cherryriver
Member
I posted a little while ago about how I was coming more to believe in the current USPSA thinking about heavier bullets and faster powder giving less recoil in the 1911. The theory is that the gas escaping is a factor in recoil and is an important part of the kick equation.
Be that as it may, WST is a favorite powder of mine for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that it's quiet. While that may not be a reason to pick a powder in most discussions, for better shooting, less noise is always better. Plus, the blast is less, too, as is the muzzle flash.
This is especially a benefit for new shooters. Since I've been working on getting a setup for my wife to shoot that she won't dis-enjoy too much (she's no enthusiast), I've been working to reduce recoil in the 1911.
It turns out that of all the guns she's shot, the 1911 is the most comfortable, and she's somehow gotten knowledgeable enough to prefer the trigger. So she shoots the .22 rimfire 1911 we have and likes it.
I took my old Springfield Loaded .45 and reduced the recoil spring to ten pounds, and then loaded up some 230gr Rainiers (I've had enough lead for one lifetime) in front of small charges of WST. I got down to 3.5gr, which will run okay in my hands if the gun is clean, and somewhat okay in hers, at about 560fps in a 5" barrel. (No, she won't improve her grip.)
Anyway, I use a winter load of 4.5gr of WST to make major pretty easily with the Rainiers and happened to run off an older box with mid-slow Vihtavuori 340 as the propellant. Much to my surprise, it kicked and boomed much more than the WST load, while producing about 30fps LESS speed with the same bullet.
I was asked if I was thinking Unique did the same thing, being a click slower than WST (which is pretty close to the prototypical Bullseye, and VV310, too), and might kick harder at the same velocity than the fast powders.
In short, it does.
I made up a couple of boxes with 5.7gr Unique and went to the club range. First I chronoed everything, and the 4.5gr WST was leaving my Commander at about 730 on a chilly day. The Unique load, which I simply guessed at to make as close as possible in terms of speed, came in 25fps less, which is still pretty close. Maybe 705-710. On a warm day, I'd say they'd be pretty close to equal, as WST speeds up in the cold and Unique slows down.
The recoil of the Unique loads was distinctly harder. Not a real lot, but given the bullet was going slower, still a surprise. The muzzle blast and report (as Winchester calls it) was a bit more.
Not trusting myself, I called over a friend who is a Glock 9mm guy all the way and gave him the Commander with two magfuls of alternating rounds, WST and Unique. I set them up even-odd and asked him to take note of the recoil.
Now, he's so 1911-ignorant, I had to show him how to work the gun. That didn't keep him from hitting an eight-inch plate with every single shot from twenty yards, shooting pretty quickly.
He was sure, after sixteen rounds, the even-numbered rounds, those with Unique, were sharper-kicking.
So there, actual science. Gotta love it.
Incidentally, the box of VV310 loads I also had along were all but indistinguishable from the WST loads on that day in terms of speed and recoil, and just slightly louder.
Bill
Be that as it may, WST is a favorite powder of mine for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that it's quiet. While that may not be a reason to pick a powder in most discussions, for better shooting, less noise is always better. Plus, the blast is less, too, as is the muzzle flash.
This is especially a benefit for new shooters. Since I've been working on getting a setup for my wife to shoot that she won't dis-enjoy too much (she's no enthusiast), I've been working to reduce recoil in the 1911.
It turns out that of all the guns she's shot, the 1911 is the most comfortable, and she's somehow gotten knowledgeable enough to prefer the trigger. So she shoots the .22 rimfire 1911 we have and likes it.
I took my old Springfield Loaded .45 and reduced the recoil spring to ten pounds, and then loaded up some 230gr Rainiers (I've had enough lead for one lifetime) in front of small charges of WST. I got down to 3.5gr, which will run okay in my hands if the gun is clean, and somewhat okay in hers, at about 560fps in a 5" barrel. (No, she won't improve her grip.)
Anyway, I use a winter load of 4.5gr of WST to make major pretty easily with the Rainiers and happened to run off an older box with mid-slow Vihtavuori 340 as the propellant. Much to my surprise, it kicked and boomed much more than the WST load, while producing about 30fps LESS speed with the same bullet.
I was asked if I was thinking Unique did the same thing, being a click slower than WST (which is pretty close to the prototypical Bullseye, and VV310, too), and might kick harder at the same velocity than the fast powders.
In short, it does.
I made up a couple of boxes with 5.7gr Unique and went to the club range. First I chronoed everything, and the 4.5gr WST was leaving my Commander at about 730 on a chilly day. The Unique load, which I simply guessed at to make as close as possible in terms of speed, came in 25fps less, which is still pretty close. Maybe 705-710. On a warm day, I'd say they'd be pretty close to equal, as WST speeds up in the cold and Unique slows down.
The recoil of the Unique loads was distinctly harder. Not a real lot, but given the bullet was going slower, still a surprise. The muzzle blast and report (as Winchester calls it) was a bit more.
Not trusting myself, I called over a friend who is a Glock 9mm guy all the way and gave him the Commander with two magfuls of alternating rounds, WST and Unique. I set them up even-odd and asked him to take note of the recoil.
Now, he's so 1911-ignorant, I had to show him how to work the gun. That didn't keep him from hitting an eight-inch plate with every single shot from twenty yards, shooting pretty quickly.
He was sure, after sixteen rounds, the even-numbered rounds, those with Unique, were sharper-kicking.
So there, actual science. Gotta love it.
Incidentally, the box of VV310 loads I also had along were all but indistinguishable from the WST loads on that day in terms of speed and recoil, and just slightly louder.
Bill
