A Couple Reloading Questions Regarding Charges & Data Tables

[Scuba Steve]

1. This past weekend I was sorting through some of my .223 Rem. handloads & realized I missed a very important piece of data on some of the tags.. the charge volume. I have two different batches of .223 Rem. in question, one was loaded with Hodgdon Varget & the other was done with Hodgdon H322. When I reload I always double & triple check my throw on a Lee Safety Powder Scale, however on one of my latest batches I used a 1.6cc Lee dipper to speed up the charging process. 1.6cc is appropriate for Varget in a .223 cartridge, however according to my reloading manual, only 1.3cc should be used when loading with H322 for this caliber. (Edit: Bullet weight is 55gr.)

I almost certainly double checked the proper grains on my scale even if using the dipper, & if I saw that it was over the starting grains for the H322 I would put the dipper aside & thrown charges instead. But my problem is I didn't write it down so I can't be 100% sure what I did & 'almost certainly' doesn't really cut it when talking about charges. I'm basically concerned that I might have used a 1.6cc dipper for the H322 & didn't double check the grains with the scale before proceeding with the entire batch. According to my Lee Modern Reloading book, a 7-12% overcharge is typically acceptable, but if I did load 1.6cc of H322 we are talking almost 25% overcharge (from the 'start with' values). My question is, if I did use 1.6cc of H322, would that put my firearm in the realm of a catastrophic failure?

Obviously I'd really like to avoid disassembling the entire batch of 200+ or so loads I did with the H322, but of course it beats having a firearm blow up in my hands. The only other solution I can think of to avoid dismantling the entire batch is to disassemble a few sample cartridges & pour the charge onto the scale to see what the reality is. Needless to say, I've learned my lesson about thorough record keeping when tagging reloaded ammunition. SO important.


2. My second, much shorter question about loading data is why are certain powders listed for certain bullet materials but not others, even when they have the same mass? For example with .38 Special 158gr lead bullets there exists load data for Win. 244 ball powder, but the same 158gr copper plated bullet has no load data for the same propellant. Why is this? Can I safely use Win. 244 for both bullet materials as long as they are both 158gr? The bottle of Win. 244 even says that it 'helps prevent copper galling', so I don't understand why Lee doesn't include this powder in its loading data for copper plated bullets.

[Walleye Hunter]

I am but a novice reloader but at minimum, I would tear some down and see what is in them. Is there any chance you used the same brass for all of them and you can weigh the finished product?

[85MikeTPI]

1) I would sample and disassemble some as long as you are 100% sure of everything else with the loads.

2) You may need to look at other load sources to find data for various projectiles. There are many possible issues with various types (lead is soft and doesn't build pressure, copper weighs less so the bullet may be longer and cause increased pressure, etc.). You have online sources like the Hogdon site for the powder, but also loading manual by hornady and lyman, and finally free data from Sierra and Nosler, to name a few...

[85MikeTPI]

I am but a novice reloader but at minimum, I would tear some down and see what is in them. Is there any chance you used the same brass for all of them and you can weigh the finished product?

Unless the brass was weight matched prior to loading, you could easily find same-headstamp brass weight variances that exceed the powder charges.. Finished product weights are very hard to correlate

[Walleye Hunter]

Unless the brass was weight matched prior to loading, you could easily find same-headstamp brass weight variances that exceed the powder charges.. Finished product weights are very hard to correlate

That is good to know for when I end up in that same predicament.

[cephas]

If in doubt be safe and pull bullets and reload.
However further info for discussion purposes.
Having a set of Lee dippers I checked their info that includes powder charges. That 1.6 dipper is listed holding 22.1 grs of H322.
You don't mention bullet weigh, but taking a quick look at https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center and you'll find that 22.1grs is acceptable in all but the lightest 40 gr bullets with .223 loads. Little low for the 40's. 0.1 gr over for a 60 grain. Judge the info yourself. EDIT: Take the dipper you used and weigh out a charge to see what it really is. My chart from Lee, many more on web:

100_0939 1.jpg
I do not know if makers of copper coated coated bullets have set a standard in their manufacturing process. I think the powder companies are hesitant to take the time and effort to work up loads. Worked with one brand a few years ago and found loading info on their website. What was interesting was to keep them under a certain velocity.
To make the story shorter I found any load for lead will be fine.

[DukeConnor]

1. weigh a charge from the dipper and compare the weight to your book.

2. probably just happened to be what they tested that day.

[DukeConnor]

I'm suprised people still use dippers. I usually just throw them away.