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Hi All,
I haven't looked on here in over 2 years but, got a couple of private messages and decided to look around and found this.
I'm surprised that in the last 5+ years, 296 & H110 have become so unknown!
When I started this sport, in 1985, 296/H110 & 4227 were the most popular powders and most of the top shooters (on the West Coast) used 296/H110. That included Ron Long, Jim Feren and many, many more. Feren set the still standing, 100 shot OH, record with it, at my range, in '93. If you can look in the load data from that time period, you can't miss it.
The difference in W296 and H110, is that Winchester did "Exploded Bomb" test on theirs, for burn rate and Hodgdon bought it in bulk form the manufacture (Western Powder) w/o that testing. So, the 296 has a more reliable burn rate and that's why some loading data differs, between the two.
It is a safe powder to use, as I would say that thousands of pounds of it were used in the 80's and '90's in Schuetzen, alone. I used about 8 lb of it, myself, in 12.5 - 13.5 gr loads, with 190 to 200 gr+ bullets, in my 32/40's.
BUT!!! Do Not use a wad, on the powder with it!!! I slightly bulged a chamber with it, in my 30/40 HW, with 18 gr of it and a thin foam wad, seated on the powder. It shot well and chrono well but, one day a case stuck w/o warning and was the result.
You may use it @ -1.0 gr of what is used for 4227 loads in 32/40 as safe. Rick McHales 15.1 gr load, was with a 210 - 220 gr bullet and he has shoot many thousands of shots with that load. BUT, that was with strong, a modern metal rifle and barrel. I would hold a original rifle to 13.5 gr with a 200 gr bullet but, maybe not a Ballard.
I hope that helps clarifys the powder and it's use. It's a good powder, keep it handy.
Frank
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Winchester 296 powder (Read 1836 times)
