296 cold weather test

[sugarmaker]

Thought I would see how 296 runs in cold weather using standard primers.
Load was from Hornady 5: 240xtp, 24.5 296, 1.61 oal, lee fact crimp (the collett kind). Primer was changed from wlp to cci 300. Note hornady does not spec magnum primers, nor does hodgdon list them for 44 296 loads.

5 loads, sw m69. Gun and ammo were taken from 43 degree basement and left outside at -6 degrees F, 4mph wind, no sun, for 20 min. Gun was then loaded and fired. Clean burn on all 5 shots, normal primers and extration. Unscientific opinion was the load ran about the same as at 40 degrees F. My intent was to get out the chronograph and do a more scientific test but its just too dang cold to lug things down to the shooting area. Personally I don't think ill worry about magnum primers with top end 296 loads any more. Lighter charges may be a different story but then I won't be using 296 either.

 

[Mr.Revolverguy]

CMON take one for the team , Chronograph data of cold vs warm would have been outstanding.

 

[TimSr]

Note hornady does not spec magnum primers, nor does hodgdon list them for 44 296 loads.

I don't know what brand Hornady lists, but the reason Hodgdon does not list them is because they are sourcing Remington, who does not make Large Pistol Magnum primers, nor does Wichester that you switched from. Their large pistol primers are designated for standard or magnum loads.

CCI and Federal have separate products for standard and for magnum use, and load data referencing these products will specify magnum primers for 296.

But if your confident that your test of shooting 5 that feel alright, is conclusive, then feel free to ignore the load data.

As for 296 in cold weather, I don't find significant diffence between 80 degree summer weather and 10 degrees as far as accuracy or point of impact. I don't chrony much in bitter cold either.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Why do some reloaded try to second guess Decades of reloading fact? Slow burning ball powders are difficult to ignite so why not use a magnum primer? I don't get it???

Yes yes yes, I know sometimes you can run out or have trouble locating primer types but unless the zombie apocalypse hits you can wait or load what you have. Even if you load what you have it doesn't change the fact slow burning ball powders are difficult to ignite.

Five rounds of any ammo proves nothing, maybe not even fifty but thanks for sharing your results.

 

[sugarmaker]

Timsr, thank you for that explaination, I have not paid as much attention to the various primer offerings as I should, have always thought in terms of "magnum" or "standard", and did not pay attention to WLP being more of a magnum primer. Indeed an example of why to be careful switching components, esp when I Think I know what Im doing. I have federal and CCI magnum primers... Will try a subzero test with the chrono to see for myself how the 296 behaves with respect to temp. No intention to insult conventional wisdom, tend towards the "has to pee on the fence" category, within limits.

 

[buck460XVR]

While I never chronoed the difference, I have some H110/W296, .44 mag, 240 gr Nosler JSP hunting ammo that Chroned about 1250 fps when shot @ 75 degrees or so from my P.C. 629 Magnum Hunter. Primers, as is the case most of the time with my magnum handgun ammo, were completely flattened, tight to the pocket edge. Later that year during late season antlerless hunt, I used two shells from the same batch to take a doe in -10 degrees. When I put those two empties back in the plastic case next the ones shot earlier that year at the range, the difference in primers was dramatic. Primers were still completely rounded, similar to how the spent primers look from my 9 gr of Unique plinking loads. Same primers from the same batch of ammo, only difference was about 85* of temperature and three months of time. While reading handgun primers is moot as to excess pressure, the huge difference between those shot when temps were warm and when temps were very cold, tells me there was a good difference in pressure, and why I use magnum primers with H110/W296 even in larger volume cases like .44 mag, even when using close to max loads and a heavy crimp.