Use of W231 for light C/B loads in 30 cal cartridges

[opos]

I've done some searches asking if W231 can be used in place of some other pistol powders to make light C/B plinking loads...the threads start out with a discussion of W231 and then seem to always wander off to Bullseye, Unique, 2400, etc and the old tried and true plinker loads...but I am hoping to find out about W231...I got a ton of it..I got 7mm and 8mm Mausers, 30-06 and Mosins...just wanted to try out some W231 if it's safe and feasible...I've got and shot lots of Unique and 2400....can't get any Bullseye so would really like to mess with 231. Wondering bullet weight, G/C or not, etc..filler or no filler, etc.

Any help mucho appreciated.

opos

[Outpost75]

l shot lots of 231, 8 grains with plainbase #311241 in the '06 and 11 grains with #457193 in an 1884 Trapsoor.

[RU shooter]

I've tried 231 in 308 and 06 with cast worked fine for me . I found my accuracy at about a grain of two more for the 231 as I did my normal loads of bullseye .

Tim

[Scharfschuetze]

I've tested it in comparison to Bullseye and Unique in the 30/30, 30 Remington and the 32 Special under plain base 170 grain boolits and the 45/70 with 405 grain boolits up to about 1,200 fps with OK results. I found that, while satisfactory, Bullseye was always slightly better for groups and ballistic uniformity at the velocity levels that I was shooting at. I'm certainly not adverse to it and in your situation with lots of it to burn, it should work just fine for the calibres you list. To be honest, for plinking loads I don't think a can or metal gong will ever know the difference between 231 and Bullseye and the difference in accuracy was only about 1/2 MOA for 10 shot groups.

I don't use any filler with the fast powders, but instead I slightly flip the muzzle up prior to shooting which really helps keep velocities uniform. I found 231 to be pretty position sensitive in big revolver and medium rifle cases with average velocities differing by over a hundred fps when positioning the powder to the rear or to the front of the case for 10 shot strings.

[Ben]

I recently made comments about shooting light charges of Unique in the 30-06 ( 8.0 - 11.0 grs ) and was " raked over the coals " by a forum member for making such a remark.

I was told that the 30-06 isn't a candidate for powders like Unique . I found his comments without any merit. Lyman loading manuals list Unique with many different cast bullet weights for the 30-06.

I guess that is what the " Ignore List " is for ( I currently only have two members of the 36,389 here on the forum currently on the Ignore List. Those comments landed him at # 2 position on my Ignore List .....) as I plan on continuing my use of B'eye , Unique, Amer. Select , etc with my plain base and gas check bullets in my 30-06 rifles ( As I have done for the past 40 years ) and I don't want to be reading his remarks on how foolish I am for doing it.

By the way, I've never found W/W 231 to be as accurate in my 30-06 rifles with cast bullets as Alliant Unique and a few others.

The OP questioned " Is it safe " ?

If used in similar fashion to Unique I see no reason why it wouldn't be safe for reduced loads in cartridges like the 30-06. Manuals ( Like the Lyman 45 ) won't list it like Unique , Red - Dot, etc. for the 30-06, but it could still be used.

Ben

[upnorthwis]

I buy WW231 in the 8 pounders. Use it in just about everything from 9MM to 30-06. Was at an IHMSA match where another shooter didn't want to be anywhere near me because he said my XP100 with 6 gr. WW231 and 140 gr. boolit was going to blow up. At another match someone told me the same thing about my .30-30 contender. 15 years later the're still waiting. I do find it to be temperature sensitive though.

[MakeMineA10mm]

Opos - I'm in the same boat as you. W231 is my #1 pistol powder, to the point that I've pretty much run out of the other faster powders from Bullseye through Unique... I've not done a ton of shooting with it, just some test loads really, getting my feet wet trying out some reduced loads in my '03 Springfields.

[crashguy]

I'll just add some info to this thread regarding w231 in 30-06... these loads were culled from open internet sources
An M1903 with a dark barrel, lee C312-155 2R, at 162g, sized .309 PC & GC under 8 gr of w231 WLRP at 50yrds battle sight ,off a rest, poa was poi 1 1/2in 5 shot group at 1140fps 8ft from muzzle.......and with 6 gr of w231 WLRP at 50yrds battle sight ,off a rest poa/poi 1 3/4in 5 shot group at 970fps....no leading/ flaking