WC735 Revisited

mmattockx

mmattockx

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Here's a blast from the past. I bought 7lb of this from Higginson's back in the day and have not used it much so far. I tried some .223 plinking loads a couple weeks ago and started getting flattened primers at 21.5gr with a 55gr. Berry's FMJ. SD and ES weren't great overall.

When I search back in this forum I see lots of guys using 24.0-25.0gr under a 55gr bullet. What gives? Is this a case of me being too far off the bottom and getting erratic ignition or something else? Loading a couple grains heavier just to see if it sorts itself out seems sketchy at best.


Mark
 
What brass are you using?

What lot # is your WC735?

I still use it for .223, cause I bought LOTS, BITD! In RWS or RUAG brass with a 50 gr. Berger HPFB I use 25.0 grs. BUT, at 26.0 grs., I sometimes got pierced primers with RWS primers; not, however with my usual R-P 7 1/2 BR primers, which were somewhat flattened, so I'm presuming it was the primers' fault, not the powder charge, although, with the R-P 7 1/2's, the charge was, no doubt, at the edge. In any event, working up from 19.5 grs., I found 25.0 grs. the best, insofar as accuracy is concerned, with the Bergers seated just shy of the lands.

This was with 4 different s/s BR LV barrels, all cut with the same reamer [a no-turn neck].

Sorry, I cannot speak about 55 gr. bullets, but thought I would add my experience with 50 gr. bullets.

I also use it in my Savage .308 & one of my 9.3x57's. I've also used it in other cartridges, especially with cast bullets.

Just for $H!TS 'n giggles, I ran the numbers in QL. While they do not list Berry's, I used Cam-Pro's 55 gr. FMJBT bullet, which has the same 0.745" length as the Berry's bullet. With 21.5 grs/ of AA2200, which I found to be pretty close to the later lot of WC735, it showed only 36,861 psi. [RWS brass net case cap. 30.30 grs. of H2O].

Going back to an earlier powder data set for AA2200, it showed 61,902 psi for the 25.5 gr. load with a 55 gr. bullet with the later powder lot versus 48,897 psi for the earlier lot of powder which I use.

Further, because the Berry's are plated bullets, they may be more "sticky" than normal bullets. Have you tried loading normal jacketed bullets with the same powder charge & see what happens?
 
Have loaded hundreds of rounds of Nosler 50 gr Ballistic Tips with 24.5 gr of WC-735 (lots 80 and 113) in IVI cases, CCI #400 primers.
3250 fps from my old Rem 788, with very good accuracy and case life.

I have found it to be a very versatile and economical medium burning propellant in a wide variety of cartridges. Ball propellants can be difficult to ignite, but I have used standard primers with 735 powder up to 30-06 case size without problems.
 
I just loaded up the last of my WC 735. My gopher shooting load is 24 grains of powder, Lake City brass, and 223 50 grain Speer TNT HP bullets. Out of my 26 inch barrel I am getting 3200 fps.
 
mmattockx said:
These are plinking loads, so brass is mixed.


I will go look tomorrow and post it.


Mark
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WC735 is a good powder.

When Higginson's first brought this powder in, the first lot was listed as "APPX 5% faster than H335.

The second lot was a bit faster, almost 8%, which in small cases, such as the 5.56/223 can make a huge difference, especially if you're using "surplus IVI" or other milsurp cases. Even the difference between commercial cases can make a huge difference and create accuracy issues.

Most firearms chambered for the 5.56/223rem will handle the higher pressures easily though and other than flattened primers and erratic accuracy there shouldn't be much to worry about.

I used H322 as a starting load for both lots.

I believe, this powder was not used in the 5.56/223rem with bullets over 55 grains, and the commercial variant was used for lighter bullets.

It's a great powder for larger diameter bullets in appropriate cases, but it tends to become erratic at higher pressures.

OP, using Ruag, milsurp cases, 24.0 grains was close to maximum for my Tikka T3X, with 55 grain projectiles and my best accuracy for similar weight bullets was 23.8 grains.

I've since switched to Lapua cases and found the same load range works just fine for both pressure and accuracy, with long case life.

Non cannister grade powders can be a real dark hole for people not doing enough due diligence.

Do a Google search for WC735. There are several replies, most similar to mine.

From your posts, you know what you're doing, so enough said.

But, I will caution people not used to using non cannister grade or proprietary grade commercial loader's offerings and trying to transpose across suggested manuals charts.

Small cases will give you big issues with loads for all sorts of reasons, far more quickly than in larger cases.

