question on powder load

[alexisjohnson]

Hey guys,
I"m super new to the reloading game and i had a question to ask. So i got me some ramshot silhouette and hodgdon hs6 to reload 9 and 45 with.

When i got home and looked at the website and my load data book i can't seem to find the exact formula. For the 230 grain fmj roundnose bullets which i got, there is no precise data (neither in the book (Lymans), nor in the hodgdon website). Similarly, for the ramshot...they have different brands of 230 grain fmj rn bullets but not the one which i purchased (xtreme bullets).

For the ramshot...can i simply substitute the 230 grain fmj rn formula of another brand for my brand? I'm assuming they should be the same in every respect, right?

And what am i supposed to do for the hodgdon hs 6? The only load data which the website has for the hs6 is 230 gr. hdy fmj fp and 230 grain Lrn (leaded round nose which is not what i have). Here...should i again use the 230 grain fmj fp data for my rn?

I'm walking very cautiously here since i'm new to all this and i want to really be sure about how this works...

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

[Eljay]

OK so the answer is a little more complicated than it appears at first glance.

With round nose pistol bullets the loads are generally interchangeable since the bullets all have the same shape. With rifles and with different pistol bullets shapes that approach can be iffy.

BUT

Your xTreme bullets aren't FMJs. They're plated. It's a different process, they have a very thin copper layer, and they act like cast bullets. It would be better to start with a 230gr RN cast bullet load, start on the low end and work up until you find a load you like.

the good news is to your second question you would use the leaded round nose so you're set there.

Generally speaking FYI the cast bullets are going to go faster than FMJs with plated in-between but the cast data being the safer to go with. You're not going to find plated data generally.

[alexisjohnson]

Awesome...so then here is a question. There is a load formula for the hodgden which is for a 230 Leaded Round Nose (LRN)..the bullet diameter is .452 (same as my plated xtreme bullets). Since these are plated and not FMJ can i treat these rounds the same and use this formula? Or should i not treat plated bullets as cast ones?

Second question is whats the deal on a plated bullet in a glock (45)? Should i treat it as a lead cast bullet and not shoot it through the stock barrel or is it to be considered as a fmj bullet?

Thanks!

[Eljay]

1. Exactly, I'd use the lead round nose data.
2. That's a different issue entirely. Glock doesn't want you to shoot bare lead through their barrels but plated is fine and hi tek and other similar coatings are fine.

[stilly]

Hey guys,
I"m super new to the reloading game and i had a question to ask. So i got me some ramshot silhouette and hodgdon hs6 to reload 9 and 45 with.

When i got home and looked at the website and my load data book i can't seem to find the exact formula. For the 230 grain fmj roundnose bullets which i got, there is no precise data (neither in the book (Lymans), nor in the hodgdon website). Similarly, for the ramshot...they have different brands of 230 grain fmj rn bullets but not the one which i purchased (xtreme bullets).

For the ramshot...can i simply substitute the 230 grain fmj rn formula of another brand for my brand? I'm assuming they should be the same in every respect, right?

And what am i supposed to do for the hodgdon hs 6? The only load data which the website has for the hs6 is 230 gr. hdy fmj fp and 230 grain Lrn (leaded round nose which is not what i have). Here...should i again use the 230 grain fmj fp data for my rn?

I'm walking very cautiously here since i'm new to all this and i want to really be sure about how this works...

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Here is how I would approach this.
1. Read the Lee Manual AKA BoLee AKA Book of Lee AKA Modern Reloading 2nd or third edition.
2. In that book there is a HUGE data section. Go to page 666 or whatever for .45 ACP and look up your bullets and weight. Xtreme are typically NOT FMJ. FMJ is a JACKETED projectile. Xtreme typically sells PLATED projectiles. PLATED projectiles tend to act like LEAD and be treated as LEAD when it comes to looking up load data.
3. Look up LEAD .45 acp 230gr if they do not have PLATED and see what powders they tested and show you. Start from there.
4. Do the same for 9mm. This is not difficult.

If your powder is not listed, buy 1-2 more books, but make sure they are the LYMAN 4th edition and then follow it up with the LYMAN Casting Handbook.

The Lyman will show a few different loads for .45 ACP and MAYBE your powders will be listed. The CASTING book will show general .45 acp 230gr LEAD and you should be safe in using that provided that you have similar powder to what they have listed.
5. FINALLY if you do not see your powder combo in any of those books, then go to the manufacturer's website and look it up there. Worst case scenario, ask the manufacturer.

I know for a fact that there is a combo for HS-6 + 9mm in possibly all three of those books. I am not familiar with silo.

This is why we push for new reloaders to RTFM...

[Bill Steele]

Being relatively a new product (at least in the geologic time clock as used in the reloading industry), there is less plated data than lead or jacketed around. To confound things even more plated bullets have a pretty wide range of thickness and hardness on the coating. Many manufacturers of plated say to take similar weight and profile data for lead and jacketed and use the middle (lead usually has a lower number, jacketed a little higher for same weight/profile/diameter).

Most of my friends who favor plated use lead data for a similar weight and profile and get reliable results. Thinner/softer plated bullets can start stripping the plating when pushed beyond a certain velocity, i am embarrassed to say I have xperienced this first hand.

In my limited experience with Xtreme (maybe like a total of 10K loaded, in a few calibers, not a lot), they are pretty insensitive to velocity and you likely could use any jacketed bullet manufacturer data for a similar weight, profile and diameter bullet and be fine both with pressures and stripping. But then, the lead data will likely yield a slightly more pleasant shooting experience.