NWcityguy2
Member
I recently bought some Winchester 244 powder. Typically, my go-to powders for 9mm and 40 S&W is Accuracte #2 and Shooters World Cleanshot (those powders are very, very similar and Cleanshot was probably sold as #2 in the past). But I wanted to do a little panic buying and/or reasonable preparation, which are really two side of the same coin these days. I’m sure I am not the only one. Winchester 244 is a newer powder, is advertised as being very clean, is generally viewed as the Win 231 replacement (I have never used 231), but most importantly has been widely available for the past couple months. Plus, I’m always looking for something better and with pistol powders there is very little risk that I’m left with something I don’t have a use for. This article is also somewhat lengthy, so hopefully it will be useful to the batch of new reloaders who join at the start of every ammo panic.
For this comparison I will be using Accurate #2, Hodgdon Universal and Winchester 244. First will be some general observations, pictures to demonstrate case-fill, and then some chronograph tests.
On Hodgdons burn rate chart published in November 2019, Accurate #2 comes in the fastest, placed at #27. Winchester 244 is placed in the middle at #31, with Universal being the “slowest” and placed at #33. In my experience with pistol powders for 9mm/40 S&W, I generally group them into the following categories:
1. Very fast powders which don’t even come close to giving factory velocities, and are more useful in 45acp. Ramshot Nitro 100 NF falls into this category and I use it in my 16” barreled AR9 to get velocities similar to what factory ammo gets out of a regular length barrel.
2. Fast powders which come close to in velocity, or match (depending on the strength), factory ammo. Accurate #2 is in the category. Winchester 244 is clearly being marketed as being in this category as well.
3. Medium burning powders which easily match factory ammo velocities and can sometimes exceed it. Hodgdon Universal fall into this group, but is at the faster end.
4. Slow burning powders which exceed factory ammunition velocities, but burn dirty unless maxed out. Some of these powders are used by competitors for “9 Major” loads, and almost certainly exceed the max chamber pressure for 9mm of 35k PSI. Ramshot Silhouette is an example of a powder in this category.
Visually here is a picture of all three powders next to each other. Each was measured at 5 grains and placed on the paper. Universal is generally considered a medium flake powder, Accurate #2 is a low-density spherical powder and Winchester 244 is a flattened spherical. The Winchester 244 has the highest density of the three, though there are denser powders out there.
Now I want to demonstrate how well each powder fills a 9mm case. The minimum and maximum charges shown were taken from the load data listed from a 125gr Sierra FMJ for Hodgdon Universal and Winchester 244, and a Winchester 124gr FMJ for Accurate #2. I will also show what a double charge looks like with each of these loadings. I know some people will not find this all that important, as they believe they have other measures in place to prevent a double charge, but I view it from the perspective that there is no downside to good case fill. That is, as long as the powder meters well from a dispenser.
While none of these powders hide at the bottom of the case, a double charge in either Universal or #2 would be visually obvious, without even needing to think about it. From a metering perspective, #2 and 244 meter very well. Universal meters acceptably in 9mm quantities for 115 and 125 grain bullets.
Over the chronograph, I measured the minimum and maximum charges shown above out of three guns with different barrel lengths. Hopefully this will give an idea about what velocities one can expect from each powder. The guns used was a Beretta APX Compact (3.7” barrel), a Sig P320 X5 Legion (5” barrel) and my AR9 (16” Kaw Valley barrel). The bullet used for testing was the RMR 124gr FMJ, brass was mixed range brass and the primers were Remington 5 ½. The OAL of the cartridges was measured at 1.12”.
For Accurate #2, the load data shows the use of a 4” barrel and gives predicted velocities of 880 fps for minimum load and 992 fps for maximum load. The velocities for minimum load are as follows:
- Beretta APX Compact: 970 fps, 934 fps, 948 fps, 973 fps and 942 fps. The average velocity was 953 fps with an extreme spread of 39 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 972 fps, 969 fps, 997 fps, 997 fps and 982 fps. The average velocity was 983 fps with an extreme spread of 28 fps.
- AR9: 1010 fps, 1061 fps, 1101 fps, 1065 fps and 1091 fps. The average velocity was 1065 fps with an extreme spread of 91 fps.
