show any changes in powder charges between the Wolf brass and the small primer Lapua brass. Or, if there were differences it was in the .1 grain range.

                            Seems like no matter the load you use with the Wolf brass, four or five loadings is about it before the primer pocket opens up too much. Wasn't a bad deal when Wolf MPT was about $.50 a shot. It has probably gone over $1.00 a shot by now so it is no longer a deal.

                            As for primers, I have used a number of large rifle primers to include magnum. If I had a choice I would go with CCI 200's and then the Wolf Large Rifle Primers. If you can't find any regular large rifle primers, use magnum ones. You will increase velocity about 10 - 15 fps and the performance will drop a little but if thats all you can get, they are safe to use.

                            LR55

                            Comment

                            • ruger
                              Unwashed
                              • Apr 2015
                              • 7

                              #44
                              Using a 123 grain Scenar bullet @ 2.260 with 29.6 grains AA 2520 (old Powder) in my 24 inch OW, I get an avg velocity of 2623 fps.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X