Store bought VS Home swaged

[Sasquatch-1]

I recently noticed a strange event while at the range this week. I had a box of 50 rounds of 44 mag that I had reloaded with Hornady 180 grn XTP's I had bought before I got the swaging equipment. I had loaded 10 grns of Unique with Magnum primers. I also had some home swaged 180's loaded the same way. I was using a mid 70's vintage New Model Ruger SBH with 7.5" barrell. Only modification ever done to the SBH is replacing the base pins. The problem was that at 25 yds the store bought shot 12" to 14" lower then the home brews. I could understands maybe a couple of inches but this amount baffles me.

Any comments?

I have never measured the difference from the cylinder and the forcing cone. Accuracy in the same types (swaged vs store bought) was acceptable for my ability.

[BT Sniper]

Did you use 40 S&W brass for jackets?

If so, you most likely got a higher FPS with the brass jacketed bullet. Not to mention that any change in compent may cause a change in POI.

The brass jacketed bullet is probably longer then the Hornady. Could be slightly larger diameter? Could create a little more pressure all relating to more FPS and a change of POI vs. factory. My guess is the gun had nothing to do with the shift in POI it is all in the bullet.

Either way good shooting and swage on!

BT

[BT Sniper]

Here is a bit of info for you

When I was testing the 255 grain 44 cal bullets made from 40 S&W brass against the 240 grain hornady XTP I was able to achieve the same FPS with one less grain of powder for the brass jacket.

ie. if I got 1200 FPS with the 240 grain hornady using 21 grains of w-296 I was able to get 1200 fps with the brass jacketed 255 grain bullet using 20 grains of w-296.

It all comes down to standard reloading precautions and the differences between different complents no matter if they do weight the same.

Good shooting and stay safe

BT

[Sasquatch-1]

Did you use 40 S&W brass for jackets?

If so, you most likely got a higher FPS with the brass jacketed bullet. Not to mention that any change in compent may cause a change in POI.

The brass jacketed bullet is probably longer then the Hornady. Could be slightly larger diameter? Could create a little more pressure all relating to more FPS and a change of POI vs. factory. My guess is the gun had nothing to do with the shift in POI it is all in the bullet.

Either way good shooting and swage on!

BT

It was using the .40 S&W jackets and I do believe they may have been just a tad bigger. Never miked them. I was just surprised at how much lower the Hornady actually shot.

[DukeInFlorida]

Sounds like a good reason to stick with the home swaged.

[BT Sniper]

sounds like a good reason to stick with the home swaged.

Amen to that!

[frank martinez]

I had been using Woodleigh bullets in my .470 Nitro Express rifle and have had the load standardized my the maker and original owner. The load was exactly 1 inch high at 50 yards and grouping very well. I recently started shooting swagged bullets which are printing 5 to 6 inches high at the same 50 yards. When I put calipers to them I found the Woodleighs were .474 and the swagged were .477. The difference was causing the higher pressure and the higher pressure meant FPS faster from 2100 to 2350 hence the higher POI. I took all the swagged bullets to the press and redid them in a different die and now have .4755. Still larger than the Woodleigh. I will run them through a Chronograph and see where the velocity is and then decide what to do with the powder charge.
Frank

[Sasquatch-1]

It is amazing that such a small difference in size makes such a large difference in pressure and velocity. Glad I wasn't loading full house loads and will have to work up to them carefully. (As is always stated in the manuels.)