AA #2 in 38 Special

Yup. Does real well. Better than just a substitute standard, IMO, it actually has some advantages over the venerable Bullseye. It burns a little hotter but that's not a big problem in a revolver.

It's a good powder but it barely takes up any room in the case.
I switched to cbi it's half the price of accurate powders. It's kind of fluffy like trailboss, you will use a little more per shot. With 125gr and lighter bullets a double charge over flows the 38spl case.

I use it for my 148g DEWC plinking ammo. Clean and accurate

Meters well enough to get consistent 3.0g charges using a Lee dipper

Lee Q. Loader said:

I'm thinking about trying AA #2 in my 38 special as a replacement for Bullseye. Why? For the same reason I replaced my favorite 2400 with #9 in 44 Mag, Accurate powders seem readily available while the Alliant powders are nowhere to be found.

Is #2 a good 38 powder? The only bullet I shoot in 38 is a coated 158 gr SWC.

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It's a great 38 powder. I load coated 158 RNFPs with it. Also 44 spl, 45 colt, c45s, 9mm, and 45acp. Clean Shot is the same spec, but half the cost. When I moved to Clean Shot from AA2, all my loads worked out the same. AA2/Cleanshot meters magnitudes better than bullseye too.

It’s better than most let on. I’ve used it back when it first showed up. Won a couple of pounds in matches.
Liked it, but availability was inconsistent.
In absence of HP38/231, I’d use it exclusively. However, Bullseye has been around for 100yrs longer and is easier to find and more abundant. Historically.


If I could come by 8lbs for equal price to Bullseye, I’d buy #2!
A friend has a Kimber .45 that is unbelievable accurate at 50yds w#2 under a 185gr JHP. 4.5gr IIRC!

A#2 meters like water (very well) and is not position sensitive. Shoots cleaner than Bullseye. It’s good in 380 and 9mm too.

AA2 is fine in .38. I do notice a bit of black particulate residue on the shooting bench after shooting it. It meters like water and produces excellent groups. Pick up some AA5 as well. Good luck.

It was maufactured w cast bullets in mind. Perfect for 38S.

lordpaxman said:

AA2 is fine in .38. I do notice a bit of black particulate residue on the shooting bench after shooting it. It meters like water and produces excellent groups. Pick up some AA5 as well. Good luck.

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I see that with #9 as well and believe it's a characteristic of that series of powders....

#9 is on my short list for future 10mm experiments.

My dad was very happy with #5 in his .45 acp loads and even managed to find a nice target load with it in .44mag.

Accurate powders are also the only ones that have been on the shelf at my LGS throughout this last run on components.

If I hadn't already had 60+lbs of various other powders I would have had no problem bringing them into the mix.

I believe Accurate #2 was specifically developed for .38 special.

I’m running Silhouette in 38 Special now under cast bullets with good accuracy. However various Accurate powders are all over the place locally.

Before I ran out of A#2 I was running 3.4-3.5 grains topped off with Xtreme 158 plated. This was thru my Taurus 85 snubby. Didn't have my chrono at the time but marked this down as a load I liked.