Hodgdon Powder and Winchester WW 231 Ball Powder - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Hodgdon Powder and Winchester WW 231 Ball Powder

Posted: 8/25/2010 10:32:27 AM EDT

I recently ran out of Winchester 231 Ball Powder, which is my main powder for loading mild to medium pistol loads. I started looking around for some to buy and it was impossible to find. I even looked at all the Internet sites to buy some, but they all listed it as "Out of Stock".

I had heard that Hodgdon Powder Company was making and packaging Winchester Powders, so I called their Customer Help Line to try to find some. We found out two interesting facts:

Fact 1: I spoke to a very helpful gentleman who told me that they did indeed load WW-231 powder. I told him of the difficulty I had experienced in trying to find some to buy. He said that they had been out since January and had just started making it again, due to military contracts taking all their line time. He said the retailers ought to start getting at again as of last week. He gave me the number of a site where they had just sent a shipment and after I hung up with him, I called them and sure enough, they had some. I ordered an 8 pound can.

Fact 2: My friend Ted talked to him later and asked if the rumors that WW-231 and Hodgdon HP-38 were "very similar" were true. He said that they are exactly the same. He said they make up a large container and start loading WW-231 canisters for a while, and then switch to HP-38 containers. It is the same powder.

He also said if I needed some, I had better buy it, as there was going to be a shortage for a while, due to military contracts.

I thought I'd share the news with you guys.

Posted: 8/25/2010 12:33:38 PM EDT

[#1]

Yup.

HP-38 -> WW-231
H-110 -> WW-296
HS-6 -> WW-540
HS-7 -> WW-571
H-414-> WW-760

Posted: 8/25/2010 1:39:38 PM EDT

[#2]

Do they make Winchester Super Field too ?

Posted: 8/25/2010 1:49:26 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Do they make Winchester Super Field too ?

Hodgdon does not make any powders, they purchase, package and sell.

Posted: 8/25/2010 5:52:16 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Do they make Winchester Super Field too ?

Hodgdon does not make any powders, they purchase, package and sell.

Let me rephrase my question: What is the Hodgdon equivalent of WSF ?

Posted: 8/25/2010 6:00:08 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Do they make Winchester Super Field too ?

Hodgdon does not make any powders, they purchase, package and sell.

Let me rephrase my question: What is the Hodgdon equivalent of WSF ?

I do not believe there ever has been... I remember seeing Hodgdon letterhead hanging on local FFL powder shelf back when Winchester discontinued 540 and 571, and WSF was not on the list with the Hodgdon powder equals.

Posted: 8/25/2010 6:11:45 PM EDT

[#6]

I've never had trouble locating HP38 locally. I bought this jug Monday:

I use it and WW231 with the same data as they are the same powder.

Posted: 8/25/2010 6:17:27 PM EDT

[#7]

This indeed has been the case with 231 but if your reloading shop is worth half its weight they ought to have been able to keep at least a few pounds the shelf. My guys have had problems getting it at times but they always have an estimate of when it's coming in and about how much. See if your local shop has an email list that you can get on for updates on stock receipts.

Little things like this are the KEY reason why you need to support the local little guys.

Posted: 8/25/2010 6:19:26 PM EDT

[#8]

Glad you found some W-231 Old_Painless.

Would you care to post the number you called? and thanks for the informative update.

Posted: 8/25/2010 6:36:56 PM EDT

[#9]

Just bought some 231 before I run out

Posted: 8/25/2010 7:30:13 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Just bought some 231 before I run out

Ok, it does sound like I'm looking for W-231. My poor wording in my post.

What I should have said is, I want to find IMR-8208 in 8# jugs. PV has it in 1# cans right now.

Post this "looking for stuff" up in the "Help to find" thread near the top of the page. There I warned myself.

I'm going to bed. dryflash3

Posted: 8/25/2010 8:36:43 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Post this "looking for stuff" up in the "Help to find" thread near the top of the page. There I warned myself.

I'm going to bed. dryflash3

[lisp] You thilly thinner! [/lisp]

PV just filled my order for eight pounds of 231 placed last November. Received it yesterday.

I should have bought two kegs, but who knew? Oh well, the eight pounds of fresh
W231, combined with the remaining four pounds of HP-38 I have... That should last
me a little over two years if I'm doing my math right.

Posted: 8/26/2010 4:50:29 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Glad you found some W-231 Old_Painless.

Would you care to post the number you called? and thanks for the informative update.

First, I called Hodgdon, at the number listed for Customer Service on their Internet site. He gave me several places that would have some.

Then I bought the powder from http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/

Hope that helps.

Posted: 8/26/2010 8:50:25 AM EDT

[#13]

Damned I should have bought more HP-38

Posted: 8/26/2010 9:01:49 AM EDT

[#14]

I've been reading through my reloading manuals that I bought last weekend and noticed that all the ones that had 231 and -38 had them listed at the EXACT same min/max and velocity. I thought to myself right there that they must be the same powder. Thanks for confirming my suspicions!

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 8/26/2010 10:43:46 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
I've been reading through my reloading manuals that I bought last weekend and noticed that all the ones that had 231 and -38 had them listed at the EXACT same min/max and velocity. I thought to myself right there that they must be the same powder. Thanks for confirming my suspicions!

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

And interestingly enough, I compared a few loads in a couple of manuals I have and found that these listed different max loads for WW-231 and HP-38.

Now why would that be?

Posted: 8/26/2010 1:10:05 PM EDT

[#16]

Yeah, I went and looked through every load and, interestingly, some of them are different. More than half, actually.

Weird

EDIT: I wonder why they ended up different? Different lots maybe? In the Lyman manual, it lists different pressures and different starting and max loads, I just wonder how they ended up with the numbers if it's the same stuff that's in the bottle of 231 they test.

Posted: 8/26/2010 7:37:30 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

First, I called Hodgdon, at the number listed for Customer Service on their Internet site. He gave me several places that would have some.

Then I bought the powder from http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/

Hope that helps.

I've done business with Powder Valley a number of times, good people!

Posted: 8/26/2010 10:02:55 PM EDT

[#18]

I think that HP-38 and W-231 were, at one time, 2 different powder formulas but have been consolidated in the last few years.

Posted: 8/27/2010 7:03:18 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Glad you found some W-231 Old_Painless.

Would you care to post the number you called? and thanks for the informative update.

First, I called Hodgdon, at the number listed for Customer Service on their Internet site. He gave me several places that would have some.

Then I bought the powder from http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/

Hope that helps.

Went to Hodgdons website, got the number. Thanks.