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View Poll Results: Hand Loading For Hand Guns

Voters
78. You may not vote on this poll
  • Only Max Loads Are Accurate In My Guns

    0 0%
  • Middle Of The Road Loads Work Best In My Guns

    62 79.49%
  • Only Starting Loads Shoot Good In My Guns

    2 2.56%
  • I Don't Care

    14 17.95%
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Results 21 to 37 of 37

Thread: Loadings

  1. #21
    Boolit Buddy
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    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.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    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.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master ACC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by black mamba View Post
    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

  4. #24
    Boolit Master veeman's Avatar
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    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.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master Tall's Avatar
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    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.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master Maven's Avatar
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    Thumbs up

    What Tall said!

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    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.
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  8. #28
    Boolit Bub Grootjoseph's Avatar
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    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.

  9. #29
    Boolit Grand Master Harter66's Avatar
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    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 .
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  10. #30
    Boolit Master ACC's Avatar
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    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

  11. #31
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    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.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  12. #32
    Boolit Grand Master
    rintinglen's Avatar
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    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.
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  13. #33
    Boolit Master
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    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.

  14. #34
    Boolit Bub
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    All middle of the road for me. No sense in max. loads for me as all I do is target shoot.

  15. #35
    Boolit Master
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    I do off hand 45acp and 38 special most often. All 45's are mid range--anything in 38--and about 85% in 44 mag and 357 pistol. 357 rifle gets high end.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master 1006's Avatar
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    The 357 is the only thing that I load at max. I normally load everything from 9 up to 45 a little lighter than factory.

  17. #37
    Boolit Buddy
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    Some of my guns shoot better with starting loads others do better with hotter rounds. That said, if a starting load gives me really good accuracy, I figure there's no good reason to do further load development.

    The only really big game we have in Western Oregon is elk and I've never gotten one. However when I do hunt elk I use a .45-70 H&R Handirifle, with loads at the hot end of the lever action section of the manual. Considering that way over a hundred years ago they were dropping bison with a .45-70 with black powder loads, I don't feel at all under gunned. To be honest I haven't had a load from the lightest to the hottest, not shoot great from this rifle...

    Tony
    Hi, my name is Tony and I'm addicted to gunpowder.

    AKA Geezerbiker

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check