Imr 4064 vs Accurate 2520

[robledor]

Hello Calgunners,
Question which is a better powder?
I'm shooting 8mm with cast 205 gr. Bullets.
Also shoot 175 gr soft lead and 220 FMJ. I'm only shooting at less than 200 yards thank you.

[Fjold]

You never know until you try them in your gun with your load. IMR4064 is magic in my 375 H&H with the 300 grain TSX but A2520 is my powder of choice for my 458 Win Mag.

Since you're shooting lead bullets and not loading for velocity, then use the one with the less bulk and save a few grains per load.

[NapalmCheese]

Hello Calgunners,
Question which is a better powder?
I'm shooting 8mm with cast 205 gr. Bullets.
Also shoot 175 gr soft lead and 220 FMJ. I'm only shooting at less than 200 yards thank you.

Not that it matters but, I'm just going to assume you're super awesome and shooting 8mm Lebel.

[divingin]

Better is what works better for you. Different rifles like different components (even different specimens of identical rifles.)

[robledor]

8mm mauser

[kcheung2]

I use 4064 for all my .308, 30-06, 8mm Mauser, 7.5Swiss, .303British loads. I can't say if they are the optimal, absolute best choices, but in my guns I'm happy with the result. I haven't used AA2520 because once I find something that works I stay with it.

[Calif Hunter]

I use 4064 for all my .308, 30-06, 8mm Mauser, 7.5Swiss, .303British loads. I can't say if they are the optimal, absolute best choices, but in my guns I'm happy with the result. I haven't used AA2520 because once I find something that works I stay with it.

I have used the same .30-06 load for 50 years - 52.0 gr of IMR 4064 with a 150 gr Sierra SP or Nolser BT (more recently.) I also use IMR 4064 in .243 with a 70 gr Sierra BlitzKing with amazing results. (Varget works just as well in the .243 with that combo.)

[ar15barrels]

Hello Calgunners,
Question which is a better powder?
I'm shooting 8mm with cast 205 gr. Bullets.
Also shoot 175 gr soft lead and 220 FMJ. I'm only shooting at less than 200 yards thank you.

Are you shooting it in a 23.6" or a 29.1" barrel?
Gas checks or no gas checks?

Assuming the carbine to keep the velocity down, here is 4064 vs 2520:

Cartridge          : 8 x 57 mm Mauser (SAAMI)
Bullet             : .323, 214, LYM LSp GC 323471
Useable Case Capaci: 54.434 grain H2O = 3.534 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.000 inch = 76.20 mm
Barrel Length      : 23.6 inch = 599.4 mm
Powder             : IMR 4064

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 1.351% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-13.5   68    32.00   1725    1433   18664   5022     85.9    2.034
-12.2   69    32.50   1751    1477   19400   5130     86.7    1.997
-10.8   70    33.00   1777    1521   20162   5238     87.5    1.961
-09.5   71    33.50   1803    1566   20948   5344     88.2    1.926
-08.1   72    34.00   1829    1611   21755   5450     88.9    1.892
-06.8   73    34.50   1854    1657   22584   5554     89.6    1.859
-05.4   74    35.00   1880    1703   23438   5657     90.3    1.827
-04.1   75    35.50   1906    1750   24318   5759     91.0    1.796
-02.7   76    36.00   1932    1798   25225   5859     91.6    1.766
-01.4   77    36.50   1957    1846   26160   5958     92.2    1.736
+00.0   78    37.00   1983    1894   27124   6055     92.8    1.707
+01.4   79    37.50   2008    1943   28117   6150     93.3    1.679
+02.7   80    38.00   2034    1993   29140   6244     93.9    1.652
+04.1   81    38.50   2059    2043   30195   6336     94.4    1.625  ! Near Maximum !
+05.4   82    39.00   2084    2093   31281   6426     94.9    1.599  ! Near Maximum !
+06.8   83    39.50   2109    2144   32400   6514     95.4    1.574  ! Near Maximum !

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     78    37.00   2094    2113   32465   6219     97.9    1.578  ! Near Maximum !
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     78    37.00   1845    1640   22009   5639     84.4    1.874

Cartridge          : 8 x 57 mm Mauser (SAAMI)
Bullet             : .323, 214, LYM LSp GC 323471
Useable Case Capaci: 54.434 grain H2O = 3.534 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.000 inch = 76.20 mm
Barrel Length      : 23.6 inch = 599.4 mm
Powder             : Accurate 2520

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 1.282% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-12.8   64    34.00   1777    1522   18574   5536     91.6    2.055
-11.5   65    34.50   1804    1568   19332   5639     92.3    2.017
-10.3   66    35.00   1830    1614   20115   5740     93.0    1.980
-09.0   67    35.50   1857    1661   20924   5839     93.7    1.944
-07.7   68    36.00   1883    1708   21758   5935     94.3    1.908
-06.4   69    36.50   1909    1756   22620   6029     94.9    1.874
-05.1   70    37.00   1935    1804   23510   6120     95.4    1.841
-03.8   71    37.50   1961    1853   24428   6209     95.9    1.809
-02.6   72    38.00   1987    1902   25376   6295     96.4    1.777
-01.3   73    38.50   2013    1951   26354   6379     96.9    1.747
+00.0   74    39.00   2038    2001   27363   6459     97.3    1.717
+01.3   75    39.50   2064    2052   28405   6537     97.7    1.688
+02.6   76    40.00   2089    2103   29479   6612     98.1    1.659
+03.8   77    40.50   2114    2154   30588   6683     98.4    1.632  ! Near Maximum !
+05.1   78    41.00   2139    2205   31732   6752     98.7    1.605  ! Near Maximum !
+06.4   78    41.50   2164    2257   32912   6817     99.0    1.579  ! Near Maximum !

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     74    39.00   2153    2233   33878   6363    100.0    1.568  ! Near Maximum !
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     74    39.00   1884    1710   21175   6169     89.7    1.915

Case fil is better on 4064.
Propellant burn is better on 2520.

Neither of those would be as good as a pick for me than something a little faster burn rate to keep your max velocity down, especially if you are not running gas checks.

[robledor]

Thank you

[FISHNFRANK]

IMR 4064 has always been my go too for the .30-06 and 7mm-08. It’s an amazingly accurate and versatile powder