44 Mag. WIN-296 and hard cast/ hi-tek

[Palladan44]

Question out there to the greater wisdom of THR:

Traditionally, I always reserved WIN-296 for jacketed bullets due to the pre-assumed notion that WW-296 is simply too high velocity of a powder for bare lead. By bare lead, I mean swaged or medium hardness hard-cast.

But how about hardcast of Brinell 18?
How about Brinell 16 with Hi-Tek coating?

Is it strictly velocity we're worried about? Or is something about the burn characteristics of the powder that can melt some of the lead and cause severe leading issues?

I'm reading many folks out there using coated bullets in Rifles pushing them to nearly 2,000 fps without issues, making me start to think I could give a try pairing WW-296 and 240gr ACME coated LSWC for my new ruger Redhawk 4.2" barrel. A rough estimate has me thinking my velocities would be upward of 1,350 fps. Part of me thinks I'm just asking for trouble, but part thinks there may be no problem. The slug/throat fit is snug with no looseness; I'm able to just push them through with a dowel.

 

[Targa]

All of my full power H110/296 .44 magnum loads are with my cast, either traditionally lubed or powder coated bullets in the neighborhood of 15 BHN. Leading is either non existent or not worth mentioning and the only limiting accuracy factor is me…

To add, I run my 30-30 cast and gas checked in both traditionally lubed and powder coated bullets up to 2300 fps with the same results as I previously mentioned. The main difference being the gas check and a BHN around 18.

 

[Targa]

making me start to think I could give a try pairing WW-296 and 240gr ACME coated LSWC for my new ruger Redhawk 4.2" barrel. A rough estimate has me thinking my velocities would be upward of 1,350 fps.

That is a very good rough estimate. I chronographed my 240gr LSWC’s at 1400 fps through my 5.5” Blackhawk using 23 grains of H110.

 

[Charlie98]

Hardness is only one component of successful Magnum velocity cast bullet loads... you need to make sure your bullet fits the bore properly. An undersized bullet of 18BHN will skid in the rifling, softer bullets will lead terribly (usually... there is always an exception.)

I shoot commercially cast bullets in my .41MAG rifle and pistols without problems... granted, the .41 bore diameter is pretty standard, not always the case with the .44. Although I typically use IMR4227, I have some loaded over H110/W296. My rifle is a Marlin 1894 with MicroGroove rifling... supposedly a cast bullet's Kryptonite... but I don't have any problems, again, properly sized bullets for the bore. Cheap insurance is using a gas check, I have them on my heavy cast, but not necessarily my lighter bullets.

 

[LaneP]

Hardness is only one component of successful Magnum velocity cast bullet loads... you need to make sure your bullet fits the bore properly. An undersized bullet of 18BHN will skid in the rifling, softer bullets will lead terribly (usually... there is always an exception.)

I shoot commercially cast bullets in my .41MAG rifle and pistols without problems... granted, the .41 bore diameter is pretty standard, not always the case with the .44. Although I typically use IMR4227, I have some loaded over H110/W296. My rifle is a Marlin 1894 with MicroGroove rifling... supposedly a cast bullet's Kryptonite... but I don't have any problems, again, properly sized bullets for the bore. Cheap insurance is using a gas check, I have them on my heavy cast, but not necessarily my lighter bullets.

Re: Marlin 1894 microgroove rifling, while I regretfully let mine go (late 80's), the first plain base cast bullets I shot out of it keyholed so badly you could hear them whistling as they tumbled through the air right out of the muzzle. From that point forward I stuck mainly to jacketed bullets, and I believe gas checks worked too.

 

[Charlie98]

Re: Marlin 1894 microgroove rifling, while I regretfully let mine go (late 80's), the first plain base cast bullets I shot out of it keyholed so badly you could hear them whistling as they tumbled through the air right out of the muzzle. From that point forward I stuck mainly to jacketed bullets, and I believe gas checks worked too.

I've never had problems with my .41, but my .45 Colt 1894 was a shotgun. I found out later it was the terribly slow rifling (1:38"...) that wouldn't stabilize standard 250'ish grn bullets without loading them over something like W296.

 

[EricBu]

I've run thousands of Hi-Tek coated BHN 15 to 18 through my 44 Mags, hot 45 Colts, 357s, and the list goes on. The only limiting factor is your imagination, supply of H110/W296, and the bores of your individual guns (oversized or undersized will impact shooting cast). I just say, find some data you like, work it up, AND SEND IT!!!

 

[Obturation]

No problem in my experience . I use hi tek coated bullets over h110/w296 all the time. Never an issue . I've pushed them near 2000 fps and it's been great . even if you get a little leading (you likely wont), it cleans right out with a couple swipes of copper chore boy. Concerns over leading are blown out of proportion, if you get some leading just clean it out. In about 2000 rounds of hi tek coated 45-70 loads I've gotten zero leading. The real test is the 255 grain swc bullets I've used for 454 casull over h110, at about 1650 fps, no issue at all.

 

[N555]

I wouldn't recommend H110 or w296 for hard cast, maybe if it was gas checked would be ok.
Lots of leading.

 

[Airborne Falcon]

I've run thousands of Hi-Tek coated BHN 15 to 18 through my 44 Mags, hot 45 Colts, 357s, and the list goes on. The only limiting factor is your imagination, supply of H110/W296, and the bores of your individual guns (oversized or undersized will impact shooting cast). I just say, find some data you like, work it up, AND SEND IT!!!

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Question out there to the greater wisdom of THR:

Traditionally, I always reserved WIN-296 for jacketed bullets due to the pre-assumed notion that WW-296 is simply too high velocity of a powder for bare lead. By bare lead, I mean swaged or medium hardness hard-cast.

But how about hardcast of Brinell 18?
How about Brinell 16 with Hi-Tek coating?

Is it strictly velocity we're worried about? Or is something about the burn characteristics of the powder that can melt some of the lead and cause severe leading issues?

I'm reading many folks out there using coated bullets in Rifles pushing them to nearly 2,000 fps without issues, making me start to think I could give a try pairing WW-296 and 240gr ACME coated LSWC for my new ruger Redhawk 4.2" barrel. A rough estimate has me thinking my velocities would be upward of 1,350 fps. Part of me thinks I'm just asking for trouble, but part thinks there may be no problem. The slug/throat fit is snug with no looseness; I'm able to just push them through with a dowel.

My only problems with W296/H110 had to do with the powder’s characteristics. Mostly that it requires a magnum primer, doesn’t react well to hot weather, which we got lots of, and doesn’t download happily. The weather is a pretty minor thing but I like to have some flexibility in my loads. Leading was never a problem with either powder.