You know, getting older carries a lot of good memories but you've got to be able to remember them. I've been loading for 40 years and every now and then I feel the need to question a load I've been using for a long time.
On my labeled ammo, I never include the source of the load. Just the usual caliber, bullet weight, OAL, powder weight, primer and manual reported velocity unless I graphed the load.
I am in the process of loading the last 50 of 300 cartridges of .38 Special, Winchester 125gr JHP, 1.470" OAL, Unique 6.5gr, CCI 300 primer (small pistol).
I didn't have the velocity labeled.
Just for the heck of it - why now instead of at first I'll never answer - I looked at the .38 Special section of Lyman's 50th edition and found the max load for Unique is 6.0gr for 895fps out of a 4" barrel, 1 6,700 CUP. Hmm.....where did I get 6.5gr that I've been shooting for at least 20 years?
Well, I checked everything I have back to the 25th edition of Hodgdon and I cannot find that 6.5gr recipe. The 26th edition lists a +P Load of 5.9gr, velocity 1019 fps, CUP19,900, 7-inch barrel.
I turned the page to.357 Mag and found the load for the same 125g JHP with Unique is 8.4gr, velocity 1294 fps with 37,700 CUP.
I breathed a sign of relief. If my Ruger GP-100 can handle the .357 load, it surely can handle the 6.5gr load in the .38 Special..........Right?
On my labeled ammo, I never include the source of the load. Just the usual caliber, bullet weight, OAL, powder weight, primer and manual reported velocity unless I graphed the load.
I am in the process of loading the last 50 of 300 cartridges of .38 Special, Winchester 125gr JHP, 1.470" OAL, Unique 6.5gr, CCI 300 primer (small pistol).
I didn't have the velocity labeled.
Just for the heck of it - why now instead of at first I'll never answer - I looked at the .38 Special section of Lyman's 50th edition and found the max load for Unique is 6.0gr for 895fps out of a 4" barrel, 1 6,700 CUP. Hmm.....where did I get 6.5gr that I've been shooting for at least 20 years?
Well, I checked everything I have back to the 25th edition of Hodgdon and I cannot find that 6.5gr recipe. The 26th edition lists a +P Load of 5.9gr, velocity 1019 fps, CUP19,900, 7-inch barrel.
I turned the page to.357 Mag and found the load for the same 125g JHP with Unique is 8.4gr, velocity 1294 fps with 37,700 CUP.
I breathed a sign of relief. If my Ruger GP-100 can handle the .357 load, it surely can handle the 6.5gr load in the .38 Special..........Right?