Posted on 03/06/2018 3:55:45 PM PST by MileHi
I was working on a .38 Special load and bumped into a problem.
Use bullseye or unique.
I’ll give you a little on that, but not the difference in the loads I posted. I have a bunch of sent Winchester, Remington and “star” stamped .44 brass that grouped about the same with hot .44 mag loads.
The posted loads are for Unique.
I ran it through QuickLoad for you (been 30 years since I reloaded for .38 Spl, so I don’t have any good personal formulas to recommend).
I wouldn’t go much above 6.0 grains of Unique. With 6.0 you are just a bit under 16,000psi, (assuming a 6 inch barrel)
Ran it for both the 125 Gr Hornady JHP and the 125 gr Sierra JHP. The Hornady does peak at about 400psi higher than the Sierra
I reckon the Sierra either uses softer lead, and/or a much thinner jacket.
I can post the screencaps of the quickload charts if you want, but it will be an hour or so before I can get to it.
Well then use bullseye and 185 grain wad cutters for target and 230 grain for business.
I have seen a difference of more than a grain before in handgun load data. Fast burning powders like Unique generate very high pressure. It doesn't take much difference in other components to have a profound effect on the test load. That's why they usually list all the other loading components (and test barrel) they use while producing the load.
Man you just opened up a can if worms with 100 right answers. What is the purpose of your hand load? That might narrow it down to ten answers. Relative to target practice the cheapest low power load you can use that will function in your weapon. Relative to protection, Hornady and Corbon make some of the best. Hornady has some exellenct loading charts that will give you performance equal their +P loads. The information is all there, buy Hornadys reloading book. A few dollars well spent.
I used to go to websites and ask loading questions, then realized there are handloaders out there who think a safe load is any load that doesn’t blow the chamber apart.
A VERY long time ago, The Old Man scored 50 rounds of 9mmx19 loaded for the MP-40 Schmeisser. He fired it in his P-08 Luger, and it was so hot that he could fire, and the cases went straight up, so high that I watched him glance up, and actually bat the empty sideways, with his other hand, as it eventually returned to Earth...
I suggest that you run it by Hired Hand.
I use 4.5 grains of red dot for 230 gr 45acp, 165 gr 40s&w, and 115 gr 9nn. Same load for all three. Just a fluke, but I find it to be accurate, clean and reliable. All bullets are total metal jacket.
Maybe 30 years ago, I got a steal (I thought) on 500 rounds of 9mm surplus.
I am pretty sure it was submachine gun ammo. My Nephew and I decided to shoot it all up using a Browning and very early Beretta model 92. The Beretta had the mag release on the lower left grip.
We were shooting on a creek bank. Nearly every round fired in the Browning required a second hammer strike to fire. It was a bit odd in that it never required more than two but almost always needed the second strike.
The Beretta was 100%. Now I don’t blame the Browning as it has been perfect in every way with any other ammo. That ammo was fairly hot but not objectionably so.
My Lyman manual says that for the JHP 125 grain bullet, 4.0 grains Unique is minimum and gives 498 fps. 6.0 grains Unique is maximum for 895 fps.
The difference has nothing to do with the maker of one bullet or the other. The difference is in the type of firearm used in the test. The Speer manual uses a Ruger Security Six. That's a six shot revolver and loses gasses between the barrel and the cylinder face. The Lyman manual uses a Universal receiver and a special vented barrel. Those will give very different results.
Finally, the Alliant manual (the maker of Unique) gives the 38 Special load for a 125 grain JSP as 5.6 grains Unique for 1015 fps. That same manual gives 5.6 grains Unique for the +P at 1070 fps.
I've been reloading for about 40 years. Don't overthink it. Load up some loads at the lower level and work up gradually. Look for signs of excessive pressures such as flattened primers but if you don't exceed the maximum charge of any of the above, you're not going to see any excessive pressures.
The old guys, like Elmer Keith, would go waay beyond the listed maximum. He experimented with the 44 Special loads that way. That's how the 44 magnum came into existence. I doubt you'll be doing any of that.
My hornady 9th edition lists a start load (using Unique) of 5.1 gr and a max load of 5.8 gr. with a 125 gr XTP. That gives you a 800-950 fps range. Power pistol looks like a much better choice frankly. If it were me I would be starting with 6.1 gr of power pistol (because I have a ton of it) and start working towards the listed max of 7.5 gr. Start load for PP is 5.4 gr (800 fps) and 7.1 gr (1050) fps.
I have found that it is incredibly common to find conflicting data like what you have presented here. There isn't always an obvious reason. I like the hodgdon set your sights on reloading web site because it actually lists pressures and velocities. This is especially handy if you have a chronograph. Every manufacturer wants to make their bullets and gun powder look better than their competitors too. I think this creates conflicting data some times.
Never liked Unique, several times unburnt powder got under the extractor star and jammed up a Smith 686.
Be grateful for a link. PM if you could.
You did see this was about .38 special, right?
I seem to recall that Unique changed the formula a bit about 20 years ago. That could explain the big difference.
Go with the Hornady 1997 Data to start.
Remember, powders change in formulation over time. So 6 grains of Unique in 1985 is NOT the same as in 2018.
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