Please share your knowledge with a beginning reloader

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SoonerSP101

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I sure would appreciate a powder and powder measure recommendation

I have a new Ruger SP101 with the 2.25” barrel.

I have purchased 100 pieces of Remington nickel brass and primed them with CCI 550 primers.

I have purchased 100 projectiles of type: Speer 125 grain Gold Dot hollow point.

It will be for a self defense load.

I sure would appreciate someone willing to share their knowledge with a beginning reloader.

What is the best powder and number of grains of said powder?

Due to fixed sights I would like POA and POI that are closest together and around 1300 fps (because I’ve heard that the .357’s terminal performance is best at least that velocity. I don’t know if that’s true.)

Thank you!
 
sooner
first welcome !!!
second the plan for a SD load is a good one but not going to hit poa
theyll hit low.
the sites are set up for 158s, but a little Kentucky elevation practice will help, some go as far as filing the front site but i would shoot some first!!

the liter the bullet & the faster it goes the lower itll group & the shorter the barrel the more itll affect poi
my 2 cents worth!!!

GP100man
 
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I don't load pistol calibers yet, so I cannot recommend a load for you.

But, I will say this. If these are your first reloads, I wouldn't use them for self defense loads just yet.

Get a reloading book. Read it. Learn what you're doing. Check the loads in your book. Start at the minimum and work your way up to find out what shoots best and look for signs of pressure.

I would never trust my life to the first batch or reloads I ever made. I've been doing it for about a year and am to the point where I trust what I'm doing. I have 2 mags of .223 handloads in my safe next to my AR, in case I ever need it in a hurry, but I can guarantee you that my first batch of 9mm reloads will never be the ammo that lives in my carry gun on a daily basis.
 
I hope you own a powder scale. You cannot set up a powder measure without one.

I would be careful about using reloads for self defense. There are legal ramifications to using them, and using them is contraversal. Check into both sides of the argument and then make your decision.
 
I load 13.8grs of Blue Dot behind 125gr bullets in the .357 mag and find it to be an accurate factory full power load equivalent with velocities of 1,450 fps +/- an expected variation from my 4" revolvers. Generally I use a magnum primer but a standard primer should work fine.

Note that this load is heavier than the max listed by the Speer #13 manual however it is well below the 14.5grs max listed with 125gr bullets by Alliant Powder company, the manufacturer of Blue Dot.

Blue Dot has been known to have some issues with erratic pressures in very cold temperature so it may not be the best choice to use if you intend to leave the pistol loaded in a vehichle sitting outside in freezing weather the middle of winter. As I live in AZ this isn't a problem.
 
But, I will say this. If these are your first reloads, I wouldn't use them for self defense loads just yet.
Click to expand...

ditto. Get some cheap bullets in about the same kind/weight as the Speer and load up 20 and shoot them. If all goes well, load up about 100 more and shoot them. If all is still going smoothly, load up about 200 more and shoot those! If anything goes wrong at any stage, take a step back and figure it out.
THEN, I think, you will be ready to load up the Speers and trust them to do what you need them to do.
 
Did you size the new brass before priming? Some folks don't but I always do just so I know that the case tension is holding as it should.
Nickel brass has alwasy split before very many reloads,regular brass lasts a lot longer,imho.
How new are you.....brand new? I'd follow advice already given and load and shoot a few hundred before calling your rounds hd rounds.
 
I sure would appreciate someone willing to share their knowledge with a beginning reloader.
Click to expand...


First, welcome to reloading.

Most important purchase you can make is a good reloading manual. I place it in order of importance as number 1.

You will come onto a blog like this and ask for loads, and you'll never know whether the data you get is valid or not. Even when someone gives you their favorite load, the chance exists that you may misread or that person may have mistyped, and you then have a problem.

My experience over the years (been reloading since 1968) is that most problems will be solved by reading the info in the manual as well as the various instructions you'll get with all the equipment you buy.

