Used my last W296 - Ever

[Nick_C_S]

Forever is a long time.

But I believe I'm done loading with W296 (Or H-110). I finished my existing # by putting 22.5 grains under a 240gn JSP - quantity 50. And that's that. The end of a 30-year era.

W296 is a great "magnum speed" propellant and I've loaded a many o' good rounds with it. Many excellent rounds, actually. W296 is great stuff. I used a lot of it back in my recoil junkie days and was shooting guns (686, 629) with 8-3/8" barrels. But these days, neither long barrels, nor maximum throttle magnum loads are all that enjoyable to me. Through shorter barrels (3" & 4" with 357's; & 5" w/ a 44), W296 is just too much propellant. Flash and recoil are excessive.

With that, a few months back, I decided to move to 2400 for my max throttle rounds. It operates over a broader range; and more importantly, is a little faster. And I do believe it will still work well enough when I do break out my safe queen 8-3/8 inchers. (I also have a Marlin lever action 44, btw.)

At any rate I think 2400 is a better choice for the guns I usually shoot. Even at that, it'll only be used with the heavies (158's, 240's). Lighter slugs get Power Pistol.

For whatever reason, I felt compelled to shout out about it. Thanks for your indulgence. Feel free to comment on your propellant choice for heavy magnum loads, what guns shoot them, etc.

 

[Brutus]

Great stuff for full power hunting loads but in my old age big and slow is the way to go.
2400 is a much more versitle powder. Load it up load or down always gives what is needed.

 

[NoSecondBest]

I've shot kegs of the stuff over the last forty or so years. Almost all of it in 357mag and 44mag. At this stage of my life, I to find myself using a lot more 2400, unique, 231, and a few others with lighter bullets and less than max loads. I'll still load the mags to capacity for hunting, but for my own enjoyment I'll tone it down a bit myself. I bought an 8lb container of 296 two years ago and I've only used a pound of it so far. I suspect there will be some around after I'm gone.

 

[Scorch]

Agreed, 296 has a very limited usable range, right up near the top. I used IMR4227 and 2400 before trying W296 years ago. I still have most of that pound of W296 sitting around.

 

[Pathfinder45]

If you like 2400 then you should also try AA-9. The load data is nearly identical in large-bore revolver cartridges like 44 Magnum and my favorite, 45 Colt. It's main advantage that I have noticed is that it has much less muzzle-flash than 2400, plus, being a fine-grained spherical powder, it meters extremely consistently. I hear you about being done with W296/H-110. If I feel like I want something in that range, I much prefer IMR-4227 for use in a Marlin rifle.

 

[Red_Eagle]

In 357 revolver I like 2400, with AA-9 a close second. For lever action carbine I still like H-110 and w-296.

 

[salvadore]

I quit using h 110 and 296 years ago. Found a pound of each and traded to my son for BI C2 for my 32 spec. Use 2400 for most of my heavier and full range loads.

 

[Mike / Tx]

I hear you loud and clear there Nick. I will probably drop it from my list of things sitting on the shelf once I get through what I have. It's hard to beat in the upper end loads like you mentioned and I still load those for several calibers of revolvers that I hunt with. Between the practice it takes to stay on top of that, and general hunting though, it will be a WHILE before I get there.

 

[SARuger]

I'm fairly new to reloading and my first rounds that I ran through the press were 240g .44mag and 2400. Advice I got here!

It shoots really nice.

I had a bottle of 296 in my hands Friday and put it back on the shelf after I looked up load data for my .44mag and .357. Just don't see the point when I have 4# of 2400 and 2# of IMR 4227 on hand.

I have some H110 but have never opened it. Might trade it off.

 

[briandg]

I concur. I have never used either of them and don't plan to. I have fooled around with various mid burn powders and my next powder will be true blue for my .357.

