? for you .40 reloaders

[i_Adam_i18]

I'm loading up some practice ammo using Montana gold 165gr JHP's and Hodgedon Tite-Group. The problem is for one thing, there's no specific load info for MG bullets. And the second is, I'm getting conflicting data from reloading manuals, hodgdons website, and the jug of hodgedon powder. they all give different min and max loads. I would say significantly different considering the speed of Tite-group and the low quantity of powder required for the load.

And I stole this from a guy on the brian enos forum because he put it into words perfectly:

<span style="font-style: italic">"From a safety point of view, an important issue when changing the bullet is what that does to the internal volume of the case. For any given amount of powder, less space means higher pressure when the primer ignites the powder.

If the new bullet is shorter than the one in the original load, and you assemble the round with the same overall length, the difference in length means there is more space in the case, and pressure will be lower. If the new bullet is longer, loading to the same OAL means less space and higher pressure. (Either case assumes that the bullet bases are the same, and assumes also that they are of the same weight).

IF you have the dimensions of the original bullet you can make an adjustment in OAL for the new bullet that compensates. For example, if the new bullet is shorter by 0.010", then the internal case volume will be the same as with the original bullet if the OAL is shortened by the same amount.

If you DON'T have the dimensions, then you have to start low with a published load (preferably one from the new bullet manufacturer or the powder manufacturer) and work up."</span>


My other issue is, I'm using mixed headstamp brass. You think thats safe considering the possibility of slight differences in case thickness/capacity, etc between manufacturers when using a powder like Tite-group?

What I'm worried about is I load up a case from say federal and the load is fine, the next case is a winchester case and say it's thicker, or (not sure if it's possible) the case head is thicker, making the case capacity smaller, in turn making the round hot or even dangerous.

Am I overthinking things?

 

[crumpmd]

Re: ? for you .40 reloaders

I mix case reload for the 40S&W and I don't have issues. I use bullseye and Trailboss.
The Bullseye works good for me, I load a little light with TC FMJ bullets for practice, but I carry and occasionally practice with my self defense loads. The recoil pattern is different but not enough to worry about.
Go ahead and start with a light load and work it up. I don't think you have anything to worry about from the brass.

 

[Clark]

Re: ? for you .40 reloaders

I am shooting 15.5 gr 800X 200 gr in 40sw which is also an IMR max load for 44 mag.

I use used mixed brass.

The way I can do that is with full chamber support and ignore the recoil pain.

What does it all mean?
If you have the case support, this issue with 40sw is to match the load and the recoil springs.

 

[Grump]

Re: ? for you .40 reloaders

Just remember, Clark blows up guns (well, mostly cases) for fun.

The .40 S&W is actually a bit forgiving if you are well off of maximum pressures/speeds and avoid lead bullets.

With plated, CHECK FOR LEAD STREAKING EVERY 25 ROUNDS! If your barrel is staying clean, fine. If not, clean it.

I've found plated bullets to more closely match lead bullet data than jacketed. Paper research and cross-referencing loading manuals that include pressures showed me that published max loads for lead bullets ranged from -5% or so charge weight to very rarely the exact same as for jacketed. Don't remember if there was a pattern for bullet weights, but I looked at 135 through 200 grains.

Only time I had trouble was with some very high-quality cast bullets, trying to push the old IPSC 175 Power Factor out of a Glock 22 using WW-231 powder. 975-980 fps just was not a happy place, despite the "smiley face" creases on the case walls. Similar pressure signs in a full-size USP barrel that same day. But all was sweetness and light a bit further down in velocity, at 925 fps. This was all at 95-108 F.

Slower powders like Unique and Herco and Power Pistol all worked better for full-power loads for me. Couldn't get Universal Clays to group for spit, though. In fact, either gun is pretty much 3 inches at 25 with some loads, 2 inches with the best (those 180-gr cast and Hornady XTPs), and 4-6 inches with the rest.