Found some W244... where should I start? What’s it good for?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I've worked up some very good mid-range .45ACP/200grn loads with it. It was very erratic when I seated the bullets at max OAL, but settled down nicely when I seated the bullets deeper. I just worked up some more test loads with it this week, in fact.

I've also loaded up 1 test load in 9mm... 4.5grn W244 and the RMR 124grn PRN. My notes show 1000fps out of my 3.6" Kahr with excellent accuracy. That is a max book load, please work up.
 
I like W244. I have loads I like with W244 in 357sig (124gr), 40S&W (180gr) and 45ACP (230gr). What are you looking for in W244? Accuracy, power factor, plinking?
 
Following are the W244 loads I use. Still trying to find a 9mm load I can hang my hat on.

index.php

*accurate load. Easy shooter and make major out of a P220.
45acp, P220, 4.4"
Case: Federal
COL: 1.250"
RMR, 230gr, FMJRN, W244, 5.2gr, CCI300
Average: 746
ES: 31
SD: 12.3
Force: 284
PF: 171
Velocities: 732, 737, 752, 763, 746
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.89"
Test Date: 02/10/2019

index.php

*had some problem with the chrono
*very accurate. My go-to load in 40S&W now
40SW, P229, 3.9"
Case: RP
COL: 1.125"
RMRPulled, 180gr, TMJFN, W244, 4.6gr, GINEXSP
Average: 797
ES: 0
SD:
Force: 254
PF: 143
Velocities: , , , , 797
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.26"
Test Date: 10/26/2019

index.php

*tested a second time for accuracy without chrono
*very accurate. My go-to load in 40S&W now
40SW, P229, 3.9"
Case: RP
COL: 1.125"
RMRPulled, 180gr, FMJRNFP, W244, 4.6gr, CCI500
Average:
ES: 0
SD:
Force:
PF:
Velocities: , , , ,
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.53"
Test Date: 08/07/2020

index.php

*nice accurate load without beating up the gun.
357sig, P229, 3.9"
Case: Speer
COL: 1.140"
RMR, 124gr, FMJFN, W244, 6.4gr, CCI500
Average: 1253
ES: 21
SD: 8.5
Force: 432
PF: 155
Velocities: 1259, 1251, 1257, 1240, 1261
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.63"
Test Date: 02/10/2019
 
I’ve burned a couple pounds of W244. 4.3 with 124 Everglades plated gives me 1060 fps 1.150 col
3.9 with a 135 TC Blue gives me 1020 fps. 1.125 col This 5 shot group gave me ES of 7 and SD of 2. Lol. Pretty sure I couldn’t pull that off again.
G17 gen4
 
1KPerDay said:
I will consult published data but was curious if anyone has found it particularly good for something.
Click to expand...
Anything I have a 231 load for. I’ve not duplicated every combination but my match loads for 9, 38, 40 and 45 all produce an acceptable load with 244.
I found either the 124 or 147 RMR FP MW needed to be near the max charge at 1.120” to make minor + (130ish) but the SDs are single digits and groups are great with a 226. I’ve yet to run them through the 320.
The Bayou 145 RNs sit on 3.2gr at 1.120’ - not sure if this bears the warning flag or not since Hodgdon has these Acme RN CTD at 1.150”, but I have one barrel that won’t play well with that long of a COL.
When the shortages abate, I plan on another 8# of 244 instead of 231. Good luck!
 
Walkalong said:
Very interesting, mine is 5.0 Grs W-231 with a 180 in .40, but I have some W-244.....hmmm.... :)
Click to expand...

I will check through my records, but for some reason I don't have good chrono numbers. Maybe next time I will get some chrono numbers to complete the picture. The 40S&W loads have all be done with pulled bullets. So I assume I should maybe get better results with new bullets.
 
Took the rain day today to run off to the indoor range... besides running some test loads for the AR, I also worked through my .45ACP test loads... with W244.

6.0grn W244 (max load) and my 200grn RMR PRN bullet, seated to 1.23", fairly ripped the target center out... they were fantastic. Recoil felt like it was a mid-range load. No chrono, so I can't give you velocity readings, but I measured the first batch (fired 3 weeks ago) at 810fps, which seemed a little low, even from a 4" barrel. But I can't argue with the results.
 
vaalpens said:
I will check through my records, but for some reason I don't have good chrono numbers. Maybe next time I will get some chrono numbers to complete the picture. The 40S&W loads have all be done with pulled bullets. So I assume I should maybe get better results with new bullets.
Click to expand...

