Need help with load date for WCC846 for .223

DriftingOkie

DriftingOkie

New member
A friend of mine gave me a new 8 lb jug of WCC846. And I cannot find any reloading date for it. I am wanting to use it for .223 with a 40gr Hornady V-max bullet. If it matters any, it will be used in an AR-15 with a 1:12 twist rate.
 
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WC 846 has a burn rate similiar to Hodgdon BL-C(2). Surplus powders do vary in burn rate and loads need to be worked up. A chronograph is a good tool working with surplus powders. May be a little slow for your 40 grain bullet. You might check data for BL-C(2) and start out with their START data for 40-45 grain bullets and work up?
 
Seems to walk the line between BL-C(2) and WW 748.

As mentioned, start low and work up. Can be temperature sensitive so if you're shooting it in 95* weather, test your loads in 95* weather. Make sense?
 
www.gibrass.com
gives a little info.
Problem is a few things.
Why was the military powder pulled down, VERY old? Rejected?
What is the spec's on it? Military doesn't follow SAAMI.

Hodgdon DOES NOT build any of their own smokeless powder, they buy alot from the Aussies(Win 748 & Win 760(which is the same powder as H414) are built by General Dynamics in Florida). Who builds this, or is it a "blend" that generally fit the military build?
I have noticed that in the past 2 years Hodgy has a had a REAL problem with lot variations, or just changed the burning rate of BL-C(2); whereas Jeff has had the same info on his site for many many years.
As a side note of the Win 748 comment, I think that they(748 & BL-C(2)) USED TO be much closer to the same rate than they are now.
 
I use WC846 in my 223s, and my favorite hunting load is 27.5 grains of it with a 50 grain VMax. It produces a chronographed 3325 from a 22 inch barrel. I also load the 55 grain VMax with 27 grains of WC846, and it will chronograph right at 3000 fps from an 18 inch AR. I have planned on trying some 40 grain VMaxs in one of my rifles, and if I do, I will try 28 grains of WC846. I did a lot of comparisons between the different kinds of powders I tried, chronograhing all loads and seeing how consistent they were. WC846 was the hands down winner, and that is why I like it so much.....in addition to the fact that I have a lot of it that was given to me. I do think it is a little dirtier burning than some powders, and I would clean my rifles a little more often with it.
 
I am working up some loads for a new 223 that I've just gotten, and tried loads with about 8 different powders. H335 was very consistent, as was H322 and XTerminator, but once again I have settled on WC846 because of the consistently and the velocity.
 
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