Recipe difference between Lee and Lyman

[missed again]

Generally the powder charges between the Lee Second Edition reloading manual and Lyman 49th are close if not identical. Recently I started reloading 380 and noticed a big difference between the two. Lee calls for 4.2minimum and maximum grains of Unique with a 95 grain FMJ but the Lyman recipe shows 2.3 to 3.1 maximum. That seems like a big difference in my mind.

Am I going to blow up my mostly plastic Ruger LCP with the Lee load? I loaded up a few at 3.7 grains as a test but wanted to get your opinion before I hit the range.

 

[Steve C]

Lee calls for 4.2minimum and maximum grains of Unique with a 95 grain FMJ

First, any manual that only lists one load for a bullet weight is giving you the MAXIMUM load, not a start and maximum. You are expected to be knowledgeable enough to do the math and subtract 10% of that maximum load to get your start load (or multiply by .9 or 90%). This gives a start load of 3.8 grs.

The Lyman data is probably for a lead bullet but if not its very light for a jacketed bullet. Both the older Alliant data and my Speer #13 manual that lists a 95gr FMJ agree with your Lee data and say that the maximum load for Unique is 4.2grs.

 

[evan price]

My charts show 4.0 of Unique under a 100-grain in .380 as max. You should be OK with 3.7 and a 95.

 

[Doug b]

The discrepency probably has more to do with bullet length and internal case capacity in the rounds tested than your math.I'd guess they'll shoot well.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

Get more manuals. Cross check and cross check again. I have a lot of manuals including the free ones from the powder makers just for questions like this.

 

[Wirenut1212]

I was having this same problem with my 180 gr Rainer bullets and my Lymans and Speer maual so I called Rainer and talked to them they recommend the Speer data which is a hotter load, which I questioned and his reply was speers bullet was the closest to there's. So I would recommend a call to your bullets manufacture and ask them, the gentleman at Rainer was very helpful!!

 

[rcmodel]

Just so you know.
The Lee Second Edition reloading manual is only a compilation of data collected from the powder & bullet manufactures available elsewhere free.

Lee has no ballistics lab, and does no load testing of their own like the other loading manual publishers.

rc