WC 852 Surplus Powder

hdcolt51

December 05, 2010 15:31

I have quite a few lbs of this.Had it for along time,guy I got it from said it was great for the garand....Was told later that it was not so good for the garand.Why???? The 200 rds I loaded worked fine.Anyway would this be a good powder for an M1A or another semi-auto 308.And where would I find some loading data for it.It came from Bartlett in Kentucky I believe.Thanks!

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  20gabob

  December 05, 2010 15:51

  WC852 is an uncanistered lot of H380 manufactured by winchester and can run a bit faster or slower than the canistered grades. Would not be my favorite for the 30.06 but would be a better powder in the 7.62x51 or 308win. While it wouldn't be my favorite it will still work in the 30.06 and some people really seem to like it. My data indicate that you can use up to 58 gr with 150's, 55.5 gr to 180's,and 54 gr to 220's. Use this at your own discretion and please work up from 10percent below for start. For the 308/7.62x51 i show 49.0 as max with either 150 or 180 gr. Same suggestion as my gun flattens primers badly with 49.0 but 48.0 gr looks real good.

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  jonk

  December 05, 2010 15:58

  The Garand's slender op rod requires powders of a vary particular burn rate to work properly without bending.
  
  WC 852 is risky. The faster versions of it approaching IMR 4320 would be fine, the slower versions closer to IMR 4831 would eventually cause damage due to excessive port pressure from the slow powder.
  
  The lot I got of it is very slow. A case FULL of it with a 150 gr FMJ in a .308 only produces 2200 fps. It really only becomes usable in larger cartridges for normal velocity- 60 gr in a 30-06- again of MY particular lot- is great in my 1903 and 1917, producing about 2700 fps with a 150 gr Hornady. Works great in bolt actions but I'd not use it in an M1. Too slow.

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