W231 Linebaugh 45 colt

[Deleted]

At the end of John Linebaughs Dissolving the Myth 45 Colt article, he lists a favored load of 8gr W231 with a 260gr cast bullet running 900 fps. The load is probably above standard saami 45 colt pressure but I decided to check it out in some big frame Ruger blackhawks as he suggests. I recently bought a Garmin Xero c1 chronograph and its the best unit. My chrony sessions are fun now.
I decided to use up the last of the W231 powder I have testing. I have 2 pounds of HP38 that I may run through as well just to see how close the 2 powders are, they are considered to be the same.
I decided to try a variety of primers. Cci 300, WLP new stock and old Win mag large pistol in yellow boxes. I fired 20 shots per load, per test gun. I was surprised by the results. On average WLP had the highest spreads and highest deviation. The CCI 300 found to be most consistent overall. The old Winchester Magnum were excellent and in my Clements bisley really brought the spreads and deviation down.The Harton blackhawk I tested had best average overall and is proving to be a great gun. I tested a few others but did not gather the full data sheets for those guns so Im not including here. Anybody else experienced the spread variants between primers. The old win mag primers got very similar results as cci300.
John stated his load as avg 900fps.
Mp 454 640 penta 261gr pc
Using W231

8gr W231 935 in 5 1/2 and 915 in 4 5/8.
Clements, sprd avg 48, std dev 16
Harton, sprd avg 30, std dev 10

7.5 W231 915 in 5 1/2 and 876 in 4 5/8
Clements bh, spread avg 24, std dev 9
Harton bh, Spread avg 18, std dev. 7

7gr W231 850 in 5 1/2 and 820 in 4 5/8.
Clements, avg sprd 80, avg dev 25
Harton, avg sprd 35, avg dev 11


This data is averaging the fps, ext spread and standard deviation of the three primer types. The average fps with the three primers were similar but the WLP had much higher extreme spreads.
W231 appears to be happy at 7.5 grains and bumping to 8 grains allows a bit more performance but not as good spreads and deviations. I wonder why standard recent year production WLP primers throw such wide variations even though the average fps is similar.

My conclusion is that primers avg out in regards to fps, but spreads and deviations vary. The cci 300 give me my most accurate loads in general. Using old primers is ok.
My temp was about 50 degrees this morning. Cold or hot might make a difference.

[Deleted]

[aciera]

John had a Dillion set up on his bench for just that load.
We’d make up a coffee can full and lean against the tires of his blazer and shoot at a 5 gallon bucket about 250 yards away…….
Wonderful load

[kevshell]

Because of that article I've burned more 231 than any other powder in the 45 Colt. That plus a 250gr cast and it's accurate in every 45 Colt I've put it in.

[messybear]

You ask if anyone has seen difference in primers. Yes I see a lot of difference in them. I have acquired about all of the domestic and import primers over the years in LP variety.
The new and old Winchester are very different primers. New are gold colored and old are silver. I like the old very much. Good consistent primer with enough power to lite ball powder.
I have gobs of cronograph data on various ones and see where they are suited to different powders. So yes what you are seeing is what I have experienced too.

[blackmamba]

With the primer shortage at its worst a year or two ago, I still had plenty of large rifle primers which were going unused. I bought a primer pocket cutting tool and deepened 50 each of 44 mag and 45 Colt brass to take the slightly deeper rifle primers. Interesting to me was that even some light loads of fast pistol powders like 6-7 grains of 700X and Titegroup in these big cases were accurate with even magnum rifle primers. In 45 Colt, 5.4 gr of 700X under a deep-seated 255 SWC lit by Winchester Large Rifle primers was practically a one-hole ten shot group at 15 yards.

[Fowler]

I have shot W231/HP38 as my standard target powder for basically everything for 25 years, I like the stuff a lot.

Yes primers make a different and have found CCI300 to give me the lowest deviations, that said I have probably shot more WLP primers than anything else, its hot for a standard primer and mild for a magnum primers. While I can find the larger variances on a chrono I cant say I can see it on target in the real world.

I will say W231 is temperature sensitive, I know a few guys who ran the stuff for IPSC and got a little too close to minimum power factors and when they got to a cold match and were checked a couple of them didn't make major and had to shoot they 45acp guns in minor pf category (much tougher). It isn't anywhere near as sensitive as H110 is but that is a whole other story.

I still shoot it for fun target loads but not for midrange hunting loads, I switch to HS6, Power Pistol, or Longshot for that duty in my 45 colts, they seem to be more temperature stable.

[bushog]

I love that 231 load…..