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August 17, 2011, 05:19 AM | #1 |
Junior Member
Join Date: August 17, 2011
Posts: 2
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Winchester 231 Powder Question
New member, first post, new to reloading. I started reloading .223 last month. I just picked up a new S&W 686 and was about to start loading some .38 target rounds. Opened a new bottle of 231 powder and I see it looks like flakes. I was under the impression it was a ball powder like the Winchester 748 I used for the .223! Have they changed the formula? Should I be concerned?
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August 17, 2011, 05:30 AM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 30, 2009
Location: East Alabama
Posts: 235
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I dont know anything about W748, but 231 or (HP38) works very well for my 38 spls..
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August 17, 2011, 06:44 AM | #3 |
Member
Join Date: April 1, 2011
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Posts: 46
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win 231 has always been flakes as long as I have used it, 20+ years. It's a good powder.
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August 17, 2011, 06:54 AM | #4 |
Staff
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,381
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WW 231 IS a ball powder.
Ball powder describes the manufacturing process, not the powder itself. During manufacturing, ball powders are often shape altered to varying degrees to control the burning characteristics. In the case of 231, the shape altering produces what appear to be flakes, but which are simply flattened balls.
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August 17, 2011, 02:08 PM | #5 |
Junior Member
Join Date: August 17, 2011
Posts: 2
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Thanks for the responses. I wasn't sure what it was supposed to look like and figured I better find out before continuing to load. I learn something new every time I read this forum. Back to the loading bench!
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August 17, 2011, 04:15 PM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 10, 2010
Location: MI
Posts: 315
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3.3gr of W-231 under a 148gr HBWC is one of my favorite target loads for .38 Spl.
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August 17, 2011, 04:31 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 9, 2008
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 283
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231 is probably my all time favorite powder.It does almost everything I need for handgun rounds.
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August 17, 2011, 08:30 PM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 20, 2009
Posts: 176
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Win 231 or its clone HP-38 for all my pistol rounds except the magnums. I have 2400 for those
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August 17, 2011, 10:10 PM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 5, 2009
Location: Just off Route 66
Posts: 5,067
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Use the 231 it is ball powder flattened to burn faster accross the whole surface of the grain. I use it for all calibers except mags then I use 2400 a slower powder that produces higher pressures.
Jim
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