AA4350 powder

[LoganDon]

As an old guy, I have used almost every powder that is available. About 5 years ago, I was at a Utah gun store and they had 2 lbs of AA4350 on sale for $25/lb. I purchased both bottles. This powder does not show up on any reloading charts but I would like to use it. Does anyone know if and how it can be used instead of IMR 4350? I did shoot some 10% reduced loads in my European 6.5x57 using it and it seemed fine with no danger signs.

 

[RustyInBend]

It's in the burn charts and load development guides as "Accurate 4350". I've used it with generally good results during the pandemic craziness, but have gone back to StaBall and Retumbo since then.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

As an old guy, I have used almost every powder that is available. About 5 years ago, I was at a Utah gun store and they had 2 lbs of AA4350 on sale for $25/lb. I purchased both bottles. This powder does not show up on any reloading charts but I would like to use it. Does anyone know if and how it can be used instead of IMR 4350? I did shoot some 10% reduced loads in my European 6.5x57 using it and it seemed fine with no danger signs.

https://hodgdonpowderco.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/WesternPowdersHandloadingGuide8.0_WEB-1.pdf
Most uses should be here.

 

[D-4297]

I use it in my 7.62 x .308 54r Mosin-Nagant Open rifle . It is a solid powder for the case , and have gotten excellent results with it . Some say it is slower than X , Y , or Z , but I haven't found that to be true . It is a very consistent powder , Lot to Lot and I will continue to use it .

 

[Zero333]

You can use H-4350 or IMR-4350 data for AA-4350.

 

[Zero333]

PM me if you want Quickload data for the 6.5x57 Mauser and AA-4350.

Just tell me the bullet(s) you're going to use, the COAL (if possible, otherwise I'll use the default 3.228") and the barrel length.

 

[Laurie]

AA-4350, sometimes called AAC-4350, isn't the same thing as today's Accurate 4350. AA/AAC were abbreviations of the Accurate Arms Company which was bought out by Western Powders in c.2002 or 2003. Within a year or two of the takeover, Western changed suppliers and also the brand name to simply 'Accurate'.

The older AA brand was made by Explosia a.s. in the Czech Republic. The newer 'Accurate' version by General Dynamics's Valleyfield plant in Canada. It is specified to be similar to its predecessor, but isn't the same product. This applies across the entire Accurate product range, and before Hodgdon's recent purchase of the Western Powders operation, Western's loads data website used to carry a severe safety warning for European handloaders not to use its loads data for Czech powders - all of which are still available in Europe under the Lovex name.

In recent years, some of these Czech powders have been again imported into the US under the Shooters World label and SW has started recreating completely new loads data tables for popular US cartridges. The older pre-Western AA-4350 continues, now as SW4350 (Lovex S070 to us in Europe).

Both the old AA and more recent Accurate 4350s are the slowest burning versions of the various powders called 4350, the Czech version considerably so, and in some cartridges closer to the 4831s than IMR or Hodgdon 4350. If you go here .........

http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=3657

........... and scroll down to the Lovex S070 section, you'll see a modern Lovex tin flanked by two versions of the pre Western Powders era product. If the powder you've bought looks like either of those, it's Czech and you should use SW4350 data on the Shooters World website. Look at the small print on the label too and see if the country of origin is specified.