Deciphering which load to use??

[jjrock]

Does it matter the brand of bullet when deciding which load to use?

For instance, I have 200gr HP CP projectiles from xtreme bullets. I'm using HP38 powder and when I look it up, SPR (Speer I'm assuming?) 200gr JHP is listed on Hodgons website as 5.2-5.9.

My Lyman pistol and revolver handbook doesn't list HP38 powder under its 200gr jacketed HP at all

My Lee chart list only a 200gr jacketed billet and list 5.2-5.9gr as the load.

so is it safe to assume I can use a jacketed bullet load for jacketed HP?

Thanks!

 

[1006]

The short answer is: most of the time it does not matter. Match the bullet weight up to the powder charge. If your gun is in good shape, start with a "middle of the road load" and work it up or down to suit your needs.

 

[1006]

The long answer is abbreviated this way:

Use some common sense, do not load to the max. It matters more with rifles than pistols.

FYI: many powders are branded under more than one name. Winchester 231 and HP-38 are the same. The data may look different from book to book; this is due to other variables like barrel length and bullets used.

If you are loading a 45ACP: try 5.3 HP 38 and seat the bullet to leave about a fingernail's width of shoulder above the case. Do not worry about the exact measurement as long as it fits in the mag and in the chamber, and will feed from the mag into the barrel.

 

[jjrock]

Thanks, i figured I was safe but i wanted to be certain. I didn't realize that some of the powders were the same so thanks for that information.

I ended up loading 5.6 as my auto feeder would either load at 5.2 or 5.6 without using adjustment screws. I got 5.1 a few times using one of the measurements on the disk so it went the next size up to ensure no rounds fell below the minimum charge.

 

[1006]

Strictly my opinon:

On fast burning powder like HP-38, you can go below the min charge, but it takes some experience to know how far to go. You can probably get a very light load that is still accurate with as little as 4.5 grains. 5.1 would be fine. The reccomended start load for HP-38 is based more on practicallity than safety. If you get a little too light, your gun will jam. If you get carelessly light, a bullet will get stuck in the barrel.

Slow burning powders can get dangerous if loaded too light. The powder can burn erradically and build excess pressures.

HP-38 is a fast powder.

 

[sold7]

The bullet you have is plated not jacketed you need to use the lead load data

 

[jjrock]

The bullet you have is plated not jacketed you need to use the lead load data

uh-ohh.....according to the Hodgon load data I have loaded the Maximum allowable charge and I loaded 100 of them. I weighed every ten and they were spot on 5.6 every time. I would hate to pull all 100. Should I?

 

[Twitch2120]

Book max is often a good place to start. Lawyers have had their say. Always work up but I have yet to see pressure issues in any gun I own. My rem 700 is silly. I load 44.1 of imr 4064. Book is around 43.

 

[Springfield 1911]

uh-ohh.....according to the Hodgon load data I have loaded the Maximum allowable charge and I loaded 100 of them. I weighed every ten and they were spot on 5.6 every time. I would hate to pull all 100. Should I?

Most of the time lead data is a little higher than jacketed data due to the case volume that is taken up by the lower density, and therefore longer jacketed bullet. NEVER start at max loads! ALWAYS start low and work your way up, I believe I have read this somewhere before? What is max for one gun is not always max for another. That load will probably be ok but if you want to find what works well in your gun I would pull them and start over. I actually use jacketed data for the plated bullets, but I leave everything in my pistol rounds long except for self defense rounds. Consider lesson learned.

 

[jjrock]

I've started low and worked my way up so far. I do not want to take 100 rounds apart so I'll load some additional rounds slowly building up to the max and see how it goes. If need be, I'll take them apart and load lower.

Thanks.