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I have a custom made 458 WM on a Mauser model 98 with 26" barrel. I tried bullets from Winchester and got 2007 fp/S. After that I tried loading data from Accurate Powder and Hogdon.
Bullet: Hornady 500 grains softpoint
Primer: Federal 215
Brass: Winchester
Trim lenght: 2.4920"

44" drop tub used with all loads. Drop tub makes very little difference when you use ballpowder as Accurate 2230, 2460 and 2520.

Compression: -0.0500" indicate that there is 0.0500" left before the bullet tough the powder.

Compression: 0.0500" indicate that the powder is compressed 0.0500".

All loads where fired in a summerday with 25 degree celsius.

THIS IS NOT RELOADING DATA. THIS IS ONLY INFORMATION ABOUT LOADS I HAVE TRIED. IF ANYONE LIKE TO USE THIS, DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Hogdon Varget
70 grains Hogdon Varget: 2019 fp/s, OAL 3.3180", Compression: 0.0525"
71 grains Hogdon Varget: 2067 fp/s, OAL 3.3180", Compression: 0.0820"
72 grains Hogdon Varget: 2100 fp/s, OAL 3.3180", Compression: 0.0945"
73 grains Hogdon Varget: 2103 fp/s, OAL 3.3190", Compression: 0.1105"
74 grains Hogdon Varget: 2130 fp/s, OAL 3.3125", Compression: 0.1495"
Note: 74 grains Hogdon Varget is recommended maxload from Hogdon reloading manual and gives 48.100 CUP.

Accurate 2230
66 grains Accurate 2230: 2038 fp/s, OAL 3.3110", Compression: -0.1420"
68 grains Accurate 2230: 2126 fp/s, OAL 3.3155", Compression: -0.1110"
70 grains Accurate 2230: 2166 fp/s, OAL 3.3120", Compression: -0.0550"
71 grains Accurate 2230: 2174 fp/s, OAL 3.3125", Compression: -0.0400"
72 grains Accurate 2230: 2162 fp/s, OAL 3.3105", Compression: -0.0165"
73 grains Accurate 2230: 2231 fp/s, OAL 3.3150", Compression: 0.0165"

Note: 72 grains is recommended maxload from Accurate reloading manual and gives 45.600 CUP in their lab. With 73 grains I got a small head expasion and a flat primer. The primer looked flat on all loads, but not as flat as factory load from Winchester wich gave 2007 fp/s with 500 grains FMJ.

Accurate 2460.
68 grains Accurate 2460: 2133 fp/s, OAL 3.3130", Compression: -0.1240"
70 grains Accurate 2460: 2129 fp/s, OAL 3.3160", Compression: -0.0720"
71 grains Accurate 2460: 2126 fp/s, OAL 3.3145", Compression: -0.0355"
72 grains Accurate 2460: 2141 fp/s, OAL 3.3120", Compression: -0.0160"
73 grains Accurate 2460: 2174 fp/s, OAL 3.3130", Compression: 0.0035"
74 grains Accurate 2460: 2189 fp/s, OAL 3.3170", Compression: 0.0255"
75 grains Accurate 2460: 2233 fp/s, OAL 3.3095", Compression: 0.0525"

Note: 74 grains is recommended maxload from Accurate reloading manual and gives 44.800 CUP in their lab. With 75 grains I got a small head expasion and a flat primer. The primer looked flat on all loads, but not as flat as factory load from Winchester wich gave 2007 fp/s with 500 grains FMJ.

Accurate 2520.
70 grains Accurate 2520: 2036 fp/s, OAL 3.2975", Compression: -0.0575"
71 grains Accurate 2520: 2048 fp/s, OAL 3.3110", Compression: -0.0270"
74 grains Accurate 2520: 2122 fp/s, OAL 3.3155", Compression: 0.0255"
75 grains Accurate 2520: 2160 fp/s, OAL 3.3120", Compression: 0.0500"
76 grains Accurate 2520: 2153 fp/s, OAL 3.3175", Compression: 0.0815"
77 grains Accurate 2520: 2189 fp/s, OAL 3.3150", Compression: 0.0980"
78 grains Accurate 2520: 2217 fp/s, OAL 3.3115", Compression: 0.1220"

Note: Accurate don´t have any loading data for this powder, but it´s slower than the other two. None of those loads gave head expansion, and all primer looked better than when I used the other two powders. The load with 78 grains Accurate 2520 showed much less sign of pressure than when I used recommended maxload with the other two powders. I use a Woodleigh bullet and Accurate 2520 powder and get average 2180 fp/s. I have reloaded brass 8 times now, and I can´t se any signs on them to fail yet. I belive that I can use them safe for at least 12 reloads.

The compression of those powders was very soft even when I used maxloads. These powder don´t like high compressed loads, and increase very much in pressure when you compress them. 74 grains of Accurate 2460 and 72 grains of Accurate 2230 is absolutely maxload in my rifle, but they are very safe anyway. 78 grains of Accurate 2520 is maxload too, but with less signs of pressure than the other two.

I also tried some loads with Vihtavouri 540 and 550, but none of those reach 2100 fp/s without very high compression. Vihtavouri show in their reloading manual that you can reach 2116 fp/s out of a 25" barrel with 69,7 grains of Vihtavouri 133, below 53.000 CUP. With Vihtavouri 530 and the same barrel length you can get 2149 fp/s with 73,4 grains. They don´t show the pressure level from each load, but say thay all their loads is below the pressure limit of 53.000 CUP. I have not tried these two powders yet.

When I start with new brass I usually start with 75 grains of Accurate 2520 if I use a 500 grains bullet. I get 2150 to 2170 fp/s average out from that load. When I reload my brass I allways only necksize them 0.70" with a necksizing tool for the caliber 45-90 from Lyman. After that I reload them with the same powder, but this time I use 78 grains, and a compression of 0.0460" with the same bullet. This load gives me less pressure than the first load, and I get 2180 to 2190 fp/s average out from that load.

I really don´t know if the number on powder from Accurate is the same in Europe as in USA.

Edited by Svensson (30/03/05 05:41 AM)

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