Question on Lyman 4th edition manual

[kelbro]

My 3rd edition has a range of powder charges for H110 under the 357 Mag pages in the 358429 section but it says DO NOT REDUCE in the W296 row. Everybody now says that H110 and W296 are identical.

Has this been changed in the 4th edition?

That 11.8-12.0 range sure shoots well in my pistol but I would really prefer NOT to blow it up.

[GP100man]

Give Hodgdon a call Mon. & see what they tell bout H-110/WW296

& manuals are just guide lines , in the end the final responsability lies on the handloaders shoulders .

But I will say this ,I & a buddy done some stupid stuff with H-110 down as well as up with a 357 Redhawk & it does have a larger safe range than Hodgdon wants to legally publish.

[462]

Kelbro,

I don't have the 4th edition, either, but Hodgdon's 2011 manual does not list any cast .357 Magnum loads using H110/W296 -- only for jacketed, and, then, the two powders have identical loads.

Hope this helps.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

The 4th edition list H110 as 14.4 - 15.0 Max, 1172 fps - 1285 fps, it does not have any 296 listed . . . nor any warnings . . . check w/manufacturer is my advice.

[rintinglen]

In the 4th edition, Lyman, under the 358-429, shows a 7,400 CUP difference between the min and max. the min being .6 grains less than the max. Interestingly, the surrounding boolit listings seem split. some show a min max differential of less thn a grain, others are 1.3+ grains. Overall, it seems that the H110/296 debate was resolved in favor of 296, since the loading info seems to parrot that formerly of 296.

[243winxb]

WW296 seems to spike pressure for me, when uping the charge only .5gr in a 44mag with cast Boolits. This might explan it.
shows a 7,400 CUP difference between the min and max. the min being .6 grains less than the max. http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp
Reduce H110 and Winchester 296 loads 3% and work up from there. H110 and Winchester 296 if reduced too much will cause inconsistent ignition. In some cases it will lodge a bullet in the barrel, causing a hazardous situation (Barrel Obstruction). This may cause severe personal injury or death to users or bystanders. DO NOT REDUCE H110 LOADS BY MORE THAN 3%.

[Rocky Raab]

H110 and W296 are exactly the same powder with different labels. Current data is identical now that Hodgdon manages both powder lines. Use current data.

110/296 is indeed quirky in handgun loads. If reduced much, or if used with light bullets, light crimp or mild primers, the powder can hangfire or misfire. In the worst case, the deterrent can be flashed off the powder with only partial ignition. If the charge subsequently re-ignites, pressures can become catastrophic. The effect is apparently random; after many supposedly safe shots, one can suddenly blow up.

Here is a photo of a partly ignited, reduced charge of H110 that (fortunately) did not re-ignite.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c170/RockyRaab/hangfire.jpg

Note the lack of deterrent, the fused kernels and the apparent severely reduced charge amount.

This is what happens when people know more than the ballistic labs - or think they do.

[btroj]

Great photo Rocky. H110 is a great powder, it just needs to be saved for specific uses. Like max charges only.

[felix]

A tailor made SEE situation. Thankfully, most folks shoot these loads in revolters where there is ample pressure excape between the boolit and case. ... felix

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

If you want to down load a tad try 2400 or BlueDot . . . a big drop is TrailBoss!

[1Shirt]

To me this points out the need for more than one reloading manual. Comparisons
between manuals give you a good idea of what is what. There is always a possibility (slim tho it may be) of a missprint in a manual.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[kelbro]

Thanks for the responses. I have seen the 3% rule a few times. Upon further inspection, there are loads throughout the book using H110 and all of them show about 2.5% reduction from the max as the min. I doubt that they are all misprints and they have been in there for years. If people had been blowing up pistols, I am sure that we would have heard about it.

Still, Hodgdon did not make a conscious decision to start publishing DO NOT REDUCE just to sell more powder. There must be something to it. Maybe extreme temps or some other corner case caused erratic behavior.

That's OK, I have a great 700X load for that bullet that I can use.

[HighHook]

I talked to the Hogdon guys at the shotshow in Vegas on thursday and they said w296 and H110 are identical. There was 2 guys i was talking to at the same time and both agreed on this because it has been an issue of mine for years. For whatever its worth...
Great show by the way! To much walking and gambling last week...

[Rocky Raab]

True story. I have been to Vegas, Mesquite, Reno, Winnemucca and Wendover, Nevada at least 50 times. I have dropped exactly ONE quarter in a slot machine - and won eight bucks.

I don't think there's another person on the planet who can say they beat Nevada to the tune of 3200%.