Wc 680

[dale2242]

Is $60 for 8# of wc680 a good price? Saw it for that at a gun show yesterday. Is it reclaimed? Any opinions?

[Scrounger]

It's a decent price but the powder itself is of limited usage. Its burning speed is approximately that of IMR 4198 but, being a ball powder, it does not work well at all in reduced loadings. It was designed for and works well in 7.62X39. It will do OK in full case loads in .357 and .44 magnum, excellent in .357 Maximum and .445 Super Magnum. I THINK it might do well in .22 Hornet, .25-20, .32-20, and cases of that size.

[Ricochet]

Yeah, it should work well in those, and Winchester used to publish 680 loads for some of them.

I bought it with the idea of it being a Ball equivalent of 4198, sort of, and thought it would work well for mild loads in the .45-70. It does work pretty well with boolits in the 325-340 range with charges in the 35 grain range, velocity for that running about 1550 FPS in my 1895 Marlin.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Dale,

I would be interested in a keg for that price, I'm in Idaho. PM me if you have the gentleman's phone number. A friend who lives in Sandy is coming over Friday to shoot my 550 Gibbs Magnum. 715 gr CB at 2400+fps.

Rich

[smokemjoe]

Works great in 22 Hornet,221 Fireball, 308, 303. 7.5X55 all with cast and in the 30 cal., start with 15 grs. Joe

[rikkit]

I agree with "smokemjoe", TCCI here in AZ sell a variant called T680, I used it in my KRAG, 8mm, and 30/06 I am loading up to 19.5 Grs. good accuracy no signs of excess pressure. I also have had good accuracy in my hornet, but have had lousy results in larger straight wall cases like 45/70 and 38/55.
The usual precautions, work up slowly and of course YMMV.

[Ricochet]

In .45-70 it needs a magnum primer and a good crimp.

[C A Plater]

In addition to the small cases like the hornet, I've found it quite useful for .500 S&W rifle loads. My load from my lot of 40 grains slightly compressed under a 440 grain slug give a rock steady 1650 fps in a 20" Encore barrel.

[TCLouis]

only get three jugs. One of my best powders that is no longer available via milsurp folks that I deal with, and does well in several cartridges that I shoot.

[DonH]

Works well in my .25-20 WCF with J-bullets. Accurate, top velocity. Have not tried it with cast.

[Calamity Jake]

I use it in the 25-20 also and the 256WM @10-11gr's under the lyman 257420, burns clean and is accurate.

[9.3X62AL]

I'm having trouble locating any of the 680 variants in my area. AA-1680 is not present in the known world locally--and I'm not real thrilled at the idea of buying 6-8 pounds of something that doesn't work--seen that movie with Bartlett's #7, which works well in 30 Luger and 30 Mauser but won't flow through any powder measure known to man.

Where do the 680's fall in the burning rate chart? I'm guessing they land somewhere between WW296 and IMR/H-4198. I would like to give this powder a test-run in the 25-20 and 32-20/rifle loads, assuming I can locate some without getting a passport.

[felix]

680 is a ball powder, Al. Very close to 4198 speed in the small cases, with the advantage of getting more powder in the case because of its next to zero air space between balls (very small like 820,296,110). The powder is very useful in filling up the maggie cases with heavy boolits, as in your "filler with attitude". I like it over 820 with the 300 grainers, and it does not expand the 45colt case as much as you would think, saving the brass from being overworked in those cave like chambers. Buy it because you can always use it sooner or later. It's the 860 powder for pistol sized cases. ... felix

[9.3X62AL]

OK, Felix--great analogy for a lay person like me with just enough knowledge on the subject to be dangerous. IMR-4198 in the 25-20 with jacketed bullets (Speer 75 flatnose) from 11.0-12.0 grains was and is VERY accurate in my Marlin 94CL, my primary quest is to find a powder that gets cast boolits close to that performance level.

Many thanks, sir.

[felix]

Yeah, Al. A good experiment to play with would be to shoot something like 3 grains of 2400/4227 followed by a case full of 680 in either a 38 special or maggie case with any boolit you have laying around, perhaps your 195 round nose job for grins. Those two cases won't hold enough powder of straight up 680 to do any good, I don't think. Objective: full power 1 inch groups at 25. ... felix

[9.3X62AL]

That would be fun, and Buckshot would be on that like white on rice. Rick getting that K-38 was like a pimp getting a fur coat--both think they are King Kong. He does shoot that revo pretty well, though.

[TCLouis]

that Jeff did not warn us that the AA7 like "flake" powder would not flow thru a measure.

I stated many years ago with milsurp 4831 and a Lyman 55 measure.

Seldom use stick powder even today because of that!!

WC 680 will do nicely under 300 grainers in the 44 mag if one is not looking for 44 Swift.

Many claim great results in the 357 Max also . . . just have not got around to testing that combo . . .

Will get that corrected next spring.

[9.3X62AL]

True enough, TC. Those little sub-compact hocket pucks prompted the purchase of the Lee "Spoon Set", and the spoons are surprisingly consistent when used as directed. Their good work with the Hockey Pucks prompted me to try other powders--spherical, flake, and stick--and the consistency remained constant. Interstingly, the variance with IMR-4350 and IMR-4831 was less using the Spoons than when using the RCBS Duo-Measure.

[S.R.Custom]

WC 680 is THE powder for the SuperMags, particularly the .445.

Any you find is either pull-down, really old, or both. They haven't made that stuff in what, 15 years?

[Nick10Ring]

I agree with "smokemjoe", TCCI here in AZ sell a variant called T680, I used it in my KRAG, 8mm, and 30/06 I am loading up to 19.5 Grs. good accuracy no signs of excess pressure. I also have had good accuracy in my hornet, but have had lousy results in larger straight wall cases like 45/70 and 38/55.
The usual precautions, work up slowly and of course YMMV.

Rikkit:
I have some T680 I bought from TCCI years ago. Are they still around? I always got flyers from them advertising powder. Do you have a current address for them?
I had good results with their T680 in the .30Carbine.

Nick10Ring@aol.com

[TCLouis]

and they list 680.

This story make me think of someone I know here.

Told me he couldn't believe that some one would pay 60 bucks for some powder called XMP5744, and that he had a jug left that he wasn't sure he would ever find a buyer for.

Feeling sorry for him I told him that it was far overpriced , but I would do him a favor just once.

Hard to believe I missed out on 16 pounds at that price.

[rikkit]

Nick, TCCI's address is;

7215 W Southern Ave
Laveen, AZ. 85339

Their Ph# 602-237-3823
Or you might try 1-800-535-AMMO, since they are local I have never tried the 1-800 #

Good people to deal with, hope this helps