The question of how these powders relate to each other often comes up. I emailed Hogdgon to see if they would say if H110 was the same powder as 296 and here is the reply to my email:

We have had St. Marks Powder make H110 for us for many, many years.
Winchester has had St. Marks Powder making Winchester 296 for many, many
years. They are the same powder.

Mike Daly
Director of Customer Service

[ 04-11-2003, 21:51: Message edited by: Sean ]

I'm not sure if this has always been true, but I have found them to be very sim. I think W296 is a bit slower, just based on my loading exp. in .357, .41 & .44mag.

Load data is interchangeable as there is no difference between them. Many of the writers (John Taffin, Ross Seyfried, Brian Pearce, etc) have confirmed this to be true.

That's good to know. I think some of the confusion about this is might be the comparison of old surplus H-110 to the newly manufactured H-110 and WW296. The old H-110 I have looks nothing like the current production WW296 I use for loading my .410 skeet loads.

Yep... differences in load data in load books is due mostly to variances in lots. Many people tend to think what their load book says is gospel, but it's pretty meaningless.
The pressures and velocities shown are what that ONE barrel with that one bullet with that one lot of powder did on the day/days in those conditions at that time. You will NEVER duplicate those things.

Good point Cas. That's one of the basic rules of handloading...each gun and load is different and needs to be observed carefully.

Both are actually manufactured by Primex Technologies of St. Petersburg, FLA. The ball powder plant is in St. Marks, FLA. The cannister gunpowder is probably a drop in the bucket compared to the gov't contracts worth multi-millions for cannon ammo for the Bradley fighting vehicle, etc.

I found them to be very similar as well-But!! As always theres a "BUT". Each gun is different and the load data is a reference point to what load "May" work in your firearm!!! And as always you start at the starting load and work up- you move to a different lot you start all over again. Ah the joy's of reloading!!

Its funny I just shot both of those powders today in my new rechambered 357max 10" T/C 180gr JFP, CCImsp,new rem. cases. 5cs w/21.5 296=7/16" and 5cs w/21.5 H110=11/16" at 25yds not much differance until you look at the primer indents on the H110 were almost flat from pressure but the 296 was normal. That said someone mentioned a viable point LOT #'s However all loads with H110 were looser than loads useing 296.
PW

[ 04-17-2003, 09:14: Message edited by: patncor_2000 ]

Here's the lowdown.

http://www.sixgunner.com/paco/pprofile1.htm