Win 231

[danprkr]

I have a buddy that just started reloading. I've been not doing any for a LONG time due to health. He had a bunch of Win 231, and no can't find it. I know the Win powders were bought by Hogdon, but I don't know if there is a direct cross. Anyone else know?

Thanks

 

[xmanpike]

HP-38 is the same powder

 

[FROGO207]

As stated above the HP-38 is the same propellant as W231 and this is admitted by Hodgdon on their web site. There are several other propellants that are the same also. The Winchester propellants are more expensive for some reason and are not carried when the others are available often times.

 

[hvychev77]

they still make W231 though. i just picked up a pound the other day.

 

[Cherokee]

HP38 / Win 231 is my most used powder. Same powder, currently manufactured but often out of stock at suppliers - its very popular.

 

[hAkron]

I use HP-38 in pretty much all of my non-magnum handgun loads. I even have had good luck with it in med power 10mm loads.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Yes, W231 is still available and W231 = HP-38...

W231 = HP-38
W296 = H110
W540 = HS-6
W571 = HS-7
W760 = H414

And I think Ramshot Silhouette is that same as one of the Winchester shotgun powders too.

 

[leadchucker]

W231 has been available everywhere I've looked, and is priced competitively with other powders.

 

[Steve C]

I know the Win powders were bought by Hogdon

Hodgdon never bought Winchester powders, they made an agreement with Winchester to MARKET their powders as they did with DuPont for the IMR powders. Hodgdon does not own Winchester powders and I'm not sure they do the actual blending of the base bulk powders to normalize burn rate of the other canister powder brands they market.

As to whether HP38 and W231 is the same, well there is the "same" and then there is identical. If you look at the data published by any of the bullet manufacturers you will often see different sets of data that vary slightly for W231 and HP38 with the HP38 data always being a 1 or 2 10ths lighter than W231. While 2 canister powders may have the same base bulk powder as their origin, the specified burn rate these powders are blended to in order to produce a normalized canister grade powders for the reloading customer likely varies to some degree, otherwise why have 2 canister powders produced by different companies with different names.

Since the load data for HP38 was always lower than W231 it makes sense that Hodgdon simply suggests HP38 data for use with W231 rather than the other way around. If you are using data published by the bullet companies I wouldn't simply substitute HP38 for W231 at the top end of the data.

 

[CZ57]

And I think Ramshot Silhouette is that same as one of the Winchester shotgun powders too.

No, that's Ramshot Competiton which is not a former product of Winchester but it's Ramshot's only shotgun powder. Silhouette was formerly sold by Winchester as WAP, Winchester Action Pistol.

 

[Jeff H]

W231 has been available everywhere I've looked, and is priced competitively with other powders.

In my experience, Win231 is usually out of stock more than HP38 and is usually a little more expensive to boot. I have both on hand and use them interchangeably.