Winchester/Olin used to produce a slow burning ball powder called Winchester Magnum Rifle powder. Data for it is listed in e.g. Barnes # 2 manual. Does anyone know why it was discontinued? Were there technical problems with the powder or simply a demand issue?

Vasa

Winchester has developed a habit of discontinuing powders fairly frequently.

Their current "slow burning" powder is WXR.

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Vasa,

Unable to succinctly tell you why Winchester discontinued the WSM powder (apparently a ball powder). Currently as Steve indicated the WXR [supposedly] has replaced it? However it is an extruded powder vs. a ball powder.

Perhaps you may consider the using the VihtaVouri line because they have established calculable references to the various grades of powders they currently develop and thereby one may conceivably attain a higher degree of confidence irrespective of a lot vs. predictable outcomes.

Although I am unclear if it is essential for you to actually require a ball powder, the 'Oy' guys discovered [or utilize] componentized metric variables associated with extrapolating various burning rates based upon the geometry of their various powder. It is very evident that one could predetermine a required burn rate should they want to get that sophisticated and therefore derive an extremely viable load for their cartridges.

If you reference the 3rd edition of their reloading manual, they provide some invaluable means by which one may calculate the various burning rate of their varying powders. I don�t know if you desire to become so detailed in this endeavor, however these are reasonable starting points to consider if this is truly a concern on your part. I would be happy to help you should you decide to pursue on this vane.

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Best regards,
Alex

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote! - Benjamin Franklin 1759

Alex, Steve,

Thank you for the info.
I have used the WMR successfully in a .340W'by. According to the Barnes manual it appears to be somewhat slower than the IMR7828 and close to the H1000 (although I know you can't directly compare burning rate based on a reloading manual). I would like to use it instead of IMR7828 in a .416, and wonder if anybody ever had any problems using the WMR.
The Vihtavuori people produce excellent powders, some that I have used for many years.

Vasa

Vasa,

I have 2lb. of unopened WMR powder. Let me know if you'd like to buy it. I picked it up at an auction of a gunshop that was going out of business and have not had a use for it. It's a few years old, but it's been stored at a steady 68 degree, humidity controlled environment.

Roger

Vasa. WMR is one of my favorite powders. I get excellent results in a .300 Win. Mag. and a .270 Win.
I have a good supply, so I'm good to go for a while.
I ran into a small problem with it, having to do with somewhat erratic pressures. I live in Southern Arizona where it iget right warmish come summertime. I do most of my load work up at that time, because pressure signs show up earlier when it's 105 degrees in the shade, and there ain't no shade.
When I first worked up a load for my .300 Mag., pressures were fine. No problem. When I was preparing for a hunt in the fall, when the temps were quite a bit cooler, I ran into pressure signs that I could not ignore. You might do a search in this forum on my post on the subject, although there was very little response.
If you notice, Hodgden dropped H-450 at the same time. It has been rumored that WMR and H-450 were different lots of the same powder.
It could be, that the powder was dropped due to a problem with temperature sensitiviy. I base that thought on what I experienced. Not much help when you like a powder and can't get it anymore.
One of my favorite powders was H-205. Fore some reason, it made my 30-06 sing. Hodgden dropped it. I asked the Hodgden rep at an NRA convention why it was dropped. He said,"Frankly, the numbers weren't there." It just didn't sell. Maybe that's what the deal was with WMR. The "egg-spurts" in the gun rags didn't use it or say much about it, so it didn't sell. The only gun writer that wanted to use it couldn't get any. This was Ken Waters.
The latest Nosler and Hornady manuals show a little data with WMR but the Speer manual totally ignores it in the few rounds I checked that would benefit by it's use.
Anyway, that's my thoughts on the matter.
Paul B.

I love H-450, Hodgdon even gave it away, you could send them 2 cap liners from any Hodgdon powder, and they would send you a lb of H-450.

Paul B,

What you say about temperature sensitivity is important to me - I was going to use the WMR powder in a double rifle. As you know, they don't take to pressure very kindly, so I will stick to H1000 that is supposed to be temperature stable. I save the WMR for a bolt action. Thanks for letting me know!

On another note: A supplier in Canada was selling a surplus ball powder called WC852, supposed to be more or less identical to H450. Have you ever heard of the WC852?

Vasa