Hp-38/Win.231 and maybe Zip

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GW Staar

GW Staar

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So it appears that H38/Win.231 is being phased out and there are a lot of people not happy. It also appears the Ramshot Zip may be poised to take its place......and so I'm wondering.....

How about a little more info/education for the non Hp-38/Win.231 users like me, who wonder why it's been so popular and obviously will be missed.

I've used Bullseye and Unique for most of my pistol needs, and 2400 for most of my revolver needs for more than 40 years. They make accurate loads and I've been happy as can be......so what am I missing?

And please don't talk about Unique's "dirty powder" argument. There's no problem with that unless you load light....and I never load light. Besides, I've never seen a powder where you don't need to clean your firearm after shooting. So to me that's a non argument.

IOW's, sing 231's praises, (and now maybe Zip's) on it's own special merits.....educate me!:)
 
another hp38/w231 thread??? I see hp38/w231 come in stock very often. While it may not be here to stay, it is certainly one of the most prevalent powders I see. I like bullseye just as well as hp38 asides from the fact I can't use it in powder coated bullet loads as it softens the powder coat. I like unique too, just not very useful to me as I am not patient enough to weigh each individual charge. It does not meter well.

hp38/231 can be used to load nearly every handgun cartridge out there. While it does not give top performance in magnum calibers, it does pretty darn well in every other caliber.

I haven't really ran across any powders that I just don't like. There are just ones that I like better than the rest.
 
Why I use W231/HP38:

When I started pistol loading, I found Bullseye did not work well in my Redding No 3 Master powder measure. I went to the 700X I had been loading 12 gauge with. That was OK and convenient.

When I got a CH progressive loader to keep up with the PPC demand for .38 wadcutters, the light loads of 700X were erratic. I asked CH what to do about it and they said: "Well, we test our machines with 231." So I bought some 231 and have used it for most of my non-magnums for over 30 years.
Not exclusively, I have tried this and that as recommended by gunstore, gunzine, and internet experts, but I always came back to 231 until recently. I still use it (actually under the HP38 label) for 9mm and .38 but my .45s get Bullseye because I am loading them very lightly.


231 discontinued?
Not any time soon. Hodgdon said it was old tech with more of an environmental burden than newer grades, but they would not drop it because it sells so well. I still wonder why they don't just turn out clean powder to 231 specs like everybody else seems to be doing.
 
I guess I am going to have to take a Long drive up to St Marks plant and get clearance to get in and find out the whole truth!;):D

Think General Dynamics will let me in?:scrutiny:

HP 38/Win 231 can do almost anything. Kinda like Unique meters better

Not a full mag powder but good for lower end 357 and 44 Mag. Great for 38spl, 45 auto, 9mm. Does it all. May not be the best for all but it is one of my main trio of Bullseye, HP38 and 2400

They old "if I could only have one powder"
 
Last edited:
GW Staar said:
How about a little more info/education for the non Hp-38/Win.
Click to expand...
W231BEPP_zps200e2dd9.jpg

Sure - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9890280#post9890280

- As shown in the picture above, W231/HP-38 is coated flattened ball powder and meters very consistently (drops powder charges from Dillon/Pro Auto Disk with less than .1 gr variance). Only other fast burning powder I know meters better is Bullseye due to smaller flake size.

- It can load wide range of non-magnum pistol calibers with plenty of load data available.

- The coating helps lubricate Pro Auto Disk surfaces (especially the wiper) and is my powder of choice for breaking-in a new Pro Auto Disk.

- Because of moderately fast burn rate (faster than Unique/Universal but slower than Bullseye), W231/HP-38 produces mid-to-high range lower pressure target loads that produce milder recoil and accuracy - Nice compromise between lower pressure/less recoil/accuracy you can't get with most slower burn rate powders.

- For 40S&W, it is particularly flexible powder as I can load slightly below start charge with 180 gr bullet for lighter recoil than 9mm loads to low charges for comparable recoil 9mm loads to mid range charges for mild/moderate recoil loads that do not exhibit the "snappy recoil" many associate 40S&W with.

- Many complain of overly expanding "Glocked" 40S&W cases that cannot be fully resized to fit the chamber and must be push-through resized using U-die or FCD. Because W231/HP-38 work well with lower charges down to start charge, you can keep reducing powder charge until cases do not overly expand and resized with any resizing die.

- Lower pressure target loads will also reduce work hardening and increase brass case life.

- Uses less powder charge than other slower burn rate powders to decrease reloading cost.

- For reloading smaller cases than 9mm like 380, it will consistently meter down to 2.0 gr using a $1 PAD mod - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=741988

- It is made in the USA
 
I started out reloading using 231 for just about everything. Even had loads for 45, 38/357, 9mm using the same charge weight so I didn't have to adjust the measure (have used it in 44 mag and 45 LC loads as well just different charge weights). Jack of all trades, it was for me. I haven't bought it in so long my stock of it is still in metal cans, use other powders that have worked better for me, even though it's more stuff to deal with.

Still use it from time to time though.
 
If I could have only one it would be W231. I know many would say Unique but not me. If two I would add W540(HS-6) and the third would be W296.

One rife and one handgun powder, H4895 and W231. I highly doubt W231 Wil be gone anytime soon.
 
Thanks for the replies....I learned a few things, thankyou.

In fact, bds! I printed your long reply.....so's I don't forget the great info!

Thanks all!

My experience has been mostly Unique, and 2400....and I've never felt constrained or deprived.....but I do have an open mind....If the death of Win 231 was indeed faked (even by one of their own employee's), I'll have to try a lb. Some Ram Shot as well....
 
Email response from Hodgdon customer service dated Feb. 1. 2016.

"We have no plans of discontinuing this product from what I have been told and a statement has been made by me previously stating this has been posted on many sites. This also was addressed by Chis Hodgdon I believe and was on our Facebook page and also addressed by some of the gun forums by "true" writers. Until a couple of weeks ago this powder has not been delivered to us since September but there was quite bit that came to us and we are still packaging and shipping it and we have another batch that is coming in I think this month. The powder shows as a current production product in our 2016 catalogue.

Mike Van Dyke
Customer Service Representative
Hodgdon Powder Company
6430 Vista Drive
Shawnee, KS 66218
913-362-9455 Ext. 109"
 
My local shop just got some 1 lb containers and 8 lb containers of HP-38. Picked up two of the 1 pounders. I use HP-38 (which is the same as Win. 231 as others have said) to load 9mm, .38 spcl., .44 spcl and .45 ACP and it works wonderfully in all of them.
 
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