Maximum load:
- Beretta APX Compact: 1080 fps, 1073 fps, 1086 fps, 1070 fps and 1073 fps. The average velocity was 1076 fps with an extreme spread of 16 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 1121 fps, 1118 fps, 1102 fps, 1088 fps and 1110 fps. The average velocity was 1107 fps with an extreme spread of 33 fps.
- AR9: 1208 fps, 1225 fps, 1232 fps, 1261 fps and 1225 fps. The average velocity was 1230 fps with an extreme spread of 53 fps.
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For Winchester 244, the load data shows the use of a 4” barrel and gives a predicted velocity of 996 fps for minimum load and 1091 fps for maximum load. The velocities for minimum load are as follows:
- Beretta APX Compact: 925 fps, 901 fps, 919 fps, 881 fps and 909 fps. The average velocity was 907 fps with an extreme spread of 44 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 934 fps, 950 fps, 929 fps, 923 fps and 904 fps. The average velocity was 928 fps with an extreme spread of 46 fps.
- AR9: 1126 fps, 1081 fps, 1145 fps, 1094 fps and 1111 fps. The average velocity was 1111 fps with an extreme spread of 64 fps.
Maximum load:
- Beretta APX Compact: 993 fps, 983 fps, 978 fps, 948 fps and 975 fps. The average velocity was 975 fps with an extreme spread of 45 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 1055 fps, 1010 fps, 1025 fps, 1031 fps and 1040 fps. The average velocity was 1032 fps with an extreme spread of 45 fps.
- AR9: 1148 fps, 1184 fps, 1184 fps, 1228 fps and 1224 fps. The average velocity was 1193 fps with an extreme spread of 80 fps.
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For Hodgdon Universal, the load data shows the use of a 4” barrel and gives a predicted velocity of 1031 fps for minimum load and 1118 fps for maximum load. The velocities for minimum load are as follows:
- Beretta APX Compact: 989 fps, 934 fps, 942 fps, 876 fps and 940 fps. The average velocity was 936 fps with an extreme spread of 113 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 955 fps, 950 fps, 1022 fps, 966 fps and 987 fps. The average velocity was 976 fps with an extreme spread of 72 fps.
- AR9: 1179 fps, 1190 fps, 1233 fps, 1153 fps and 1176 fps. The average velocity was 1186 fps with an extreme spread of 80 fps.
Maximum load:
- Beretta APX Compact:1091 fps, 1043 fps, 1072 fps, 1089 fps and 1086 fps. The average velocity was 1076 fps with an extreme spread of 48 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 1141 fps, 1123 fps, 1098 fps, 1064 fps and 1125 fps. The average velocity was 1110 fps with an extreme spread of 77 fps.
- AR9: 1292 fps, 1309 fps, 1356 fps, 1309 fps and 1351 fps. The average velocity was 1323 fps with an extreme spread of 64 fps.
Conclusions
- Of the three powders, Accurate #2 meters equally to Winchester 244, delivers higher velocities and is the most consistent over the chronograph. It also has very good case fill for both 9mm and 40S&W. It will still be my preferred 9/40 powder going forward (along with Shooters World Cleanshot).
- Hodgdon Universal predictably meters the worst and has the most variation over the chronograph, but not to the point of powder binding and squib charges. It also gives the best velocities, especially in the 16” barrel of my AR9. I’ve used it slowly over the years for factory ammo replacement when I practice with my carry gun. It also has good case fill and its light color makes it very easy to visually confirm that there is a charge in the case. So, despite its downsides, I still like it a lot.
- Winchester 244 was a bit of a disappointment velocity wise, not even making minor power factor in a 3.7” barrel at max load. I do use my Beretta APX to shoot in IDPA occasionally and while a local match isn’t going to have a chronograph station, it would still be nice to be at 125 PF. In a 5” barrel this isn’t a problem but it is maxed out. All indications are that this powder is indeed a faster burner that Accurate #2.
- I did run through about 150-200 rounds of Winchester 244 loads through by Beretta and I will say that it is a very clean burning powder.
- Winchester 244 is certainly worth a look if the choice is between it and something dirty, something that doesn’t meter well or has a very high charge, but I wouldn’t recommend it over Accurate #2 for any reason. I’ll burn through what I bought but I highly doubt I will restock.
