Loading for multiple handguns chambered for the same cartridge

[ABJ]

What does one learn? I have done the same thing over the years but other than having something to talk about at the Gun Shop or the range with other shooters really what has one actually accomplished? Except to make the checking account lighter and figuring out that there are no magical combos that makes a poor shot a fair shot, a fair shot an average shot, an average shot a good shot, a good shot an excellent shot, and an excellent shot a phenomenal shot?
I've never seen that happen.
Harking back to Mr. Keith, when his 4 inch M29 was lifted and until it was returned, him not knowing if he would get it back, wonder if he worked up a load for the one he carried in its absence to extract the last bit of accuracy for it or if he just crammed some Keith loads he already had in it because he knew the would do whatever he needed to do with the gun?

The learning I was referring to is this. My 38 wadcutter on top of 3.5 Unique is not what I consider a known go to load vs the standard 2.8/2.9 Bullseye load which everyone has heard is a go to load. I happened on this load through experimentation. Having shot this load in all my 38's and 357's and every 38/357 that comes to our range, (all total comes to around 30 different firearms) it has proven to be very accurate in everyone of those guns. Is it the most accurate in each? Sometimes yes and sometimes no, but in the no guns it was a very slim difference.
So, What did I learn? I learned that every new 38/357 that comes down the road this is the load I start with if I want a wadcutter load.
Now if I want a 158 grain load I have the same story as above with HP-38/158 grain boolits.
None of what I said has anything to do with one's ability to shoot well, that takes a lot of practice, but one needs to practice with an accurate load. I have accurate loads that "I" don't shoot well offhand and there's the rub, either learn to shoot that load or find a load you can shoot to your standard of accuracy.
I would like to think that anyone that shot as much as Elmer Keith would have had a standard load to start with, on a new to him gun. If it preformed well then no problem, if not then that's where the tinkering begun.
Tony

[44MAG#1]

Who said it had to be a Single Action? I sure didn't say that.

You would get the same answer. Single action handguns don't work for me. My knuckles get beat up shooting them.
The only cartridge I can shoot in a single action revolver without pain is 22lr.

I was initially referring to a load that shot so badly that it made you look like a bad shooter regardless of how good you were.

[robertbank]

For what I do I have a few fall back loads I use. I have shot over $K rounds of different loads for different calibers. When I find one that I shoot well and it performs well over the Chrony I just stick to it. My 45 Colt load I like is 8 gr of Unique. If I go to 8.5 it begins to hurt and I don't do hurt well. In any one caliber one load shoots about the same as another. Other than testing for new powder I might find interesting I pretty much stick to a half dozen powders. After 40 years of this you tend to acquire favourites and stick with them.

Take Care

Bob
ps I do get excited though when I pick up a new revolver like my new 10MM Ruger. That is when testing starts the juices going.

[tazman]

Who said it had to be a Single Action? I sure didn't say that.

No you didn't say that. I did because that is the one that causes me problems.

[memtb]

For myself, I guess I have two answers. If the uses are for plinking, or self-defense where peak accuracy is not the goal....make the loads reliable and at safe operating pressures for all of the users. If the goal is match type competition or for hunting use....the load is tailored specifically for that handgun! memtb

[44MAG#1]

That seems sensible. When tuning for a hunting load do you look at bullet performance once it strikes game, only accuracy without regard for bullet performance once it enters the game or a combination of both? Or do you give up some accuracy for the performance on game or give up some performance on game for more accuracy?
Same question on self defense. Now on plinking since bullet performance on target is less important do you load an accurate load of just any load, as long as it is safe, just to plink?
On the Match Ammo do you look for NRA Bullseye accuracy for all types of matches such as NRA Bullseye, IDPA, USPSA IPSC, or IHMSA matches or do you taylor the Match Loads depending on the type of match?

For myself, I guess I have two answers. If the uses are for plinking, or self-defense where peak accuracy is not the goal....make the loads reliable and at safe operating pressures for all of the users. If the goal is match type competition or for hunting use....the load is tailored specifically for that handgun! memtb

[bangerjim]

I load every cal the same for all the guns in that cal.

I do not split hairs.

I do NOT shoot any kind of accuracy competition at all.

I do not hunt for food.

I do not ever weigh/sort boolits.

I just have fun!

[memtb]

44MAG#1, please understand that this is simply my criteria.....others may disagree!

For hunting, I’m looking for accuracy and velocity. I use a relatively heavy for caliber, WFN, cast bullet.....in my case, a 400 grain .452”. So....the bullet performance, is simply what that type of bullet will produce! The hunting load is tailored specifically for that firearm, both in accuracy and pressure considerations.

For self-defense (for humans) as shots will likely be “up close and personal”, a reputable expanding bullet, with very reliable feeding (semi-auto), is mandatory. I simply want something is closely matching factory velocities. Accuracy is secondary, as the shots will be a close range, and aimed for center mass..... shots taken under duress and likely rapid fire won’t be measured for group size! Provided the cartridge will feed reliable through all firearm considered.....the cartridges are not firearm specific. If the distances involved will require “match potential”....the subject is far enough away that a rifle may be the preferred firearm. Generally speaking.....you use the handgun to provide the time to get you to your rifle!

