First time reloading

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RMH

RMH

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Good afternoon to all,

I am new to reloading and would like someone looking over my shoulder. I have spent the last 3 months reading everything I could get my hands on, The ABC’s of reloading, Hornady, Lyman, Speers and many web sites and forums.

What I have is a Taurus PT638 380acp which is a medium frame lock breach. It has a 3.2” barrel and a 15 round double stack mag.

Right now all I want to do is load some safe range ammo for my wife and I to practice with. I am planning this to be my retirement hobby so I would like to keep Eyes, ears and all ten of my fingers.

As all of you know, the load data for the 380 is all over the place so I would like some of you to double check my work.

This is what I have done.
Winchester brass
Winchester wsp primer
Winchester W231 Powder
.980 oal
Berry's 100 gr FBRN plated

10 rounds each
2.8 gr
2.9 gr
3.0 gr
3.1 gr

Thank you in advance.
 
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Congrats and welcome to the wonderful world of reloading more rightly called handloading.

I'm fairly new to it too. So can't help you on your load.
What I can say is without bullet info I doubt anyone will be able to help you.

That said looking at Lee it looks like all of the load data for Win231/HP38 is in the range you listed.
Now I'm not saying it's right for your components, it's just what I could find in the book I had handy.

I'd suggest you reply with your bullet for someone more experienced to give a blessing.

One thing I think I saw was Win231/HP38 is horrible powder for beginners as the loads are small and the range from start to max is narrow. Ironically it's the first powder I loaded as a friend gave me some to try. In my case it was for 9mm and XTP 115 gr bullets that he also gave me to get started (along with the load data).

Anyway please be safe and you'll be fine.
I don't know if this is right, but I presume all loads will be bad until I know my gun will fire them, eject them etc.
I mention that as my first loads went great as did several following ones, until I tried some Accurate 7 the same friend gave me on some 115 gr Berrys. They fired right but wouldn't eject in my S&W. they were fine in my PF9 so doing some checking it seems I somehow was overly cautious and loaded them too light.

I only mention this as had I not been extra careful who knows what I would have done. But shooting one round at a time, checking and such I was able to see what was happening. In your case I think you're wise to get a second opinion.

So good luck and can't wait to hear about your experience shooting your first reload!
Hint it's a bit scary but also super cool
 
Just checked Lyman 50th and they don't have a 100 gr listed
They do have a 90 and a 115gr and you seem to be in the range listed.

Again, I'd suggest you get a confirmation by someone more experienced than me but based on those two manuals if you did everything right, and start with the lower charged rounds and work up looking for signs of over pressure you should be fine if we're both not mistaken.

Disclaimer, I'm not an expert, didn't stay at a Holiday Inn or anything else that would suggest that following what I say is wise. Well other than follow at your own risk.
 
As long as you follow data from loading manuals & follow safe procedures, you'll be fine. Handloading is like shooting - it's as safe as you make it.
 
Data is definitely all over the place in 6 different books, in my cast reloading book 3.1grn is max I treat Berry's like cast. Check if they plunk in your barrel before you try them. And check your cases as you go up.

And welcome to reloading, it's just like fugu sashimi done right it's great done wrong you die.
 

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Thank you for all of your replies

I did a plunk test with the barrel and it seems fine. I could hear the case mouth hitting the shoulder in the barrel and they fell out easily. Also I have the Dillion 380 gauge too.
 
You are correct, the load data is "all over the place", but your loads are within the limits of MOST manuals. I would start with the 2.8 grain loads and fire them slowly. Recover the brass after every shot and see if it shows any signs of excess pressure. If not, then move on to the 2.9, and so on. Also note whether any loads are not "heavy" enough to cycle the pistol and when you're done select the load that cycled the pistol reliably and also didn't show pressure signs.
 
A year into reloading, OP, I have become an inveterate notetaker -- first with full page load logs (google ’em for forms), then with homegrown spreadsheets with a row for each load and range results. Later on, having purchased a chronograph, I started tracking each kind of bullet/powder combination, measuring the benchrest accuracy to find the best bullet/barrel/powder/COL combination for my different pistols.

Boy, did I get sucked in.

But remember this. The goal is shooting safe, comfortable, reliable, accurate, and competent. Find yourself an IDPA or equivalent group to practice with all your reloads. And don’t forget Skeet/Sporting Clays, and a MEC, Jr. reloading shotgun.
 
Welcome to THR, lots of great people here.


Hodgdon data
100 GR. HDY FMJ Winchester 231 bullet dia .355" , OAL .980" start charge 2.9, start vel 819 start pressure 13,800 CUP, MAX charge 3.1, MAX Vel 843, MAX load pressure 15,400 CUP
.2gr start to MAX

I settled on 3.0gr for RMR 100 Plated RNs when I was testing HP38 in .380. (W231 is the Same powder)
Side note: I really like AA#2 for .380 it meters great so the small charge size you need for .380 is easy to get. Spot on using my Lee auto drum. It shoots well for me in .380
 
Dudedog said:
I really like AA#2 for .380 it meters great so the small charge size you need for .380 is easy to get. Spot on using my Lee auto drum. It shoots well for me in .380
Click to expand...
Me too, but W-231 is a good choices as well.
 
