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Winchester 296 (Read 3586 times)
RetiredMil
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Winchester 296
Mar 14th, 2019 at 3:10pm
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Is Winchester 296 a good powder to use in the 30-40 krag?
  
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psteinmayer
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Re: Winchester 296
Reply #1 - Mar 14th, 2019 at 5:34pm
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Get a hold of a good loading manual from Hornady, Lyman, etc.  You can also check the Hodgden Powder web site, as they have published loading  tables.  Winchester 296 is a handgun powder and burns much too fast for rifles... and could be very dangerous!
  
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Parashooter
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Re: Winchester 296
Reply #2 - Mar 14th, 2019 at 6:00pm
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There's nothing wrong with using most pistol or shotgun powders for appropriate reduced rifle loads, especially with cast bullets.

Some dense spherical powders, including W296, do not perform reliably at reduced loading density or pressure and should be used only for specific cartridges and charges as published by the manufacturer. See (You need to Login to view media files and links)
  
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FredC
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Re: Winchester 296
Reply #3 - Mar 14th, 2019 at 7:33pm
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A double charge with a fast burning powder scares me. I do it myself, but you need a quiet area to work with no distractions. I made a rule never to put powder in a case unless it was upside down when I picked it up.
I finish loading the bullet before touching another case. Ever one has there own rules, think about it and then strictly follow your rules.
  
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psteinmayer
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Re: Winchester 296
Reply #4 - Mar 14th, 2019 at 8:11pm
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Good call on the cast Para...  I forgot about using pistol powder for cast loads (I myself use AA5744 with my cast loads).  However, I believe RetiredMil is looking to use W296 with bullets he is pulling from older ammo from the 30s.  Like Fred says, an accidental double charge could spell catastrophe!

RetiredMil… if I'm incorrect in my assessment, then I do apologize.  I do think a better powder to use would be something like IMR-4350 for heavier bullets like 220 gr, or IMR-4064 for bullets in the 150-180 gr range.
  
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RetiredMil
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Re: Winchester 296
Reply #5 - Mar 15th, 2019 at 2:04am
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I would not reload pulled bullets, I order my bullets from Everglades Ammo and like the 150-168 gr full metal jacketed either in Speer point or hollow point.  I asked about W296 because I read here on this site that someone else uses it.  I see from the loading data that BL-C2, H380, and H335 can be used for the 30-40 krag.  When you talk about a reduced load are you talking about the case not being filled to the bullet or just less powder reducing the pressure and rate of travel?
  
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Parashooter
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Kragmudgeon

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Re: Winchester 296
Reply #6 - Mar 15th, 2019 at 6:01am
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RetiredMil wrote on Mar 15th, 2019 at 2:04am:
. . . When you talk about a reduced load are you talking about (A) the case not being filled to the bullet or (B) just less powder reducing the pressure and rate of travel?

(A) is reduced "loading density" or "fill ratio".

(B) is "reduced load" - which can be anything from pipsqueak "cat sneeze" gallery rounds to loads just palpably below "maximum". Depending on powder bulk density and burning rate, reduced loads can sometimes fill the case, but most exhibit reduced load density. Confused yet?
  
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FredC
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Re: Winchester 296
Reply #7 - Mar 15th, 2019 at 1:54pm
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Parashooter is an expert on loading and terminology. Was unaware of the different ways the term could be used.

My introduction to "reduced loads" was my father using 20 grains of Unique in an 30-06 case with a 110 or 100 grain plinker. He told me about trying it first with a 110 hollow point but that made a pencil size hole in the deer and they ran off. Hollow point 110s usually do not expand worth beans below 3000 feet per second.
Same powder charge with the 100 grain plinker yielded expansion and fast kills on these small South Texas does. For a Krag the charge would need to be reduced further, but will be a pleasant shooter kinda like shooting a rimfire. The round will probably not feed and have to be loaded as a single shot.
With a 110 round nose or 100 grain plinker the velocity in an 06 will be around 2000 feet per second. Probably close to 1800 FPS with a similar appropriate Krag load.
« Last Edit: Mar 15th, 2019 at 10:26pm by FredC »  
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madsenshooter
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Re: Winchester 296
Reply #8 - Mar 15th, 2019 at 7:15pm
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I have used Blue Dot, a powder with a similar burn rate, for full power loads with 123gr jacketed bullets.  Full power, pressure-wise, but only about 2500fps velocity-wise.  The Krag case is capable of higher velocities with slower powders.  Here's another example, a reduced velocity load with Nosler jacketed 168HPBTs.  Not max by pressure, but I'd guess within "magnum pistol" pressure, wherein the powder burns good.  This was chronographed from a 30" barrel.  Gives you idea of the charge weight you'd be working with 168s, cast or thinly jacketed.  One of my MI friends who shoots his Krag in reduced range (100 yd) matches gets good results.

Oh, now I see 296 is slower than BD!  See what happens when I try to use my memory!  Burn rate is more in line with 4227, which I've also used in cast loads in the 168gr range.
« Last Edit: Mar 15th, 2019 at 11:25pm by madsenshooter »  
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Parashooter
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Kragmudgeon

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Re: Winchester 296
Reply #9 - Mar 15th, 2019 at 8:55pm
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Any of you interested in cast-bullet reduced loads for classic military rifles might study C.E.Harris' comprehensive article, posted many places including (You need to Login to view media files and links).
  
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