guides giving vastly different load data for the same rounds

[Trucker76]

Ok I'm reloading some .38 special shells. I'm using cci small pistol primers, bullseye powder, and 158gr speer swc hp. Now the speer manual #14 lists the min/max charge of powder as 4.3/4.8 gr. I look in the Lyman manual 49th editionand it lists the min/max for the same components as 3.0/3.4 gr. That seems a pretty big spread to me, 1.4gr difference in the max loads.

[Radarsonwheels]

The speer books (especially a few older ones) are known to be hot. Newer manuals are reputed to be mild for the knuckleheads that start at max load then sue when their gun can't handle it.

Start low or in the middle and work your way up to the fps/recoil/accuracy you want. There's no need to get real hot to find the best accuracy unless you're pushing the range out there.

Even between two of the 'same gun' you can have different specs that give different velocities and different max pressures with the same load. I've ventured into 'speer max' territory with .357 loads but not to beat on my fine firearms for 100s of rounds and only after getting comfy with the performance of the componants I choose.

Good luck and keep all your parts attached!

Rdr

[Remington788]

I think you are looking at the Lyman 358665, upper right corner of page 355?
That is a flat nose, not a hollow point SWC.
The one to he left of it is a SWC,but not a hollow point, though those loads are even stranger, 2.8/4.0. The Alliant website indicates a load of 3.5 for a Speer LSWC.

I am thinking you should start with a 3.1, 3.2 and work your way up. I will make 6 or 12 of each and take them to the range.

[Fred762]

I agree..there do seem to be lots of variety in different manuals. \

Recentlya friend & I worked up some loads for his old Webley revolver using 45acp specs to start. We loaded some 45 Auto-Rim cases at about 3/5ths of the lowest limit for modern 45acp rounds, & we're using 200gr lswc .452 bullets..you could almost watch the big bullets slide down range but it was an acceptably accurate round and it IS fun to shoot the big old war horse. This stuff is what makes rloading such a fun and interresting hobby.

[Trucker76]

I think you are looking at the Lyman 358665, upper right corner of page 355?
That is a flat nose, not a hollow point SWC.
The one to he left of it is a SWC,but not a hollow point, though those loads are even stranger, 2.8/4.0. The Alliant website indicates a load of 3.5 for a Speer LSWC.

I am thinking you should start with a 3.1, 3.2 and work your way up. I will make 6 or 12 of each and take them to the range.

Yeah it was the only 158gr lead round they listed. Yeah I generally start pretty low and make 5-10 rounds of each load. On the plus side I am firing these out of a pretty sturdy S&W model 28 .357 mag.

[frankski]

Ok I'm reloading some .38 special shells. I'm using cci small pistol primers, bullseye powder, and 158gr speer swc hp. Now the speer manual #14 lists the min/max charge of powder as 4.3/4.8 gr. I look in the Lyman manual 49th editionand it lists the min/max for the same components as 3.0/3.4 gr. That seems a pretty big spread to me, 1.4gr difference in the max loads.

The Lee manual is similar to Lyman for the #358665, just .1g higher for min & max.

Check the Alliant powder website for Bullseye, there are listings for .38 and .38 +P: http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...spx?powderid=1

The +P is still lower than the Speer data you referenced.

That said, I agree published load data is often contradictory. I see no problem with the advice I have often heard: start low and work up.

[Pilot321]

That said, I agree published load data is often contradictory. I see no problem with the advice I have often heard: start low and work up.

I use mostly Hogdgon powders, and find their data pretty good, but I agree to start on the low end. I always start a few tenths of a grain up from the minimum, and usually end up mid range for punching paper.

[Trucker76]

I use mostly Hogdgon powders, and find their data pretty good, but I agree to start on the low end. I always start a few tenths of a grain up from the minimum, and usually end up mid range for punching paper.

Interesting that the alliant website agrees with the lyman book. Yet Alliant and Speer are owned by the same company and the alliant site only lists speer bullets in the load data. Curiouser and curiouser.

[frankski]

Interesting that the alliant website agrees with the lyman book. Yet Alliant and Speer are owned by the same company and the alliant site only lists speer bullets in the load data. Curiouser and curiouser.

Are we looking at the same page? The Alliant website shows 4.8 for the 125g bullet. That's a much different animal than the 158. Loads for lighter bullets are almost always higher.

[Trucker76]

Are we looking at the same page? The Alliant website shows 4.8 for the 125g bullet. That's a much different animal than the 158. Loads for lighter bullets are almost always higher.

Yes, and 3.5gr for the 158 gr bullet, which matches the max load in the lyman book for that bullet. Yet the speer manual lists 4.3gr as the minimum load for the same bullet, same powder.