WC 845 powder

[xlcc]

I have a few pounds of WC 845 powder that has been sitting in my loading supplies for a number of years.I picked it up for about 7 or 8 bucks a pound on a bulk purchase.I believe it is similar to H335.Has anyone tried this powder with 123 gr bullets?It is time for me to shoot this powder,not buy more.

[A.D.D. AR]

xlcc- just to give you a quick response, I have not seen any grendel load data for this powder. Double check that it is not WCR845 powder which has a totally different burn rate. If it is WC845 "supposedly" it is very similar to H335.
I would think it is more appropriate for 85- 100 grain bullets in the grendel. I would see if anyone with actual experience with this powder chimes in.
good luck!
-mike

[LR1955]

I have a few pounds of WC 845 powder that has been sitting in my loading supplies for a number of years.I picked it up for about 7 or 8 bucks a pound on a bulk purchase.I believe it is similar to H335.Has anyone tried this powder with 123 gr bullets?It is time for me to shoot this powder,not buy more.

xl:

10 or so years ago I loaded some Grendel with the 120 Sierra using powder we removed from some LC M-855. According to the internet, this may be the WC 845 powder that you have.

The problem with these powders is that they were made to produce X amount of pressure with the 62 grain bullet using a NATO spec case in an M-16 A2 or M-4. I did liken it to H-335 but found, as I have found with every military powder I have used, that you hit a point where additional powder spikes pressures far in excess of any commercial powder I have tried.

With the 120 Match King and the Grendel I believe I hit 27 1/2 or 28 grains and it seemed to be perfect. But if I went .2 grains heavier, I got into high pressure territory. I never saw any give with these mil powders like I do with commercial powders. They had a very narrow band in which they seemed to be excellent. Go too low and they really sucked. Too much and they were dangerous.

Since I can't find my load for it anymore, I think you will be fine if you start with a 107 or 108 grain bullet with 27 grains of the powder as a starting point. Chrono it and do some measuring of web expansion along with keeping an eye on primer pocket tightness and you ought to find something that works well without endangering yourself or your gear. Go to the heavier bullet if you believe things are OK.

LR55

[xlcc]

Thank you for the info,,I did some further checking and found on the Hodgdon reloading website they have the 6.5 Grendel listed with a variety of bullet weights and powders including H335 and 123 gr HPBT with a max. load of 28.7 grs. at 2508 fps with a pressure of 49,800 psi.That data will give me a good start with my Howa HB.I also have some 100 gr.AMAX that you suggested I will start with and see how WC 845 reacts.I have used quite a bit of the surplus powders but have not tried WC 845.