A couple of months ago I bought 2000 bullets from Oregon Trail, specifically Laser-Cast 200 grain LRNFP, to shoot in a couple of USFA Rodeos and a Marlin 1894. Following numerous recommendations here and referencing sites such as Hodgdon's reloading guide, I bought Trail Boss powder and began loading using 6.0 grains of TB resulting in a velocity around 800 fps and a maximum pressure of around 9,500 psi. Now for the problem, while searching for bullets for my Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt, I "discovered" from The Missouri Bullet Company that the hardness of a cast lead bullet should be matched to the pressure generated in the chamber and barrel according to ...
Optimum BHN = CUPS/(1422*.90)
I contacted Oregon Trail Bullet Company and was informed that ALL of their bullets have a BHN of 24 which isn't advertised on their web site. If I put BHN = 24 in the equation above, the pressure comes out to 30,715 CUP. So according to MBC, the Oregon Trail bullet is WAY too hard to shoot at pressures typically found in SAA clones.
OK ... so now for my question(s). I'm going to order more bullets but with a BHN of 12 - 14 that I'll shoot in the USFA clones and Marlin for CAS type scenarios but I'd like to shoot these 200 grain OT bullets in the Marlin and Ruger at pressures approaching 30,000 CUP. The Hodgdon web site load data for .45 Colt +P starts at 240 grain bullets and all I could find in my Sierra, Speer and Lee reloading manuals are two loads for 200 grain bullets (both in the Speer #11 manual).
200 grain LSWC, W231, 7.3 grains (864 fps), 8.3 grains (989 fps), < 15,900 PSI
200 grain JHP, W231, 10.5 grains (1238 fps), 11.0 grains (1255 fps), < 25,000 CUP
I have W231 powder and I also have H110 (and N120 and N130) and I'd rather not buy another powder so does anyone know of any loads for 200 grain LRNFP bullets using H110 powder (or VV) resulting in pressures approaching 30,000 CUP.
Also, am I over-thinking this i.e. should I just shoot the OT bullets at 800 fps and not worry about the possibility of leading the barrel?
Sorry for the complicated post.
Thanks.
Optimum BHN = CUPS/(1422*.90)
I contacted Oregon Trail Bullet Company and was informed that ALL of their bullets have a BHN of 24 which isn't advertised on their web site. If I put BHN = 24 in the equation above, the pressure comes out to 30,715 CUP. So according to MBC, the Oregon Trail bullet is WAY too hard to shoot at pressures typically found in SAA clones.
OK ... so now for my question(s). I'm going to order more bullets but with a BHN of 12 - 14 that I'll shoot in the USFA clones and Marlin for CAS type scenarios but I'd like to shoot these 200 grain OT bullets in the Marlin and Ruger at pressures approaching 30,000 CUP. The Hodgdon web site load data for .45 Colt +P starts at 240 grain bullets and all I could find in my Sierra, Speer and Lee reloading manuals are two loads for 200 grain bullets (both in the Speer #11 manual).
200 grain LSWC, W231, 7.3 grains (864 fps), 8.3 grains (989 fps), < 15,900 PSI
200 grain JHP, W231, 10.5 grains (1238 fps), 11.0 grains (1255 fps), < 25,000 CUP
I have W231 powder and I also have H110 (and N120 and N130) and I'd rather not buy another powder so does anyone know of any loads for 200 grain LRNFP bullets using H110 powder (or VV) resulting in pressures approaching 30,000 CUP.
Also, am I over-thinking this i.e. should I just shoot the OT bullets at 800 fps and not worry about the possibility of leading the barrel?
Sorry for the complicated post.
Thanks.