Accurate AA2520 Unpopular?

krunchnik

krunchnik

The Crow
Minuteman
Apr 23, 2024
31
15
Tennessee
#1
As my question states- I do not see a lot of use of Accurate 2520-
Is there a reason it has fallen from being used more frequently-
If I am correct was 2520 not designed around the .308Win round?
Maybe someone with more experience with this powder can give a solid answer-
 
#3
Oh, so the general shooting population isn't buying into AA's marketing hype about the "Camp Perry Powder" for .308 Winchester M1A/M14 rifle? That's because everyone knows it's, well, marketing hype....

I think it's more popular for National Match AR15 223/5.56 with 77 and 80gr projectiles, or at least that's what I and some other shooters use it for.
 
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#5
There for a while, if you looked closely at individual jugs of AA2520, you'd see it was manufactured in a number of different countries. So not only did you have the usual lot-to-lot variations associated with powder manufactured in the same plant, but variations between *plants/countries*.
 
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#6
memilanuk said:
So not only did you have the usual lot-to-lot variations associated with powder manufactured in the same plant, but variations between *plants/countries*
Click to expand...
When I first started using AA2520 a long time back I wasn't aware of that and got caught off guard with two bottles that weren't the same. They have been pretty consistant this last decade though.

What's the saying? "Trust, but verify?"
 
#8
First powder I ever tried before Varget and Benchmark came out. I always keep one ball powder on hand but due to supply issues and availability with AA2520, I switched to w748. Im considering going back to AA2520 because I found it more accurate in general than w748 overall across several rifles, calibers and bullet weights. I get better accuracy with Varget and Benchmark but AA2520 is good enough and fast.
 
#9
I used it for quite a while in my first Grendel. Velocities are quite good, and my barrel liked it with every bullet I tried.

The biggest downside is the temperature sensitivity, which is one of the worst out there.
 
#11
diggler1833 said:
The biggest downside is the temperature sensitivity
Click to expand...

I think that's one of the other factors in it's relative 'unpopular' status now, vs 15-20 yrs ago. Back then, pretty much everything was kinda temperature sensitive, to a much greater degree than today. Hell, RL-15 was one of *the* go-to powders for 223 & 308 for a while - but for the last ten years, nobody will touch the stuff, because it's "temperature sensitive". Back when, people just made a note of it, and loaded accordingly. Some people had 'winter' and 'summer' loads because of that, but managed anyway. Ball powder had an even worse reputation in that regard. I think a lot of people are 'spoiled' by the current offerings and maybe don't realize how good things are these days 👍
 
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#12
memilanuk said:
I think that's one of the other factors in it's relative 'unpopular' status now, vs 15-20 yrs ago. Back then, pretty much everything was kinda temperature sensitive, to a much greater degree than today. Hell, RL-15 was one of *the* go-to powders for 223 & 308 for a while - but for the last ten years, nobody will touch the stuff, because it's "temperature sensitive". Back when, people just made a note of it, and loaded accordingly. Some people had 'winter' and 'summer' loads because of that, but managed anyway. Ball powder had an even worse reputation in that regard. I think a lot of people are 'spoiled' by the current offerings and maybe don't realize how good things are these days 👍
Click to expand...

I still have probably 10lbs of Reloader 15 from at least 2010. You are correct. I learned a long time ago that you need a winter and summer load, the same for AA2520 and a lot of ball powders.

Both AA2520 and RL-15 are two of the worst regarding temperatures. I know that the data sheets you find online are around 1.7 FPS / degree F...but my data shows both of those a lot closer to 2 FPS / degree.

You are right in that everyone now just loads one of Hodgdon's extreme powders and takes the temperature for granted. I learned real quick that 25.5gr RL-15 was fine in my .223 at 40 degrees...but brass got trashed real quick when I shot that at 80 degrees.
 
#13
I recently got a pound of 2520 with a mixed lot of other powders to try. I hear it’s great in the Grendel, one of the main reasons I wanted it. Frankly, a lot of the powders I have are considered temp sensitive compared to more modern offerings, but they’re readily available and more reasonably priced. Developing a summer and winter load will just give me more reason to go shoot, is how I’m choosing to look at it. 🤷‍♂️ Maybe someday I’ll be able to stock up on better offerings, but at $50+/lb, I’ll wait.
 
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#14
Basher said:
I recently got a pound of 2520 with a mixed lot of other powders to try. I hear it’s great in the Grendel, one of the main reasons I wanted it. Frankly, a lot of the powders I have are considered temp sensitive compared to more modern offerings, but they’re readily available and more reasonably priced. Developing a summer and winter load will just give me more reason to go shoot, is how I’m choosing to look at it. 🤷‍♂️ Maybe someday I’ll be able to stock up on better offerings, but at $50+/lb, I’ll wait.
Click to expand...

I got great accuracy out of my Grendel with AA2520 under a 123gr Nosler CC. I'll have to go back and look at the specific load. Later, I loaded all of my pig bullets over 2520, and basically never tweaked that load. Everything shot around MOA, and I was pleasantly surprised each time.

I made sure to do my load development in the summer. I didn't bother to mess with it in the winter. Nowadays I think I have a half pound of 2520 left and it is collecting dust. I've found that N135 is very consistent for me in that barrel and I stocked up.
 
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#15
diggler1833 said:
I got great accuracy out of my Grendel with AA2520 under a 123gr Nosler CC. I'll have to go back and look at the specific load. Later, I loaded all of my pig bullets over 2520, and basically never tweaked that load. Everything shot around MOA, and I was pleasantly surprised each time.

I made sure to do my load development in the summer. I didn't bother to mess with it in the winter. Nowadays I think I have a half pound of 2520 left and it is collecting dust. I've found that N135 is very consistent for me in that barrel and I stocked up.
Click to expand...

I’ve got about 12lbs of N135 as well. Not a huge amount, but enough to tide me over for a while considering most of what I’m doing is rimfire these days. I may reserve that for heavier .223 loads but we’ll see. I’ve got lots of load development ahead to find out what rifles like what load, so I may change my mind a dozen times lol.
 
#16
So far I only shoot at 100 yards so for my use temp sensitivity is almost a moot point-
Maybe if I was targeting at 300 yards and more I may be more apprehensive about loads-
Right now I am running well below max loading-actually way less than max-
 
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