Win. 231 powder

[Member 38805]

Was reorganizing the loading room, and stumbled across an unopened brand new keg of Win. 231! I've never used it, so figured I'd sell it. But before doing so I looked through my Hornady loading manual to see if I might find load data for pistol cartridges using W231. It looks like it's pretty close to Bullseye or Red Dot that I've used in many pistol cases, so I'll give it a try.
Anyone used W231 before? Did it work well for whatever cartridge you used it in?

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[oremike]

I've used it mainly for 45 acp but it'll work for lots of other calibers as well:

https://shop.hodgdon.com/winchester/winchester-231

 

[Spitpatch]

A clean solid performer in the .357 for accuracy with jacketed bullets. Not the velocity king, but very consistent.



231 pushed a 140g Speer JHP to 110yards fast enough this day.

 

[DirectDrive]

Clean burning, meters very well.
A favorite for target loads.
I've used it in 38 Special but it's very good for 45ACP and 9mm among others.

 

[P7M13]

45ACP (my favorite and most accurate powder with this caliber)
9mm
40 S&W
Haven't tried it in 10mm, Mak or Kurz yet, but suspect it be a great performer in those too.

 

[fstdraw]

Great powder. I use 5.2 to 5.4 gr. with a 230 gr. ball in my plastic guns and 5.7 gr. for my heavy SS gun. Large CCI pistol primer, mixed cases. Very accurate in my .45 ACP guns. Good shooting!

 

[edzz]

Switched to 231 for 9mm when HS-5 was discontinued.

 

[gmerkt]

Haven't tried it in 10mm

I'd stay away from it in 10mm, especially with heavier bullets. It didn't work out for me. Even though there is data for it.

 

[TDH]

I use it for my 38 spl loads, and I really like it, but it works for a lot of things. If I see it on the shelf I'd get an extra. HP--38 is the same powder, and usually a few dollars cheaper.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

It was my go to powder for .45 ACP.

 

[BSAshooter]

Still my favorite powder for 45 ACP & 38 Specials.

 

[Twodogs]

I have loaded thousands of rounds with 5.7 grs of W-231, 9mm 115gr, 40 s&w with 180 gr and 45 acp with 230 gr.

 

[nammac]

I've used W-231 for .380, 9mm, .38 special and .45 ACP...

 

[Certaindeaf]

You should sell it and then with all the money you can buy a whole pound of a real powder. Or some magic beans.. same thing really.

 

[BlindedByScience]

As others have said, it's a spherical powder so it meters really well. Shot of ton of 45ACP loaded with 231, cast and jacketed.

 

[Mikej]

Was reorganizing the loading room, and stumbled across an unopened brand new keg of Win. 231! I've never used it, so figured I'd sell it. But before doing so I looked through my Hornady loading manual to see if I might find load data for pistol cartridges using W231. It looks like it's pretty close to Bullseye or Red Dot that I've used in many pistol cases, so I'll give it a try.
Anyone used W231 before? Did it work well for whatever cartridge you used it in?

Yeah. .45 acp, .38 sp. A good powder to have around for a quite a few handgun loads. Not too fast/not to slow, meters real goood. Though I use HS6 for 9mm and .40

 

[Member 38805]

I've got a lot of Bullseye, Unique, Red Dot, Green Dot, and have loaded with all of them with good results. Never tried this powder, and forgot I even had it. I recall buying it at a OAC gun show 4-5 years ago, and bought it because it was unopened, and I think around $7-$8 a pound. Didn't care what it was for back then as I figured it might work on some caliber I owned, and the price was too good to pass it up.
I'll try it on my .45 ACP, .45 Colt, and 9mm, and see how it shoots for me, and then decide if it works well for any or all of them.

 

[Lesliet]

Decent, versatile powder. I've loaded .380, 9mm, .45acp with it. Still have a couple of pounds on the shelf, and don't use it all that much at the moment, since there are other powders that give softer recoil for the competition/target loads I like. But I'll keep it around, good to have a "plan "b" ". A lot of people swear by the stuff, and not too many swear AT it.

 

[Pops1911]

I use it exclusively for 45acp and 9mm. Accurate, clean and soft shooting loads every time. Two thumbs up!

 

[ma96782]

I've used plenty of W231 for 9mm loads.

It's said (by some).......that it's the same thing as HP-38. But, lawyers. So, I'm saying........use only the data in your manual.

Aloha, Mark