380 lead bullet data, confused..

[tlmkr38]

I'm loading some 105 gr lead bullets for my 380s. I got on here and researched and found load data with Unique powder listed anywhere from 2.5 up to 4.0 grains. I tried 5 bullets at 3.3 and at 2.8 and they shot fine but I had serious primer cratering. I was shooting them out of a Bersa and a Diamondback and it did it with both if them.

Doesn't this indicate too much pressure? I'm gonna play with it more in the morning before starting loading a large batch of them. The only other powder I have on hand is Clays but really like Unique. The Lyman book lists 2.8 as max for this bullet weight and powder.

Ideas?

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I was shooting yesterday some 90 grn 9mm lead bullets (I thought they were lasercasts but I don't remember) with 3.7 grns of Unique. It was an accurate reliable load. It was the book max I believe from Lyman 3.

My guess is you are too light and the primer is backing out then getting swaged when the brass comes back during the powder burn.

I pretty much only shoot unique in the 380. It just works.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I recently did some testing with 95 gr. LRN in a Browning BDA 380. Unique was the only powder that gave me poor accuracy. 3.0, 3.5, & 4.0 gr with Winchester small pistol primers. The 4.0 grain load had flattened primers and heavy recoil (for a 380).

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Ok then, what gave good accuracy.

 

[rfwobbly]

....but I had serious primer cratering. Doesn't this indicate too much pressure?

Not necessarily.

• Primer thickness varies widely from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore we'd need to know the exact maker of the primer.

• Cratering without additional signs of primer flattening might mean nothing.

So all-in-all primer condition is a very poor hard-and-fast stand-alone "sign". Sure, it's an "indicator". Yes, it's a useful "pointer". But you cannot make any kind of pronouncement based solely on this one thing.

My friend, you need a chrono.

 

[hogcowboy]

That's interesting Jesse. I load 3.0grs of Unique and have very accurate loads. I'm shooting them in an LCP. But rfwobbly is right, need that chrono.

 

[tlmkr38]

figured it out

Ok I have to post this and embarrass myself, I found the problem and after figuring it out loaded 3.5 grains of Unique with no problems at all.

I did one of the dumbest things you can do in reloading and should know better as long as I have done this. I had the wrong powder in my measure. I thought the last I loaded was using Unique but looked back and realized I had used Hodgdon Clays and there was still some left. They look real similar so I was actually loading 3.8-3.5 of Clays when I posted this.

Yes I do feel like am idiot and am glad nothing blew up. I do have a chrono just didn't have time to get it set up at the time.

thanks for all the replies though!

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Ok then, what gave good accuracy.

My three best loads:
Acc. #2 2.7
Red Dot 2.2
Bullseye 2.3

I also had good results with:
700-X 1.9
7625 3.3
W231 2.7

These were all with Win. Small Pistol primers and MBC 95 LRN bullets. OAL .980
YMMV, every gun is different, as is every shooters reaction to the recoil.