I liked the performance I got from Winchester 22 Hornet 46 grain ammo and want to duplicate it with hand loads. I pulled one of the bullets, dumped and weighed the powder.
It measured 11.5 grains it is a very fine ball powder. The little balls flow like water in the small pill bottle I’ve stored the powder in.
Anyone have an Idea as to what the this factory powder is or it’s closest canister grade powder?

LIL'GUN?

Col. Nonte went over this in one of his books. Factory sets up machine to make powder and has no CERTAIN idea what will come out. Yes, they know if it will be ball or flake or string, but they test the burning rate of each batch after production. IF, repeat IF it is in the range of "commercial/cannister powders" then it is set aside. Otherwise they pack it in barrels for sale to ammo loading companies with laboratories where they work up a load for the factory ammo and load 100,000 rounds with occasional tests, etc. Batches that are in the range of commercial powders are blended to be very close to the burn rate and put up in the 1 lb and 8 lb canisters. They may add additional coatings. Factory ammo is not necessarily loaded with anything like this. Trying to copy a factory load is foolishness. Go to the data charts and see what is available in commercial powders for sale. Today there are many, many powders available. I would guess that Winchester would use something in the neighborhood of 296 (a slow batch) or 680.. But failing to check the charts carefully is inviting a claim by your heirs on your life insurance, IF you are lucky. Or you may just blow the side of your head off or ??? Please don't. Thank you. Happy Trails.

iiranger is correct. Factory loads are almost always loaded with a non-canister grade of powder.

In the instance of the WW Hornet load I would guess that they are using non-canister W-296, but how much the lot(s) of powder they are using vary from the accepted canister-grade and which way they vary cannot be known. You cannot duplicate the factory load, but by working up the powder charge with canister W-296 and Winchester components until you reach the same range of chronographed velocities you will be close.

2400 got it's name because it 2400 fps in the 22 hornet with a 45gr bullet with a diameter of 223.

now days [shrug] who knows but probably something close like AA-4100, or the non canister version with a [commercial] C-1380 type designation.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Michalski:
LIL'GUN?

The powder from the Winchester factory 22 Hornet case does not look like Lil’Gun. I have Lil’Gun, and it has odd shaped and odd sized granules.
The appearance of the Winchester factory powder is tiny round balls each identical, no odd shaped or odd sized granules. They look like tiny black ball bearings.

It sounds like a variety of W296/H110. I have a bunch of 297 that's a little slower than 296 and it works well in Hornet type cases with slightly heavier bullets. I use 11.6gr behind a 50gr bullet. With 33-35gr bullets regular W296 is what I use.

Basically, if you want to duplicate that load I think W296/H110 is your best bet, but work it up.