I did chrono one of my loads today, and test for accuracy again. Accuracy was very good again:

Load-1371-50_15yd.png
40SW, P229, 3.9"
Case: RP
COL: 1.125"
RMRPulled, 180gr, FMJRNFP, W244, 4.6gr, SBPRSP
Average: 816
ES: 47
SD: 18.7
Force: 266
PF: 146
Velocities: 829, 789, 836, 822, 808
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.54"
Test Date: 11/01/2020
 
Walkalong said:
In pistols? I would imagine you would have to shoot more rounds than you afford to find out. :)

Besides, I quit cleaning my pistol barrels.
Click to expand...
Hodgdon certainly thinks it means something as beyond W244 Hodgdon CFE Pistol is also marketed, FWIW. I was hoping to see a response from @vaalpens actually, who appears to have some first hand experience using W244, and might perhaps clean his pistols. Your prior post this thread led me to think you don't have first hand experience shooting cartridges loaded with W244 even if you cleaned your pistols FWIW.

Walkalong said:
Very interesting, mine is 5.0 Grs W-231 with a 180 in .40, but I have some W-244.....hmmm.... :)
Click to expand...
 
I shot my 5.0 Grs of W-231 (Old metal 3 pd can) and 5.0 Grs W-244 at 75 degrees 64% RH and got an average of 941 with W-231 (About normal for it, with 950ish being the target in the beginning) and 971 with W-244, with a note to back off W-244 a couple of tenths and try it later. All from a 4" FNS-40.

Nice gun, picked it up dirt cheap a couple of years ago when they were practically giving away .40s and nines were cheap.
 
Walkalong said:
I shot my 5.0 Grs of W-231 (Old metal 3 pd can) and 5.0 Grs W-244 at 75 degrees 64% RH and got an average of 941 with W-231 (About normal for it, with 950ish being the target in the beginning) and 971 with W-244, with a note to back off W-244 a couple of tenths and try it later. All from a 4" FNS-40.

Nice gun, picked it up dirt cheap a couple of years ago when they were practically giving away .40s and nines were cheap.
Click to expand...

Are those velocity numbers loading 180gr bullets? My average for 5.0gr W244 is 911fps, that is a difference of 60fps.

I wouldn't mind having the FNX in 40, but I don't think they make it anymore.
 
Yes, coated 180s in the 4" FNS-40, plated run about the same. Factory 180 Gr Hydrashock ammo ran about 975ish from my son's SD40VE, and I liked that recoil impulse better than the faster 165s, so I targeted 950/975ish for my 180 Gr plinkers back in the day. Longshot, Power Pistol, Blue Dot, all could achieve this, then I tried some faster powders, and nothing I tried beat the accuracy/pleasant recoil impulse of 5.0 Grs W-231 (Old 3 Lb metal cans). I decided 950ish, regardless of powder, was perfect for 180s out of a 4" barrel. For me, YMMV.
 
The data I’ve found is either grain for grain equal to w231 or within a tenth. However I’ve found that 244 is quite a bit denser and I can’t use my personalized 231 orifice chart for the Lee PAD. Does anyone know which powder it’s close to in density? I will of course weigh and prove every setting.
 
FYI my .40 orifice drops 4.9 grains of W244. So it looks like I can use Winchester Action Pistol chart numbers to get close to the proper drops.
 
If you work out the VMD of W244 then you can do calcs to make a chart of what each disk will throw (or about what each disk will throw)

CC (disk)/gr=VMD
so then
CC/VMD=gr

I made a spreadsheet to do the calcs.
(Sent it to you in a PM, easy to create one but since I had one I thought I would send it to you)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

vaalpens
  • Locked
My first W244 loads
Replies
15
Views
1K
vaalpens
vaalpens
RMH
  • Locked
The new RMR 95gr FMJ RN 380
Replies
7
Views
1K
RMH
RMH
YellowcatDaddy
  • Locked
.44 Mag Question.
2
Replies
40
Views
2K
GeoDudeFlorida
GeoDudeFlorida
T
  • Locked
X-Treme 9mm 115gr RN Load Data
Replies
6
Views
3K
LiveLife
LiveLife
vaalpens
38spl, 158gr lead SWC, Lee dipper
2
Replies
30
Views
1K
vaalpens
vaalpens
Back
Top