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It's interesting on Hodgkin's website they show starting grains at 37 for 250 grain bullet. However the app shows starting loads at 25.5 on up to 39 with the expected velocities.

So the question is how low have you gone particularly for Target and clicking with FMJ I'd like to use his little powder as possible 27 grain sounds good.

Half-cocked wrote:It's interesting on Hodgkin's website they show starting grains at 37 for 250 grain bullet. However the app shows starting loads at 25.5 on up to 39 with the expected velocities.

So the question is how low have you gone particularly for Target and clicking with FMJ I'd like to use his little powder as possible 27 grain sounds good.

http://www.450bushmaster.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=73 Please read this.

Half-cocked wrote:It's interesting on Hodgkin's website they show starting grains at 37 for 250 grain bullet. However the app shows starting loads at 25.5 on up to 39 with the expected velocities.

So the question is how low have you gone particularly for Target and clicking with FMJ I'd like to use his little powder as possible 27 grain sounds good.

In what type of gun? Loading low end has never shown an accuracy node in my experience.

IIRC, I went pretty low once for a thread I was researching. Actually 4 or 5 shots below 36gr. When I was doing the Barnes 200gr XPB expansion tests, I needed to simulate the drop in velocity out at distances that would challenge my ability to put a round dead center on a stack of water filled jugs. Being the inventive kind, modest too, I ran the BC and starting velocity through a ballistic calculator to mathematically determine what speed the bullet would be going at xxxx yards. I then loaded up light charges in 1gr increments downward and shot them over a chrony into sets of water filled jugs. After seeing the resultant velocities from each charge reduction, I associated that jug performance to the distance it calculated out to. If you revisit that thread, you'll see that my distance increments were not in specific steps since the resultant velocities were all I had to work with. I believe I went as low as 32gr of Lil Gun but it was a long time ago. I was a little timid about doing so that to the point of wearing welding gloves, a thick leather jacket and a face shield.

Hoot

Hoot wrote:IIRC, I went pretty low once for a thread I was researching. Actually 4 or 5 shots below 36gr. When I was doing the Barnes 200gr XPB expansion tests, I needed to simulate the drop in velocity out at distances that would challenge my ability to put a round dead center on a stack of water filled jugs. Being the inventive kind, modest too, I ran the BC and starting velocity through a ballistic calculator to mathematically determine what speed the bullet would be going at xxxx yards. I then loaded up light charges in 1gr increments downward and shot them over a chrony into sets of water filled jugs. After seeing the resultant velocities from each charge reduction, I associated that jug performance to the distance it calculated out to. If you revisit that thread, you'll see that my distance increments were not in specific steps since the resultant velocities were all I had to work with. I believe I went as low as 32gr of Lil Gun but it was a long time ago. I was a little timid about doing so that to the point of wearing welding gloves, a thick leather jacket and a face shield.

Hoot

And you also used filler didn’t you?

Texas Sheepdawg wrote:

Hoot wrote:IIRC, I went pretty low once for a thread I was researching. Actually 4 or 5 shots below 36gr. When I was doing the Barnes 200gr XPB expansion tests, I needed to simulate the drop in velocity out at distances that would challenge my ability to put a round dead center on a stack of water filled jugs. Being the inventive kind, modest too, I ran the BC and starting velocity through a ballistic calculator to mathematically determine what speed the bullet would be going at xxxx yards. I then loaded up light charges in 1gr increments downward and shot them over a chrony into sets of water filled jugs. After seeing the resultant velocities from each charge reduction, I associated that jug performance to the distance it calculated out to. If you revisit that thread, you'll see that my distance increments were not in specific steps since the resultant velocities were all I had to work with. I believe I went as low as 32gr of Lil Gun but it was a long time ago. I was a little timid about doing so that to the point of wearing welding gloves, a thick leather jacket and a face shield.

Hoot

And you also used filler didn’t you?

Yes, thank you for remembering that. The aroma of popcorn still lingers in my smell memory however.

Hoot

You might want to clarify what we are talking about using fillers. I’ve never done it, so I would prefer you to elaborate.

Texas Sheepdawg wrote:You might want to clarify what we are talking about using fillers. I’ve never done it, so I would prefer you to elaborate.

With short charges in the 450b and that could probably be expanded to include any straight walled caliber, I stack up sheets of unused toilet paper and stamp out circles using an unwanted case with its mouth as sharp as I can make it. I place my short charge in the case and carefully drop one of the TP circles down upon the column, gently tapping the circle flat with a close fitting wood dowel. I then fill the remaining space with uncooked grits. Cream of Wheat works as well but grits smell better, just short of the predicted heel of the bullet when seated. Seat your bullets as you normally would, crimping them as you normally do.

Before shooting, rotate your gas block to block off the gas port, so that the mess stays out of the gas tube and action. That means hand cycling out the spent rounds. Single load the finished rounds, easing the charging handle forward into battery. Some times it needs a bump on the forward assist to provide that last little distance to where the bolt locks.

Bring your cleaning cradle and equipment with you as some of the filler winds up adhering to the throat and you'll need to clean out the umma gumma every few rounds. You'll know when that time comes as the cases eventually will start resisting chambering. When you're done, give that bore a good scrubbing with generous solvent brushing and patches.

Hoot

That is the same method I use on my Pietta cap and ball revolver. Brass framed so I use a low charge of black powder I then top with corn meal and seat the lead ball.

Great explanation of fillers as used in modern cartridges.