# Pistol load development



## specialpatrolgroup (Jan 16, 2009)

Up to now I have strictly loaded for my rifles. Now I want to expand to my handguns, starting with my 44 mag, later moving on to 45acp and 9mm. I figure I should work up the 44 load like a rifle load sicne I shoot that at 50-75 yards, which is probably enough distance where I will see different groups due to the charge. Would you agree with that? What abotu for 45 and 9mm, if I am shooting at 20 feet most of the time, do I bother working up a load, or do I just pick something that is considered a medium charge and go with it. WIll I see much differance at that distance. What is a good way to start pistol load development?


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## noylj (Nov 10, 2010)

You never just pick a load. You start with the starting load and work up, generally in 0.3-0.5gn increments.
Most handguns are tested at 25 yds, with magnums tested at 50 and/or 100 yds. For Bullseye competition, you would test at 25 and 50 yds.
For .44 Mag, you will probably do well with 2400 (generally very accurate) and H110/W296. H110/296 is a slow powder that must be loaded very near to peak load, otherwise it doesn't ignite and burn well and can stick a bullet in the barrel along with an unburned glob of powder. Cast lead 240gn L-SWC are generally very accurate.
.45 ACP is often most accurate with 200gn L-SWC and a light charge of fast powder (frequently 3.6-4.1gn of fast powder). One of the most accurate bullets is Nosler's Custom Competition 185 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point.
9x19 does best with 115-125gn bullets. 115gn and 122gn L-SWCs are generally quite accurate. Montana Gold, Precision Delta, and Zero Bullets make excellent jacketed bullets for all your handgun calibers and they are priced the same as plated bullets. I find the Zero .38 super 121gn JHP to be very accurate in 9x19.


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## specialpatrolgroup (Jan 16, 2009)

Other than grouping, what am I looking for as I increase the load, what are teh pressure signs for a pistol?


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

specialpatrolgroup said:


> Other than grouping, what am I looking for as I increase the load, what are teh pressure signs for a pistol?


Half of the cylinder stuck in your forehead. :rollin:

No, no, no, I simply watch the primer for excess flattening or cratering. Normally I get top max loads in all of the books before I see any sign. I have pet loads for my 44. One is a low load so I'm not afraid to share that here. It is a 240 gr cast with 9 gr Unique. Out of my 4 inch Smith that gives me 1050 fps and out of my 8 3/8 inch Smith I get 1157 fps.
The other load uses H110. I have heard that the reason you don't load down is because you can get detonation rather than burn. I'm not sure, but I don't load down much. Then I do use some 2400 which was Elmer Keiths favorite powder with the 256 gr gas check bullet. Lyman calls their mould the Keith style bullet.
I think the distance you sight in depends on what your going to hunt. I sight for 50 yards with my Unique and the faster loads are very close to on at 100. Close enough to swing a four inch steel target anyway.

I can't remember off hand what I load in my 45ACP. I mostly shoot the Lyman 185 gr Decimator that I cast myself from plain jane wheel weights. I use a 22 lb spring in my 1911 and push that bullet to 1200 fps. Don't try that in one of the Tupperware guns like my Springfield XD or a Glock. Although it's called a 185 gr when you don't add antimony or tin the bullet comes out 193 gr. Makes the old girl jump in your hand a little. I wouldn't recommend messing around like that until you have a few years of reloading under your belt and a good recoil program. Oh, along with the 22 lb recoil spring I use a Wilson Combat recoil buffer.


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## specialpatrolgroup (Jan 16, 2009)

Good info, I have a pound of 2400, some 240gr gold dots i picked up on clearance that I will start wtih, the gun is a Bisley .44 hunter with an 8.5" barrel. Really the only gun I care about velocity wise is the .44 which I would like to take a deer with if the oppertunity presented itsef. For my other pistols its all about plinking, so will probably go with a soft load. I chose the gold dots since I got them for a song, but after I run out I will switch to a Keith style bullet, but wont be casting my own anytime soon, I dont have enough time for reloading as it is.

So for your Keith loads, I assume you are loading pretty hot, Elmer listed a load above current book recomendataions. Do you experiance any leading wtih those gas checked bullets? How much can you shoot between cleanings?


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I notice I get a lot more leading in a Ruger Super Blackhawk than I do my Smiths. I used Semichrome polish in the Ruger I had and that cut the leading by half. Still, I purchased a Lewis lead remover, and that takes lead out in just two or three minutes of work. My Ruger would have a lot of lead after 50 rounds. After hand lapping with Semichrome it would do 100 rounds. I can run a couple of hundred rounds through my Smith, using Lyman #2 alloy and there is so little lead it can be brushed out most of the time. 
I shot the gas check as hot as jacketed bullets. However, I found that I could push the old BullX (no longer made) just as fast as jacketed. I push my own cast bullets with no gas check to 1400 in my Smith, and 1800 fps in my Marlin lever action. It's the Cowboy Action model with 26 inch octagon barrel. I smucked a doe with that at 170 yards a couple of years ago.


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## noylj (Nov 10, 2010)

For straight wall cases, you watch for signs of pressure by firing factory ammo of the same bullet weight.
You want to measure the case OD about 1/4" above the extractor groove before and after shooting, at least over four places around the case. You will note the feel of the recoil, the appearance of the primer, and the expansion of the case (difference between before and after readings). You then work up the load, no higher than the reference MAX load, watching for equivalent case expansion, equivalent recoil, and primer.
The use of lead bullets in a revolver is actually more involved than a semi. The bullet OD should be a tight slip-fit in the cylinder's throats. The bullet OD also needs to be at least 0.001" larger than the groove diameter. Have you checked these dimensions?


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