Question about Extreme Spread.

[BHPSteel]

I know this is a totally subjective topic, but if you're loading for 'better than plinking' use, what are your opinions on a 'good' extreme spread for - for example - a 124gr 9mm pill with a design MV of 1200fps?

And what about something like a 150gr .308?

I'd chrono 100 rounds of commercial ammo to see what they consider reasonable, but I'm cheap and I want opinions, dammit!

 

[medium187mph]

My personal experience is I don’t notice as much on pistol loads as I do on .308/223.

I have found that weather conditions do make a difference as well

 

[BHPSteel]

My personal experience is I don’t notice as much on pistol loads as I do on .308/223.

I have found that weather conditions do make a difference as well

True. Of course the variation in bullet drop is the most important issue with that variation in velocity.

But what's "good" for 308 traveling at an intended velocity of 2800fps?

An extreme spread of +/- 100 fps? +/- 30 fps?

 

[Dirty J]

Guess that depends on what you’re planning to do with it.

If you’re punching cardboard with the 9mm at anything under 35yds… it probably doesn’t matter.

I’ve seen ES of 40+fps with factory 124’s in handguns. Most are more like 25-35fps of ES.

My hand loaded pistol ammo usually holds under +/-20fps ES.

 

[Allsmiles]

We loaded a bunch of 9mm 124 at what should have been about 957fps with 3.6gr TG. Bumped up the powder .2 grains to help with the cycling of some guns. We are only punching paper and pinging steel and just having fun. We don't have a chrono, but I would love to see how slow the 38spl with 158gr Xtreme bullets with 3.0 of TG are going. Might be a good race with a Daisy BB gun. I need to start loading rifle and getting serious with the precision shooting.

 

[BHPSteel]

We loaded a bunch of 9mm 124 at what should have been about 957fps with 3.6gr TG. Bumped up the powder .2 grains to help with the cycling of some guns. We are only punching paper and pinging steel and just having fun. We don't have a chrono, but I would love to see how slow the 38spl with 158gr Xtreme bullets with 3.0 of TG are going. Might be a good race with a Daisy BB gun. I need to start loading rifle and getting serious with the precision shooting.

There are some good deals on used chronos here on ODT at the moment.

Taking a guess, based on some load data I have for some generic 158gr hollow points, I think you're looking at probably down around 630-650fps. I load wadcutters down a bit above that speed for suppressed lever action fun.

They sound like spitwads hitting a kitchen tray when you're on steel.

 

[Dirty J]

We loaded a bunch of 9mm 124 at what should have been about 957fps with 3.6gr TG. Bumped up the powder .2 grains to help with the cycling of some guns. We are only punching paper and pinging steel and just having fun. We don't have a chrono, but I would love to see how slow the 38spl with 158gr Xtreme bullets with 3.0 of TG are going. Might be a good race with a Daisy BB gun. I need to start loading rifle and getting serious with the precision shooting.

Fast handgun powders like titegroup will typically yield a slightly higher ES in my experience.

Slight variances from drop to drop on a volumetric powder measure on a progressive press will give a larger velocity difference than slower powders.

But again… not a big deal for punching cardboard at <35-40yds

 

[Allsmiles]

There are some good deals on used chronos here on ODT at the moment.

Taking a guess, based on some load data I have for some generic 158gr hollow points, I think you're looking at probably down around 630-650fps. I load wadcutters down a bit above that speed for suppressed lever action fun.

They sound like spitwads hitting a kitchen tray when you're on steel.

We call the 38's in a lever action "giggle rounds". Way too much fun at the range and you can't help yourself. Guy at work used to load them at 2.8 or 2.9gr to shoot splits. He said you could see them slid down the steel plates.
I may have to get a chrono for when I start loading rifle. I've used a LabRadar before and was impressed with what it could tell us.
I do have a Franklin Intellidropper for checking charge weights on the progressive and for when I start rifle. I'm about to do some 45LC for a buddy, he just needs to tell me whether he wants cowboy or stronger loads (betting cowboy since we shoot together a lot).