What If My Projectile Isn’t Listed in the Load Data

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YellowcatDaddy

YellowcatDaddy

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You can begin by rolling your eyes like a teenager asked to take out the trash, because I’m new to reloading and ya’ll have heard this before; But what if your projectile isn’t listed in the load data but the weight is?

In today’s world it’s hard to scrape together enough components to make a boolit. I find some projectiles, like cast lead with Hi Teck coating on them. There’s no load data for these. But Hodgdon has a little blurb that says you can use load data for other projectiles if the weight is the same. For instance, load data four 158 gr. SWC but you have 158gr. RNFP. Is it safe. How far can I take this “Rule of Thumb” before I loose a finger(or worse)?

I’m being serious here. I know this is simple for most of you but do you know how hard it is when you have to research everything, like acronyms. It took five minutes to look up what SWC meant.

Please give me some ideas about what load data and projectile types I can mix and match.
 
You need to take into consideration the type of bullet, (jacketed, lead, solid copper etc.) Also the bearing surface. Some bullet types build more pressure then others. Start low & work up. You are highly unlikely to get in trouble w your proposed 158gr. Scenario.
 
You could also give us your complete recipe with seating depth, caliber, and gun with barrel length. We would tell you what we have done in your situation. It might save you some time (and powder with primers) working up a load.
 
As @Bcwitt points out, bullets can generally be classified as lead (cast or swaged), jacketed, and solid.

Lead bullet data can almost always be applied to any bullet design of the same weight. You'll want to pay a little attention to the alloy, as very soft ones (pure lead or close to it) generally don't want to be driven too hard, while very hard alloys actually need to be driven hard to give good results, but even mistakes made on that count are unlikely to be dangerous.

Jacketed bullets are even easier. With very few exceptions, data for one weight of jacketed bullet is good for any design and can be used freely. As always, start low and work up, but any data published by a major player is overwhelmingly likely to be safe.

Solid copper (or other related alloys) really do need to be used with their own data, and definitely not data for lead or jacketed bullets. Again with precious few exceptions, data for each exact bullet is made available by the manufacturers and should be followed scrupulously.
 
YellowcatDaddy said:
But what if your projectile isn’t listed in the load data but the weight is?
Click to expand...
If the weight and type (jacketed, monometal, cast/plated/coated) is listed, then it IS listed. Brand is almost negligible.

And type is primarily relevant for its effect on bullet length and velocity constraints, so that need not match either if you're paying attention and adapt.
 
The most important information to pay attention to when selecting a bullet in load data is weight (grains), diameter (thousandths of an inch), and type (RN, HP, JHP, FMJ etc). Things like brand trademark rounds don't really matter much. And even that doesn't matter. Grab any box of whatever weight bullets and there will be some grain variation in the weight. So pick load data by what is closest to what you work with.

Here is a rule of thumb you can take to your bench: start about 5-10% below the minimum charge listed for the bullet/powder/primer recipe you select. Listen, feel, observe for unusual sensations when shooting. When something like a squib (too weak a powder charge to make it down the barrel) occur, it sounds and feels different. If anything feels off when shooting, stop.
 
You have to look at the weight & take into consideration the bearing surface that will be fairly high being a SWC bullet. So I would go to the low end of the lead bullets of that weight & start there then work you way up from there.
 
.38 Special said:
As @Bcwitt points out, bullets can generally be classified as lead (cast or swaged), jacketed, and solid.

Lead bullet data can almost always be applied to any bullet design of the same weight. You'll want to pay a little attention to the alloy, as very soft ones (pure lead or close to it) generally don't want to be driven too hard, while very hard alloys actually need to be driven hard to give good results, but even mistakes made on that count are unlikely to be dangerous.

Jacketed bullets are even easier. With very few exceptions, data for one weight of jacketed bullet is good for any design and can be used freely. As always, start low and work up, but any data published by a major player is overwhelmingly likely to be safe.

Solid copper (or other related alloys) really do need to be used with their own data, and definitely not data for lead or jacketed bullets. Again with precious few exceptions, data for each exact bullet is made available by the manufacturers and should be followed scrupulously.
Click to expand...

Why does a solid copper or other related alloy matter?
 
herrwalther said:
The most important information to pay attention to when selecting a bullet in load data is weight (grains), diameter (thousandths of an inch), and type (RN, HP, JHP, FMJ etc). Things like brand trademark rounds don't really matter much. And even that doesn't matter. Grab any box of whatever weight bullets and there will be some grain variation in the weight. So pick load data by what is closest to what you work with.

Here is a rule of thumb you can take to your bench: start about 5-10% below the minimum charge listed for the bullet/powder/primer recipe you select. Listen, feel, observe for unusual sensations when shooting. When something like a squib (too weak a powder charge to make it down the barrel) occur, it sounds and feels different. If anything feels off when shooting, stop.
Click to expand...

I’ve never had a squib but I think I’m sensitive to that advice. I definitely don’t want to send another one be for the other one has left the scene. I gotcha point there. Thanks for the advice
 
AJC1 said:
Can you find winchester 244 or ramshot silhouette or 2400 or universal or accurate #9
Click to expand...

Nope, I can find Titegroup, W572, CFE pistol, and H110 , and W244 and WST. Those are the one I have been able to buy—so far.
 
AK Hunter said:
You have to look at the weight & take into consideration the bearing surface that will be fairly high being a SWC bullet. So I would go to the low end of the lead bullets of that weight & start there then work you way up from there.
Click to expand...
Does “bearing surface” mean the amount of projectile body that will be inside the casa when it’s seated?
 
jmr40 said:
As long as the projectiles are of similar construction and very close to the same weight you can interchange data. As always you should start low and work up. The max load may well be different.
Click to expand...
So being a grain or two different shouldn’t be a problem as long as you start low and work up.
 
YellowcatDaddy said:
Does “bearing surface” mean the amount of projectile body that will be inside the casa when it’s seated?
Click to expand...
No I take “bearing surface” to mean the part of the bullet that touches the barrel. Being that it has big flat sides it will create a lot more friction as it passes through the barrel causing a lot more pressure that the pointed bullet that only has a small part of the bullet touching the barrel.
 
Thomasss said:
You could also give us your complete recipe with seating depth, caliber, and gun with barrel length. We would tell you what we have done in your situation. It might save you some time (and powder with primers) working up a load.
Click to expand...
That I can’t do tonight. But I’ll post the few that I have loaded.
 
Jim Watson said:
It means the length of the bullet that is full diameter to be engaged by the rifling.

I suggest buying bullets you have data for so as to avoid such agonizing.
Click to expand...
Not always easy to do. I can find a few oddball cast projectiles but not much in the standard line. Like I bought some 220gr. .429 plated.
 
AK Hunter said:
No I take “bearing surface” to mean the part of the bullet that touches the barrel. Being that it has big flat sides it will create a lot more friction as it passes through the barrel causing a lot more pressure that the pointed bullet that only has a small part of the bullet touching the barrel.
Click to expand...
Ok. I miss understood. Don’t most bullets of the same weight have pretty much the same bearing surface since they have the same diameter. I guess if it’s a really pointy rifle bullet, it could have different bearing surface than one with a flat nose.
 
YellowcatDaddy said:
Ok. I miss understood. Don’t most bullets of the same weight have pretty much the same bearing surface since they have the same diameter. I guess if it’s a really pointy rifle bullet, it could have different bearing surface than one with a flat nose.
Click to expand...
I’m mostly loading .38/.357 and .44 mag.
 
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