For plinking....the loads would be well under max, and only decent, acceptable accuracy is needed (at least for myself).....not match potential! If a semi-auto will be used....your primary concern would be proper feeding in all handguns considered. It shouldn’t be difficult, as this a fairly broad goal. A revolver is very forgiving pertaining to cartridges fitting in the cylinder. Provided they fit in all firearms used, and are under “plus p” pressures, and are somewhat accurate.....they should work well in any revolver or that caliber designation for training/plinking purposes! Just to give an example: a 38 Special, 148 grain wad-cutter, pushed by 2.7 grains of Bullseye should chamber and be totally safe in any revolver from a S&W Chief Special to a S&W Model 28 (N Frame). This is a good, safe plinking/practice load in virtually any firearm chambered for the 38 Special cartridge. My plinking round for my 44 Mag is 9.0 grains of Unique under a 215grain cast bullet. Very accurate, very tame and can be fired from any 44 Magnum handgun.

I don’t actually shoot competition. For my hunting rounds, I base my desired accuracy upon what that firearm should be capable of with that bullet...through internet, and reloading manual information available!

Summary: For my needs, the only cartridge that would be firearm specific...... would be a cartridge operating at maximum pressures while desiring maximum accuracy! memtb

[EMC45]

If you get a chance, try that 3 grain powder charge under a 125 grain rnfp. It shoots great in my handguns albeit a little low. Recoil about like a 22lr.
Probably about 700fps.

I believe I've tried that load. I have the Lee mold for the 125gr RNFP bullet. I like them all!!

[tazman]

I believe I've tried that load. I have the Lee mold for the 125gr RNFP bullet. I like them all!!

Same mold I use for that boolit. I use it in both 38 Special and 9mm.

memtb--I neither hunt with handguns or shoot competitive target. I agree with most of your specifications for a defensive handgun except I put one more criteria in there. I want it to be accurate enough at 8 yards(the distance from my bedroom door to the front door) to be able to put a round into a 2 inch circle most shots, roughly the size of an eye-socket. If somebody is trying to hide behind a member of my family and all I can see is his eye, I can still take him out.
On the street, I would agree with everything you said.
I know about stress and what it does to most people. I also know how I react to stress having been in stressful situations several times. During the situation, I am cold as ice. When the situation ends, I fall apart or nearly so. I am odd that way. That means I can plan for it and worry about afterwards later.

[memtb]

tazman, I think that just about any decent hand load (unless there is a firearm issue) should be capable of 2” groups @ 8 yards! Maybe I’m more particular than I thought I was!

By the way....I respond to a stress situation in a similar fashion. When I was much younger, and just really getting into hunting big game, I was rock steady......until the shot, then get the shakes! memtb

[trapper9260]

For me I let the gun tell me what it likes . I do have different loads for each gun . no matter if it is the same cartridge . I will test some of one to see it will work in another gun. I do like load development. I learn more from that .

[tazman]

tazman, I think that just about any decent hand load (unless there is a firearm issue) should be capable of 2” groups @ 8 yards! Maybe I’m more particular than I thought I was!

By the way....I respond to a stress situation in a similar fashion. When I was much younger, and just really getting into hunting big game, I was rock steady......until the shot, then get the shakes! memtb

I remember the first deer I shot with a bow and arrow. I did nearly everything wrong but was thinking clearly and got the shot off and made a good hit. Within a couple of seconds after the arrow hit the deer, I was shaking so badly, I couldn't put another arrow on the string.

I am basing that group size at 8 yards more on my capabilities than that of the gun. I have to be able to shoot it that well.

[Forrest r]

Life is too short to keep any pistol/revolver around that is out of speck. If I really like that firearm I'll work on it to make it right. But more often then not it goes down the road.

Typically I make 2 or 3 loads that are specific for a firearm that I want to use with accuracy being most important. From there I'll test the same loads in any other pistols/revolvers that are chambered in that caliber & pick 1 of those loads that does reasonably well in all of them.

Over the years I've found that if I have an accurate load in 1 pistol/revolver that same load tends to be accurate in other pistols/revolvers.

[Larry Gibson]

"Over the years I've found that if I have an accurate load in 1 pistol/revolver that same load tends to be accurate in other pistols/revolvers."

Agree with Forrest r 100%....applies to rifles too.

[Bmi48219]

If They’re the same cartridge they get the same load. If I can’t get one to function properly after a few months it’s down the road.

[BigAlofPa.]

Im happy with hitting pop cans at 25 yards. So a run of the mill load works for me in hand gun. For rifle i like to find what the rifle likes the best.

[smkummer]

2.8 grains bullseye and the lee 125 RF cast bullet is my cowboy action shooting load. It’s borderline for proper pressure. When I tried an undersized 125 RN for 9mm, the report was weak compared to a proper bang with the 358 diameter bullet. All my 38/357 revolvers are colts. They are like what I feed it. If I had one that was “out of spec” with the others, I would either have it fixed or trade it off.

[sniper]

For years, and a S&W 19, Dan Wesson, S&W 586 and Ruger GP 100 have always used 5.5 gr Unique, with complete satisfaction. Reliable, accurate, pleasant to shoot 150-160 gr cast boolits and 125, 130, 135 158 gr J word, too! 860 Chronoed. 4" I've been talking myself into upping the ante with 6.0 gr. Unique, and I have AA#5 and Univeresal just waiting.

[onelight]

I load 90% of my handgun ammo like you do taz. I want all of it to work in any pistol I put it in.
But occasionally I will work up loads for a particular gun trying to get the best performance , accuracy and or power.