Alcan AL-8 In .45 ACP

In searching for some good high-performance loads for .45 Auto using heavy cast bullets and AL-8 powder, I came across this discussion on THR:

"I bought out a reloader who's retiring and as part of his stash I got 15# of Alcan AL-8 powder. It's old, but this guy swore by it as his go-to powder for .45ACP.

So, I'd like to try it for that. If it works, I won't need powder for about 37 years, probably.

Only problem is I can't find any reloading info for it. I've searched the web a ton trying to find this, and no dice, with the exception of Handloads.Com which has a single load for a 185gr bullet--but I have no subscription. I'd like to run it with 200gr lead or thereabouts.

Anybody have any ideas about where I might find this? I've struck out. I'm just looking for some starting loads that are reasonable. Maybe a really old manual?

PS: The guy told me he thought his load for it was XXX grains, but I'm not going on what may or may not be accurate memory."


I won't go any further into the comments that followed, except to say that it frustrates me to no end when people whose knowledge of handloading is very shallow and obviously garnered from a very few, recent loading manuals, spout off as if they were great sages in the handloader's art. The bottom line and end result was that the OP sold that 15 lbs of powder for $100. What a shame.

The fact is, AL-8 is most comparable to, but somewhat faster than, 2400. 2400 is one of the most flexible powders in existence, being quite usable for everything from .38 Special to .500 Linebaugh, .22 Hornet to .30/06 (and probably the best powder ever for .45/70), and 12 gauge to .410 shotshells.

Not having pushed it very hard in rifle cartridges, I can't say with certainty that AL-8 will perform as reliably in rifle cartridges as 2400, but I have found it to be a good replacement for 2400 in straight-wall pistol cartridges. In fact, my primary .44 Special carry load is the Keith bullet, 245 grain Lyman #429421, over 11.0 grains AL-8. This gives slightly over 800 fps from my 2 1/2" Charter Arms Bulldog. This is warm but not hot. Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd Edition
lists this same bullet over 10.3 AL-8 as 12,700 CUP and 773 fps from a 4" revolver. 13.2 gr. 2400 is listed as 13,800 CUP and 797 fps. I know of several people who have used the .44 Special Keith load, 17.5 grains of 2400 with this bullet, in the Bulldog with no ill effects, so I know the gun will handle it, but I wanted to keep pressures lower than that. I basically started at the 10.3 grain published load and worked up until my chrono showed consistently over 800 fps, which I achieved at 11.0 grains, and stopped there.


Moving on to .45 ACP, I see no loads listed using AL-8, but there is one AL-8 load listed under .45 Auto Rim; #452423 at 238 grains over 9.6 gr. AL-8 for 814 fps and 13,800 CUP. I have seen several .45 ACP loads over the years featuring the Lyman #454424 and other Keith type 255 grain SWC cast bullets (of the type normally intended for the .45 Colt) over 13.5-14.0 grains of 2400 or 10 grains of Blue Dot. These are .45 ACP +P or even .45 Super loads, so make sure you know what you ar doing and that your gun is capable of handling Super loads (24 lb recoil spring, fully supported chamber, etc.) before attempting anything of the sort. Extrapolating from this data, AL-8 being a bit slower than Blue Dot and generally requiring approximately 80-85% of the charge weight of a similar 2400 load, I would probably call 9.5 grains of AL-8 a starting load with the 255 grain bullets, and work up to perhaps 11.0 as a maximum.

I have, by the way, fired quite a few 255 grain Keith bullets in several different 1911s, mostly with 5 grains of Bullseye but a few with 2400, with no problems.

This load data is not a recommendation. If you use this information, you do so at your own risk.

The Lee Loader

Since the first time I ever used one, I have been a fan of the Lee Loader.
Now, a lot of people don't know what I mean when I mention the Lee Loader. They envision one of the cheap aluminum C reloading presses, but that is not what I'm talking about. In fact I did have one of those for a short period of time. It was given to me; I never used it and quickly gave it away to somebody else.


No, when I mention the Lee Loader I am referring to the simple reloading kit-in-a-box that Lee now refers to as the "Classic Loader". It consists of a single multi-purpose die and a few accessories, all packed into a pocket-sized plastic box, that allows one to reload ammunition without the aid of a press. The only thing necessary for reloading besides the kit and components, is a plastic- or wood-faced hammer. You can even leave the hammer at home and use a short, heavy stick in the field, if you wish.






Each Lee Loader is designed to load a single cartridge, .30/06 for example. So if you have one for .30/06 and you wish to reload .308, you must buy another one for .308. Included in the box is a set of instructions, including a cartridge drawing and load data for that particular cartridge. Also included is an appropriately sized powder dipper. Formerly produced for a wide range of different rifle and pistol cartridges and shotgun shells, all of the shotgun versions and all but a few rifle and handgun cartridge versions have been discontinued.

