Reducing H-110

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steve4102

New member
I often read that it is a bad idea to reduce H-110 below 3% max.

I am using 296/110 in my 300 Blackout. It works great for 110gr Barnes Blackout bullets.

It works only so-so with my Lee 155gr Cast Coated bullets.

I have been told that with my 1-7.5 twist I need to keep these lead bullets below 1800fps if I want any kind of consistent accuracy.

To do that I need to go below Hodgdons publish Minimum of 14.6gr of 110/296 for Jacketed 150gr bullets.

Is it safe for me to go below 14.6gr of 110/296 with this cast bullet, or am I going to run into issues?

Thanks
 
First, listen to the loading manuals. Second, there's a reason they make so many different kinds of powders. Pick something that's appropriate for what you're trying to do. H110/WW296 simply performs best at max load. There are a lot of other powders that have a wider range application and still work well.
 
Fudging and taking short cuts usually fare well in the handloading hobby.

Do as griz and No SecondBest suggested and choose a different powder.

H110 and WW296 are not designed to do what you want them to do.

Try some A2400.
 
Might not be too much of a problem (other than poor performance) with a semi-auto, as a squib or poor, erratic ignition is prolly easily seen (no second shot taken).
 
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"...H-110 below 3%..." The Start load of H110 for a 110 grain jacketed bullet is less than a 3% reduction.
"...Cast Coated bullets..." You need proper cast bullet data for those. Do not use jacketed data of any kind for cast bullets. I'm not see in any cast bullet data anywhere though. Might be an idea to contact Hodgdon and ask 'em. Kind of suspect H110 is too fast though.
 
To reduce recoil (because I'm getting older) and to make ammo better suited for shorter barrels, I found it best to reduce my recipes using W296 (same as H-110). So . . .

With my 44 Mag loading, I reduced it by 9%.

And with my 357 Mag loading, I reduced it by 5%.

But their velocity dropped off unacceptably, and Standard Deviations went up.

So I moved to 2400. Problem solved. W296 is no longer in my inventory. (Loaded ammo still is, however. Shot some of it just this morning through my Marlin 1894, in fact.)

From personal experience (the above mentioned, and others), it would seem that the reputation of W296/H-110 not liking to be reduced is indeed true. W296/H-110 does the one thing that it does very well. But versatile, it is not.
 
Wouldn't it be a lot easier to go to a different powder?
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I'd surely think so. Or a different bullet.

W296/H-110 does the one thing that it does very well. But versatile, it is not.
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Exactly. While H110/W296 has very narrow parameters, within those narrow parameters it performs exceptionally well. Even at lower start levels where it is deemed safe, it generally is not the most accurate. But once you get to the upper levels of it's published recipes, it's accuracy generally shines. Sometimes, just using something because it's what we have on hand is not the best scenario. There's a reason most of us have more than one or two powders on the shelf. Spend the bucks for a pound of more appropriate powder and don't look back.
 
But once you get (W296/H-110) to the upper levels of it's published recipes, it's accuracy generally shines.
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What was seemingly a lifetime ago (circa '85-'86), I use to shoot silhouettes at 100 yards with my 629 "Dirty Harry" (open sights). These days, I can't see as well, and I shake too much - so to even attempt such a feat would be futile. But I digress . . .

Back then, I tested a lot of loads for accuracy. Using a Hornady 240 Jacketed Silhouette bullet .430 (no longer in production - naturally). Anyway, I did a lot of testing with charge weight with W296. Care to guess where I found it most accurate? Yeah, that's right - at the very top end of the published data.
 
H110 is not the best powder to reduce or so I have heard. Id go with a different powder. Try 2400 it works well and is much better in reduced loads.
 
Mobuck said:
Just my opinion: AA#9 would be a better choice.
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Accurate #9 is way to fast for the 300 Blackout according to Western powders.

296/110 is considered by many to be "The" powder for the 300 Blackout.

My experience is that 2400 is to fast as well.

I guess my question was more geared to how 296/110 reacts in a bottle necked rifle round as opposed to a straight walled pistol round.

According to Hodgdon 300 Blackout date for a 150gr Jacketed bullet starts at 14.6gr and maxes out at 17.2gr, that's already a 15% reduction from Max.

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle
 
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According to Hodgdon 300 Blackout date for a 150gr Jacketed bullet starts at 14.6gr and maxes out at 17.2gr, that's already a 15% reduction from Max.
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The published recipes showing more than a 3% reduction from max with H110/W296 has been discussed more times than I can remember on internet gun forums. What it comes down to is when only a max tested load is shown, one should not reduce it more than 3%. If it has been tested and shown to be safe at lower levels with published info, that's different. Many times with other powders when given a max load only we are told to reduce by 10% and start there, while there are published loads that start at less. Same thing. If it's published, odds are it is safe. If not published, then play it safe and don't go extreme.

296/110 is considered by many to be "The" powder for the 300 Blackout.
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With jacketed bullets and seeking max velocities. You are looking to do neither. You want to use lead at mild velocities for the caliber.
 
steve4102 said:
Accurate #9 is way to fast for the 300 Blackout according to Western powders.



296/110 is considered by many to be "The" powder for the 300 Blackout.



My experience is that 2400 is to fast as well.



I guess my question was more geared to how 296/110 reacts in a bottle necked rifle round as opposed to a straight walled pistol round.



According to Hodgdon 300 Blackout date for a 150gr Jacketed bullet starts at 14.6gr and maxes out at 17.2gr, that's already a 15% reduction from Max.



http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle
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What about LilGun or A1680?
I find that they both work better than W296/H110 with 125 and 150 grain jacketed bullets.
Both are listed for subsonic loads as well.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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The problem with downloading H110/W296 is inconsistent ignition...

Squibs become a real possibility...

At the very least, when loaded down you start to see wild swings in velocity...

H110/W296 wants to work at the high end of it's pressure curve to burn consistently and stay accurate...
 
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