Loadings

[black mamba]

I do a fair amount of shooting (about 600 rounds/month) and would like to find lower powered, less expensive loads that were accurate, but generally they are less accurate than loads between 950 and 1100 fps. I shoot only handguns that caliber starts with .4, so 800 fps loads would be easier on the old hands, but they are hard to find.

[charlie b]

Each gun I have loaded for liked different loads, even if they were the same caliber.

.357magnum in a DA revolver, SA revolver, lever action and contender all liked different loads. The DA revolver did like max loads but only with lighter bullets. Contender liked max but only with heaviest bullets. etc, etc. Same with other pistols and rifles in other calibers.

No, I didn't vote.

[ACC]

I do a fair amount of shooting (about 600 rounds/month) and would like to find lower powered, less expensive loads that were accurate, but generally they are less accurate than loads between 950 and 1100 fps. I shoot only handguns that caliber starts with .4, so 800 fps loads would be easier on the old hands, but they are hard to find.

I shoot about 1200 rounds a month, and I too want lighter loads to punch paper, but sometimes they are not very accurate. I load stiff loads when I go after feral hogs and feral dogs as I want them dead when they hit the ground.

My Ruger 7.62X39 likes close to max loads of H322 but I can back off when using CFE223 and get almost the same velocity and accuracy. Problem is trying to find that stuff locally.

ACC

[veeman]

For me load testing seems never ending. So many variables. I've settled on my 45 ACP, 40SW, and 357sig target loads. for hitting golf balls and paper, good enough. Still working on the dozen or so other calibers I have.

[Tall]

The poll doesn't have what I do. I use the starting load. If that is clean and accurate, I stop and use that. If it's not accurate, or clean enough, I increase it slightly and try again. It's all about cleanliness and accuracy for me.

[Maven]

What Tall said!

[Bazoo]

I reload at various pressures. Sometimes it's starting loads, sometimes it's middle, and sometimes it's max. I don't necessarily reload for accuracy, rather for the purpose I want the ammo to serve.

For 357 Magnum, my best load so far is a max load with W296. I found good accuracy with 44 Special in the middle of the data. 45 acp was accurate at about 75%.

For 30-30 (yes I know this is a handgun thread) though, with my 31141 I get better accuracy with 30.0 grains of W748, but I load 32.0 most of the time. The reason is, it matches factory ammo. I like the power. It's still accurate.

[Grootjoseph]

For my rifles I find the most accurate load, Pistol I look for a load that cycles reliably. Normally on the low end of the scale.

[Harter66]

With those choices I can't vote .

I shoot hot 45 Colts loads but the max Colts loads I shoot are really not all that spicy in the BlackHawk I shoot them in . So while they're max SAA loads they're only start loads in the Ruger .

45 S&W I run pretty hot with it's 14 kpsi max and 900 fps 230 yr loads I'm pushing probably 18 kpsi in the Bubba'd up 3-1/2" 1917 getting almost 1000 fps . Way over max but only a start load in the arm .

The XD40 was still closing groups when the data peaked out , so yeah I shoot a max load there .

In the 38s ..... Well I guess I maxed out there to but it kind of depends on which data I'm using ...... I don't load the just barely a Model 10 with the idea of killing anything more aggressive than a Dr Pepper can but it takes a little more than a start load to hit the sights .

Excluding the XD40 the autos only get one step above clean function. That's rarely much over the middle of the load window.

357 ...... If a 158 at 1100 fps doesn't disrupt enough tissue with the 358-158 Lee that's practically a WC I likely have problems another 100-150 fps aren't going to fix anyway . Actually the best groups are closer to 1000 fps .

In pistols I load 4cartriges in 45 , 1 in 40 , 380 ,9 , 38 , 357, 38 Short , and a couple of brass salvage 9×?? rimmed.

I guess my vote would be I work up every bullet in each arm and see what I get if the max loads are where it the little groups that's what we shoot. Otherwise it something less occasionally a lot less .

[ACC]

I'm just getting started reloading 30/30. Hopefully get it out to the range Wednesday. It is a Savage 240(?) I think bolt action. I cast some LEE 150 grain bullets and loaded it up with some 3031. Hopefully these near factory rounds will shoot good enough for feral hogs.

ACC

[MT Gianni]

Not nearly enough choices. My most accurate 38 special loads from Lyman 45 are now called "Way over the top high pressure reduce 10%".
My 44 magnum is equally accurate with Red Dot loads around 950 fps and screamers at 1400 fps. 32 Long seems to do best around 800 fps, 44 Special at or near 1000 fps.
Auto pistols are rarely if ever given max loads, as I rarely would need them.

Does the 10 mm Glock get carried in the backcountry with a 150 gr powder puff load that might be more accurate than a 200 gr backed by a max load of WC820?
For me, everything isn't always about accuracy but about intended use. So, some calibers get middle of the road, some get no stress to the gun and some get shoved hard.

[rintinglen]

Well, I chose midrange loads, because the vast majority of my shooting is there. I have very seldom found best accuracy with a max pressure, peak load. I fire probably 1,500 shots for every one I've fired at game and that's only if you count ground squirrels and jackrabbits. I have fired probably +200,000 without ever having to drop the hammer in a serious confrontation, though I have come close twice. My carry stuff is factory these days, My .303 Savage is loaded 1 1/2 grains under max, everything else is just for funsies. Even my 44 mag is loaded lighter than I used to load.

[rbuck351]

I use different loads for different handguns and for different uses. Hunting, protection, 50' indoor pistol and plinking all take different guns and different loads. This post is a write in ballot and I think I'm on the winning side.

[Mauser88]

All middle of the road for me. No sense in max. loads for me as all I do is target shoot.