Win AA Lite?

[quilbilly]

I was just gifted 3# of Win AA Lite and I don't reload for shotguns. The only thing I can find that it is used for is very light loads in a 12 gauge. Apparently it is extremely fast burning in my only burn table that mentions it. Can it be used in cartridges safely??

[Rich/WIS]

Probably, but finding load data might be a problem. Most of the Win shotshell powders are usable in handgun cartridges, and loads are given for many of them in the back of the booklets Win used to give out for free. Looked at the booklets I have but can't find AA Lite, there is a Super Lite listed but don't think that is the same powder.

[Baltimoreed]

Look on the castbullets and sass forums. I see where they’re using it in 38 and 45acp. I always use shotgun powders in my cas lead pistol and rifle loads.

[dverna]

I have 24 lbs of it. Great powder for light 12 ga loads.

If I were to use it in my pistols, I would start with loads for Bullseye. I was going to do that for .38 spl loads I use in .357's....plenty of safety factor. I do not normally go "off the reservation" but a bit of common sense can keep things safe. By buddy decided to purchase all of it for light trap loads so I will not be working with it.

The above suggestion is not a recommendation but something to consider. Any load you come up with is at your own risk.

[30calflash]

Winchester had a powder manual that had WSL, WSF and WST loads for standard non magnum loads. Winchester 10th and 14th manuals have some loads listed, mostly for semi's.

[tazman]

I just looked at an old burn rate chart that showed AALite. It is listed as faster than VV N310 which makes it very fast powder.
I would be careful with that for any loads.
Light boolits and slow speeds only.
VV N310 really isn't very useful as a handgun powder since it is so fast burning. AALite would be even worse.
We are talking 125 grain boolits in 38 Special at around 600fps here. Much more velocity and the powder would be over pressure.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Ladder test info for 9mm in post #12
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?196367-Winchester-AA-Lite

[centershot]

One of my old burn rate charts shows it is one step slower than Norma R1. On that chart, Norma R1 is listed as the fastest canister grade powder available to handloaders. If you can find data for R1, you'd probably be safe using AA Lite. Vihta Vouri N310 is third, after AA Lite.

[15meter]

Link to one of the manuals referenced above:


https://www.castpics.net/LoadData/Freebies/RM/Winchester/Winchester14.pdf

Pistol loads are on the last couple of pages, Winchester shorthand calls it WSL.

I'm assuming the powder you received is Winchester Super-Lite, used to buy it by the 8 pounds. I loaded a bunch of skeet loads with it. Never loaded anything else with it.

Good Luck.

And there are a bunch of vintage loading manuals archived on the castpics site, you might want to bookmark it.

Or just click on the link at the bottom of the page.

[quilbilly]

Ladder test info for 9mm in post #12
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?196367-Winchester-AA-Lite
One of the writers on that thread suggested going 20% under his Bullseye loads. For safety I might try that in my 357 mag when I am using light loads equivalent to 38 spl but not in the 38 until I see a result. Just five cartridges for starters. I didn't know that AA lite was discontinued so it is an orphan like my cans of 4759.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

One of the writers on that thread suggested going 20% under his Bullseye loads. For safety I might try that in my 357 mag when I am using light loads equivalent to 38 spl but not in the 38 until I see a result. Just five cartridges for starters. I didn't know that AA lite was discontinued so it is an orphan like my cans of 4759.

Judging from the numbers Patricklaw got with his 9mm, if I had some AA Lite, the 38 equivalent loads in 357m is exactly the route I'd take also.

[dverna]

WAALite may not be the same as WSL. Just something to beat in mind.

I am not near my shop but I believe the WAALite has a feather on the label.

An email or call to Hodgdon will confirm if they are the same or not.

[quilbilly]

Took the plunge this afternoon. My usual target 357 load with a 130 gr RFpb is 4.6 gr of Bullseye so I reduced it to 3.6 gr of Win AA Lite but did only ten shots. No problems and very pleasant to shoot. It felt like about 650-700 fps. Bounced a tin can 3x at 35 yards which is good for me. This powder does not have the feather on the label but the two full cans do. I used small rifle primers since my supply of small pistol primers is low.

[G W Wade]

AA Win Lite was one of the last powders developed by WW. Supposedly the powder used in the WW LRLN 12 ga. loads Roughly 13/16 oz @ 960 fps. Very little data was published. Might be able to find some in my fileif really interested. GW

[30calflash]

WAALite may not be the same as WSL. Just something to beat in mind.

I am not near my shop but I believe the WAALite has a feather on the label.

An email or call to Hodgdon will confirm if they are the same or not.
'
Good catch dverna, I skipped over it and saw 'Win' and 'lite' and thought WSL. My bad.