Wc820 handgun loads

[smkummer]

I have way more wc820 (16lbs) than what I shoot in 30 carbine and 410. Anyone loading a 38 plus P load with a 158 lead bullet load? I will load a 357 lead bullet load but I shoot 10 times as many 38 plus P than .357. I shoot 44 magnum very rarely as well. How about a hotter 44 special?

Will it work for 30-30 or 35 Remington? Can I just use it where I see AA9 data?

Thanks ahead of time.

[shooting on a shoestring]

My lot of WC820 is a bit hard to ignite and needs full charges and hot primers. I wouldn’t expect good results down in the 38+P area. I would expect erratic ignition and pretty big velocity spreads and a hang fire or misfire pretty often. Your lot might do it ok. You can try it and see how it goes.

I’ve gone to using a kicker charge of Bullseye with it in 357 and get really small extreme spreads, clean burning and high velocity. I’ve done the same in 454 Casull and 327 Fed. WC820 is really at home in high pressure venues. It gets lazy and grouchy with low pressure.

I also would not use it in cartridges where there is air space over the powder charge like 30/30. AA#9 is not good there either but AA#9 does ignite easier, more consistently, and might give better results at 38+P pressures than WC820.

Sounds like you need to burn it up in a cartridge that’s not as rough as 44 or 357 magnums but runs at high pressures with less recoil. I suggest you try a 327 Federal. Recoil of a 115gr SWC at 1400 fps in a SP101 is fairly comparable to a 158 go SWC at 1000 fps from a 4” Model 10. The WC820 can work real good in 327.

[MT Gianni]

I love the stuff and use it where I can have a heavy bullet per caliber and a higher pressure load. 38 special doesn't apply.

[smkummer]

Yea, that’s what I thought. Ok, about to load up 7-800 357 with Lee’s 158 SWC TL water hardened. I was using unique to get about 11-1200 FPS depending on barrel length and I like that slightly reduced load. Anyone have a suggested load that is not at maximum and consistent? I am guessing magnum primers are suggested. Thanks

[mattw]

In all my years of loading, if have never used a duplex or kicker load. I have always gone to the cabinet and found the right powder. I have been considering it more and more for a couple of loads that I want to try. The problem I see is that the powder is going to mix in if the case moves... doesn't that defeat the purpose of the kicker next to the primer?

[Wayne Smith]

Kickers only work with a compressed load over them.

[lar45]

I have ran 10 gns of WC820 in a 30-30 with good results for a plinking load.
14gns in a 30-06 with the RD165(lubed with 45-45-10) gave this nice group
227016

For max charges in a 454, especially in cold weather, needed a mag primer to light it off.

If you find that it just doesn't work for what you want, I'd be more than happy to take some off your hands. ;)

[smkummer]

Lar45, thanks. I am using 10 grains unique in my 30-30 behind 311291. I could up the wc820 in 30-30. The hazmat and shipping is too much to ship one jug. Thanks for posting

[MT Gianni]

15.5 grains WC820 in a 30-30 with a 165-180 gr bullet will get you around 1600 fps.

[TCLouis]

BEFORE you ever load many in the 357 test a cylinder full.
My lot requires a magnum pistol primer TO GET IT TO BURN IN 357 OR 44 MAG.
Lights off fine in the rifle loads where I have used it.

I have some of the old H110 speed left and it lights just fine with any mag load in those cartridges.

[Poygan]

Agree with the use of magnum primers.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Just a note on my experience using a kicker of Bullseye to get better ignition with WC820, the kicker works the same between the primer and powder charge as it does between the boolit and powder charge. I’ve shot both over a chronograph to measure the difference. Could barely see any. Talking 15-25 fps. I’ve also mixed the kicker in with the WC820. Again not any appreciable difference.

[TCLouis]

SoaS
That is interesting information and surprises me.

Internal ballistics are not always what we "expect" though.

[lar45]

For those with Quickload, I came up with a powder profile that worked great for the lot# that I used to have. It would give accurate predictions for pistol and rifle loads. For 350gn in 454 it took 2 grains less to get the same velocity as 296.
The burn rate can change between lot#, so use at your own risk.
227058

[smkummer]

BEFORE you ever load many in the 357 test a cylinder full

Absolutly, I am away from home now but will start with only a few before I load a lot.

[smkummer]

15.5 grains WC820 in a 30-30 with a 165-180 gr bullet will get you around 1600 fps.
Thanks so much, this is excactly what I am looking for.

[scattershot]

Am I correct in assuming that this WC 820 is a milsurp powder? Is it enough cheaper than canister powder to make it worthwhile to go through all this black magic stuff?

Just curious.

[MT Gianni]

It sure was around the early part of the century, not as much now. Think 8 lbs for $64 new $50 for pull down.

[smkummer]

Am I correct in assuming that this WC 820 is a milsurp powder? .
Yes it was. My surplus 4895, WC846 and 700x ( I go through at least 8 lbs. of 700x a year now as I got hooked on it) is long gone. It’s just the WC820 I have left and since my 30 carbine doesn’t have a selector switch, it will be around after I am gone unless I find alternative ways of using it.

[lar45]

WC820 was/is an excellent powder, but hasn't been available for several years now.

[bobthenailer]

I have been using WC820 for 25+ years with excellent accuracy in every gun tried in from 22 hornet, 30/20, 9mm,38 super,357 mag, 44mag & 454 casull ! I always use a mag primer,. I get equal velocity and accuracy with 820 equaling 296/H110 with a few grains less powder, have used about 25 + lbs so far with about 20lbs left on the shelf .
When I first used 820 around 1993 and found out how well it worked ! I bought a bunch on two group buys by my club, I paid $7.00 a lb with no hz mat or shipping charges. as some members picked it up from Kens Reloading in Ohio.

[Shuz]

I too, have used WC820 in the .44 mag for many years. A few different lot numbers were involved, but they all performed well for me, and I always used CCI-350 mag primers. As I recall, I paid $64.00 plus shipping and haz mat, for an 8 lb jug!
"Back in the day", if you bought 4/ea 8 lb jugs of any surplus powder from some of the sources, they waived the haz mat fee!
Oh gee, here I wax nostalgic! Sorry!