.30-06 target load on a budget and anyone remember Alcan?

[Black Snowman]

Before you start plastering up all your favorite pet loads let me give you an idea of what I've got to work with.

First of all, I'm loading for a Browning model 78 high-wall single shot, so accurate lighter loads would be nice.

I have a lot of Reminton brass, I have some "nicer" brass but for consistancy I'm going to stick to what I have the most of and let the "good stuff" sit for special occasions.

CCI large rifle primers.

Miltary pull-down 147 gr FMJBT bullets.

Powders on hand:
BL-C(2) (8 lbs), H4831 (2 lbs or so), H4350, Alcan AL-5 (very old, can't find any data for it at all) and lots of various IMR powders in small quantites (no more than 1 lb of each).

Saving the Varget for my .308 loads.

All the data I can find says that H4350 will give me the best velocity for pressure. An old manual I have says that this power with about the starting load should be excellent for accuracy but my gun didn't seem to like it. Maybe my shootings was just off that day.

Anyway, any recomendations for what I have to work with and anyone ever heard of Alcan?

I know it's old, 8 oz can, $2.80. Writing on the front says white flake identifed. Would that make it White Dot I guess Made in Sweden by Aktiebolaget Bofors, Nobelkrut for Alcan Company, Inc., Alton, Illinois.

 

[Sheldon]

I recall that powder from one of my manuals....will have to look when I get home. I have an older copy of a Sierra manual as well and I'm guessing it will be in there as well. I check for you when I get home.

I wonder if there is any "collector" interest in those old cans? I have a few like it for some of the Hercules lines of powder. I need to make some shelves to display some of the old boxes and tins I have. I just hate to thow stuff out. 'Course that would explain why my house is such a mess!!!

 

[JA]

Imports of Alcan powder,primers,and wads were stopped in the mid 1970's. This is from the Speer # 9 reloading manual copyright 1974.
"AL-5 is an imported powder long noted for its clean burning qualites. It is best suited to medium power handgun and shotshell loads."
It is listed on the burning rate chart between SR 7625 and HS 5.
I loaded a bunch of 38 Special ammo with Alcan powder and Alcan primers that I have run into in newspaper ads,garage and estate sales, and widows of friends over the last 20 years.
So the AL-5 will be of no use to you in your 30-06 unless you load some low powered cast bullet loads.
Check this for load data with the Hodgdon powders.
http://www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/30-06.php

 

[Black Snowman]

I hate waste anything, if I can find data I may try to load up some .38 Spl with the AL-5, assuming it hasn't started deteriorating.

Some of the powder may have been my Grandfathers. I have an old Unique tin and an old 2400 tin as well. Might make a display out of them or might try selling them if there's a collectors market for them. I can't imagine getting a whole lot for them.

 

[Gunhamr]

The Alcan Company was founded and operated by the late
Homer Clark, great trap and live bird shooter. the Alcan
powders such as 5, 7, 8, and 120 were primarily shotshell
powders but did have a few applications in handguns.

The old Lyman Pistol and Revolver Handbook gives the loading
for 38 Special 148 gr. SWC using AL5, starting load 4.3 gr and
max of 6.7 gr. When they go to the heavier bullets they
use AL7. No loads for AL5 heavier than the 148 bullet.
Magnum loads for 357, 41, and 44 all use AL8 with a very
few loadings using AL7.

45 ACP loads for 200 gr. bullets using AL5 start at 5.8 and
max at 8.4. For the 230 gr. Round Nose bullet start at 5.5
and max at 8.7.

I was in the auto parts and gun business back in the days
when Alcan was very popular. Sold much AL5 for use in
12 gauge magnum shotshells. When I retired in '88 i
brought home several 1/2 pound cans of AL120 powder.
I am still using it to load 38 super with 5.4 grains behind
a 120 grain RN bullet. Works real good.

I have sold some of the old time powder cans at the larger
gun shows. Never tried Ebay but that might be a good place
to start. Have several hundred myself but will just leave them
for son-in-law and grandsons to dispose of.

If I can be of any further help on loading data for these old
piwders just post you calibers and bullet weights and I will
try to look them up. Been loading for over 50 years and
still I still am. Loaded 400 rounds of 45 Colt yesterday.

 

[JA]

I responded to a newspaper ad 2 years ago listing reloading componets for sale. It was a 78 year ex-trap shooter who was selling off all his reloading stuff. I bought all the powder and primers he had for the prices marked on the containers $3-$5. I got 8 cans of Hercules brand powders in the square steel cans. They have not sold powder in square steel cans since the late 1960's when they switched to round paper cans with steel tops and bottoms. The old man had kept all the powder in a closet in the house so I opened several cans and smelled them. All were fine and smelled just like new powder does. I have since used some of the Unique powder in the square steel can and some CCI primers made during the same time frame judging by style of the CCI logo printed on the packages to load some 45acp that shot just fine.

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

06 BLC-2

When BLC-2 was invented it was promoted as a super accurate powder and I used it to load the rifle ammo for a display marksman who would split playing cards and shoot out the spots on the cards also. He used a .222 Remington for that. Its fine grains meter very accurately.

I have some BLC-2 loads for the 06 in 110 and 130 grain weights if you are interested.

John Paul

 

[Black Snowman]

I have almost 8 lbs left of BL-C(2) pull down powder I got from GIBrass.com so that looks as good an option as any since I'm not concered with max velocity. I guess I'll have to see what other powers I have in IMR and make some comparison loads just to use it up. Oh darn

 

[HankB]

A friend of mine tried some Alcan powder - once. (I want to say it was AL-8, but this was probably close to 30 years ago, so I can't actually swear as to the type.)

His first load went "pop" and a bullet was stuck halfway down the barrel of his S&W M19, with pretty much the full charge of powder gumming up the works behind it. Tried again after clearing the barrel - same result.

To make a long story short, we examined the powder left in the can - it looked, felt, and smelled fine - but even with a match set to a little pile of it, it wouldn't burn.

Maybe that's why Alcan is no more.

 

[Poodleshooter]

I have almost 8 lbs left of BL-C(2) pull down powder I got from GIBrass.com so that looks as good an option as any since I'm not concered with max velocity.

I'm using WC846 in my 30/06 for 147gr loads. It works just fine,though load density can be a bit lower than with 4895 or other stick powders. I'm using loads in the 48-52 gr range for my Garand. Mostly I'm playing around trying to find a good accurate load for plinking. I use the same powder for .223,.308,30/30 and 30/06. Very convenient.