Posted on 03/06/2018 3:55:45 PM PST by MileHi
I was working on a .38 Special load and bumped into a problem.
I looked into my old load books and found the following:
Hornady 1997
Starting load 4.5 gr
Max load 5.0 gr - (noted as +P)
Sierra 1985
Starting load 6.4 gr
Max load 7.0 gr (not noted as +P)
So you see the difference, Sierra starts at more than Hornady lists as a +P load.
I called Alliance to ask about this. The man said, oh yeah, different bullets are the reason.
Now, I can't buy that much difference for basically similar 125 gr JHP. I have loaded thousands of hot .44 mag and .357 rounds with the same loads but switched a Remington bullet for a Hornady or Sierra of the same weight and style with pretty consistent results. In fact my favorite .44 mag load doesn't care what 240 gr jacketed bullet I use.
Same with my .06 load, a Remington CoreLokt shoots about the same as a Nosler Partition of the same weight.
I get that lead bullets don't interchange. And you can't use Barnes X copper bullets with a jacketed rifle bullet load.
The discrepancy here makes no sense.
I was once very heavy into handloading, Around 1984, I sold all my gear, Just got tired of it.
Anyway there used to be a common rule of thumb. Six grains of Unique for just about everything.
What is the best 45 ammo for a Colt 1911?
I don’t load for auto loaders. Just hunting/target loads for rifles and wheel guns.
Been hand loading for 27 years but .38 is the least round I load for.
Just start at a lower powder grains and work up from there, always mindful of over pressure on the brass.
Go with the most accurate load. Use your chrono and do a ladder test. That will help you find the sweet spot load.
Use the same primers as that can make a difference.
Then stick with it.
Pressure wave has a lot to do with burn speed.
Max pressure allowed determines max load.
Another vector in the pressure wave has to do with how well the bullet seals.
but the biggest factor I find is the level of legal defense the publisher is willing to accept. IOW, different companies have different max loads because they are either aggressive or defensive in their recommendations.
According to that '97 Hornady manual that is ore than a +P for a .38 Secial, but the '85 Sierra says it would be about right.
Need to get one, the old one crapped out and I just have y standard loads so I haven't got another.
Sorry. as you all see my “m” key sucks
I once saw a load in a gun magazine which was beyond belief. It was (crazy) grains of Unique with a 90 grain jhp. I loaded up 15 rounds and tried them in my Hi-Power. It threw the empties about 30 feet. The primers fell out of the pocket etc.
It was probably about proof or maybe even hotter. I still can’t believe they published it.
I forgot to mention it was for 9mm Luger.
Do the loads specify the same primer? I used to reload over 30 years ago and pistol vs magnum primers may make a difference in pressure and changes in grains of powder needed.
Of course, I could be completely off as well.
Ye, I have noticed that over time. But in my post you see that one has a "starting load" above the other "+P" load. And the powder guy said the bullets were that much different. They are both 125 gr JHP so I don't buy it.
Different lots of powder can have a slight difference in performance. And, let’s not forget that different groups/brands of brass and primers can generate different pressures. Also, atmospheric conditions can affect tests on different days. Not to mention, it’s not unusual to see different load suggestions from different sources. I’ve noticed that Speer loading data is usually mild compared to other sources. To be safe, start out light, and carefully work your way up. If you start to notice hard case extraction or primers starting to flatten or push out, then you are too hot.
Ahh, the old days of G&A and Ross Seyfried boomer loads!
Different brands of standard pistol primers.
I'm not a handloader, so I can't say when or why, but I have read enough times that the old standard pressure .38 ammunition was higher pressure than modern day .38 +P ammunition.
Indeed, but how do you get one source that has a starting load considerably above another sources +P load? I could buy a small difference, but that is an Atlantic ocean of difference.
If my memory is correct, it was Dean Grinnell of Gun World. I am going to go ahead and admit it was 9 grains which of course you should absolutely positively never try.
All of the things mentioned by others do make a difference. Probably the things which cause excessive pressure more than anything else is brass thickness and seating depth.
Back in the 60s, Remington and Norma brass was very thick. Winchester was thinner.
I'm not a handloader, so I can't say when or why, but I have read enough times that the old standard pressure .38 ammunition was higher pressure than modern day .38 +P ammunition.
Now we could be on to something, notice the dates and loads of the manuals I posted.
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