A morning with the 10mm

[Love Life]

I finally picked up my Delta Elite off of lay-away yesterday. Fit and finish was what I expected. The gun wasn't super tight, and those grip medallions sure were pretty!

I got up this morning and loaded some ammo working up the load ladder for both WSF and 800X.

I went to the range and proceeded to shoot. After the first magazine I checked the barrel. Slight leading at the end of tha barrel. No biggie so I continued to test loads. As the loads got hotter, the leading started farther down the barrel. This was for both powders. No biggie though. The boolit was running out of lube. I only applied 1 light coat of 50/50 LLA/mineral spirits. I always start small with lube and go from there. I just brushed the barrel out with a brush wrapped with chore boy between each magazine. I found a good accurate midrange load with WSF and a good accurate barn burner with the 800X. Now that I have accurate loads I can test lubes.

I'll start the lube tests with uncut LLA, speed green, lotak hard, and thompson blue angel. I figure between the 4 of those I should find one lube that works. If not it is time to reexamine the issue.

I fired 100 rounds and didn't have a single FTF, FTE, or any other malfunction. Needless to say I was happy. Nothing like spending a ton on a 1911 and it is a jam-o-matic. One thing I discovered (I rediscover this everytime I buy a 1911) is that I can conceal a full size 1911 as good as, if not better, than my Glock 26.

All in all I am happy. I don't trust it with my life yet, but after a few more range trips with no malfunctions I will. Enjoy the eye candy!

Edited to add: I just looked at the loading info in "Pet loads" and it shows 7.5 grains of 800-X to be the max load. My Lyman 49th manual lists 8.6 grains as the max load. Did they reformulate 800-X at some point? I went above the lyman book max with no high pressure signs at all.

[Skrenos]

Which bullet?

[Love Life]

Lee 175 grain truncated cone. I now see that the "Pet Loads" load was a 185 gr boolit. This gun is very fun to shoot and accurate as all get out. I forgot to mention that on the way out of the range I scored me a jack rabbit for the pot!

[Skrenos]

You can go a lot higher with 800-x and be safe. Can't guarantee no leading. 180gr with 10.5gr of 800-x will give you about 1350fps.

[Love Life]

Holy smokes!!! I plan to continue to work up loads for both powders. I don't care too much about leading right now. I am just loading up and checking for high pressure so I can establish a ceiling of sorts. Once I get that Ironed out then I can worry about the leading.

[Skrenos]

That's why I love 800-x. You can get insane velocities with relatively low peak pressures. McNett over on Glocktalk developed his 10mm nuclear loads using 800-x... which became Doubletap ammunition.


Here's a general chart for bullet weight, powder charge and average velocity.

135 - 14.5 - 1600
155 - 12.5 - 1500
165 - 11.7 - 1450
175 - 11.0 - 1400
180 - 10.7 - 1350
200 - 09.7 - 1250
220 - 09.0 - 1150

These worked fine in my Eaa Witness full size steel gun with extra power recoil springs. I think they were 20lb springs (standard 14lbs). Extra power firing pin spring. CCI large pistol magnum. No over-pressure signs in my gun. YMMV, play safe.

[subsonic]

The problem with 800x is that it doesn't meter. If you are throwing charges, you have to stay way low because some throws will be way over your setting. If you weigh each charge, or can figure a way to throw it consistently, you can go very high. The old books show some "real" data with it and it sings.

[Love Life]

The problem with 800x is that it doesn't meter. If you are throwing charges, you have to stay way low because some throws will be way over your setting. If you weigh each charge, or can figure a way to throw it consistently, you can go very high. The old books show some "real" data with it and it sings.

Got me a RCBS chargemaster for the sole purpose of working with the cranky powders. I remember don't who said it, but 800-X is a BIG flake. I though unique was big until I poured some 800 X out.

I also use it for IMR4895. I will gladly say it was one of those investments worth the money. While I seat and crimp the machine is dispensing the next charge.

[EMC45]

800X is some good powder......It is just so darn big!

[LUBEDUDE]

Congrats on your Delta Love Life, looks like you are wasting no time enjoying it!

I had set up a table at a gun show this weekend to raise cash for unexpected bills. The guy next to me had a Delta SS with an Aimpoint on it for $825 all weekend just calling me. Even though I already have one, I sure was tempted, being a gun addict an all. But I resisted, had to have cash, FINALLY someone bought it late Sunday. Whew!

Shoot Straight

[LUBEDUDE]

800X is some good powder......It is just so darn big!

Agree/Disagree

I was talked into to buying a keg because it shoots so consistent in 45's. And boy you can drop your hat on the ground and all your empties will fall right in it. Amazing.
However, it is/was the nastiest, dirtiest, most foul powder I have ever shot!

Now this was 8-10 yrs ago, hopefully they Did reformulate it and clean it up?

[Love Life]

800-X is like a little bottle full of flying saucers! I will be loading more ammo this week using the loads I have already established just so I can have something to shoot at the NCBS.

Next week I'll start in depth on working up the load ladder for WSF and 800-X and lube experimentation. Perhaps a call to accurate molds is in order so I can get a gas checked boolit.

All I need to do now is finish trimming my starline brass. I really hate trimming brass! I will say that as I got higher and higher on th 800-x the recoil got more fun. It is a very accurate gun, and should earn it's keep bumming around the desert here.

[Love Life]

The only thing that concerns me about the pistol is the guide rod. It is made of plastic. I wonder how it will hold up over time to the pressures of the 10mm cartridge.

[thegreatdane]

The problem with 800x is that it doesn't meter. If you are throwing charges, you have to stay way low because some throws will be way over your setting. If you weigh each charge, or can figure a way to throw it consistently, you can go very high. The old books show some "real" data with it and it sings.

I've found that 800x meters much better when using the rifle powder measure. My theory is that the narrow volume channel gets plugged up by the large grain powders. Of course, this means you're on the very bottom of the rifle measure, but in my experience, it works. Essentially, it's no longer long and skinny, but wide and shallow.