I loaded a few last night and was surprised to see that the N320 powder looks and smells like some of the IMR or Hodgdon rifle powders. It's a stick powder not flake or ball which I thought was interesting.
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What did you do in the reloading room recently?
- Thread starter DW357
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I loaded a few last night and was surprised to see that the N320 powder looks and smells like some of the IMR or Hodgdon rifle powders. It's a stick powder not flake or ball which I thought was interesting.
Varget smells an awful lot like ether..if that's what you mean.
I made up some lighter 357 mag loads for bowling pin shoots using Power Pistol and a 158 gr JSP. I made 25 using 7 gr, 25 using 7.5 gr, and 25 using 8 gr. I made some lighter loads with Bullseye but I think I could get more consistency with Power Pistol since it will fill the cases a bit more. Downside is the flash with PP.
Also made some hot 357 loads using a 125 gr JHP with 17 and 17.5 gr of 2400. Then made more of my favorite 357 loads - 158 gr JHP with 14.7 gr of 2400. Hopefully run them through the Coonan and GP100 this week.
Then I got some 124 gr and 147 gr bayou coated bullets being delivered today. Going to make up some loads with N320.
Also made some hot 357 loads using a 125 gr JHP with 17 and 17.5 gr of 2400. Then made more of my favorite 357 loads - 158 gr JHP with 14.7 gr of 2400. Hopefully run them through the Coonan and GP100 this week.
Then I got some 124 gr and 147 gr bayou coated bullets being delivered today. Going to make up some loads with N320.
Shot off the coated bullets in the 6.5 Swede, so they got reloaded with green bullets this time. Also sized some 123gr FMJ and put them into .308 Win. brass to run in the FR-7 and a Model 740 Remington that is here for cleaning/repair. All of the remaining coated 170 grainers are being saved for a friends 54R empties.
I managed to sneak out to the range on Monday to test the 357 loads with PP. They shot fairly well at 45 feet, a little high and right for some reason. It might be me but I thought I had the sights dialed in well for my full house loads with 2400. But I shot a much tighter group with my GP100 than the Coonan which makes sense since the SA trigger on the GP100 is nicer than the coonan.
The 7 gr PP loads averaged 998 fps and had a SD of 9 which was much more consistent than the loads I made with 6 gr of Bullseye. I shot the 7.5 and 8 gr loads but the recoil and muzzle flash started to increase so I think I'll settle for 7 gr.
I then moved onto the loads with 17 and 17.5 gr of 2400 using a 125 gr JHP. Pretty stout recoil and muzzle flip with the Coonan. 17 gr is good enough for me lol. They were running 1500 fps! Then I managed to just graze my chronograph with a bullet and slightly busted the plastic housing. Still works fine just slapped some duct tape on it lol. I was so friggen pissed that I shot it, since these chronos aren't cheap.
I also sorted through a bunch of tumbled 357 mag and 9mm brass last night and encountered my first 357 mag case split. It was a Fiocchi headstamp and I'm not sure how many firings but no more than 5 if I had to guess. I thought for sure the cases that get beat up from my Coonan would have split first but this case hadn't been fired in the Coonan.
Most photos of seen of case splits were along the length of the case, not the width of the case. I've only encountered 2 other case splits and that was with 9mm brass.
View attachment 142913
Here's a photo of the case head next to some Federal cases - primers look fairly flattened in the Federal cases which are probably from the near max loads with 2400.
View attachment 142914
Most photos of seen of case splits were along the length of the case, not the width of the case. I've only encountered 2 other case splits and that was with 9mm brass.
View attachment 142913
Here's a photo of the case head next to some Federal cases - primers look fairly flattened in the Federal cases which are probably from the near max loads with 2400.
View attachment 142914
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That is not the usual case failure scenario. I can't say that I've ever had a .38 Spl/.357 Magnum case (any handgun cartridge, for that matter) fail like that.
Is there a cannelure at that break point? Is that right where the base of the bullet is seated?
Maybe not a big deal, but it is not the norm from my experience.
As for chronographs, I would think the designs with the meat of the unit remotely situated would be the ideal. I have a hard time reading the screen with the F-1 style, too. I suppose the pick-ups are still at risk, but at least the screen could be safely on the shooting bench.
Is there a cannelure at that break point? Is that right where the base of the bullet is seated?
Maybe not a big deal, but it is not the norm from my experience.
As for chronographs, I would think the designs with the meat of the unit remotely situated would be the ideal. I have a hard time reading the screen with the F-1 style, too. I suppose the pick-ups are still at risk, but at least the screen could be safely on the shooting bench.
