new computer and Surplus powder

[rodmkr]

Wow I never realized how much trouble and pain was required to get and setup a new computer.
But that is not my question.
How do you test the burn rate of a powder?
I see a number of posts on various sites about doing it but never how.
Recently purchased some WC844 from GIBrass.
All indications and data I can find says it is the exact same as H335 just made for a military contract.
At $90 for a 8# jug versus $157 for H335 it was a decent buy.
Will know how it shoots tomorrow as I loaded 10 rounds of 223/55 grain to test fire.
Still would like to know how to test burn rate!

rodmkr

 

[Brad]

Not exact but a chord graph can sure help. Compare the “new” powder to the old with the same load and gun. How do the velocities compare over say a 10 round string?
You can the figure out a percentage to change charges based on data for old powder.

Case in point. I have some WC820, it was listed as H110 data. In testing it behaved more like AA9 so that is how I treat it. That was what the chronograph told me.

 

[fiver]

direct grain to grain comparison to other 'known' powders over a chronograph.
that will only tell you how THAT powder is burning in THAT case, but it could be plotted into a direct trend with more case size samples.

I really wanted to jump on a bunch of that 844 back in the day [it compared straight up to H-380 for that later lot]

 

[Jeff H]

I got some of that from Jeff Bartlett in '94, I think. I'm still using out of my original 8# jug and it's been great in the 223.

I can't actually compare its burn rate to the H335 it was supposed to be like, but it's been part of a very accurate load in several 223s over the years.

 

[CZ93X62]

IME Bartlett's WC-844 is VERY close to WW-748/H-335.

 

[Cherokee]

WC844 has worked fine for me in 223 loads, using H335 data, but I don't push the loads to max. Mine is from the same source in 2002.

 

[Jeff H]

Best load I had in my No. 3 (1:10) or CZ 527 Varmint 223 (1:9) was a 60 grain HP at 3kfps. Definitely not pushing it but accurate, and flat-shooting enough to hold "on" on a 'chuck or skunk out to 300 yards. For some reason, I did not get the drop the tables said I should with that load.

Now, I'm using that same lot of powder in a Contender Carbine (1:12) with 50 to 55 grain HPs and what little shooting I've done with it looks very good. I don't shoot the 223 much - it's a "work gun," hanging out (literally) by the back door. My one jacketed-bullet gun, beside my 257, which I haven't gotten to shoot in years anyway. This powder should last me a long time.

I do intend to eventually try it for full-power cast loads in the 30-30 and 7.62x39 eventually, but haven't gotten that far yet.

 

[fiver]

the tirty tirty should be about as simple as using starting jacketed data and a bullet.