.38-55 & app

Hope was high as we hit the range today. Put together 10 ea. of LEE's 379-250-RF boolits with 33,35&39 gr/weight APP.
Boolits seated to the crimping ring, comressed to accomadate, .040 fiber wad & LEE alox.
The gun liked the 33 gr. load the best, but were a
ways from where I'd like them to be. The others, all over the place. I'm thinkin' the gun don't like them boolits too well.

While we where, I had loaded up some APP loads for the 45-70, using the Lyman 457193 405 gr boolit @ 55 & 52 gr./weight. I figured might as well give them a try.......... Lets just say I wasted my time on those.

Knarley

first off I do not know what APP stands for [I know huh? 8-)]. second I really like my 38's [have two ... single shot and an old 93 Marlin]. I have some loaded with Cartridge grade GOEX ... matter of fact I loaded 55 grains in the case and compressed enough to load my Tom Accurate molds 250 grain boolit to the crimp groove. haven't shot em yet but hope to soon.

would be very interested in what the sub's do in these 38-55 cases. what a great old cartridge.

no smiles tho with the 45-70 huh? what kind of accuracy are we talkin about with the 38?

I use the Lee as cast from Lyman #2 alloy over 9 gns of Unique and lubed with liquid alox. Groups are about 1.5" at 75 yds.

APP= American Pioneer Powder it's a black powder "sub".............
Both guns are shooting all over the place but it is NOT the fault of the powder.
They don't like the boolits they are getting fed. And a few other details.
That situation is going to be remedied soon.

Knarley

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APP= American Pioneer Powder it's a black powder "sub".............

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Knarley, in case you didn't see it, there is now a separate category for substitute powder discussion
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...er-Substitutes
This category has been dedicate only to "Original Gunpowder"

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Originally Posted by John Boy

Knarley, in case you didn't see it, there is now a separate category for substitute powder discussion
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...er-Substitutes
This category has been dedicate only to "Original Gunpowder"

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Ummm.............
This IS the "Subs" category.........

Knarley ... Opps! My bad

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Originally Posted by John Boy

Knarley ... Opps! My bad

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No pro-blemo..........8-)

thanks for the explanation on the powder. I look forward to seeing how you get along with this powder.

buff arms has boolits for sale already lubed and sized in 50 round box's and might I recommend the 275 grain .380 boolit from them to experiment with. these boolits have so impressed me that I purchased their mold for this same boolit ... just wish I had gotten the double instead of the single mold tho.

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Originally Posted by bigted

thanks for the explanation on the powder. I look forward to seeing how you get along with this powder.

buff arms has boolits for sale already lubed and sized in 50 round box's and might I recommend the 275 grain .380 boolit from them to experiment with. these boolits have so impressed me that I purchased their mold for this same boolit ... just wish I had gotten the double instead of the single mold tho.

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I have been using this powder for quite some time for cowboy action shooting. The wife and I both use it for rifle,pistol & shotgun. The boom isn't quite the same, and it doesn't throw the flame and sparks like black. But it sure shines if ya like smoke! Cleans up with soap & water like black, but one doesn't have to use special lubes for it. Runs thru a progressive press just fine. We buy a case at the beginning of the year. Measures volume to volume to black.

Knarley

The APP site sure does list a lot of don'ts for loading cartridges. One thing that stands out is their advice not to compress the stuff as it's supposed to give lots of velocity spread. The other thing is not to have air space in the case. The stuff sounds like a one trick pony for cartridges. Or more exactly, a powder that isn't good except when you've found exactly the right amount.

It sounds like you're proving their advice about one load, or maybe finding out why they gave that advice. Which of the three (33,35,39) was closest to filling the case with just a bit of compression? Their advice might not be as important for pistol cartridges or shooting that doesn't demand much accuracy, but would be worth trying for a rifle cartridge you want to shoot with some accuracy.

General loading instructions are to fill the case with our loose powder just to the point where the base of the bullet will very slightly compress the powder, about 1/16", when it is seated. NO FURTHER COMPRESSION is recommended or advisable and will result in increase pressures and erratic velocities! It is important that no air space or gap be left when the bullet is seated, and the use of fillers is not recommended for general cartridge shooting, but is often required and acceptable for achieving the lower velocities desired in Cowboy Action Shooting.