- My AR9 varies quite a bit on velocity and I knew that going in to this test. I wouldn’t judge a powder too much based on spreads, but it is still useful to show what an extra 11” of barrel length will add to velocity. With a slower powder like Ramshot Silhouette, I can push 124gr projectiles 1400 fps+.
- This was way longer than I thought it would be but hopefully it helps.
For this comparison I will be using Accurate #2, Hodgdon Universal and Winchester 244. First will be some general observations, pictures to demonstrate case-fill, and then some chronograph tests.
On Hodgdons burn rate chart published in November 2019, Accurate #2 comes in the fastest, placed at #27. Winchester 244 is placed in the middle at #31, with Universal being the “slowest” and placed at #33. In my experience with pistol powders for 9mm/40 S&W, I generally group them into the following categories:
1. Very fast powders which don’t even come close to giving factory velocities, and are more useful in 45acp. Ramshot Nitro 100 NF falls into this category and I use it in my 16” barreled AR9 to get velocities similar to what factory ammo gets out of a regular length barrel.
2. Fast powders which come close to in velocity, or match (depending on the strength), factory ammo. Accurate #2 is in the category. Winchester 244 is clearly being marketed as being in this category as well.
3. Medium burning powders which easily match factory ammo velocities and can sometimes exceed it. Hodgdon Universal fall into this group, but is at the faster end.
4. Slow burning powders which exceed factory ammunition velocities, but burn dirty unless maxed out. Some of these powders are used by competitors for “9 Major” loads, and almost certainly exceed the max chamber pressure for 9mm of 35k PSI. Ramshot Silhouette is an example of a powder in this category.
Visually here is a picture of all three powders next to each other. Each was measured at 5 grains and placed on the paper. Universal is generally considered a medium flake powder, Accurate #2 is a low-density spherical powder and Winchester 244 is a flattened spherical. The Winchester 244 has the highest density of the three, though there are denser powders out there.
Now I want to demonstrate how well each powder fills a 9mm case. The minimum and maximum charges shown were taken from the load data listed from a 125gr Sierra FMJ for Hodgdon Universal and Winchester 244, and a Winchester 124gr FMJ for Accurate #2. I will also show what a double charge looks like with each of these loadings. I know some people will not find this all that important, as they believe they have other measures in place to prevent a double charge, but I view it from the perspective that there is no downside to good case fill. That is, as long as the powder meters well from a dispenser.
While none of these powders hide at the bottom of the case, a double charge in either Universal or #2 would be visually obvious, without even needing to think about it. From a metering perspective, #2 and 244 meter very well. Universal meters acceptably in 9mm quantities for 115 and 125 grain bullets.
Over the chronograph, I measured the minimum and maximum charges shown above out of three guns with different barrel lengths. Hopefully this will give an idea about what velocities one can expect from each powder. The guns used was a Beretta APX Compact (3.7” barrel), a Sig P320 X5 Legion (5” barrel) and my AR9 (16” Kaw Valley barrel). The bullet used for testing was the RMR 124gr FMJ, brass was mixed range brass and the primers were Remington 5 ½. The OAL of the cartridges was measured at 1.12”.
For Accurate #2, the load data shows the use of a 4” barrel and gives predicted velocities of 880 fps for minimum load and 992 fps for maximum load. The velocities for minimum load are as follows:
- Beretta APX Compact: 970 fps, 934 fps, 948 fps, 973 fps and 942 fps. The average velocity was 953 fps with an extreme spread of 39 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 972 fps, 969 fps, 997 fps, 997 fps and 982 fps. The average velocity was 983 fps with an extreme spread of 28 fps.
- AR9: 1010 fps, 1061 fps, 1101 fps, 1065 fps and 1091 fps. The average velocity was 1065 fps with an extreme spread of 91 fps.
Maximum load:
- Beretta APX Compact: 1080 fps, 1073 fps, 1086 fps, 1070 fps and 1073 fps. The average velocity was 1076 fps with an extreme spread of 16 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 1121 fps, 1118 fps, 1102 fps, 1088 fps and 1110 fps. The average velocity was 1107 fps with an extreme spread of 33 fps.
