45acp Stan's cast lead bullets LSWC
heads

the OAL was .021 too long. the cylinder could not turn. even in my friend's 1911 every 1/5 rounds it would not go into battery. tap did not work so I racked the slide and ejected the round. went home and seated the bullet .021" shorter and now it will turn in the cyllinder. go back again to test the function. learned something 

For those #68 style bullets, I load them to 1.250 OAL.
But I also make sure there is not more than about 1/32 inch of exposed shoulder.
The term #68 refers to the Hensley and Gibbs mould design.
Other mould makers make similar bullets but not exactly the same.
I'm guessing that Stan is using saeco moulds. I should ask him.

I taper crimp to 0.468 for maximum reliability.

my OAL now is 1.237
it was 1.258 and that was too long

my OAL now is 1.237
it was 1.258 and that was too long

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What's the diameter of the case mouth after crimp?
That can cause failure to chamber completely.
Also, some new guns have very tight chambers.
Also, bullets that use a polymer coating might be too tight in the chamber.
Nowadays I insist on verifying my reloads in the particular gun that will shoot them.

...
What's the diameter of the case mouth after crimp?
That can cause failure to chamber completely.
Also, some new guns have very tight chambers.
Also, bullets that use a polymer coating might be too tight in the chamber.
Nowadays I insist on verifying my reloads in the particular gun that will shoot them.

No crimp. Haha!

my 45acp handloads with Stan's projectiles. 7.7 grains of Accurate #5. average 868.4 fps

very consistent velocity...

my 45acp handloads with Stan's projectiles. 7.7 grains of Accurate #5. average 868.4 fps

heads 

very consistent velocity...

I'll do some with Titegroup and see how it compares to Acc#5. also got Universal, CFE pistol, and HP38 and some other powders to try

pretty cool using my friend's Garmin chrono. much mahalo's to him for letting me use it. now I no need go by my palm chrono any more 

pretty cool using my friend's Garmin chrono. much mahalo's to him for letting me use it. now I no need go by my palm chrono any more 

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geeez...that chrono thing cost more than my gun!!

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anyway, if you are keeping a record of your ammo testing, don't forget to include standard deviation in your database.
That is a significant statistic for the ammo nerds.
Basically, it predicts where most of your shots will fall. 

Today, the weather turned all crappy and cloudy with thunder so it would be a good time to load some sort of ammo.
Even the dawg was scared and demanded to hide inside the house. 

Still deciding what ammo to load.

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geeez...that chrono thing cost more than my gun!!

...
anyway, if you are keeping a record of your ammo testing, don't forget to include standard deviation in your database.
That is a significant statistic for the ammo nerds.
Basically, it predicts where most of your shots will fall.

thanks. I'll be sure to record the SD next time
I loaded some 357 with H110 to test in a couple weeks out of my new revolver. Ruger Blackhawk convertible 357/9mm 

158 grain 357 XTP. H110

That's so pretty.
How much H110 you put?

That's so pretty.
How much H110 you put?

not much. 14.1 grains. start there with the new gun. maybe use more powder next time. see how it shoots first

not much. 14.1 grains. start there with the new gun. maybe use more powder next time. see how it shoots first

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That's way lighter than I ever used.
For that bullet, I would have used at least 16.5.
It's more fun like that.

Shot these last Friday with pleasing results.

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That's way lighter than I ever used.
For that bullet, I would have used at least 16.5.
It's more fun like that.

I'm going to shoot these handloads, some pretty hot Remington 125 grain, and some just factory 9mm and see how they do on the chrono
probably load some hotter JHP for the next time after this or some target loads or both

I'm going to shoot these handloads, some pretty hot Remington 125 grain, and some just factory 9mm and see how they do on the chrono
probably load some hotter JHP for the next time after this or some target loads or both

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The reasoning behind the hotter charge weight for your 357 is the nature of H110 powder.
H110 is a slow and difficult to ignite powder.
Also, in the 357 shell casing, a lower charge weight might not get close to the flash hole.

FYI-the lowest H110 load I ever used was 14.5 with a hard cast keith-style lead bullet.
This was a great combo because the keith SWC is a fairly long bullet that fills the airspace.
That 14.5 charge provides a satisfying thump with a cheap bullet.
A hard cast poly coat bullet or perhaps a cheap plated bullet might be a fun thing to try with H110 powder.
I've used cheap plated bullets in my 44 mag. It's good low-cost fun ammo.