I like TAC too. It meters good in my Dillon 550. I’m loading 55 grain training rounds. It’s priced good too.
You mean you couldn’t get TAC to produce accurate loads?
I’m asking, not arguing. I’m about to make the leap to loading .223/5.56, and TAC seems to be the quasi-official powder of M4C.net, so I’m surprised to hear somebody condemn it.
Thats correct it never did work well for me.
Pat
{not Alaskapopo but}
I have not really checked it for accuracy. The loads I made seemed to be as accurate as factory 55gr FMJ loads in my gun. But I did not test it for accuracy.
For me, while I have TAC, I don’t use it for my every day loading, since it is much more expensive than the WC 844 surplus powder. So why bother? That is my thinking.
Where do you get that surplus powder?
Hi Tech Ammo
Wideners
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Hi Tech ammo: http://hi-techammo.com/
Wideners also often has it (listed as out now): http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|283|999
Pat’s Reloading also often has it: http://patsreloading.com/patsrel/prices.aspx?category=Powder
I got mine at Pat’s a while ago. At the time they were the only ones that had it in stock. I have also bought other surplus powders from Hi Tech and Wideners.
How much better?
I’m looking for ONE rifle powder that I can use for .308/7.62 and .223/5.56.
846 seems to be suited well to both, whereas 844 doesn’t seem to be well suited to .308/7.62.
FWIW, to the extent that I load “precision” .223/5.56, it would be heavier bullets, but I’d be loading 55 FMJBTs for plinking or whatever.
That’s a negative. They are not the same powder. You are correct that BLC(2) is WC846 and WC844 is H335, but W748 is certainly not also WC846. Completely different powder.
Hodgdon doesn’t make smokeless powder, they distribute it. IMR powder is made in Canada. Winchester powder is made in Florida by St Marks Powder Company. Winchester brands St Marks as their own that they use in their commercial ammunition.
Winchester powders are made by St Marks Powder in Florida. W748 is known as SMP #748. BLC(2) is WC #846 and is made by St Marks Powder in Florida. They are made by the same manufacturer, St Marks, but they are not identical powders in the way H110/296 and H414/W760 are.
Why would you want just one powder? Use the one that is best for the application. False economy.
846 is slower and does not burn as completely with the lighter weight bullets.
I don’t know how it works out in real life. I have both and use them appropriately.
I believe that used to be true but since Winchester and Hodgdon powders came under the same banner, they have realigned them and they are in fact the same powder now (kind of like Dodge and Plymouth used to be).
I read it once and am trying to find it again from somewhere pretty close to the horses mouth.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071013165813AAcBE9d
mentions it but who know where these people get their info. So that is no proof.
They may not be, but I did read, and was somewhat surprised, to read it that they are now the same. (The reasoning being they were so close anyway why have two almost identical powders being manufactured).
And btw, BLC2 is NOT WC 844. It is WC 846 in a canister grade. H335 is WC 844 in a canister grade.
–
Damn, this is confusing… I’m going to have to create a database just to keep track of which powder is the same as which.
Simplicity. It seems like there are enough powders that are acceptable for both .308 and .223 that I should be able to pick one powder to use for both…
It’s a compromise, I know, but at least as I start reloading rifle cartridges, I’m trying to keep the variables (and the initial costs) to a minimum.
The miser in me likes the idea of using 846 because it’s cheap, but I’d rather spend another $30 per 8lbs. to get something like TAC (if it’s a better compromise), as long as I can avoid using two powders.
How much of a problem is this, really, given that I’d only be using 55s for plinking/blasting ammo?
If it matters, my .223 is a 14.5" barrel (my M14-type .308 is a 22" barrel).
I’m pretty new to reloading myself, but just a quick glance at the hodgdon online manual crosslists both BLC2 and H335 for .223 and .308. To me that means you can use either in both cartridges, even though they may not be ideal in one or the other cartridge. I guess if you’re loading for accuracy this might be a concern, but if you are loading for accuracy I would bet you’d be looking at completely different powders than surplus offerings. The main limiting factor would be loading certain weights of bullets, but if that’s part of your plan there is no limitation.
Hodgdon Pages 18-21.
I guess this makes sense.
Meanwhile, since surplus powders tend to cost about 2/3rds or 3/4ths of cannister powders, and it’s hard to find anybody who has had real problems with them, I’m leaning that direction, at least to get started.
Its not false ecomomy to try and standarize as much as possible on powders. I do, it allows me to pruchase 8 pound kegs vs. one pound her and there.
Pat