WC844. Anybody playing with the recent batch?

[atblis]

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I will preface this by saying that not all WC844 is the same. Do not take any data from this thread and use it directly. You need to work up your own loads. You are not guaranteed to have the same powder as me.

After reading the above statement you may be wondering what's the point of this thread. I am just curious to see what range of velocities and charge weights others have worked up. A sanity check of sorts. If everybody has loads that are less than mine, I will probably redo my workup.

I am working with a WC844 from Pats. Ordered it a couple weeks ago.

20" AR.
New LC brass
Wolf 223/Tula Small Rifle (didn't notice a velocity difference between the two)

27.1 gr with a 55 gr Hornady Soft Point got me 3025 fps.
27.1 gr with a 55 gr Hornady FMJ BT (M193 eq.) got me 2950 fps
26.0 gr with a 77 gr Nosler Custom Comp. got me 2750 fps

I think the velocity difference between the 55gr SP and the FMJBT may be due to a difference in seating depth. For both, I seated to the cannelure. The soft point needed to be seated deeper to get the case mouth to the cannelure.


I think I am going to back the 77 gr load down to 2700 fps.

Anybody else worked up any loads from recent batches of WC844?

 

[GaryL]

Is powder bought a couple years ago recent?

I loaded up some and shot it a couple weeks ago.
25.0g behind a 63gr Sierra Varminter clocked at ~2960
25.0g behind a 65gr Sierra SPBT clocked at ~2930

24.0g behind a 63gr Sierra Varminter clocked at ~2790, and produced a couple clover leafs. Unfortunately, they were about 0.75" apart, so the shooter needs more work.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

There are two different batches of WC844 running around right now, WC844 and WC844T. The T stuff was pulled from tracer ammo is is a little hotter than the other 844. Same holds true for the 2 different WC846's currently available.

 

[atblis]

Pats lists both for sale. I ordered the regular (non tracer).

 

[ArchAngelCD]

You should have no problems with the current batch of WC844 available, especially the non-T lot.

 

[Bush Pilot]

My source for WC844 has told me more than once to just use H335 data for WC844. CHECK WITH YOUR SUPPLIER FOR SPECIFICS.

 

[kingmt]

What is your lot #?

 

[atblis]

H335 data would certainly keep you from blowing yourself up with my lot. However, you'd be running a bit slow.