A thought exercise re: (re)loading

LDB

LDB

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I'm told I think too much. I'm recently into .32 revolvers, .32 H&R Magnum and .327 Federal Magnum. In this case to be shot through a Taurus 3" M327 revolver once it arrives later this week. The same thinking also goes with my J-frames, .38SPL and .357. So you've got a little guy and a big guy in both pairs. To illustrate the thoughts lets use a power scale of 1-100. Nothing to scale, just the idea. Let's say the little guy spans 1-41 and the big guy spans 65-100 using exact combinations from (insert title of favorite here) reloading manual. Now you NEVER exceed the max charge of any given load. So that means 41 is it for the little guy and no pushing the reactor to 105 for an extra couple of knots from the big guy.

Hodgdon website has an interesting article published online about reduced power loads using H4895 and ONLY H4895. Very informative and VERY interesting. And I believe something similar with Trail Boss but am not familiar with it. So the H4895 article got me thinking.

Is there a pistol powder that would function like the 60% rule of H4895? Something that would allow a loading in the 42-64 range? It would of course have to be used in the big guy only as it would exceed safety limits in the little guy. But it would allow landing in the void. It would give a super light and controllable round for practice in the big guy. Just a curiosity that bounces around the great void during parts of my too much thinking.
 
I do not know a pistol powder that matches H4895's reduced load behavior, so follow published reduced data and maker guidance, ask experienced reloaders, and use a chronograph to safely tune loads for the big revolver
 
Yes, I thought so. I'd like to find the same for handguns. I'd like to load the .327FM so it is in the gap between regular .327FM rounds and .32H&R Magnum rounds. Also the same to load a .357 so it is in the gap between .357 and .38+P. But so far nothing shows up to do that.
 
DeadEyeDeadly said:
LDB, you were spot-on about Trail Boss being used for reduced loads. Attached is a PDF from Hogdon's website. Good Luck ...
Click to expand...
Yep, I reload for a couple S&W 500 Mags. No surprise that I shoot more light loads than heavy.

Trail Boss works great for light loads, even though light loads dwarf a +P 45 ACP and Lil Gun for heavy stuff. Don
 


All I have to do is find and buy some unobtanium. :)​


I got an alert from one of the places I have Trail Boss set for in stock alert the other day. Instantly clicked on it and instantly got the sorry out of stock. I have a fair amount on hand but "fair" is never enough.
 
Last edited:
Michael Lloyd said:

​

All I have to do is find and buy some unobtanium. :)​


I got an alert from one of the places I have Trail Boss set for in stock alert the other day. Instantly clicked on it and instantly got the sorry out of stock. I have a fair amount on hand but "fair" is never enough.
Click to expand...
I've had that happen when it is literally 2 minutes between the timestamp on the email and the time I'm checking. I think sometimes they get just 1 of something but it still notifies all 837 people.
 
I had put in a notification for a product from Midway, when I recieved the notification, immediately tried to add five of them to my cart, it said only two where available, I immediately hit checkout and by the time I entered my payment information, it said item not in stock, and not available for backorder.
 
LDB said:
I'm told I think too much. I'm recently into .32 revolvers, .32 H&R Magnum and .327 Federal Magnum. In this case to be shot through a Taurus 3" M327 revolver once it arrives later this week. The same thinking also goes with my J-frames, .38SPL and .357. So you've got a little guy and a big guy in both pairs. To illustrate the thoughts lets use a power scale of 1-100. Nothing to scale, just the idea. Let's say the little guy spans 1-41 and the big guy spans 65-100 using exact combinations from (insert title of favorite here) reloading manual. Now you NEVER exceed the max charge of any given load. So that means 41 is it for the little guy and no pushing the reactor to 105 for an extra couple of knots from the big guy.

Hodgdon website has an interesting article published online about reduced power loads using H4895 and ONLY H4895. Very informative and VERY interesting. And I believe something similar with Trail Boss but am not familiar with it. So the H4895 article got me thinking.