- AR9: 1208 fps, 1225 fps, 1232 fps, 1261 fps and 1225 fps. The average velocity was 1230 fps with an extreme spread of 53 fps.
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For Winchester 244, the load data shows the use of a 4” barrel and gives a predicted velocity of 996 fps for minimum load and 1091 fps for maximum load. The velocities for minimum load are as follows:
- Beretta APX Compact: 925 fps, 901 fps, 919 fps, 881 fps and 909 fps. The average velocity was 907 fps with an extreme spread of 44 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 934 fps, 950 fps, 929 fps, 923 fps and 904 fps. The average velocity was 928 fps with an extreme spread of 46 fps.
- AR9: 1126 fps, 1081 fps, 1145 fps, 1094 fps and 1111 fps. The average velocity was 1111 fps with an extreme spread of 64 fps.
Maximum load:
- Beretta APX Compact: 993 fps, 983 fps, 978 fps, 948 fps and 975 fps. The average velocity was 975 fps with an extreme spread of 45 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 1055 fps, 1010 fps, 1025 fps, 1031 fps and 1040 fps. The average velocity was 1032 fps with an extreme spread of 45 fps.
- AR9: 1148 fps, 1184 fps, 1184 fps, 1228 fps and 1224 fps. The average velocity was 1193 fps with an extreme spread of 80 fps.
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For Hodgdon Universal, the load data shows the use of a 4” barrel and gives a predicted velocity of 1031 fps for minimum load and 1118 fps for maximum load. The velocities for minimum load are as follows:
- Beretta APX Compact: 989 fps, 934 fps, 942 fps, 876 fps and 940 fps. The average velocity was 936 fps with an extreme spread of 113 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 955 fps, 950 fps, 1022 fps, 966 fps and 987 fps. The average velocity was 976 fps with an extreme spread of 72 fps.
- AR9: 1179 fps, 1190 fps, 1233 fps, 1153 fps and 1176 fps. The average velocity was 1186 fps with an extreme spread of 80 fps.
Maximum load:
- Beretta APX Compact:1091 fps, 1043 fps, 1072 fps, 1089 fps and 1086 fps. The average velocity was 1076 fps with an extreme spread of 48 fps.
- Sig P320 X5 Legion: 1141 fps, 1123 fps, 1098 fps, 1064 fps and 1125 fps. The average velocity was 1110 fps with an extreme spread of 77 fps.
- AR9: 1292 fps, 1309 fps, 1356 fps, 1309 fps and 1351 fps. The average velocity was 1323 fps with an extreme spread of 64 fps.
Conclusions
- Of the three powders, Accurate #2 meters equally to Winchester 244, delivers higher velocities and is the most consistent over the chronograph. It also has very good case fill for both 9mm and 40S&W. It will still be my preferred 9/40 powder going forward (along with Shooters World Cleanshot).
- Hodgdon Universal predictably meters the worst and has the most variation over the chronograph, but not to the point of powder binding and squib charges. It also gives the best velocities, especially in the 16” barrel of my AR9. I’ve used it slowly over the years for factory ammo replacement when I practice with my carry gun. It also has good case fill and its light color makes it very easy to visually confirm that there is a charge in the case. So, despite its downsides, I still like it a lot.
- Winchester 244 was a bit of a disappointment velocity wise, not even making minor power factor in a 3.7” barrel at max load. I do use my Beretta APX to shoot in IDPA occasionally and while a local match isn’t going to have a chronograph station, it would still be nice to be at 125 PF. In a 5” barrel this isn’t a problem but it is maxed out. All indications are that this powder is indeed a faster burner that Accurate #2.
- I did run through about 150-200 rounds of Winchester 244 loads through by Beretta and I will say that it is a very clean burning powder.
- Winchester 244 is certainly worth a look if the choice is between it and something dirty, something that doesn’t meter well or has a very high charge, but I wouldn’t recommend it over Accurate #2 for any reason. I’ll burn through what I bought but I highly doubt I will restock.
- My AR9 varies quite a bit on velocity and I knew that going in to this test. I wouldn’t judge a powder too much based on spreads, but it is still useful to show what an extra 11” of barrel length will add to velocity. With a slower powder like Ramshot Silhouette, I can push 124gr projectiles 1400 fps+.
- This was way longer than I thought it would be but hopefully it helps.
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