I started reloading my .40 S&W cartridges. I asked about powder and bullets from someone who shoots IDPA. He recommended X-Treme 155g cast/plated bullets and Unique powder.
I reloaded about 300 rounds and over the course of a month began to shoot them in my SIG229. The groups weren't that great but I chalked it up to my inexperience. I was using 6g of Unique.
About the same time I bought a box of 100 Speer Gold Dot 155g HP. I loaded these at 7.5 because the chart said 8g was max and I thought I would see how this load worked for PP rounds. Interestingly these reloads produced a very tight and well patterned group that made the copper plated FMJ target loads look really bad.
I thought perhaps it was the powder load and so I loaded up 25 each at 6, 6.2, 6.5, 6.7, 7.2 and 7,5 grains of Unique. The patterns really didn't change or improve with a varying load. The same day I did this test I also shot another set of Speer 155g Gold Dot HP loaded to 7 grains. Amazingly the Speer group was tight and well patterned.
I was pretty perplexed? How could different bullets with the same brass, primer and powder perform so differently?:banghead:
One theory I have is that the HP load are "rear weighted" that is because the front of the bullet is hollow the center of mass is more towards the rear and would produce a more stable flight. Maybe I'm full of hot air?
Any thoughts on this. Have any of you experienced better groups with HP rounds over FMJ?
AZ
I reloaded about 300 rounds and over the course of a month began to shoot them in my SIG229. The groups weren't that great but I chalked it up to my inexperience. I was using 6g of Unique.
About the same time I bought a box of 100 Speer Gold Dot 155g HP. I loaded these at 7.5 because the chart said 8g was max and I thought I would see how this load worked for PP rounds. Interestingly these reloads produced a very tight and well patterned group that made the copper plated FMJ target loads look really bad.
I thought perhaps it was the powder load and so I loaded up 25 each at 6, 6.2, 6.5, 6.7, 7.2 and 7,5 grains of Unique. The patterns really didn't change or improve with a varying load. The same day I did this test I also shot another set of Speer 155g Gold Dot HP loaded to 7 grains. Amazingly the Speer group was tight and well patterned.
I was pretty perplexed? How could different bullets with the same brass, primer and powder perform so differently?:banghead:
One theory I have is that the HP load are "rear weighted" that is because the front of the bullet is hollow the center of mass is more towards the rear and would produce a more stable flight. Maybe I'm full of hot air?
Any thoughts on this. Have any of you experienced better groups with HP rounds over FMJ?
AZ