Winchester 630 - load data?

[signalcorpsoperator]

Morning gents,

I recently inherited a couple lbs of some old Win 630 powder from a fellow reloader, and was looking for some input. It's my understanding this powder hasn't been made for a while now, what are your thoughts on it, good/bad?

Also, does anybody have load/pet load data they'd be willing to share? I'm loading primarily for pistol right now, the usual suspects, .38/357, 44Spc/Mag and .45 Auto.

Thanks!

Tom

[rintinglen]

In the .357 magnum, 16.1 grains gave a Speer 125 JHP ~1341 FPS per Speer # 10, while a top load of 18.1 grains gave 1537 SPS. In the 45 Auto, 225 JHP, 11.2 grains gave 834 while 12.2 gave 922. 9.5 gains gave a 230 grain swaged lead bullet 781 fps, while 10.2 grains was max @ 842 FPS. I believe there are more loads in the Lyman 3rd edition.

The only time I only ever used for cast boolit shooting was with a 311-316 in a 30-30. IIRC, I used 15.0 grains for about 1800 fps.

I believe the reason it died was that it was not a very efficient powder, giving mediocre velocities for relatively large powder charges. It sat in between Blue Dot and 2400, but didn't deliver any better performance. It saw some use in 45 Colt loads, but I never tried myself.

[15meter]

Back to the mines for more digging.

I also have a pound of well aged Winchester 630 that I was hoping to turn into smoke. Preferably in the 45 ACP. With Lyman 452488 @ 200 grains.

Load Data only came up with a couple of references, all with jacketed bullets. I've gone thru Lyman 44, 45, Cast #3, an old Pacific manual and a half a dozen other vintage manuals with out much success.

HELP!

Please.

[P Flados]

When I started reloading, I gathered the free load data guides from the powder vendors.

My 1976 Winchester guide does have 630 data. Burn rate looks to be slower than HS-6

[Bazoo]

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd edition does list 630 for 38 special, 357 magnum, 44 special, and 44 magnum. I can pic this data for you if you need, all of it, or specific bullets you have, whatever you need.

It doesn't not list it for 45 acp (it does list the 452488 bullet specially if you need that data for other powders @15meter ).

[405grain]

The Speer #10 reloading manual has data for 630. in the 45acp they only list powder charges for the 230 grain lead round nose, and not the 200 grain lead semi-wadcutter. For the 230 grain LRN the starting load is 9.5 grains (781 fps), and the max load is 10.2 grains (842 fps). These loads use the CCI #350 magnum primer. Its been many decades, but I do recall shooting the RCBS 45-230-RN in the 1911 with 630 a few times. As I remember you could get the same performance from a lot less Unique, and the 630 had a significant muzzle flash.

I've never loaded 38 special/357 mag, or 44 special/44 mag using 630, but Speer #10 has some loads for those cartridges too. (all of the loads for 630 denote the use of magnum primers) For 38 Special it shows 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter & round nose bullets with a starting charge of 7.9 grains (877 fps), with a maximum charge of 8.5 grains (943 fps) In the 357 Magnum it lists the same two lead bullets, with a starting charge of 8.8 grains (917 fps), and a max charge of 9.8 grains (1017 fps) Both the 38 Special & the 357 Magnum loads were fired in a 6" barrel Ruger Security Six.

The 44 Special load (fired in the infamous Charter Arms Bulldog - 4" barrel) used a 240 grain lead semi-wadcutter bullet with a starting charge of 9.0 grains (688 fps), and a max charge of 10.5 grains (797 fps) The 44 Magnum data was fired with a 7.5" barreled Super Blackhawk, and used the same 240 grain lead SWC bullet. The starting charge is 11.0 grains (870 fps), and the max charge is 12.0 grains (956 fps)

If these loads seem low it might be because those old Speer swaged lead bullets used to lead the bore like crazy, and if you shot them much faster than this (and even if you didn't) they would make the inside of your barrel look like a lead pipe. This was way back in the early 1980's and as soon as I got some molds and started casting my own, those Speer lead bullets didn't see any use after that. Though I load 38/357, 44 mag, and 45 Colt & 45 acp, the only pistol that I tried 630 in was the 45 acp, and I only burned one pound of it.

[15meter]

Thanks for the data, I've already checked the Lyman #3, no luck there. I think there is a Speer #10 in the 4-1/2' long reloading manual library, have to dig it out. My Winchester freebie manuals that I could find go back to #11, no luck there.

Thanks for the Winchester data, sounds like a bulky powder, for what I paid for it(nothing) I can load 7-8-9 grains of powder and not care. It's more burning it up so my daughter doesn't have to use it a fertilizer when I'm gone. When this is gone, it's back to Bullseye, probably have more than my lifetime's worth.

This winter's goal has been to reduce the load of old weird powders. Of the top of my head, Winchester 230P, Dupont P5066, Herco in a steel can and a couple of others have been emptied out. Just waiting for better weather to shoot.

Geezerville has gotten me, the only time I want to be cold anymore is @40+MPH across the ice, other than that I want to be warm! Used to shoot every week year round. Not no more.

[HamGunner]

I started casting in 1973 and Lee had a free loading chart that came with some of their casting stuff. I was casting for .44 mag. and I remember it listed 630 with some decent velocity for the .44 mag. I remember not long after that asking my local GS if they had any and they said it had already been discontinued, so I think that powder has likely been unavailable since mid 70's.

My Speer #8 shows for the .45 Auto Rim, 240 gr. cast Lead semi-wadcutter, 12.0 gr. @989 fps. - 14.0 gr. @ 1142 fps. and CCI 350 primer or LP mag. primer.

[15meter]

Settled on 8.3 grains. Cycles the action, brass pops up about a foot above the gun and drops at my feet. I could probably up it a little bit, but it's nice not having to chase brass.

Started with CCI Magnum primers, ran them out and switched to "Cascade Cartridge Incorporated" labeled standard primers. I can tell no difference between the two other than the old primers are a bit oversized for seating.

They appear to shoot the same.

Free powder, virtually free primers, they came from a large estate purchase, I think I paid less than zero for them by the time I peddled off the stuff I didn't need. My own cast boolits with range scrap and donated telephone lead plus a little Goodwill pewter.

Total out of pocket was the Goodwill pewter and a couple of sticks of Ben's Red.

1000+ bowling pin loads for almost nothing, the beer tab for the after shoot festivities is going to be way more than my ammo costs.

What's not to like, I'll shoot 50+ year old powder and primers all day long


Thanks for the load data!