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No the Fiocchi brass didn't have a cannelure at the break point. I'm not sure if that's where the base of the bullet is seated, although I'd guess it's pretty close. I'll check when I get home later today.
Yeah there's got to be a better design for a chronograph but it will probably drive up the price of course.
True. One round through the guts will render the bargain chrony no bargain.
It is going to happen no matter how good you think you are. Either that or someone else will do the honors for you.
It just makes sense to me to have the major components out of harms way even if it costs $40 more.
My chrony seemed to die from getting wet, but it could just as easily been shot dead, given more time.
If I ever replace it, it will be a model with a screen that sits on the shooting bench where I can see it.
Loaded up some .44 Magnums, Montana Gold Bullets 240gr JSP with some H110 powder. First time using that powder, shot them about an hour ago, very accurate and fun to shoot.
Nice! Pretty much the best magnum powder. I use 23.5 gr of H110 for my 240 gr JSP loads. Get ahold of some 180 gr XTP's and the powder charge goes up to 31 gr! Talk about a flamethrower.
Finished off loading a bag of Starline .458 SOCOM, 300 gr HP's and 325 gr FTX's (red pointy tip).
Loaded my first .38's in years. Hornady 148 gr HB WC's with CFE Pistol. The CFE works like Bullseye but seems a little more flashy. Won our club 25 yard match with these in a 6" 686.
Have been tumbling 7mm Rem Mags. Plan to load for benchrest tonight- neck size only, 4831, SMK's and some Hornady match as well. Entering hunter class in a match on Aug 15.
Loaded my first .38's in years. Hornady 148 gr HB WC's with CFE Pistol. The CFE works like Bullseye but seems a little more flashy. Won our club 25 yard match with these in a 6" 686.
Have been tumbling 7mm Rem Mags. Plan to load for benchrest tonight- neck size only, 4831, SMK's and some Hornady match as well. Entering hunter class in a match on Aug 15.
I won't use fiocchi for mags, first their factory loads in 44 is a joke, no crimp, light load of fast burning pistol powder, when I went to do the 1st reload of the brass, it started deforming above the head. Conclusion, junk, threw it away. I run starline, great stuff
Just about set for a years worth of deer hunting then....
More like a life time. If I get out of mass to hunt between now and death I will have saved rounds when I come home.
Interesting. I've only shot their 357 not 44. The brass has been great so far but no experience with the 44 brass. I also run mostly starline too - now that's good brass. Also STAY AWAY from PPU 44 and 357 brass. Their ammo shoots well but don't bother trying to reload the cases.
Just trimmed a couple hundred pieces of WCC 5.56 brass I got from a guy on AR15, only a few hundred more to go...
I don't hunt myself, but the few times my brother goes out in VT, he usually just goes and enjoys the walk and rarely pops a round off.
Thanks, that's the exact load I used. I'll try the 180's next for sure.
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I bought some more lexan 8 quart cambro branded containers with lids and was able to get the last of my bulk brass out of its random containers and ammo boxes. It's nice to know how many quarts of a given brass you have any any time.
Right?
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I bought some more lexan 8 quart cambro branded containers with lids and was able to get the last of my bulk brass out of its random containers and ammo boxes. It's nice to know how many quarts of a given brass you have any any time.
Right?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I cranked out another ~100 rounds of 357 mag, 125 gr JHP 17.5 gr 2400 last night. I've got a pretty good stock of 357 mag on hand now, prob 1,200 rounds or so. Burned through 2 pounds of 2400 just this week.
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Replaced the hard drive on a friends laptop, installed Win 7 and the various ASUS drivers then kicked off a Windows update.
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And again I just remembered I have .223 brass tumbling since Wendesday night, maybe I'll remember to shut it off tomorrow some time.
I realize velocity isn't everything, but do try some Alliant's 300-MP with those 125 grainers, if you find some... more along the lines of H110/W296, but with 15% less charge, by weight:
357 Magnum 125 gr Speer GDHP Speer 1.58 10 Fed 100 300-MP 22.3 1,995
I've got a bunch of H110/296 but I've been saving that for 44 mag and 30 carbine. But I have loaded some 158s and 125s using H110 and definitely saw a jump in velocity but I don't use it much because you need to use magnum primers. With 44 mag, the Winchester large pistol primers are for standard and magnum loads. I've got a ton of standard small pistol primers so it's more convenient for me.
Ya I never see that new 300-MP powder, but I would like to try some. But it requires much more powder than 2400 - granted the velocity will be higher but I get great performance and accuracy with 2400.
I mistated the 300 MP charge for the 125 grain loads (was calculating for the 158 gr load), it's listed at 22.3 grains, similar to H110/W296 at 22 grains. My bad!
