380 ACP OAL question for 95 grain flat nose

[dgreene]

I'm working up a load for my LCP using a 95 grain flat nose cast with the Lee tumble lube mold with pure wheel weight and about a foot of plumbers solder per 4 lbs. Lyman data states that a jacketed boolit of same size and shape has a starting load of 2.1gr and an overall length of .900.

Target loads from Winchester have a 95 grain fmj flat point and have an OAL of .940

I'm using win231 and was thinking I'd match the OAL of ^ that cartridge, and work up a load starting about 2.5 grains and work up to about 2.8

I know OAL is fairly critical in 380, so I'm a little leery about the Lymans data being that it's a whole 40 thousandths less than everything else I've seen out there. Not finding a lot of data on this shape of boolit, but pulling the projectile from a factory Winchester load the actual bullet is nearly identical in size and shape.

Has anyone any experience with this particular boolit? With such a short barrel I don't think I will have to worry about velocity, but being that the OAL is the information I'm looking for I was thinking pressure may be an issue. I guess loading at .940 at the worst will give me low pressure, and as long as it chambers and doesn't prevent it from going into battery I'm guessing it will be safe, I'll have to check the actual cartridge in my chamber and see. I'd appreciate some guidance on this, 3 weeks of google searching and I have managed to come up with precisely squat.

[fecmech]

I believe that bullet is a copy of the Ranch Dog 100RF and he listed a number of reloads on his site using an oal of .924. His max load with 231 was 3.7 grs for a velocity of 897 FPS out of a 2.84" bbl. I believe his loads were generated using Quickload software. I don't think the site is up anymore.
I can tell you my little Keltec with that bullet at 900 fps is a somewhat exciting to shoot. I use Bullseye and load 2.9 grs for practice and max 3.6 for service loads. The 3.6 load gives me 900 fps and what RD lists as max for BE. Good luck with your Ruger.

[w5pv]

I shoot a 102 grain lrn over 2.1 grains of tite group.It seems to be pretty accurate 20 yards but who cares when the use of this round is for stick it in their belly pull the trigger type load.It is for self defence load only.

[dgreene]

fecmec - Yeah I was looking for that site today. I'm new to loading for the 380. I guess I will just have to experiment with it. I will be using 231 though for sure I have a ton of it laying around, but someone else told me titegroup was great for 9mm and 380 so I might pick some up next week if I can find it. Never hurts to have powder and primers around.

I think you are correct that it's practically the same boolit as the ranch dog but 5 gr lighter. I was just thinking that the OAL measurement might be hard to accurately predict because of the flat tip. Lyman 49th edition lists a FMJ that has the same profile and weight OAL as .900 starting 2.1gr and ending 2.9gr.. velocity 704 to 939fps and it lists the 2.9 0f 231 as the most accurate load as well but that's with a FMJ. I really need to buy a chrono already is what I was just thinking. The LCP has a 2 3/4 inch barrel I believe the Lyman data was a 3 3/4 or 4 inch barrel.. I'm probably safe with the same data anyway at that speed.

I'm going to make up some 5 round groups of different loads, I'll post my results.

Meanwhile while I was searching the forum for information I ended up on the post about powder coating bullets... for like 2 hours! Looks interesting. One thing I have always hated about shooting cast is the smoke. It interferes with my love of the smell of burnt powder :grin:

[rking22]

I'm going to guess that the Lee is a copy of the RD and will weigh the same. My group buy(a Lee mold) runs 105 with my soft alloy. I shoot 231 in my Berettas ,haven't loaded any in a while and don't trust my memory. It is plenty enough, and less than the 3.7 that is listed. I consider my load max due to being a shorter OAL and will not go close to 3.7gr. Capacity changes REALLY fast in the 380 with seating depth changes. Again don't remember the OAL. I will post tomorrow when I can check.

[RobsTV]

Do the plunk test.

In a Sig P238, have them loaded at .940 OAL with 3.4gr of W231. Work excellent.

