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View Full Version : WST or Win 231 for cast boolit loads?



selmerfan
03-28-2014, 06:08 PM
So I'm over at our very small local gun shop and he has multiple pounds of Winchester Super Target and Winchester 231 on the shelf - $20 for the WST and $16.50 for the W231. Do either of these powders have any reasonable cast boolit application for rifle loads and cast boolits? I've got a .30-40 Krag single shot and a .260 Rem Ruger M77 that I'm trying to keep fed, but I have a tough time finding 2400...

runfiverun
03-28-2014, 08:36 PM
they are both on the order of red-dot burn speed.
useable yeah, book data not so much, you'll have to wing it.
if I could get 8 pounds of it I'd not by-pass the 231, it's real good in the semi auto pistols and works well in revolver rounds too.
7 grs in a 44 mag with a 240 swc is a pretty decent load.

fredj338
03-28-2014, 08:40 PM
WST is my fav powder for the 45acp, not sure I would try to make it work in a rifle round. you need to have a little exp working that far off the books IMO.

selmerfan
03-28-2014, 08:41 PM
The thing is, I don't reload for any pistols. Unless you count my .260 Rem 17" "pistol barrel", but I think only the MN DNR counts that as a pistol, only by benefit of a pistol grip rather than a buttstock. :) I can get 2 lbs of Win 231 for $16.50 each and 4 lbs of WST $20 each

ACrowe25
03-28-2014, 08:43 PM
I use 231/hp-38 a EXCLUSIVELY! It's great.

5.3gr with my 200 gr 45 load.
2.8 gr for a light 148 wc in 38 spl
7.3 gr for a hunting load that's taken a could deer with a 240 gr swc.
3.4 gr with a 120 tc in 9mm.


Yeah I like it :p

dragon813gt
03-28-2014, 09:05 PM
W231 will work just fine for some reduced rifle loads. It will actually get it moving pretty fast. You won't find any published data so this is where Quickload is indispensable.

Mk42gunner
03-28-2014, 09:28 PM
I have used W231 behind a 120 grain plain based boolit in my .308. It pretty much turned it into a duplicate of the .32-20, which was what I was trying for.

There are a couple of stickies of articles by Ed Harris down in the military cartridge forum (I think) that you should read before going so far off the beaten path.

Robert

selmerfan
03-28-2014, 09:31 PM
Yes - I've read Ed Harris's work. I've got plenty of experience with Red Dot, Unique, 700x, and Bullseye - I'd just never heard of anyone using these particular Winchester powders. I'll pass on them - and it looks like a fellow from the area saw my post and has been looking for 231, so I've got him connected with the shop.

jaysouth
03-28-2014, 10:05 PM
Here are a whole bunch of 'published loads' for 231.

You have to scroll down for each caliber to find the 231 data. In most loads it is the last one.

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

7 grains of 231 in .30-30 give me better accuracy in my gun that published in the table under 170gr. 30-30.

Those are some pretty cheap prices. I would buy all he had at those prices.

Jayhawkhuntclub
03-29-2014, 07:54 PM
Man, I'd love to buy 231! Let alone buy it for just $16.50/lb. Lucky dog. Around here, they don't have it. And if they did it'd be $25/lb. Our LGSs suck.