Since I ran out of revolver rounds in .38 Spl & .44 Spl. using Federal primers and lead bullets loaded years ago and reloaded them recently with Winchester primers and plated bullets I got some bigger ES & SD's. (pretty big too) I don't yet know if this was the primer or the fact I loaded plated bullets with a light taper crimp in place of lead with a medium crimp. I may just not have the powder just right yet. I will find out shortly though. It happened with 700X and N320, both of which can give very good ES & SD's.
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Walkalong-
I've found primer switches to give me different velocities, but not really wide ES numbers.
A weak crimp, on the other hand, will give me wide ES numbers on a consistant basis.
( from Ben Sheppard )
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Went back and started doublechecking everything today. Some of the Berry's 125 Gr. HP's measured as small as .355
No fricking wonder they had big ES & SD's. I should have caught that when I loaded up a small batch to try, but did not. The couple I measured before starting were .357.
The .355 ones would practically slip down into the expanded case with finger pressure. The crimp was not the problem, there was almost no neck tension.
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Sounds like they mis-boxed/mis-labeled some 124 gr 9mm stuff maybe?
( from Ben Sheppard )
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Yes it does, doesn't it, but they aren't. They look about the same, but you can tell them apart with the naked eye.
I have some Berry's 124 Gr. HP's. They measure .3555 to .356 by .548 to .549.
The Berry's .38 124 Gr. bullets I had trouble with are .355 to .357 by .541 to .542.
The hollow point in the .38's is about .156 at the mouth and about .245 deep.
The hollow point in the 9MM is about .148 at the mouth and about .240 deep.
They are not mixed in 9MM's, just undersized .38's.
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Well. I upped the powder .1 grs and changed to Fed 100 primers (I know...2 changes here). Got the same high ES & SD's.
So.... I am doublechecking things again and it dawns on me... I changed expanders. I bought a Redding two step type expander. I like the way they do brass. It's easier on the brass I beleive and it seems easier to seat bullets straight the way it does brass. Anyway, I measure it and sure enough it's diameter is .361 at the high part of the expander (the short part for getting the bullet started) and .3565 at the lower part which goes down further into the brass. Bigger than my RCBS I had been using. I polished the .361 part to .360 and the .3655 part to .3535. I beleive this is going to be the ticket.
This is what I get for changing things and not doublechecking everything before I got started.
The good news is my Model 15 just loves the Berry's 158 Gr. HP's. They shoot to Point of Aim at 7 yards into one ragged hole and hit pins at 30 yards aiming dead on as well.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walkalong-
I've found primer switches to give me different velocities, but not really wide ES numbers.
A weak crimp, on the other hand, will give me wide ES numbers on a consistant basis.
( from Ben Sheppard )
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Went back and started doublechecking everything today. Some of the Berry's 125 Gr. HP's measured as small as .355
No fricking wonder they had big ES & SD's. I should have caught that when I loaded up a small batch to try, but did not. The couple I measured before starting were .357.
The .355 ones would practically slip down into the expanded case with finger pressure. The crimp was not the problem, there was almost no neck tension.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sounds like they mis-boxed/mis-labeled some 124 gr 9mm stuff maybe?
( from Ben Sheppard )
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes it does, doesn't it, but they aren't. They look about the same, but you can tell them apart with the naked eye.
I have some Berry's 124 Gr. HP's. They measure .3555 to .356 by .548 to .549.
The Berry's .38 124 Gr. bullets I had trouble with are .355 to .357 by .541 to .542.
The hollow point in the .38's is about .156 at the mouth and about .245 deep.
The hollow point in the 9MM is about .148 at the mouth and about .240 deep.
They are not mixed in 9MM's, just undersized .38's.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well. I upped the powder .1 grs and changed to Fed 100 primers (I know...2 changes here). Got the same high ES & SD's.
So.... I am doublechecking things again and it dawns on me... I changed expanders. I bought a Redding two step type expander. I like the way they do brass. It's easier on the brass I beleive and it seems easier to seat bullets straight the way it does brass. Anyway, I measure it and sure enough it's diameter is .361 at the high part of the expander (the short part for getting the bullet started) and .3565 at the lower part which goes down further into the brass. Bigger than my RCBS I had been using. I polished the .361 part to .360 and the .3655 part to .3535. I beleive this is going to be the ticket.
This is what I get for changing things and not doublechecking everything before I got started.
The good news is my Model 15 just loves the Berry's 158 Gr. HP's. They shoot to Point of Aim at 7 yards into one ragged hole and hit pins at 30 yards aiming dead on as well.
