[Ridgerunner665]

I got my press and all the accessories set up finally.
I loaded 10 rounds today...230 TMJ over 7 grains of Power Pistol in Remington brass trimmed to .888, OAL 1.26, CCI 300 primers...the recommended start load in my Speer manual....and heres what I learned...


This load is too light to cycle the slide on my Stinger... After all 10 rounds the case was stuck in the ejection port backwards. Ruined 10 cases...but thats better than 10 fingers.:biggrin: I'm going to up the charge by 2/10ths of a grain and try it again tomorrow.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

1.26 seems pretty darn smooth going in the chamber. After 5 hand cycles...none had any "setback" ( crimped at .469).
On my second batch...I left the cases .893...appeared to have less headspace that way, but not hardly flush. My recoil spring is a 20# conventional...the stock 21# variable just didn't work at all with factory full power loads (HyrdaShoks, Golden Sabres an such).
I will try the 1.25 tomorrow...at the same charge (7.2 grains). I had forgotten how much fun reloading was...

 

[Ridgerunner665]

then you dont have to make a ton of trips to find out what it likes

Not a problem... the trips aint too long....I just open the back door and let er rip.:dancingbananna:

 

[Ridgerunner665]

It is a Stainless Stinger...It seems to run good with the 20...I tend to like the hotter loads ..but not +P.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I'm just playin around with it right now...getting the hang of it again.
But soon I'm going to work up a load with 230 grain XTP's for next years deer season.
If I can get 860 fps with 230 XTP's, without resorting to +P, I will be good to go.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I should be able to get there...It clocked factory 230 Golden Sabres at 862 fps. And Federal Tactical 230 grain HydraShoks at 880 fps (non +P for both loads), thats not bad for a Commander length barrel.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Power Pistol is my first choice in max velocity non +P loads

I have seen you say that a few times...I researched it a little further and found it to be true, (not that I doubted you) and thats why I chose to start with it...I also bought 4 lbs of Unique...but its for my combat course loads.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

BTW...thanks for the tip about playin around with the OAL...I will experiment with it...but 1.26 seems good with the Speer TMJ's.
I noticed in the Hornady manual that I bought today that it says 1.23 for the same load but the powder charge is .3 lighter...I'm guessing that about evens it out.

BTW...case length sets the headspace on a 45 acp ...right?

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Yes case length sets headspace

Thanks...I thought it did. But it made me wonder why the reloading manuals had a "trim to" length specified. For example...the Speer manual says "trim to" .888, and the max case length is .898.
The Remington brass I ordered are almost all .893...which seems to headspace about right in my pistol. But .895 is flush...does it improve accuracy to have a perfect (flush) headspace? I know it helps in bottleneck rifle rounds, but I'm new at pistols.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Never trimmed or measured any of my cases. Never loaded or shot rifles. Tracy

My first true love was and is long range rifle shooting...I have reloaded many rounds of 308 and 300 Win Mag...but its been a few years. A friend that also shoots long range has been loading my rifle rounds for at least 15 years.
I had to call him today and ask the recipe for my own load:rofl:

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I tried 7.0 grains @ 1.250 OAL...they ran fine, averaged 818 fps.

Also...I found a load my gun likes, its 7.2 grains @ 1.250 OAL, 860 fps...A 5 shot, 25 yard group, fired from a solid rest (bag of shot) was 1, not very ragged, hole. :smile:

 

[Ridgerunner665]

No signs of pressure...the brass ejects just like the factory Golden Sabres I been shooting, about 8 feet to my right and a little behind me...but it is about time for a fresh recoil spring, 900 rounds on that one.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I borrowed a chrono...

 

[Ridgerunner665]

No shok buff...I went all the way to 8.0 grains...920 fps, and enough muzzle blast and flash to blow out an oil well fire. Still no signs of too much pressure.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Its cleaner than any factory ammo I've tried once I get to 7.3 grains or more.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Some guy on another forum was trying to tell me I had other problems when it wouldnt eject the 7.0 grain loads...he thinks 7.2 - 7.3 is +P.
Also he claims 860 fps from a 5 inch 1911 with 6.9 grains under a 230 FMJ...I'm not saying he's lying...but he didnt consider the OAL, different brass, different primers, and most importantly...different bullets. He seemed to not understand that all 230 grain bullets are not created equal and behave differently.
He did say JHP builds more pressure, which is true...but he seemed to think ALL 230 FMJ (TMJ in my case) were all the same.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Great...m1911 forum wont let me reply to my own thread.
I was just trying to nicely explain to that guy what I found out about how these loads worked.....and POOF...I get a message saying this thread is way too old to revive...and I only started it yesterday...go figure...pardon me for saying this but...TO HELL WITH THAT PLACE.

EDIT: they let me say my piece...now I'm done with them.