W735 is a good example on how to get caught, there were several others with similar and even more complicated issues.

OP, you're willing and able to experiment with these powders. Most handloaders aren't or are unwilling to to do the homework and subsequent load work outs needed to get these powders to perform well.

In some instances, these powders will not perform well, even in the cartridges they were originally designed to be used in. They perform acceptably within a specified "proprietary parameter" only. Such instances are few and far between, but it does happen.
 
I used to shoot a lot of WC735 loads in my AR15s using 24gr of WC735 and 55gr Hornady SP bullets. No pressure signs and good accuracy. 21.5 gr is a light load and I don't understand you're getting pressure signs with that. WC735 was a non-canister lot that Higginson sold a lot off. It's comparable to H335 but a little faster.
 
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Beater, it's great stuff, but it came in more than one version/lot.

One lot was for military ammunition production and the other was "modified" for commercial ammunition production. If you're lucky, both of your containers will be from the same lot. The lot # will either be printed or written in pen under the powder type.
 
jamesharrison said:
The last of the early good stuff I have is Lot 117; the rest is Lot 2250.
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You have a very early lot. I didn't know about 117.

I was going to buy some of that 56 lot, but hey, you can only shoot so much. That lot was definitely military. I believe lot 2250 was sold as both.

2250 and 2159 were the only two I used and 2159 was definitely faster.

I have no idea how many lots of WC735 were made. I know they made up the lots by tons, so they made massive amounts of this type of ball powder.
 
bearhunter said:
That lot was for commercial cartridge loads.
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Based on what you and others have said I will carefully bump up charge weight a bit more and see how that works. These are for plinking at steel and general lazy day shooting, so I don't need max velocity or stupendous accuracy. If I can find a consistent load slightly above where I am at that would be fine for my uses.


Mark
 
Mark, you're a smart fellow, use your big head for thinking this through. DON'T BUMP UP THE CHARGE UNTIL YOU SORT YOUR CASES BY WEIGHT.

You're asking for trouble if you don't.

No, it won't Kaboom your rifle but you likely won't be happy with the results. USE H322 load data.

Milspec cases are far heavier than commercial cases and will definitely create the issues you mentioned in your first post.

Usually, sorting military cases by manufacturer and date stamps will give you reasonably consistent weights.

Commercial cases are not quite as bad but they do use LESS metal in the cases, leaving more room for powder.

You need to realize, WC735 is a very consistent powder when ignited properly in cases which are as close to equal capacity as possible.

This powder works well in cartridges from 218 Bee to the 30-06 with the right bullet weights. I have personally used it in cartridges spanning that range, all the way up to 150 grain bullets in the 30-06. It may not have been the "best option" for all of them, but it produced acceptable results for all of them with a bit of due diligence.

One other issue no one has brought up yet, are "what primers are you using" Some of the Ginex offerings are listed as HOT. I always use CCI magnum primers, because I know what to expect from them. I have Remington primers on hand as well, and got rid of all the Federal primers.

If you're using standard primers keep your loads a bit lighter, especially as you approach maximum.

IMHO, the 5.56Nato/223rem give their best performance with at least 90% case capacity utilized.
 
bearhunter said:
DON'T BUMP UP THE CHARGE UNTIL YOU SORT YOUR CASES BY WEIGHT.
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I will sort some brass and see if it helps. The pile is mostly commercial brass with a few milsurp ones in there.

bearhunter said:
One other issue no one has brought up yet, are "what primers are you using"
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CCI standard small rifle primers. I also have CCI magnum small rifle as well.

I appreciate the help, BH.


Mark
 
Just to muddy the water a bit, the same powder, albeit, once again, presumably, different lots, is also known & marketed as SMP 735 & OBP 735. Then there was also 1 lot of WC732.

;-)

The latest comprehensive burn rate chart I've seen [May 25, 2025] shows 735 on the same line as Alliant Power Pro 1200-R. That is also a double base ball powder made at General Dynamic's St. Mark's plant, fwiw.

https://www.theballisticassistant.com/powder-burn-rate-chart/

It is interesting to note that the old standby reference powders for loading 735 are all listed as slower on this chart [ie. H322, DP2200 & 2015BR].

1200-R recipes are here:

https://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/Powder.aspx?powderid=37

NOTE: That does NOT mean you can just plug in the numbers & go!!! It simply means that in working up loads for a bulk powder that we MAY have a closer comparative.

I'll second Bearhunter's comment about this powder working at its best when loaded to at least 90% density.

Under NO circumstances should you compress this powder!
 
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