The Original CZ Forum

GENERAL => Ammunition, questions, and handloading techniques => Topic started by: Roscoe2212 on October 27, 2021, 01:57:43 PM

Title: Ok, I give up
Post by: Roscoe2212 on October 27, 2021, 01:57:43 PM

When I was active 25 or 30 years ago, Winchester 231 was the powder I used, and all was good.  I still have a few pounds I got this year (luck).
Now, due to the pandemic, politics or some conspiracy I don't know about.  It is not available.
Now the good news: a lot of other "pistol powders" including Win 244 and some Vita, Imr, Hogdon
and others are available.
No offense to anybody who wrote all the great treatises on this site, but is there an 8) "equivalent" chart?
I don't mind having to adjust the loads a bit, but the info I can find is not enough for me to get started
toward an "equivalent" powder.

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: El Perdido on October 27, 2021, 02:18:08 PM

What caliber?

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: tdogg on October 27, 2021, 05:29:56 PM

Hodgdon HP-38 is the same exact powder as Win 231.  It is also available for purchase at Hodgdon.com:

https://shop.hodgdon.com/hodgdon/hodgdon-hp-38

Or here are Powder Valley:

https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/product/hodgdon-hp38/

Cheers,
Toby

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: Roscoe2212 on October 27, 2021, 05:38:53 PM

thanks Toby,  I am loading 45acp. 8)

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: M1A4ME on October 27, 2021, 06:22:48 PM

Are you looking for equivalent burn speed?  Equivalent metering characteristics?  Equivalent accuracy?

Burn speed charts are on most powder manufacturer's web sites.

Metering characteristics may be tougher.  Not all ball powders, nor all flake powders meter the same.

Accuracy is the oddest of the three.  What shoots well in my handgun/rifle might not in yours.  Just gotta work up loads.

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: Roscoe2212 on October 27, 2021, 10:28:42 PM

i understand that, I was just flummoxed by the galaxy of choices for "pistol Powders"  I think with the Hogdon I can get some crono readings on loads and tweak some.  You guys are a treasure. 8)

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: tdogg on October 27, 2021, 11:32:26 PM

Roscoe,

The hodgdon hp38 is literally exactly the same powder as the win 231 just in a hodgdon bottle instead of Winchester.   It's cheaper too. 

Cheers,
Toby

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: double-d on October 28, 2021, 11:17:34 AM

.

Appears Powder Valley is OOS on the HP-38 front.  I must have purchased one of the last eight pounders they had in inventory recently.

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: Wobbly on October 28, 2021, 03:37:32 PM

Did you try the Bullseye I gave you ?

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: jwc007 on October 29, 2021, 12:19:22 PM

Bullseye is an excellent Powder for the .45 ACP in all Bullet weights!  I used Bullseye for the .45 ACP after I found W231 too muzzle flashy with 185 grain Bullets.

Also, older versions of W231 were cold temperature sensitive.  At the USPSA Grand Nationals held in Colorado, one cold Morning some shooters found that their .45 ACP W231 loads were no longer making that current USPSA Major Power Factor and were trying to warm their Ammunition on the hoods of their Cars to get it to make Major.   A lot of shooters changed their Powder of choice after that.

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: double-d on November 01, 2021, 06:29:28 PM

OP, some available...... get it while you can

HP-38/W231

https://www.brownells.com/reloading/powder/pistol-powder/hp38-smokeless-powder-prod44918.aspx?avs%7cSpecial-Filters_1=In%2bStock

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: Wobbly on November 01, 2021, 08:17:25 PM

At your current rate of consumption you have about 43 weeks worth of powder on hand. So forget the powder and start worrying about the primers.

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: dillonguy098 on November 19, 2021, 11:13:54 PM

Have you tried Clays? It works great for me with a 200 grain RN bullet out of my 97B.

Title: Re: Ok, I give up
Post by: nicky on November 20, 2021, 06:11:02 AM

If you have Bullseye use it. It is a very good powder for 45ACP. I use it for 180gr.& 200gr bullets.

Like mentioned above start looking for primers.