N E ever use WC 860 powder? I have some HL rounds for my 7mm Mag which shoots a Nossler SB bullet. I have it splitting holes at 100 yds out.

From what I gather, this powder is nearly impossible to come by nowadays. There's hardly any load data on it, since it is considered a surplus "break down" item.

Curious to know everyone's thoughts on this. Let's hear it. Any and all info is welcomed!! Thank you fellas!

can build new loads with commerical h870 or aa8700

i think it burns right between original and match start kingsfords

To slow for me its a 50 cal powder I fill a case slow velocity.

I sold all mine to a 5o cal shooter.

Jeff Bartlett has some he just got in, if you want some. You can buy an 8# jug for $60.

Jeff Bartlett GIBrass

I.use wc867 in my 264 win.mag ,308'Winchester ,338-378 weatherby.It's vert temperature sensitive I don't use it above 80 degrees had high pressure .It's suppose to be like h-870 but it's .I way different fun to play with but .it as accurate as h-870 powder !

Being retired and a cheapskate by nature, $7 a pound delivered to my door is a great price now days for powder. Bought a couple cases of WC860 and WC872 a couple years ago to experiment with. Cast bullets in the 4570 respond well to both powders, lighting them with small duplex charges of Unique or 4198, to replicate the monster primer in a 20mm case. Example: 405 gr lead bullet, 4.6 gr Unique on primer, 50 gr Wc860 (slightly compressed to keep powders from migrating, at 1410, 1371' 1342,1379, and 1391 for five shots. My 6.5-55 Swede uses a load of 55 gr Wc872 for 2450 fps with a jacketed 140 gr bullet. My grandson killed his bull moose last fall here in Idaho with that very load. Lots of info over on Cast Bullets forums on duplexing these surplus powders. Be careful and have fun.

I load WC860 in my 300 Weatherby with 200 grain bullets. No problem reaching 3000 fps with no sign of high pressure. I know I can beat that handily but have no reason. Only caveat is my barrel is 28".

Different lots of surplus powder can vary in burning speed and qualities. You need to be very experienced in handloading, use a chronograph, and know the individual rifle you're shooting it in to use surplus powders -- particularly those for which there is no commercial version available with which to compare it.

WC 860 is NOT a surplus version of H-870 (nor Retumbo, or 50 BMG, or any other commercially packaged powder.) As I said, lots will vary, but WC 860 and WC 872 are generally a bit slower than WC 867. All of them are adaptable (for full power loads) to cartridges like .264 Win, 7mm STW, .300 WBY, and the Ultramag family plus some of the newcomers like the Nosler offerings.

Once a load has been worked up I've found such powders to be excellent performers, yielding consistent velocities and accuracy equal or better than commercial powders. I've used WC 872 exclusively in my .264 for decades, and took an elk last fall with a .300 Weatherby stoked with WC 867.

Stoner

Is there lot markings on the powder? Have you ever bought more than 1 jug and mixed it together.

Just shoot it up and don't let it sit around. That powder was demilled because it had reached the end of a safe shelf life. Any demilled gunpowder was at category D:


Ammunition Surveillance Procedures SB 742-1

https://acc.dau.mil/adl/en-US/...%2022%20Nov%2016.pdf
Chapter 13 Propellant and Propelling Charges

page 13-1

WARNING
Nitrocellulose-based propellant can become thermally unstable as the age. The normal aging process of the propellants involves deterioration of the nitrocellulose with an accompanying generation of heat. At some point, the propellant may reach a state where heat is generated faster than it can be dissipated. The accumulation of heat can lead to combustion (autoignition). Chemical stabilizers are added to propellants to slow the aging process. In time, the stabilizer levels will drop to a point where the remaining effective stabilizer (RES) is not sufficient to prevent an accelerating rate of decomposition. When this point is reached, the propellant may auto ignition, with possible catastrophic results to property and life. Monitoring the stability level of each propellant lot is essential for continued safe storage.

Page 13-5 , Table 13.2 Propellant Stability Codes.

Stability Category A 0.30 or more Percent Effective Stabilizer
Acceptable stabilizer loss: safe for continued storage

C 0.29-0.20 Percent Effective Stabilizer
Significant stabilizer loss. Lot does not represent an immediate hazard, but is approaching a potentially hazardous stability condition. Loss of stabilizer does adversely affect function in an uploaded configuration. Disposition instructions will be furnished by NAR. All stability category “C” assests on the installation must be reported in writing…
One year after becoming stability category “C” a sample of the bulk propellant lot or the bulk-packed component lot will be retested. If the lot has not deteriorated to category “D”, it will be retested each year until it has been expended, or it has deteriorated to category “D”, at which point it will be demilitarized within 60 days.

D Less than 0.20 Percent Effective Stabilizer
Unacceptable stabilizer loss. Lots identified as stability category “D” present a potential safety hazard and are unsafe for continued storage as bulk, bulk-packed components , or as separate loading propellant chargers. Bulk propellant, bulk –packed components and separate loading propelling charges will be demilitarized within 60 days after notification of category “D” status.

This is worth examining about this topic

Propellant Management Guide

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101.../docs/prop_guide.pdf


I have not found demilled gunpowder to be a bargain, about 75% of the stuff I bought I had to toss because it went bad. If you have it, shoot it up quickly.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
WC 860 is NOT a surplus version of H-870

if one took my post to mean that, i apologize. I meant one can turn to h870 to replace and rebuild loads