CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.
I took the Chrony with me today and both .500s. I also loaded up two loads in excess of the Hodgdon manual and hotter than what I have fired before. The results were not what I expected. Loads A and B below are my standards. Load A is a mild and fairly inexpensive plinker. Load B is Hodgdons max for the Sierra 400 and it has always been a good shooter. But since load B is no where near compressed and I'd found some data online using 42 gr of H110, I had to try it.
My results in the 4" gun are within 2 fps of the online data for load D. The odd part is that with each grain of powder added, the velocity dropped. Even at 42 gr, it is not a compressed load. I used heavier than normal crimps on the new ammo...actually buckled 3 cases before I realized it.
All brass is Starline except load D which is Cor-bon. So any ideas on why the "hotter" loads are slower? I have a theory but I'd rather hear from someone who has been through this (or something like this) before.
6/14/08 S&W .500 Mag. 4" bbl and 8.375" bbl
3 shots each load in each gun
70 deg. F and humid
Load A: Speer 325 gr JHP, WLR primer, Titegroup 20gr. loaded in 2005
8.3" bbl. 1552 fps/ 1738 fpe SD 16.37 fps
4" bbl. 1268 fps/ 1160 fpe SD 14.2 fps
Load B: Sierra 400 gr JSP, WLR primer, H110 40gr. loaded in 2005
8.3" bbl. 1617 fps/ 2322 fpe SD 17.9 fps
4" bbl. 1469 fps/ 1917 fpe SD 27.4 fps
*******************************************************************************************************************
Loads below this line are in excess of some published data. I do not reccomend that anyone use them. I include them only for the sake of discussion.
Load C: Sierra 400 gr JSP, WLR primer, H110 41gr. loaded 6/12/08 different can of H110
8.3" bbl. 1590 fps 1550, 1608, 1613 SD 28.6
4" bbl. 1467 fps 1393, 1473, 1536 SD 58.5
Load D Sierra 400 gr JSP, WLR primer, H110 42gr. loaded 6/12/08 different can of H110
8.3" bbl. 1569 fps 1546, 1569, 1601 SD 23.3
4" bbl. 1435 fps 1401, 1446, 1459 SD 24.8
Thanks for any insight you can lend.
I took the Chrony with me today and both .500s. I also loaded up two loads in excess of the Hodgdon manual and hotter than what I have fired before. The results were not what I expected. Loads A and B below are my standards. Load A is a mild and fairly inexpensive plinker. Load B is Hodgdons max for the Sierra 400 and it has always been a good shooter. But since load B is no where near compressed and I'd found some data online using 42 gr of H110, I had to try it.
My results in the 4" gun are within 2 fps of the online data for load D. The odd part is that with each grain of powder added, the velocity dropped. Even at 42 gr, it is not a compressed load. I used heavier than normal crimps on the new ammo...actually buckled 3 cases before I realized it.
All brass is Starline except load D which is Cor-bon. So any ideas on why the "hotter" loads are slower? I have a theory but I'd rather hear from someone who has been through this (or something like this) before.
6/14/08 S&W .500 Mag. 4" bbl and 8.375" bbl
3 shots each load in each gun
70 deg. F and humid
Load A: Speer 325 gr JHP, WLR primer, Titegroup 20gr. loaded in 2005
8.3" bbl. 1552 fps/ 1738 fpe SD 16.37 fps
4" bbl. 1268 fps/ 1160 fpe SD 14.2 fps
Load B: Sierra 400 gr JSP, WLR primer, H110 40gr. loaded in 2005
8.3" bbl. 1617 fps/ 2322 fpe SD 17.9 fps
4" bbl. 1469 fps/ 1917 fpe SD 27.4 fps
*******************************************************************************************************************
Loads below this line are in excess of some published data. I do not reccomend that anyone use them. I include them only for the sake of discussion.
Load C: Sierra 400 gr JSP, WLR primer, H110 41gr. loaded 6/12/08 different can of H110
8.3" bbl. 1590 fps 1550, 1608, 1613 SD 28.6
4" bbl. 1467 fps 1393, 1473, 1536 SD 58.5
Load D Sierra 400 gr JSP, WLR primer, H110 42gr. loaded 6/12/08 different can of H110
8.3" bbl. 1569 fps 1546, 1569, 1601 SD 23.3
4" bbl. 1435 fps 1401, 1446, 1459 SD 24.8
Thanks for any insight you can lend.
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