Loading RMR plated for 38 question

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brewer12345

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I took advantage of the RMR father's day promotion and bought some of their RNFP 158 grain plated. They say that they have a thicker plating and these things are good to 1400 FPS. If I am loading 38 special there is basically no load for jacketed data that would exceed anything close to 1400 FPS even if we are talking about +P loads. Can I just treat these things as jacketed for the purposes of working up loads?
 
Most manufacturers of plated say to use lead data. For loading .38 it likely doesn't make a lot of difference unless you are looking for max loads or a specific velocity.
 
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TfflHndn said:
Most manufacturers of plated say to use lead data.
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Not exactly.

http://www.rainierballistics.com/load-data/
Load Data

Rainier recommends using commercially published jacketed bullet load data when loading our projectiles. There is no need for adjustment when using jacketed bullet load data. Our bullets are completely encapsulated in copper, creating a “Total Copper Jacket” (TCJ) through a specialized electroplating process, and are softer than traditionally jacketed bullets.

We recommend a starting powder charge between the listed minimum and maximum load found in various published and reputable reloading manuals.
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https://www.berrysmfg.com/faq#FAQ5
Question: Do you have load data available? COL or OAL?

We do not research or publish the load data. Please consult load data books or your powder manufacturers' website for load information. You can use published load data for lead/cast bullets or low to mid-range FMJ data, as long as it is the same weight bullet. Berry's offers our standard plate bullets which can handle velocities up to 1,250 fps and 1,500 fps for our Thick Plate (TP) versions.
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They used to have a FAQ that said you could use jacketed data, but have backed off of that to midrange jacketed, which I think is good advise. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. The good news is there is a lot more tested plated data out there from reputable sources.

http://www.xtremebullets.com/Bullet-Load-Info-s/1952.htm
Load Info
Our Copper Plated Bullets can be run at mid-range jacketed velocities or higher end lead velocities. We recommend keeping velocities to less than 1500 FPS (Feet Per Second) and using only a light taper crimp
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This is the best advise IMHO, high end lead or midrange jacketed.


https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/9mm-124gr-berrys-flat-points.498518/#post-6195350
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/380-plated-data.818632/#post-10500159
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...en-bullet-is-not-listed.791254/#post-10068925
 
I mostly plan to use these for less-than-max applications. Where the confusion comes in is that these are bullets can also be used for 357 mag which has much higher powder charges and pressure for mid range jacketed loads. So why would 38 or 38+P be limited for mid range jacketed data when the same bullet can be subjected to much higher pressure rounds in a 357 load?

As for the crimp, I bought the RMR because they have a cannelure, while the box of Berry's I have do not. Since some of these find their way into a lever rifle, I am hoping that I can put a bit more crimp on the cannelure and avoid the issues I have with non-cannelured rounds having the bullets occasionally pushed in inside the tube.
 
I do not recommend plated bullets to new reloaders mainly because there isn't enough easy to find information (for some, contacting the manufacturer is hard). Almost daily, I'll read some questions on various forums about plated bullets; "what powder and how much for my plated bullets", or "how do I crimp my plated bullets". I'd say put the plated bullets on a shelf and when you can answer these questions yourself, by experience gained using "normal" bullets (jacketed or cast), then use them. Or you can use lead bullet data, which I did for the 1,000 I tried...

If you are curious, just load them like jacketed, but check your gun often when shooting. Crimping can pierce the plating leading to leading and I've read but not experienced, plating can be stripped off the bullet...
 
mdi said:
I do not recommend plated bullets to new reloaders mainly because there isn't enough easy to find information (for some, contacting the manufacturer is hard). Almost daily, I'll read some questions on various forums about plated bullets; "what powder and how much for my plated bullets", or "how do I crimp my plated bullets". I'd say put the plated bullets on a shelf and when you can answer these questions yourself, by experience gained using "normal" bullets (jacketed or cast), then use them. Or you can use lead bullet data, which I did for the 1,000 I tried...

If you are curious, just load them like jacketed, but check your gun often when shooting. Crimping can pierce the plating leading to leading and I've read but not experienced, plating can be stripped off the bullet...
Click to expand...

I already loaded a thousand cast and am in the process of doing quite thousand plated wadcutters. No way to learn without making mistakes...
 
Limited to mid range jacketed data because of pressure not velocity. Pressure concern for some .38 guns. If you are shooting the .38s in a .357 full power jacketed .38 loads most likely are ok.
I find plated generally falls between lead and jacketed so the midrange jacketed rule seems to be about right in my case.
If your working up the start jacked charge is probably an ok place to start. (.357 pistol or .38 +P rated?, there are .38s out there that are not rated for +P)
I have shot some of the RMR 158s in midrange .357 loads with no issues. (don't have the data handy but 1100-1200fps)
 
I only own 357s, so plenty of margin. I will be playing around with 4 grains of hp38 and possibly going up from there until I get an accurate load.
 
Hope they work well for you. I have been happy with everything I have got from RMR. Good bullets, great people.
You do know they offer THR members a 5% discount? Code TheHighRoad5 and your THR screen name. (this is good all the time if nothing changes)
Currently offering 10% for fathers day code RMRDAD.
 
brewer12345 said:
Now if only they had wadcutters...
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I would not recommend it but could you load them upside down?

My Glock 22 with KKM/Lone Wolf barrels feeds empty cases from magazines and as a "feeding and chambering" exercise, I determined what lengths would feed various bullets upside down - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/148-gr-wadcutter-in-9mm.456919/#post-10183557

index.php
 
I did post it was for "feeding and chambering" exercise. :D

Yes, I would also recommend using wadcutters over flipping bullets but you never know until you do a comparison test. ;)
 
That's an excellent "can your gun do this" test lol.

To the OP, I generally treat the plated bullets as half way between bare lead flat based and jacketed. They will do fine, especially in practice style loadings!

I think that in a a low pressure cartridge, like the 38, you will have no issues. Jacketed is not really even necessary in those loadings IMHO.
 
redbullitt said:
That's an excellent "can your gun do this" test lol.

To the OP, I generally treat the plated bullets as half way between bare lead flat based and jacketed. They will do fine, especially in practice style loadings!

I think that in a a low pressure cartridge, like the 38, you will have no issues. Jacketed is not really even necessary in those loadings IMHO.
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Given the higher cost of jacketed, I have been saving them for the 357 loads, which I do not shoot that much. In 38 I will be deciding on cast vs plated vs coated and sticking with what I feel is the best.
 
I shoot coated 158 SWCs for full power .357 Mag, and they shoot very well. Pick your favorite company. I am shooting plated for .38 Spl out of habit. I am sure the coated would do just as well as lead, plated, or jacketed. You could always do a side by side comparison with plated and coated in .38 Spl. I did try some coated 148 gr WCs, but wasn't wowed. Probably just the wrong combination though. If I tweaked it I am sure they would do well.
 
bds said:
My Glock 22 with KKM/Lone Wolf barrels feeds empty cases from magazines
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I have an old Springfield 1911 in.45 ACP that will do that. Won a couple of bets with it. I never tried to run "WCs" in it though. :)
 
bds said:
Yes, I would also recommend using wadcutters over flipping bullets but you never know until you do a comparison test. ;)
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A while back I made up a few .38s with 125 gr TC Xtreme plated bullets loaded base-up. The accuracy was surprisingly bad! Apparently there's a reason that boat-tailed wadcutters have never been popular. Don't waste your primers.
 
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