 

[Hunter Customs]

Maybe I was to much of an Elmer Keith fan, but I always liked 2400 in 357 and 44 magnum cartridges.
I loaded loads that Elmer spoke of using 2400 and standard primers.
Tried some 296 once but decided 2400 worked best for me, by the way I'm sure everyone knows this but 296 and 110 should be used with magnum primers.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter

 

[briandg]

That's part of my reason for shunning 296. N the past it came with a bunch of warnings in the manual. I had a bit of prejudice against ball powder. 2400 was the powder to use at the time, Bob forker even called it the "umagbee" (universal: makes any gun go boom) any non magnum rifle, load it with 25 (I believe) grains of it for a safe and effective universal load, all the way up, as long as it filled about half of the case.

 

[Sevens]

I have avoided H-110/W296 like the plague and I always stuck closely to my reasons:

--"never to be downloaded!", arrrrgh, to me that goes against the principles of safe and proper load development

--only use magnum primers... and I don't want to ad yet another primer to stock of already too many primers

--outrageously popular that I don't need another "everyone loves it!" powder that is hard to find in stock

I fought off H-110 for more than 25 years and then bought a single one pound can of it last December. It was on sale and a decent buy and I figure I'll make some full-nuts .460 Magnum with it. If it doesn't completely blow my mind, that single pound may be the only H-110 I ever purchase, we shall see.

In the mean time I have been using 2400 for a LONG time and I kinda like it. More recently, within the last 4 or so years I have taken a shine to Accurate#9, because it's been in stock when others have not. And I still have a few pounds of Alliant Power Pro 300-MP that almost nobody will produce quality, tested, published load data with, so I don't use it all too often.

 

[Clark]

I still think burning H110 smells good.
But I am getting too old for the hot loaded 45 Colt.

 

[briandg]

It reminds me of the conflicting info I got for accurate five, for .38.

Just off hand, normal rounds for the standard pressure topped out at say, five, but I also wanted some plus pressure. The plus loads were about one grain higher than maximum normal loads. The data warned that the plus loads must be used as published with no reduction.

!?

I guess it made sense, as it filled the case was sort of difficult to ignite, and maybe there really was a hazard if the shell was loaded to a capacity that left too much air space.

The warning is gone now. When I contacted them years ago they just said "stop wasting our time and follow the data, Zippy!"

 

[Brutus]

Pathfinder45 is right about AA#9, although I use it primarily for 10mm it is a great powder and meters really well. Never thought of using it in 44 mag or 357 because that's what 2400 and Unique are for, at least for us grumpier old men. Several years ago I bought a Bisley blackhawk hunter in .45 Colt just because I wanted a real thumper. Bought 100 cast performance 335gr. wnfp and a can of Lil gun. Not long after I sold the Ruger and bought a Smith mountain gun. Guess I thumped myself into the big and slow philosophy.

 

[stubbicatt]

I agree with OP. For years I chased one hole groups and accuracy, higher velocity, high BC, all these things. Over the last couple years, I have grown content with cast bullets, fired at well less than 2000 fps, and have found IMR4227 and 2400 to be among my favorite powders, now that IMR SR4759 has been discontinued.

I get a charge out of shooting lever action silhouette now. A slow and methodical game. That and I'm easing into 19th century free rifle or "schuetzen" rifle shooting. Fun times for all.

 

[Nick_C_S]

-"never to be downloaded!"

That never bothered me at the time I was using a lot of W296. I was only building WOT rounds anyway. That's what it's for. That's what it does.

--only use magnum primers

That never bothered me either. And I'm not trying to phase out the use of CCI 550's. Although, come to think of it, once I phase out HS-6 (that's for another post), I guess will then have no need for magnum primers (small or large). Hmm.

I still think burning H110 smells good.

It really does. And Bullseye is the best smelling when raw.

 

[noylj]

In my .357 Mags, .44 Mags, and .45 Win Mags, 2400 is just MORE ACCURATE than 296/H110 and I only lose about 100 fps IF I load to max, which I just haven't needed to do. It also does well loaded down.

 

[Road_Clam]

I'm glad you guys are ragging and ditching w296/H110 as its my go to powder for my 460 s&w mag, so send me your hated overstock thank you! Just for the record W296 can be downloaded you just need to stay near 90% case capacity or you might observe incomplete powder ignition. I've loaded about 1k rounds of 460 using standard primers and zero issues. So either use 296 for close to full bang loading or don't use it.