Quickload shows:
QL data: 98gr .411, oal = .940, 3.45gr w231,839fps, 15136 psi

[fecmech]

One thing I have always hated about shooting cast is the smoke. It interferes with my love of the smell of burnt powder :grin:
With those tiny grooves on that .380 bullet you get hardly any smoke. BTW if you like the smell of burnt powder you won't get it by powder coating. What you get is the smell of burnt paint!

[rking22]

I'm at 3.1 of Win231 with a 105 gr RD OAL of .930. Good load, over 900 fps in my B84 and consistently reliable for function and accuracy.

[dgreene]

No I don't think I'd like the smell of burnt paint! Thanks for the info guys

[dgreene]

Have some test rounds loaded. The bullets average 95gr so it's not an exact copy of that other bullet.

Loaded 5 each at 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1 all with OAL of .940 heading out to the range now will see how they do.

[dgreene]

Great.. all of em work. No idea which is the most accurate LOL I'll have to wait for a more clear day my 15 yard target was blowing all over the damn place but I was on paper with all of them (meaning on a sheet of printer paper). The Largest load actually felt the most right tho which is what I am looking for, it's not exactly a target gun after all. I'm going to see what autodisk hole drops the closest load to that and set it up for a production run. fecmec you were 100% correct there was NO smoke. Really glad I picked up this micro-groove mold. I had been buying hard cast for it and they smoked.

Worked up a really nice load for my XDm 3.8 9mm too, 4.5 gr Win231 on a CCI primer topped with a 124 gr berry's plated at OAL 1.130 really accurate round, I'm going to play with the OAL on that one I think I can improve upon it a bit.

[fecmech]

That is a very neat little bullet and I think it would work well in the 9MM as a lead saving plinker. I tried mine in my .38 spl also and it was very accurate to 50 yds out of my S&W 14. I posted a thread on it a couple years ago. Glad it worked out for you.

[rking22]

fecmech, could you post a little more detail on your M14 with this bullet post, I would like to dig it up and read it. I load the 105 RD for my daughter's M36.
thanks, and sorry for the "side trip"

[fecmech]

fecmech, could you post a little more detail on your M14 with this bullet post, I would like to dig it up and read it. I load the 105 RD for my daughter's M36.
thanks, and sorry for the "side trip"


Here ya go.http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?139563-Ranch-Dog-380-bullet-38-spl

[rking22]

thank you , much appriciated!

[Land Owner]

I get 104 grains cast from 49/49/2% - Pb/WW/Sn using the RanchDog TL380-100-RF 6-cavity aluminum mold.
Sized to 0.356" diameter and cases stuffed with 4.5 grains of IMR 700X,
these little pills are crimped to the top groove, unknown OAL, fit the magazine, and
shoot to point of aim ringing hardened steel plow discs all day long,
they disintegrate and vaporize on impact,
through a pair of Walther PPK, one blue one SST.

I make 'em and shoot 'em by the thousands. SWEET!

[fcvan]

I bought the Lee 356-95 RF mould a while back and cast with it like I always do, that is letting the alloy hit the top of the sprue plate and fill both holes at the same time. I get great fill out on my other molds but not this one. I made the mistake of casing, ESPC coating, assembling and taking them to the range. I didn't measure the boolit and they were way undersized, and tapered at the base to boot. I seat to where the front of the drive band is flush with the case mouth over 3 grains of bullseye. I had rounds separate during cycling. After I figured it out I started casting with the stream straight into the sprue hole and voila! No more tapered boolits!

This is boolit cycles and feeds very well in my various .380 pistols, notably the Glock 42. I've used the 356-102 1R for 30 years without a hitch but the 95 RF prints good holes on target. I've even loaded some in .38 spl just to have some light plinkers for new shooters. Great performance, stingy on lead. I've done some tinkering with 9mm loads and they tend to print a bit lower which is to be expected. Crimping at the front of the band has worked in each of he above. I intend to do some tinkering with this boolit in a .357 Sig just for giggles. I also need to try it in a 9mm AR pistol, but it is finicky about anything but RN profiles. We shall wait and see how that goes.

[Boolseye]

Yep, great mold. That and the 356-102-2R are both great for the .380.
I load the Lee TL356-95 RF to .930" over 2.8 gr. BE.