We know that Win 296 / H110 are the same powder.

My question is this:
In my loading manual, why do they list different charges for these two powders for the same bullet? This is true for .357 Mag and .44 Mag loads.
Maybe the powders they used for the manual performed slightly differently because of different lot numbers?

The difference in the charge weights listed is only a few 1/10's grain between the two powders, and they overlap a bit, so it made me curious.


The reason I ask is this:
I just got ahold of 7 lbs. of powder - 5 lbs. of Win 296 and 2 lbs. of H110. All 7 lbs. have the same lot number on them.
I'm thinking these should all perform the same?

The top one is the 296, the bottom is the H110:

Even the 4 and the second 2 have the same ink blemish in them !!
I would say that this should prove that they are bottled in the same plant.

However it does not limit out that a different "Mix" of items or coating, could be put into the containers.

Very interesting......... nice job catching that.

No two batches/lots of gunpowder will be exactly the same. No two test labs will produce results exactly the same (different lots of powder, different brass, different primer lots, different test equipment; universal receivers vs real guns, and condition of test equipment). I see reloading data to be the results of what a technician arrived at with the listed components at a specific time in his specific equipment. Reloading manuals are just that, results, not hard and fast formula...

That's what I was thinking.
I'm still a reloading newbie, so I just wanted to make sure.

when in doubt, refer to the powder manufacturers load data, last time I checked, they have H110/W296 exactly the same.

Bingo! We have a winner. In 40 years of loading I have NEVER calibrated a batch of powder that gave EXACTLY the results in the loading manual. Besides, I don't have their barrel/chamber that it was shot in when they made the chart.

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