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View Full Version : "New" jugs of surplus-Comments on Lot #'s ?



Coastie
03-08-2007, 03:39 AM
Picked up some "new" to me surplus powder: Some WC 860 Lot No. 21020 and some IMR 7383 Lot No. "Dupont Lot" # 48001 DUW. I haven't used WC 860 before, but I have used WC 872 and some other surplus powders. I have done some work before with IMR 7383, but it's been a while and this lot number is different than my notes. Anything "special" to watch for with these lot numbers?
Thanks in advance.
LK

Buckshot
03-08-2007, 03:51 AM
...............The lot numbers you mention don't match what I have. WC860 and IMR 7383 should both be safe to reuse your original starting load data and then check from there. Neither are what you'd call fast.

..............Buckshot

Ricochet
03-08-2007, 01:37 PM
7383 is, however, far faster than WC860. More like 4350 in my experience with mid-size cartridge cases with mid-weight bullets, where the maximum that'll fit in the case without much compression is about the same as starting loads of 4350. But move to heavier bullets, larger cartridge cases or compressed loads, and the pressure rises a lot faster than with 4350. Hi-Tech says it's "like 4064 or 4320," and that may be a fair description of what it shifts to as the pressures go up. I've never tried it in my Magnums, but there I'd regard it like one of the latter two powders and work up carefully comparing velocities and watching for pressure signs. I'm thinking that if you could measure pressures directly and graph the pressure vs. charge weight that the slope would be a lot steeper than for most of the canister IMR powders. In most of the old military calibers with their normal bullet weights, though, what will fit under the bullet without crunching it is a reasonable load.

Coastie
03-09-2007, 01:11 AM
Here is some miscellaneous information on IMR-7383 in Remington 30-06 brass cases as a result of bad weather and wondering......
55.0 grains (average) fills the case level. 48.5 grains (average) fills the case to the bottom of a 30 cal. Hornady round nose 150 grain jacketed bullet seated to the cannelure. Next I tried various amounts of compression with various amounts of powder - my results were: the greater the compression on the powder the more broken grains of powder in the case including the formation of a powder "dust". It seems to me that the broken grains (now smaller particles) and the "dust" could/would change the burn rate similar to making up a "mixed" powder load (not a duplex load). The bullets were seated, but not crimped so that I could pull the bullets without having to use my "hammer". The non-compressed load were fine. What does all this prove? Probably only that I had too much time on my hands, but as a result of this evening I won't compress any of my loads with this powder - and I do plan to use it. When the weather improves I'll break out my chronograph and try to do some real work. I like loading and shooting the 1900's military stuff and now trying to do it with cast.

Ricochet
03-10-2007, 09:37 PM
I never got more than 53 grains to fit in a neck-sized .30-06 case full to the mouth. That powder grain fracturing, I think, is the main explanation of why velocities and pressures jump suddenly as you get to the heavily compressed loads.