What powder is in Hornady SST factory load?

[v4lu3s]

I like to use the SST bullets when handloading, I have very hot and accurate loads for .308 and 7.62x39. I was looking at the Sierra loading book, Nosler book, the Hornady book and the Hodgdon site. Then I looked at the Hornady SST box...2580 fps. So I opened the cartridge, weighed 30 grains of ball powder. The Hornady book says 31.2 grains of CFE 223 is good for 2500 fps and that is the fastest load they list! I also have BLC2, H355 and Shooter's World precision, but the CFE seems to give the best velocities.

Has anyone figured out what they are loading with that gets that velocity with that charge? I have only loaded a very few so far to test with and 31.2 and 28.8 grains of CFE 223 at 2.25 OAL are similar while the 31 grain load was a larger group at 100.

[Scrape hunter]

My guess would be that manufacturers like Hornady, have access to powders and blends of powders that we don't as consumers don't ..

[Lemonaid]

There are some threads on the forum about this that might interest you, just use the forum search engine.

[v4lu3s]

I am on the fence about Hornady using a custom powder unless it is great in multiple cartridges. It is not as if 6.5 Grendel is such a great seller that whey would likely be willing to do a custom blend if something off the shelf will work ok. The load data for AA2520 and CFE 223 seem to fall right in the right range and both are spherical which matches the physical appearance...

[v4lu3s]

There are some threads on the forum about this that might interest you, just use the forum search engine.

There are lots of good threads but given multiple searches I have not found one that really touches on the factory loads or powder used in them. I think that given the low volume and limited loadings that are commercially available the powder is most likely something easily available to keep profits up.

[Lemonaid]

https://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthread.php?26233-Mimic-the-factory-hornady-black-load&highlight=powder+hornady+black

The above link has one example of CFE 223 matching or slightly better than the factory for velocity. In my opinion it is close enough for a win.
If Hornady is using a blend, reloaders won't be able to use it so a close match is all we can hope for.

[kmon]

There are lots of good threads but given multiple searches I have not found one that really touches on the factory loads or powder used in them. I think that given the low volume and limited loadings that are commercially available the powder is most likely something easily available to keep profits up.

Good luck getting that information. It might very well be a blend or even powders that fall just outside of spec but in large quantities manufactures will get those and tweak their loadings to match but it will not be sold to reloaders since it will not match the published data.

[LRRPF52]

[Happy2Shoot]

Didn't Hornady give the load data on the side of the ammo box in the old days?

[LRRPF52]

Didn't Hornady give the load data on the side of the ammo box in the old days?

[kmon]

I still have a few old boxes of a-max from shortly after saami and hornady released it. Will dig them out tomorrow. I do not remember but will check. In the woods hunting now with the GRR

[kmon]

Got this box in I think 2011 and it has moved a time or two been in storage and hauled around in the truck but still around. If not then it was not long after and is A-Max match as shown in the pics. Definitely no load data on this or the or the other 2 boxes of A-Max I have.

[Fess]

As mentioned above, Hornady does not need to stick to publicly available powders. In one of their podcasts, the Hornady reps mentioned that they use something like 37 custom propellants from Saint Marks Powders. They also mentioned that they occasionally need to use substitutes when the desired propellant is unavailable.

FWIW, when the Grendel was first introduced, Bill Alexander mentioned that Alexander Arms was loading some of its ammo with a "non-cannister" propellant, so apparently smaller companies can get their hands on special propellants as well. It is possible that it was a batch of powder that just happened to be a little too fast or slow to be sold under its intended name (AA2520, possibly?).

[Fess]

Didn't Hornady give the load data on the side of the ammo box in the old days?

I think that was only with the 6.5 Creedmoor. It was developed as a 1000 yard target cartridge and they wanted to make it easy to match factory performance. Ironically, that was also about the time that they started with the Superformance loads, which used custom propellants not available to reloaders.

[v4lu3s]

Wow talk about a lot of really detailed information it's very specific. Definitely more than I can read and absorb while sitting at a red light.
I really appreciate and thank everyone who has contributed. I did send an email to Hornady themself so if they contribute anything different or new I will be sure to share it.
.