Winchester WST powder

[rockquarry]

Many of you are probably familiar with Winchester WST powder but I had not used any until today. I made up a few .38 Special wadcutter loads with the H&G #50 cast design as well as some .45 ACP target loads using the SAECO copy of the H&G #68 200 grain cast SWC.

I have much more shooting to do to determine whether or not this powder provides accuracy equal to or better than the Bullseye powder loads I've used for a long time, but initial results look promising.

 

[Shotguncoach]

I've used WST with the Missouri Bullet Company version of that bullet in .45 AARP for quite a while. You'll probably find the sweet spot somewhere between 4.5 and 4.8 grains of WST. I still have not migrated away from Bullseye for .38 special though...I'm interested in hearing your results.

 

[Alk8944]

I've used WST with the Missouri Bullet Company version of that bullet in .45 AARP for quite a while. You'll probably find the sweet spot somewhere between 4.5 and 4.8 grains of WST. I still have not migrated away from Bullseye for .38 special though...I'm interested in hearing your results.

.45 AARP ??? What did you really mean?

 

[fordson]

.45ACP……………? Maybe…..?

 

[Shotguncoach]

Old, fat, and slow.....just like me.

 

[BE Mike]

Some top bullseye pistol competitors use WST for their .45 ACP target loads that have to be accurate at 50 yards. I knew a high master competitor who touted it way back when. I tried it and didn't like the unburned flakes that it left, but that was when Alliant Bullseye was plentiful and reasonably priced.

 

[glenwolde]

I shot a couple of pounds a number of years ago. I think it was a "what I could get" deal.

I liked it. I use a max listed load in .38 Special with a 150 cast lead SWC and shot one of the best targets I've ever shot. The one outside the black was my fault. It was shooting a bit left and I decided I needed to correct that. I had a brain fart and turned the adjustment screw the wrong way. DOH!

I'd buy it again for sure. I just have a lot of W231 that will shoot just as well and that I like better for other cartridges.

 

[BE Mike]

I shot a couple of pounds a number of years ago. I think it was a "what I could get" deal.

I liked it. I use a max listed load in .38 Special with a 150 cast lead SWC and shot one of the best targets I've ever shot. The one outside the black was my fault. It was shooting a bit left and I decided I needed to correct that. I had a brain fart and turned the adjustment screw the wrong way. DOH!

I'd buy it again for sure. I just have a lot of W231 that will shoot just as well and that I like better for other cartridges.

One click to the right!

 

[Krogen]

I am also interested to hear what the group says about WST. I used Bullseye in .38 Special and .45 ACP for years. Then somewhere along the line they changed something. The new formulation gummed up my Redding powder measure. Literally. Even after emptying the measure, its rotor didn't rotate freely. It had some kind of gummy residue on the surfaces. Cleaning with alcohol restored its proper operation. Refilling with "new Bullseye" caused a repeat of the problem, again corrected by cleaning with alcohol. So I switched to 231. Recently, I bought a jug of WST to try. Perhaps this thread will get me off my butt to give WST some attention.

 

[M29since14]

I’ve used it for years. I don’t find accuracy improves on Bullseye, but I think generally it is just as good for .38 and .45 target loads. The bonus is that it’s more readily available and at a better price. I’ve used it in .32 SWL too, at target velocity, and been happy with it there, too.

A secondary bonus is that with WST, extreme spreads and SDs seem to be consistently better than with BE. This may not be a huge factor, but it can’t hurt, either.

 

[rockquarry]

Responses appreciated. I'll continue working with WST in .38 Special and .45 ACP cast target loads.

 

[rockquarry]

I am also interested to hear what the group says about WST. I used Bullseye in .38 Special and .45 ACP for years. Then somewhere along the line they changed something. The new formulation gummed up my Redding powder measure. Literally. Even after emptying the measure, its rotor didn't rotate freely. It had some kind of gummy residue on the surfaces. Cleaning with alcohol restored its proper operation. Refilling with "new Bullseye" caused a repeat of the problem, again corrected by cleaning with alcohol. So I switched to 231. Recently, I bought a jug of WST to try. Perhaps this thread will get me off my butt to give WST some attention.

I also use Redding measures, four of them, the newest of which is well over thirty years old. I've never had such a problem with Bullseye in the measure I use for pistol loads. I buy Bullseye in the 8 lb. containers, the last one purchased this year.

 

[Jeff423]

In my .38's I use 231, Titegroup, Bullseye and WST. WST is certainly the cleanest.

 

[BE Mike]

I am also interested to hear what the group says about WST. I used Bullseye in .38 Special and .45 ACP for years. Then somewhere along the line they changed something. The new formulation gummed up my Redding powder measure. Literally. Even after emptying the measure, its rotor didn't rotate freely. It had some kind of gummy residue on the surfaces. Cleaning with alcohol restored its proper operation. Refilling with "new Bullseye" caused a repeat of the problem, again corrected by cleaning with alcohol. So I switched to 231. Recently, I bought a jug of WST to try. Perhaps this thread will get me off my butt to give WST some attention.

I would report this to Alliant. Bullseye is one of their oldest and respected gun powders.

 

[Troystat]

A lot of bullseye shooters (the sport not the powder) use WST for loading target loads. With the scarcity of Bullseye powder WST is a great choice. Check out Bullseye-L Forum and you can find a lot of info for both 38 special and 45 acp target loads.

 

[Mike0251]

I've used WST for the last 4 years loading .45acp, 200g swc, with a 172 power factor (major) for single stack USPSA matches. It has performed with excellent results including accuracy.

 

[Forrest r]

I have too much bullseye laying around for the 38spl's/357mags/44mags (10#+)

Also too much clays for the 45acp (8#+ at 4.3gr per shot) and 44mags.

When I finely do burn those powders up wst is the powder I want to buy/test/use for all my revolver and pistol needs. wst is impressive in the 9mm's. A 125gr bullet doing 1100fps 10-shot group @ 50ft.

The 1911 and the reloads using wst that shot the group pictured above.

 

[pistolpete10]

I've been using WST in 45 and 38 for several years. Was using Green Dot in 38, very accurate but dirty. WST is very clean burning, even in very light target loads. Not so important in autos but in revolvers (38 and 45) unburned powder, even a flake or 2 under the extractor can cause a stoppage. On a reload in IDPA dirty powder can mess you up.

 

[Toxophilus]

Another long time user of Winchester WST here; attached some pics of past testing.

The .45 ACP was tested at 10 yards though it is also accurate at 25yards when I get my &$%* in one sock. I did have to lengthen the OAL to get the SWC bullet profile to work in my G30s which led to a slight increase in powder charge.

The .38 Special was tested at 15 yards and is also accurate at longer distances when I get it together.

 

[rockquarry]

I've done some shooting this week using WST for .38 Special and .45 ACP cast bullet target loads.

In. 38 Special using the H&G #50 flat base WC, accuracy has actually been better than my Bullseye powder load at 25 yards. However, only one revolver was used, a Model 14 I've had for a long time. More work is in order to verify accuracy.

In .45 ACP using the SAECO copy of the H&G #68, it appears that WST comes close or might equal the accuracy of the 3.5 gr. Bullseye load I've used for a good while. Again, more testing will be done; I predict the Bullseye load will prevail, but I've been wrong before.