Is there a pistol powder that would function like the 60% rule of H4895? Something that would allow a loading in the 42-64 range? It would of course have to be used in the big guy only as it would exceed safety limits in the little guy. But it would allow landing in the void. It would give a super light and controllable round for practice in the big guy. Just a curiosity that bounces around the great void during parts of my too much thinking.
Click to expand...
It has been many years (40+) since I loaded for pistols. I was using Winchester 296 for my 357 and all the manuals gave only 1 charge weight with a note not to deviate. Dangerously high pressures could be experienced.

Now we focus all our loading efforts toward big magnum rifle cartridges and lots of forums discuss the dangers of light loading resulting in dangerously high pressures. It seems the concern is that the primer could flash across the top of the powder resulting in quicker ignition.

The best practice - follow the MFG recommendations.
 
Yes, but the MFG, Hodgdon in this case, has papers on two different powders and how to use them at significantly reduced charges. One, H4895, only discusses specific rifle loads. One, TrailBoss, discusses a method that apparently can be used in both rifle and handgun.

I don't know what level factory ammo is loaded to, but I suspect most is toward the high end of the scale. It may be that if I load some at the lowest manual listed level I'll find just what I want. I just enjoy the thought exercises too.
 
I love the thought process myself.
I exceeded the recommended 296 load by 0.3 grains because it shot better in my pistol. I am a bit of a rebel.

Regarding high end loading - most of our magnums shoot best at 100-105%. Just musing!
 
JDBraddy said:
I had put in a notification for a product from Midway, when I recieved the notification, immediately tried to add five of them to my cart, it said only two where available, I immediately hit checkout and by the time I entered my payment information, it said item not in stock, and not available for backorder.
Click to expand...
That sort of things happens routinely, why bother posting it.
 
LDB said:
Yes, but the MFG, Hodgdon in this case, has papers on two different powders and how to use them at significantly reduced charges. One, H4895, only discusses specific rifle loads. One, TrailBoss, discusses a method that apparently can be used in both rifle and handgun.

I don't know what level factory ammo is loaded to, but I suspect most is toward the high end of the scale. It may be that if I load some at the lowest manual listed level I'll find just what I want. I just enjoy the thought exercises too.
Click to expand...
You have asked these same questions on another forum, and got much the same answers. There is only one reloading method, and that’s the safe one. Use the manuals, go by the manuals, if in doubt, consult the manuals AGAIN. Start low and work up, don’t make something simple complicated.
 
Yes, I enjoy the thought exercises and different locations tend to bring in some different voices and thoughts. And as I have repeatedly said, I'm interested in a safe way of doing what the MFGs have done with their powders and written white papers on.

And reread my last paragraph. "I don't know what level factory ammo is loaded to, but I suspect most is toward the high end of the scale. It may be that if I load some at the lowest manual listed level I'll find just what I want. I just enjoy the thought exercises too."

So possibly factory loads are high end of the scale (probably so they get the exciting ballistics numbers to brag about) and if I load the LOWEST MANUAL RECIPE I may find what I'm looking for already laid out.

In the meantime I get to enjoy a lot of "thinking time" and conversing with those others who choose to participate in the thought/discussion.
 
Most people load for accuracy, wherever that might fall. As for me, I have no interest in a gun or load that doesn’t provide that. The “thought exercises” have already been done to a large degree by people much smarter and with more experience than us. That is what is in the reloading manuals. It’s up to us to refine, within safe limits, those published loads to our individual firearms.
 
Certainly more experienced than I, but I won't go with much smarter. Maybe some, maybe not. And their thoughts were on what fills the bell curve from the usable low end to the usable high end of what should be under the curve and in the manual.

Then a few of them got to thinking outside the curve and wrote a white paper on the 60% rule and H4895. And another on Trail Boss and 70%. So obviously some other people are thinking similarly. And it is interesting thinking.
 
Am I right? I don't (and maybe nobody) know. Am I right to think. Yes, everyone is. And should. I just choose to think and study on this, among other things. I find it interesting. My interest is in the .32 line SWL>H&R MAG>.327FM. But it could apply to .38 SPL>MAG and .44SPL>MAG and I imagine other lines as well. Why do they have to be in blocks? Why isn't there a way with the plethora of components to have a continuous progression from the lowest SAFE load in the manual through the highest SAFE load in the manual? Seems if they can create a much greater safe range in specific rifle loads with specific powders the same could happen in handguns. Just interesting and curious.
 

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