It is worth noting that the Lee Loader neck sizes only. This is good and bad. The good is that it is capable of producing extremely accurate ammunition, and cases loaded in it tend to last a long time. Also, in most bottleneck rifle cartridges, no case lube is required.

The bad is that the ammunition thus produced is only suitable for re-use in that particular gun, and may not fit another gun of the same chambering. Also, Straight wall cases of relatively high pressure, such as .357 and .44 Magnums and .30 Carbine, may require that a case lube be used.

Used for what it is designed for, though, the Lee Loader is an extremely useful little kit, even if you already have a more elaborate loading setup.
It works like this: Place a fired case base down in the decapping chamber, and use the hammer (that you supply) with the decapping rod to drive out the spent primer. Place the case into the die and drive it down flush with the hammer, to resize. Place a new primer into the priming chamber, set the die (with case inside) on the priming chamber, and drop the priming rod into the case which is in the die. Now is the part everybody hates: use the hammer to tap the end of the priming rod until the case come back out a fraction of an inch and seats the new primer.

That's right, you use a hammer to tap the new primer into place. It's not as bad as it sounds, and you can hear the sound change as the primer seats. Still, you may occasionally pop a primer until you get the hang of how hard to tap. No biggie; there is no powder in the case yet. Just wear eye protection.

OK, almost done. Take the die off the top of the priming chamber and set it, with the case inside, on a flat surface. Pour one dipper of powder into the built-in funnel in the die mouth, followed by a bullet, base-down. Now insert the bullet seater (that is attached to the side of the priming chamber) into the top of the die and thrust it down forcefully with the heel of your hand. The die has a screw adjustment for seating depth. You can drive it down with the hammer, if you would rather not use your hand.

In most cases, you are done. If you wish to crimp the bullet in place (for a lever action rifle, for example) there is a crimping shoulder in the other, funnel end of the die. Stick the bullet end of the loaded round in that end, place the decapping chamber over the case head to protect the primer, and give it a couple of light taps with the hammer to set the crimp. Done!

This takes less time than describing it, and once you get the hang of it, you can load a few rounds of ammo in the time it takes to set up a conventional press.
Also, assuming you already have some cases that were fired in your rifle, you can buy a Lee Loader and enough components to produce 100 rounds of ammo for less than it would cost to buy 100 rounds of factory hunting ammo. How's that for a cheap way to get into reloading?

Introduction

Hi, and welcome to Cheap Reloading. I'm glad you found the site, and I hope you will return often.

I have been reloading for quite a few years, and to me, it is a hobby in itself, rather than just a way to save money on ammunition. In fact, if it weren't for my reloading hobby, I probably wouldn't enjoy the shooting sports nearly as much as I do! Don't get me wrong; I love shooting, but carefully crafting my own ammo adds a whole new dimension.

So what do I mean by "cheap" reloading? Well, in addition to reloading, I also cast a lot of my own bullets. That is another enjoyable facet to the hobby, and it also greatly reduces the cost of the resultant ammo. Think about it: currently, a box of 1000 jacketed .30 caliber bullets for your .30/30, for example, runs at least $150. Casting my own ~170 grain bullets from my Lyman #311041 mould, using scrounged wheelweights, lubing the bullets with home-made lube, and making my own gaschecks from soft-drink cans, 1000 bullets could conceivably cost as little as, well, pretty much free, except for a couple hours of my time. And that time is enjoyable time for me, doing something I love. If I then load those bullets into range pickup brass, over just enough Promo powder to give around 1300 fps, I end up with 1000 rounds of .30/30 ammo that is accurate, easy to shoot, a useful power level (about like the old .32/40, which was great for everything up to and including close-range deer), and at a cost of maybe $45-$50. Compare that to today's price of at least $200 for steel-case, non-reloadable 7.62x39, and you start to see the advantages! And of course, you can apply the same savings to reloading the 7.62x39, just as easily.

I will be writing the occasional article about reloading from a standpoint of frugality, while still achieving the performance you need from your handloads. I will also keep an eye on eBay, and post links to good buys that I find there. I can assure you that this service will cost you nothing, if you choose to buy through one of my links; you will be paying the exact same price you would pay by going to eBay and doing the search for yourself. You can also search for other items on eBay, directly from here, by clicking on any eBay link. This is also completely free; it won't cost you anything.

Thanks again for visiting my site. If there is an article you would like to see, questions about anything relating to reloading, or any reloading item you would like me to find for you, just leave a comment at the end of any post.

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