Load for .380, 90 grain RN lead bullet?

[gacajun]

I have a S&W Bodyguard .380 and want to make some bullets for it. .380 ammo is expensive so I need to make my own.

So, I have some 90 grain lead round nose bullets and need to get a powder load for it. I have a Lee reloading manual and it does not have a load for the 90gr lead bullet. I also downloaded the Hodgen manual and it also did not have a load for the 90 gr lead bullet.

Does anyone have a manual with a load for .380 in 90gr lead?

I have the following powder on hand
Titegroup
Accurate 2
Accurate 5
Clays
Universal

Thanks.

 

[RidgwayCO]

The Lyman 49th Edition Reloading Manual has loads for a 90gr lead round nose bullet, using a .980" COL. In my experience, that's much too long for this light bullet. I load my 95gr LRN bullets to .950" COL, and they feed and function flawlessly.

Luckily, you have what IMHO is the best .380 Auto powder around, Accurate #2. Speer #14 shows a range of 3.5gr to 3.9gr of AA #2 with their 90gr GDHP plated bullet loaded to a .970" COL. I load this bullet to .950" COL, and have chronographed 3.2gr of AA #2 at 950 fps, with 3.4gr giving about 1000 fps (Bersa 95 with 3-1/2" barrel). I would expect a cast 90gr LRN bullet to behave similarly

Personally, I load my 95gr LRN bullets in .380 Auto to about 800 fps with 2.7gr of AA #2 and a COL of .950". 100% functioning, clean burning, satisfying accuracy, and the brass ends up in a small pile a couple of feet to my right. YMMV.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I believe that may be the same bullet as some 92 grainers by other companies of which I load for my .380. I believe I use Red Dot in my loads (going by memory to save a trip to the basement).

They chamber well and I buy 500 at a time which makes them really inexpensive! I shot some wood with them and was impressed at the deformation of the lead, one actually spred out like a line, about 1" in diameter from one point to the other!

 

[MachIVshooter]

IMO, with low pressure, low velocity rounds like the .380, jacketed bullet data is fine for cast bullets. Often, it is listed in the same chart.

 

[J_McLeod]

I agree. When I loaded 95gr LRN for my LCP, I started just below the jacketed data and now shoot mid range jacketed loads.

 

[Overkilll0084]

I've used 4.3 gr of AA#5 with a 95 gr LRN. Worked ok, probably room for more development. 3.0 gr of Bullseye worked better for my application (Walther PPK/S). If I were to guess, AA#2 will probably perform similarly.

 

[medalguy]

Same here. I load 4.4 gr of AA #5 and get excellent results in both a Walther PP and a Colt Covernment model. Fairly clean burning, nice recoil, and good accuracy, although I only shoot under 15 yards with this caliber.