When you run into a problem you can't figure out, most of us here are more than glad to help.
 
It is doubtful that you will get 1300 fps from a 2 1/4" barrel. I have a Mod 19 S&W Combat Magnum with a 2 1/2" barrel and the best, so far, is 1100 fps with 125 grain SJHP...But good luck anyway...Maybe you will find a secret formula that will exceed 1100 fps...
 
Sooner welcome to reloading 101... many powders produced excellent results with jacked bullets.Those powders include Blue dot,AA#9,H110, HS-7
and 296." Unique"provided the best performance with JHP...But N110 provides
near maximum performance with less Flash and Blast than other Powders this is want you in an PDL were if you need at at night it will not blind you ! I would try different loads to see what YOU will like !! reloading is like going to the Candy Store not every one likes the same thing....Echo out
 
I’m not completely new to reloading. I’ve been doing it about 18 months now but still feel like a beginner. Luckily my neighbor has been doing this for over 20 years and is teaching me a lot.

Previously, I worked up a load for my Ruger Super Redhawk .44 Mag. 7.5” barrel Topped with a silver Leupold fixed 4x EER (extended eye relief) scope.

I found:
20.0 grains of Winchester 296
CCI 350 large pistol magnum primers
300 grain Hornady XTP projectile
I’m using Hornady brass as well.

Gave me the most accurate and consistent load in my gun. I've spent the range time working that up and have the data (targets measured with calipers) to back it up. I found through shooting the best load with 5 powders and then shot those against each other to find the best of the best.

As for velocity, I had the opportunity to shoot across a chrono at my gun club. Here are the results:

6-shot Chrono:
First shot = 1317 (cold barrel),
Second shot = 1325,
Third shot = 1325,
Fourth shot = 1325,
Fifth shot = 1328,
Sixth shot = 1323

Pretty consistent in my opinion. This will be my hunting load in this pistol.

I’d like to not spend 6-8 months perfecting a load for the new SP101 and was hoping to get a head start from someone that’s done it.
 
Check out Handloads.com. Good info on their database. You can select bullet weight and caliber and go from there. Be very carefull, I'm not sure you can use others suggestions as anything other than a starting point. As you probably already know, careful testing is one of the mandatory 'homework assignments' when reloading.
 
group

SoonerSP101: Sir: your numbers are outstanding in consistency. What kind of grouping. I would be proud of that regardless.
Next venture on the web: go to any of the powder manufactures;
[if you already have powder] go to that manufacture. Most will have loading data: just to give a set of numbers/ bullet weight. Kind of scary.
basics you have learned well; use the manufactures sites for best information.
Yes I repeated myself several times.
Post more:D

Craig
 
I have purchased 100 pieces of Remington nickel brass and primed them with CCI 550 primers.

I have purchased 100 projectiles of type: Speer 125 grain Gold Dot hollow point.

It will be for a self defense load.
Click to expand...

.38 Special or .357 Magnum?
 
I should have qualified my grouping statment a little.....

Outside to outside is 1.445

Center to center is 1.196

Actual bullet diameter of the Hornady XTP .44 mag. projectile is .429
 
I'm talking .357 magnum

Ruger SP101 2.25" barrel length

* .357 brass
* CCI-550 primers
* Speer Gold Dot 125 grain projectiles
* A self defense application

Wish to know the BEST powder and how many grains of said powder.
 
Nobody can tell you the "Best". As Miyagi-san said "All of life is a balance, Daniel-san".

Blue Dot offers near top velocity, but absolutely incredible flash. More punch, but in low light, you'll be bat-blind after one shot. Different revolvers, even of the same make and model, will prefer different powders for the same use. You're just gonna have to experiment. You've got 296 on hand, try it. Instead of searching for the best, content yourself with good enough. If you get low flash, acceptable velocity, and some approximation of the same POI/POA, you are set.
 
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