surplus gunpowder

[s64woody]

Has anyone been using the wc844 or wc846 powders that are currently available? woody

 

[org]

I'm using both. I got 8lb. of each from Wideners. Works well in .223 and .308. The powder is clean and shoots fine. I plan to get another 4 jugs.

I think it's pulldown, but if it is there's no sealant residue visible in the powder. To me it looks like it's canister grade counterpart..H335 and BLC2.

 

[Poodleshooter]

I use 846 in .223,.308 and 30/30. It works fine. It tends to show a bit of variance from the suggested data-just like every other powder. Both 844 and 846 are relatively temperature sensitive.

 

[dleong]

I purchased my first 8 lb. jug of pulldown WC844 powder (together with a jug of WC820 powder) from Jeff Bartlett recently, and have been using it as a direct substitute for Hodgdon H355 that I was using previously. No change in the load recipe was required, as the chronograph results between my H335 and WC844 loads were identical. I plan to switch completely over to WC844 once my current supply of H335 is exhausted.

DL

 

[s64woody]

wc844 / wc846

Jeff Bartlett indicated to me that the wc846 was the replacement powder in .223 that caused sooo much angst in the original M-16, primarily due to the fouling caused by Calcium Carbonate used to stabilize the powder. Apparently, wc844 has the same specs as the wc846, except it had far less Ca. Carbonate in it, hence less fouling. Burning rate overlaps, so I suspect that it will work just fine in the .308.

 

[s64woody]

wc844

ORG: Somewhere on the net I read that 844 and BL(C)2 and H335 were the same critter, just depended on if it was Surplus, which is H335, or new, which would make it BL(C)2. Even if this is not the case, they are all so close to the same that a handloader will probably not tell the difference. I will get data when my order arrives at my bench. woody

 

[jw29650]

I have been using WC846 for my ,223 for a thousand rounds and have had no problems. I load 25 gr. for a 55 FMJBT in my bushmaster. This powder appears to be not dirtier than the WW748. It is cheep and when combined with RVO prepared brass, is the best value I have found. I have also used it for 30-06 rounds with no problems

 

[s64woody]

JW29650 Thanks for the info. This whole thread was initiated because the stocks of surplus 4895 are becoming depleted, and I wanted to prepare for the day that it was no longer available. I understand that wc846 will be in the same situation before too long, as linked 7.62 ammo is just about the only thing being demilled now. woody

 

[org]

Woody, my experience tells me what you are saying about them being close is true. I haven't used H335, but was using W748 before trying the WC844 and WC846. The velocity (in the batches I have) range for identical charges is very close; within the ranges of deviation I had experienced with the W748. I'm getting about 2940 more or less with a 55PSP and the same charge of each of the three, with the deviation of the WC844 being a little less than that of 748. I haven't worked with the WC846 as much (in .223) but it appears to be extremely close to the others. I haven't reached the point of seeing any pressure signs with either powder and will work up a bit more. Accuracy is the same for all three. I'm shooting a 16" RRA carbine.

The WC846 in .308 is working out well, but I've only loaded and shot about 40 rounds so far. I haven't tried the WC844 in .308.

Military data gives baseline charges for 5.56 and 7.62 rounds, but I'm away from home and don't have the web address for that data on this computer. I'll post it when I get home in a week or so. Maybe someone knows and will post the address of that info?

org

 

[s64woody]

ORG Good info, thanks. I know that the 844 is so close to other known items that working up a load for the .308 will be the typical, careful, no brainer. The fact that this is a new to me lot of powder forces a very conservative approach.
Another item of interest is that virtually all of my sources indicate that the military primer is essentially a magnum primer, which agrees with most of the posted data concerning ball powder. As a friend said: they do not cost much, if any, more.
Another thread here concerned CCI primers vice Winchester. While I do not have a lab to verify some of this, the following appears to be true for my experiments: CCI is softer, but my chrony show virtually zero difference in consistency using 4895. I think that the ball powder may require a mag primer in the .308, due to the case volume.

 

[org]

Woody, I haven't tried the magnum primer (yet) with the .308 and WC846, but I did with W748. In my rifle, a Browning Abolt, the WLR primer worked better than CCI magnum primers. The groups were a bit larger, and I had a pretty large spread in velocities. This isn't to say your experiences might not be different. I too have seen many recommendations to use mag primers with ball powder, and this may be a fluke of my rifle and the particular loads I tried. I plan to investigate further, but haven't really done much with the WC846 and .308 yet.

My final plan is to see which powder works best in both calibers order more of that one, keeping it simple. As long as it works really well in the .223 and at least "pretty good" in the .308, I'll be happy, since I've always used, and will continue to do so, RL15 for my hunting loads in .308. The military powders and FMJ bullets sure make practicing with the .308 economical.

Good shooting.

 

[Bear2000]

Bought My Reloading Set-Up

Well, this thread convinced me to invest in a reloading kit (Lee Classic Turret), including a digital scale. I'm looking forward to getting set up this weekend.

Sue at Kempf Gun Shop, where I bought everything (and highly recommend) suggested that I go with Accurate 2230 - I think she said something about it throwing in better than the H335 in Lee's powder dispenser. Does that sound right, or did I dream that?

Anyway, I'm planning on working up loads for 55 gr Horandy and 69 gr Sierra MatchKing (one of the reasons I went with a 1:9 twist Savage rifle - I want to get out to 300 yards accurately). Any suggestions for that particular bullet (69 gr)?

(If I spend any more time reading THR I will go broke, I know it!)

 

[WyrTwister]

I use 846 in .223,.308 and 30/30. It works fine. It tends to show a bit of variance from the suggested data-just like every other powder. Both 844 and 846 are relatively temperature sensitive.


Could you please share the .30-30 data ? Cast or jacketed ?

God bless
Wyr

 

[RugerOldArmy]

It's my understanding that:

844 = H335
846 = BLC2

You can verify that on AR15.com and other sites.

That being said, 846 and BLC2 are notorious for being temperature sensitive. Didn't Zediker (sp? Ziedecker?) have a chapter in a book entitled 'Scary in the sun' where he singled this powder out for this atttribute? (What was that book? 'Handloading for Competition'?)

 

[snuffy]

Dredging up a thread with an October 07 last post, that started in 2004 is not conducive to the original posters actually answering you. Note that neither of the original posters have posted since 2005! You can find that info by clicking on their user names, then looking at all the posts they have made to see the last one.

 

[USSR]

This whole thread was initiated because the stocks of surplus 4895 are becoming depleted, and I wanted to prepare for the day that it was no longer available.

REAL surplus IMR4895, hasn't been available for several years now. The stuff that Jeff Bartlett is advertising as "4895", is a Russian powder with similar burn characteristics.

Don

 

[janobles14]

since this thing has been revived i have a question....

has anyone been able to find any milsurp powders for much less than you can get an 8 lb of something new? i remember even just a few yrs ago you could get 8 lbs for about 45 bucks. now it is only 5 or 6 dollars cheaper per 8 lbs than new production. id love to get some bulk stuff of surplus but cant find any real deals anywhere.

 

[frankd4]

Wcc844

I have load over 11,000 rounds of 223 with WCC844 it is about 10% hotter then H335 and it's very good 24GR of WCC844 with a Hornady 55GR FMJ and wolf primers Kronos about 3.040fps works just great and cost less then H335.

 

[WyrTwister]

Wc846

Could you please share your load data ? I have an almost full 8 lb jug of WC846 .

Especially .30-30 ?

Thanks ,
Wyr
God bless