WC852 powder

I have been a member for over 1 year and this is my 1st post. I spend a lot of time looking at military cast boolit posts. I was at Knob Creek this past Friday and purchased an 8lb. jug of WC852 powder. It is marked " .308 30-06 med.burn". I have never used surplus powder before and have not even heard of WC852, but $60 seemed like a good price. I currently load for my Mosin-Nagant 91/30s, Swiss K31, Swedish Mausers, Hungarian M95 carbine, and my Isreali 98k in .308. I use IMR 4320 for the Swedes and K31, H4895 for the M/Ns (j-word),and Red Dot (cast boolits ) for the M/Ns, 308, and M95 carbine. I did a search here and read all 37 threads about WC852 powder. I learned a lot but still don't know much. I would like to use the WC852 with cast boolits in .308 1st. Does anyone have any favorite loads for the .308 using WC852 and cast boolits? Thanks in advance.
kyswede

I have several containers of WC 852. A good propellant in the 30-06 with jacketed bullets. As to its application with cast bullets, I can think of 20 powders that will work much better with cast in the 06'.

If it is not recommended for cast boolits, I also load 150 grain j-words in the K31 and .308 98k. I don't load hot loads, I just try to get reasonably accurate plinking loads. I will try the WC852 with some 150 grain j-words in my 98k 1st. I did get some data from another site, but I wanted to get some advice here before loading any rounds.
kyswede

I use a lot of WC 852. Both fast and slow lots. You should be able to find a workable load fairly easy, with near full case capacity.

Check here,

http://www.castpics.net/

For Research and Data, and Cast Members Load data.

I've shot a lot of it in the K31 with 165gr Remington bulk SPCL bullets. I won 3 gold medals in the Camp Perry Vintage Military match using this ammo. My lot was one of the slow lots, and it seemed to be about the same speed as 4831.

The faster lots were said to resemble H380. There is a heck of a lot of difference between H4831 and H380. Make damn sure which lot you have. Is there a name brand on the jug for the distributor. A call to them will tell which version you have. I have the fast lot and use it with my 35 rem marlin with decent results. It is a double base powder and rule of thumb says single base powders will give better results with cast. But that doesn't mean you can't get good results with double base powders.

ammohead

Way back when, Jeff told me there were three distinct different burning rates with different lots of this powder. one was 4831, one was H380, and I have long since forgot the third. I had sent all three to castpics and they posted two.

With that variation in burning rate I would try my best to check the lot number and try to ascertain the burning rate.

Thanks for all the advice. I will use caution as always when reloading. I have been reloading 38 Spl. and 357 Mag. for 25 years, 6.5x55 Swede for 20 years, just recently started reloading 54r, 308, 8x56r and 7.5x55. I will use the 98k for testing due ti its strength. I have no intentions of damaging myself or my rifles.
kyswede

I assume you guys got WC852 from Jeff Bartlett. By any chance do any of you have a copy of the gov't loading sheet he used to give out with purchases? I have misplaced mine and would love to have another copy of it.

What lot number do you have? The powder burn speed is very different between the different lots. As I noted above, the first lot I received was about the same speed as 4831.

Since this thread was started about 6 years ago!! I assumed he figured out what burn speed be had, or is dead from an overload. ;-)

In the .308 Win. even with one of the faster lots, you can't get enough WC852 into the case to get into any trouble. If you use a charge which fills the case to within 85-90% of case capacity with a 150-175 grain bullet, you will be fine.

DO NOT load to less than 80% of case capacity.

DO NOT COMPRESS THE POWDER!!!

In the .30-06 the nominal range of charge weights ran from 51-56 grains with Ball M2 bullets and about a grain less with APM2. With very slow lots charge weight may run a few grains higher. Some lots of APM2 loaded with WC852 were known to exceed normal port pressure limits and bent M1 operating rods in hot weather. A different blend of WC852 with potassium nitrate, rather than potassium phosphate being added as a flash inhibitor, was used for loading tracer ammunition. This propellant gave problems with ringing chambers at the approximate location of the bullet base, when used to load Ball M2, but gave no such problems with AP or tracer ammunition because the bullet base extended below the neck-shoulder junction, reducing free airspace in the case, whereas with Ball M2 the bullet base is positioned well up into the case neck.

I loaded some of this many years ago in my 30-06 Savage. Found the lot I had built pressure very fast for a 1 grain increase. Burned it up but would not be a powder I sould buy again. Different lot number might be ok.

I could use some at that price!

I’m using it in the 30-30 Winchester and the 311041 boolit…

Shooting it in a Model ‘94 Winchester, a Model 336 Marlin and a T/C Super 14”…

Velocities for the carbines run between 1711 and 1755 fps. Velocity for the Super 14” is 1628 fps…

All are quite accurate out to 100 yards and the Contender will hit a 5”x11” piece of steel at 150 yards with no problems—holdover marks on ‘scope must be known though…

I have shot 2 white-tailed deer at ranges less than 70 yards but more than 50 yards with the Model ’94…

My lot number is 47287 and I am using 35 grains of it in the 30-30 Winchester cartridge…

Good-luck…BCB