RMH said:
Taurus PT638 380acp ... W231 ... Berry's 100 gr FBRN plated

10 rounds each 2.8 gr, 2.9 gr, 3.0 gr, 3.1 gr
Click to expand...
PT638 looks like my Mil Pro PT145.

Hodgdon lists 3.1 gr of W231/HP-38 as max charge for 100 gr Hornady FMJ - http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol

100 gr Hornady FMJ W231/HP-38 COL .980" Start 2.9 gr (819 fps) 13,800 CUP - Max 3.1 gr (843 fps) 15,400 CUP

For my Taurus TCP 738, I did load development with X-Treme 100 gr RNFP/RMR 100 gr RN and tested 2.6/2.8/3.0 gr of W231/HP-38 (2.6 gr for shorter OAL used with RNFP bullet) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/380auto-x-treme-100-gr-rnfp-range-test.748320/

They all cycled the slide and produced the following groups at 7 yards.

index.php
 
Back from the range and all went very well. The 2.8 gr had a very mild recoil, feed and ejected well. As we worked up to the 3.1 gr there was a notable increase in recoil. We were very surprised that 0.1 gr made that much difference. There was no visible signs of over pressure. We only had one failure to feed so i think the next batch I will reduce the oal to .960 for the 2.8 gr and 2.9 gr loads. Today all we were worried about was function not accuracy. Just happy to have all my fingers.

Again thanks
 

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Congrats.
Some folks make ladders by .2 or .3gr I'm like you and do .1 especially with a powder like Win231 that has a small start to max range.

Did you short for groups or just to see how your loads worked?

And how was that first round? Were you nerverous until it went bang, then did you celebrate. I know I stoppedd for a sec, and had a big smile!
 
Yes verrrrry nervous. I am glad that all of the reading and studying paid off. I have never been one to take short cuts in anything.
This time it was just for function. Next time we will test for accuracy.
 
If you want to PM me your address I can send you a sample of the 100gr Xtreme RNFP and RMR 100gr round nose bullets to try.
I may have a few other .380 bullet flavors as well.
I can also throw in some .380 brass if you could use some.

I remember the first one of my reloads I shot. Cross fingers and toes, deep breath, squeeze trigger, bang not boom, ahhh..... It's all downhill from there. :)

I am planning this to be my retirement hobby so I would like to keep Eyes, ears and all ten of my fingers.
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Excellent Plan!

Side note: If the gun is new it may loosen up a bit after a couple hundred rounds allowing you to load a bit lighter if you want and still have proper function.
When my little Kahr P380 was new I couldn't get proper function with start charges at all, had to be close to MAX or at MAX.
Now 1000+ rounds later it will let me load lighter and still get proper function.
 
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Well again congrats.
RMH said:
Yes verrrrry nervous. I am glad that all of the reading and studying paid off. I have never been one to take short cuts in anything.
This time it was just for function. Next time we will test for accuracy.
Click to expand...

Now that you got that out of the way you can start finding components that you like. Develop loads that work for you, and get into the need more components, and need to shoot to make more empty brass stage.

It's funny but I actually enjoy reloading more than shooting. Don't get me wrong, shooting is fun especially when the ammo is made well. But I just find making the finished rounds very satisfying.

Oh, and be careful. I'm starting to see I'm becoming a bit of an "ammo snob". It's becoming, how good can I make my ammo at as low a price as possible. Then laughing at my buddy who went to the range with me and paid 3x as much for white box. In fact, I'm becoming like many here and getting away from factory ammo. So look out, before you know it, you'll be in our boat with no way out!
 
RMH said:
Yes verrrrry nervous. I am glad that all of the reading and studying paid off. I have never been one to take short cuts in anything.
This time it was just for function. Next time we will test for accuracy.
Click to expand...

Welcome to THR! And to the world of reloading! Yeppers, nervous is better than complacency. :)
 
2.9 and .98 works for me - Win 231/HP-38 is my sole powder for all the pistol calibers I reload. I find it meters very consistently and the variance min-max is actually pretty large once you get above the small .380 caliber.
 
We really need to start a 12 step group
Or better yet use that as our guise for group buys for reloading stuff.
R.Cobb addiction... I can stop any time I want.. I just choose not to
Kcofohio embrase the addiction. We know you check prices on components before the daily news. We know just one more powder is something you say often.. and we won't even get into always checking out the components in Walmart and the big box sporting store even though you have a year or more supply.

RMH stop laughing, mark this page and in less than a year all this and more will be you
 
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