Don't use it in Colt 357's, but I do load S&W 357's with 2400...
Just kidding. Good powder for upper end loads that can be down loaded some. Not the "all or nothing" of W296/H110. I have come to prefer #9 though.
I asked a similar question a few years ago when I took the plunge into the wonderful world of wheel guns.
A couple guys here said "try 2400, work your loads up and give it a little crimp to hold it all together.
Been using 2400 since then and haven't looked back. I use it for 357 mag with 6" barrel, 4" barrel, with 125gr, 140gr and 158gr.
A nice flexible powder for the 'ol 357.
gotta agree with what's been posted so far, its the powder for experimenters in mag calibers, like said earlier, not an all or nothing like other powder and in my opinion, the goto powder for cast bullets in magnum cartridges, been using it for almost 30 years.
There may be better newer powders but Elmer Keith touted it as the best powder available for.357 back in the 30s so there’s the better part of a century worth of load data out there.
For some reason some people became convinced you need a magnum primer to ignite 2400, as with 296. But not true, and Keith was pretty clear about that. I started using it around '70.
Anyway, 2400 on hand is better than 300MP located on inter-plan-et Unobtainium. Plenty of horsepower to be had for most purposes with 2400. Whether "improved" or old stuff.
I’ve loaded 2400 for my Winchester lever action and my brothers S&W 6” model 686. I’ve used both standard and magnum primers without any noticeable difference.
There are significant pressure differences. This was brought to light.......thinking 20-30 yrs or so ago......might have been Scovill or Pearce. Do not use Keith's data substituting magnum primers. Manuals often specify magnum primers with significantly reduced powder charges of 2400.
Tough to quantitate the effect on velocity. Personal experience with .44 Mag suggests well over 100 fps variance is quite possible. That was before people started talking/writing about this.
Interestingly, recently witnessing a similar "rethink" with the Hornet. Some sources deciding small pistol primers are best. OK, but pay serious attention to powder charge data.
Suppose I sound parental, but blithe component swaps have resulted in interesting threads.
I can remember (when I first started reloading in 1980) when 2400 was the goto powder for magnum loads. It was more versatile than WW296 powder. Then I discovered AA#9 and never looked back.
The 2400 has a wide loading range. The load data in the Lyman 1970 manual loads well over what is published today. Using a different Lyman manual, 17.7grs is the factory equivalent of 125gr bullets.
Some years ago I tested the Lyman factory equivalent and under the Arizona sun, I could see muzzle flash and air compression...4" barrel.
I'm also a fan of the AA #9, fast with less powder and is very accurate in 357mag and 44mag, should be the cats meoow in 41mag.
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