First squib reload--.38sp

[croue]

Grains not green. Doh.

[hambam105]

Why does it seem that plated bullets are frequently mentioned when talking about squib loads?

[pacrat]

Why does it seem that plated bullets are frequently mentioned when talking about squib loads?

Because they are the most popular. Cheaper then FMJ and cleaner than lubed cast. More being loaded, ups the odds of a booboo exponentially.

JM2c

[Fishslayer]

I'm curious how far an SP primer can drive a bullet in a revolver.

I had a CCI SPP drive a 158 gr Redline Ballistics LSWC far enough into the forcing cone to lock up the cylinder and require driving the bullet back into the cylinder.

[RogerOrange]

I am a beginner myself but have a similar problem with factory loads where the bullets jumped from the casings in my revolver.

Next time you go out, shoot a couple of rounds and then open the cylinder and pull the unfired bullets. Inspect of the COAL is still the same.
I even had a couple of times where the powder came pooring out of the cylinder

[Dougbert66]

Thanks to all who responded. I plan to shoot the upper half of my ladder when free time and clear weather coincide. Will keep to the hotter end of the load tables with plated bullets from now on.

For the record--all brass was Federal headstamp, both expander and bullet seating had good resistance when working. When I pulled down the four other 4g loaded rounds there was a decent amount of resistance, so I don't think I had bullets too loose or bad cases.

Have been thinking about a lever-action in 357 (or even a Ruger M77-357), but for now only loading for handgun. If I had some .38 short or long colt brass I might try that out, but I've got a mess of .38sp and .357 magnum cases so that's what I'll load.

p.s. Since when is 125g a weird weight for .38sp or .357 magnum? Lee and Lyman make molds for 120 and 125g bullets. Hornady sells several 125g bullets. PMC, Magtech, Hornady, Winchester, Cor-Bon, etc. all sell factory loads with 125g projectiles of various kinds. And I have a bunch of Federal 130g FMJ--that's only 4% heavier. I have some other bullets to try, including 158g plated, but I was planning to save those for .357 due to the 1250fps limit on Berry's. 158g @1200 is a decent load target for .357.

[al123]

Dougbert66 wrote: I had five rounds at each rung with 3.8g, 4.0, 4.3, 4.6, and 4.8 based on Lee data for 125g lead bullet. For a Hornady XTP and Win231 I have data showing 4.3-4.9g, so I figured my ladder was safe for copper plated. Wrong. <snip>

IME with plated bullets you can't use the lower end of lead data. It has much more resistance than lead. Plated bullets can squib like jacketed if you use low-end lead data, but cannot handle high velocities (>1200 or1500 fps depending on the mfg) either.

The main reason I use plated is minimizing lead exposure and if you get the right recipe, you can dial in a custom load for your taste.

<snip> I set it for a light crimp (1/2 turn in after case contact) so as not to damage the thin bullet plating. I did notice that the "feel" of this operation was not that consistent, so maybe I'm not getting enough crimp action. <snip>

Plated bullets don't like a lot of crimp. The 1/2 turn is considered a light crimp and maybe OK, but I had to pull test bullets to be sure and I ended with a crimp somewhat less than that. My understanding is W231 is a relatively fast powder, and since the need for a heavier crimp is a more complete burn, IME, it was not really helpful and per the bullet mfg, it can be problematic.

For my use (X-treme) this what they recommend for their product:

Our Copper Plated Bullets can be run at mid-range jacketed velocities or higher end lead velocities. We recommend keeping velocities to less than 1500 FPS (Feet Per Second) and using only a light taper crimp

I've found a light taper crimp pinches into plating less than a light (1/2 turn) roll crimp.

Caveat: This is from my own narrow experience, so you have to use your own judgment, research, and testing on your own.

[Dougbert66]

The pulled bullets I have show only a slight indentation where the light crimp occurred. The plating is not cut. From Berry's site:

You can use published load data for lead/cast bullets or low to mid-range FMJ data, as long as it is the same weight bullet. Berry's offers our standard plate bullets which can handle velocities up to 1,250 fps and 1,500 fps for our Thick Plate (TP) versions.

These are the "standard plate" type. I'll stay toward the mid and upper end (but below 1250fps based on the data I have).