300AAC with H110 vs WW296

[Mobuck]

I spent some time loading a bag of 300 primed brass with 110 grain Hornady blems a few days ago as busy work during a rainy day. I was using notes from a previous loading session for H110 and ran the open can empty and switched to an open can of WW296. Even though the data indicates loads are the same, I checked before loading a bunch of shells I'd have to break down later. I test fired 5 rounds and found the WW296 loads were just a little hotter--not dangerously so but also not exactly the same.
I've always heard/read that H110 and WW296 were identical but as always, don't take anything for granted in reloading.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi.

There was a lot of "Powder A is the same as Powder B" talk when Hodgdon took over Winchester distribution. Is the brand loyalty to H-110 and 296 strong enough to get past the bean counters who've most certainly looked at the economics of just selling a single powder?

I have a fair amount of 296 from maybe mid-'80s, and even if today's H-110 and 296 are truly the same, I'm trusting my "old" stuff to data that was contemporary to the mfg date of the powder at hand. Can't be too safe...

Rick C

 

[NikA]

Was the difference outside what you might expect for lot-to-lot variation for a single powder? I'm skeptical that a manufacturer would take on the liability of telling folks they are the same if they are not.

 

[Mobuck]

In that 50-75 fps increase range and the primers showed just smidge more sharpening of the circumference bevel. Could be considered within lot to lot variance. My load is 1/2 way between start and max leaving some 'wiggle room' for such variance. Had I been pushing it, this might have been sharp edges and craters showing on the primers.

 

[JStacy]

H110 and 296 are manufactured by WW and the main difference is the 296 is blended with, fast or slow powder lots of powder, to produce a specific burn rate. H110 is not modified and the lots of H110 can be fast, slow or the same as 296 but H110 is not blended like 296 to a specific burn rate. For this reason, you will find a slight difference between different lots of H110 when you load with it. If your 296 was faster, you have a slow lot of H110. Where did I get this information? I got it from the VP of WW at the Alton Illinois WW powder plant.