With prices of ammo and components, rivaling Mexico Drug Cartel prices... and selling out at the drop of a hat..
We high volume shooters in the sage rat and gopher fields in the Western USA, have to use a little ingenuity to be able to still enjoy our sport without taking out a second mortgage on the house.
I've been buying powder that has been available on the shelves, because everybody and their brother aren't buying and hoarding it. On line burn rate charts give me an idea of their burn rate, being close to powders I have been using for a long time, but aren't available.
Enter Winchester 296. It has a burn rate equal to H 110. Unlike H 110, I've been seeing it on the shelves. So I picked up a 4 pound container, for what was a pretty inexpensive price in ratio to today's prices on my other powders. With a military discount over at Sportsman's Warehouse, it was less than $30 a pound. Another good feature is that it doesn't take a lot, like regular rifle powder, even in a 223 case. I have been range testing it the last couple of weeks over at the range in the 223 case and the 6 x 45 ( 6 x 223 for you other guys ).
I've been testing it with typical 22 varmint bullets ( 50, 52, 53 and 55 grain bullets) and 65 VMax, 70 TNT and 75 HP Speer. Also have been testing with Remington 5 1/2 pistol primers, CCI SP, Fiocchi SP and Federal, along with Small rifle from Remington: 6 1/2, CCI, Winchester and Federal.
Powder charge in the 223 has been 15 grains of W296 with all loads, and 17 grains with the 6 x 45 loads. Rifles have been a Ruger VT in 223, and a Savage with a Douglas barrel in 6 x 45. Accuracy has surprised me quite a bit. These are zeroed for 100 yds, and my distance limit on Sage Rats, aka Gophers is usually 200 yds. Both rifles have a Covenant Rifle Scope on Top from Cabelas with the "Christmas Tree" reticle. I normally walk off and mark the 100, 150 and 200 yd distances and put a surveyor stake in the ground so I know what the distance are in a varmint field, which are pretty large here in Oregon, usually.
What I have been rewarded and surprised by at the local range at 100 yds, but rifles are rewarding me with ten shot groups, that are usually one big hole. Occasionally there may be a flyer, barely out of that ONE big hole, or two. But that is the worst of it.
17 grains gives me just a hair over 400 shots out of a pound of powder. 15 grains gives me 466 rounds out of a pound.
The small pistol primers are not showing pressure signs on either rifle. Small pistol primers are readily available around here in stores and are not selling out in two hours like other primers.
W 296 is just another tool in the tool box, for high volume varmint shooting. But it is certainly a good one. Both rifles have heavy barrels, so W 296 isn't heating them up very much at all. Much cooler burning, the same as Blue Dot. Overall its economical, keeping the prices down for every time we pull the trigger.
Its suppose to be the same powder as H 110, but I'm finding better accuracy with W 296 for some reason.. and also a much less muzzle blast if that matters to anyone. It does to me, in a day you might send 500 rounds or more down range.
Just passing this along to the small group of varmint shooters, who also may desire economy, but with something that still works well.
MV is in the 2400 fps range with the 6 x 45 and in the 2500 fps range with the 223. The 6 x 45 has a 20 inch barrel and the 223 Ruger has a 26 inch barrel.
Last edited by Seafire; 04/13/24. Reason: bad math :)
