Hodgdon HP-38 and Winchester 231 the same?

[OutdoorFanatic]

I do, I do!
Actually, I use whatever I happen across at a decent buy. WST gives good performance with a little powder. Seems pretty clean, too. Not my "go to" powder, but then again, none are.

The numbers look good but I never hear anyone mention WST. Maybe I'll pick up a bottle just for testing.

 

[OutdoorFanatic]

I do, I do!
Actually, I use whatever I happen across at a decent buy. WST gives good performance with a little powder. Seems pretty clean, too. Not my "go to" powder, but then again, none are.

The numbers look good but I never hear anyone mention WST. Maybe I'll pick up a bottle just for testing.

 

[DW357]

Not until now. I have a target stand for paper targets on my property. I think clays may make a mess that I dont feel like dealing with.

Hodgdon Clays....powder.

Don’t need much. Works well from what I hear. Popular in 9mm too.

 

[DW357]

The numbers look good but I never hear anyone mention WST. Maybe I'll pick up a bottle just for testing.

Never used WST but I know a couple guys who use it for 45 and 9mm and say it’s pretty clean burning.

 

[OutdoorFanatic]

W231 and HP-38 are the same powder. Check the loads on the Hodgdon site in any caliber that lists these two powders and you will see they're the same.

Here are some of the reasons that the data can be different in different manuals:

Different bullet type/composition/manufacturer
Different bullet seating depth
Different test firearm
Different measuring equipment
Different primer brand or type
Different cases
Different lot of powder
Different firing conditions (temperature, humidity, etc)​

Eddie, since your post I have looked into all the things you listed and you are right. I have refined my info search and reading and have discovered wide ranges of loads and COAL's. I have a case gauge but am also going to pull my barrel and check COAL to my specific barrel. Hodgdon says 1200 coal for their 45acp load but I have a feeling my gun will come in around 1260-1270. Thanks for the info.

 

[OutdoorFanatic]

Hodgdon Clays....powder.

Don’t need much. Works well from what I hear. Popular in 9mm too.

SHIT! I thought you were talking about clay targets.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Hodgdon Clays....powder.

Don’t need much. Works well from what I hear. Popular in 9mm too.

Very easy to go over-pressure with just a slight change of load in fotay.

 

[eisenhow]

I use W231/HP38 & WST for coated 9mm (minor) & 40S&W (major) and Titegroup for plated/jacketed 9mm (minor) & 40S&W (major). Titegroup smokes too much with coated for me.

 

[OutdoorFanatic]

I use W231/HP38 & WST for coated 9mm (minor) & 40S&W (major) and Titegroup for plated/jacketed 9mm (minor) & 40S&W (major). Titegroup smokes too much with coated for me.

Thanks much! Right now loading 45, 9, 38s target loads. Carrying 45acp speer gold dots in the Glock for PP but want to load some 124grn speer gold dots in the 9 soon. I am impressed by the gold dots.
Speer 9mm Ammo

 

[mac1911]

Hodgdon Clays....powder.

Don’t need much. Works well from what I hear. Popular in 9mm too.

Very easy to go over-pressure with just a slight change of load in fotay.

There's always powders that get hot fast at the upper end of data. I load clays on the light side....like whimpy light just enough for 100% cycle in my 1911 and sneeze loads in 38spl.
Especially with cast loads. For the 45 iirc I'm running 3.3 gn

 

[OutdoorFanatic]

There's always powders that get hot fast at the upper end of data. I load clays on the light side....like whimpy light just enough for 100% cycle in my 1911 and sneeze loads in 38spl.
Especially with cast loads. For the 45 iirc I'm running 3.3 gn

For some reason Clays powder sounds to me like a shotgun powder. No?

 

[jpm]

For some reason Clays powder sounds to me like a shotgun powder. No?

yeah but several popular pistol powders are shotgun powders too.

btw, there's 3 clays - there's just clays and there's international clays and there's universal clays and they're all different powders.

 

[mac1911]

yeah but several popular pistol powders are shotgun powders too.

btw, there's 3 clays - there's just clays and there's international clays and there's universal clays and they're all different powders.

Straight up clays and 38spl 44spl and 45 acp are right on the bottle
Hodgdon Clays Smokeless Powder

 

[Mont Webb]

Because you're comparing apples to oranges! This is why you need to read a reloading manual before you start or you're gonna hurt yourself or someone else.

The 4.3 to 5.3 grain load is for a LEAD ROUND NOSE bullet
The 5.6 to 6.2 grain load is for a JACKETED ROUND NOSE bullet

That's a big damn difference!!

Good answer, the weight of the bullet the type of bullet etc.

 

[rewster]

Good answer, the weight of the bullet the type of bullet etc.

Wow ! You've gone back to 2018 to cherry pick a post to reply to for YOUR FIRST POST ??!! Welcome aboard !!

 

[Uzi2]

Hodgdon shows HP-38 and W231 with 4.3 to 5.3 gn max.
Speer says W231 5.6 to 6.2 gn max.

I've found Hodgdon data to be consistently under spec'd compared to others with almost every reference I've encountered.

I don't usually load to max with any powders, but have always found that I must increase using Hodgdon data references.

 

[Uzi2]

Hmmmm. I'll take a look into that. I dont remember where I read that it was dirty but once I heard that I moved along. Could have been just one mans opinion.

Titegroup burns extremely clean.

I've shot jugs of it in .45, 9mm and .38spl and the brass is almost as clean inside after firing as it was when it was loaded.

 

[mac1911]

Wow ! You've gone back to 2018 to cherry pick a post to reply to for YOUR FIRST POST ??!! Welcome aboard !!

Dont listen to him, been here 10 plus years and still respond to dead posts , lol

 

[rewster]

Dont listen to him, been here 10 plus years and still respond to dead posts , lol

Replies to every post, in fact !! Just to get his post count up !!!!!!