Powder recommendation cast 158

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849ACSO

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All,

I am planning to try to load some Missouri Bullet Company, 158gr, cast lead "Ranger" bullets (18BH) for my 6" GP100.

Normally I run XTP's and H110, but I don't think H110 is going to do well with lead bullets and no gas checks.

The powders I have on hand that would seem compatible are Autocomp, Universal, Titegroup and Blue Dot.

Anyone have any experience with this type of bullet and these powders they are willing to share? I REALLY don't want to be scrubbing lead...........
 
I've not used their "Ranger" bullets but I load 158gr SWC BRN 18's over 110/296 all the time with the same load I use for 158gr XTPs and they shoot great. I also shoot them over Unqiue, but prefer to simulate my hunting round for practice. According to my notes I did some with Blue Dot some years ago, with good accuracy, but no other notes. I'm shooting a 6" GP100.
 
For what purpose?
Alliant shows .357 Bullseye data for cast 158's. Max is 4.8. 939 FPS out of a 6" barrel.
3.5 is max for .38. 814 FPS.
 
I load 158gr SWC BRN 18's over 110/296 all the time with the same load I use for 158gr XTPs and they shoot great.
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Wow. And there's no leading? I would have suspected without a gas check, there would have been scrubbing involved. What's you're charge weight of 110 under that cast bullet? I'm running (this is from memory) 15.3-15.5 of H110 under the 158 XTP.

For what purpose?
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It would be a target/deer load, depending on how well I can get it to perform.
 
Wow. And there's no leading? I would have suspected without a gas check, there would have been scrubbing involved. What's you're charge weight of 110 under that cast bullet? I'm running (this is from memory) 15.3-15.5 of H110 under the 158 XTP.
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I'm loading 17gr I think. Might have backed off to 16 with the new data. Developed it many years ago. My notes are at home. A BRN 18 bullet should not need a gas check for any 357 revolver load. Same cleanup as with jacketed. Since even with a cast bullet, the 357 is not known as a bone crusher, I think you'd be better served with an XTP through the ribs when hunting deer though.
 
Thanks. I really like H110 and may just go ahead and give that a shot, literally. I plan to use the XTP to hunt (should I choose to use the 357, as I normally handgun hunt with 10mm), but I have 500 of the ranger bullets lying around to shoot out of my 357 rifle. Seems more economical to run some of those through the revolver as well.
 
I'll be interested too, as Hodgdon tells me 17gr/W296 behind a 158gr XTP generates 41,000CUP
Somehow I don't see a PlainBase lead bullet surviving anything approaching that.
 
I could be wrong, but I THINK they have reduced that max load to 16 of H110 behind the 158 XTP. Again, that's from memory, as I'm not near my manuals. My OP was because I didn't realistically see a lead bullet with no gas check standing up to ANY published charge of H110.
 
LIL'GUN works the best for me.

I wrote Hodgdon and asked why they do not publish 158 cast loads with LIL'GUN and they said there was too much melting on the base.

I am just using generic cheap LSWC with one lube band.
 
Universal & Titegroup...
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I was actually thinking about posting about this a couple days ago, but decided to hold off until I gather more data. Now it seems like a good time . . .

It's a little early for me to determine definitively, and I have more testing to do, but right now, it would seem to me that TiteGroup burns too hot and leads up my barrels.

I'm using a Missouri Bullet Co BHN-18 158 SWC. 4.6 grains TG in a 357 case. 938 f/s through a 4" 686; and 870 f/s through a 3" 686. Both guns have been firelapped. Leading in their breeches are extensive with this recipe.

Meanwhile, the same bullet with 8.2gn HS-6 chronos at 1175 f/s 4", & 1081 f/s 3" - with far less barrel leading.

I know that a lack of obturation/sealing could be a factor. But running W231 to similar velocities (950-ish) as the TG results in far less leading.

Anyway, I just thought I'd pop that in here. Again, I have more testing to do. But it sure looks to me that TG is not well suited for lead - at least as I have applied it.
 
I have used plain base hardcast over H110 since the mid '70s, with little to no leading, this is in .357 and ,44mag. Depends on the condition of the bore and the size and alloy of the bullet, and the lube.

If Clark isn't melting lead bullets with lil gun, known as just about the hottest burning powder around, thats amazing to me! I have some Lil Gun, just haven't tried it yet...
 
TG has a reputation for running hot, too, but I've never tried it personally, so I can't say. I like the clean burning nature of Universal so well that it's hard to get me to change.

It's probably worth bearing in mind that Elmer Keith developed the Magnum revolver loads with comparatively soft 20:1 and 16:1 lead:tin cast bullets, often over 2400. Full power. No gas check. Of course, he had hand-assembled S&W's with very smooth bore finishes, as the old ones were made. That helps a lot with leading.
 
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FWIW: TiteGroup is the Go2 powder for accuracy cast/plainbase loads in my 45 Colt/Tier-2 group (both BlackHawk & New Vaquero).

In fact it was one of three powders I picked for it being fast for quick obturation and bore seal.
Bores are spotless afterwards.

RCBS 45-270/#2(277gr actual)
TiteGroup/8.1gr
997fps actual (4.6")
 
For pushing hard without gas checks I would use in order of preference: AA#9, Alliant 2400, IMR 4227. I have used all 3. My preference would be AA9. Though with things the way they are if I had to go with one of the others I would not sweat it about the working. Also all 3 of them will meter well in powder measure.
 
357 cases full of 2400 powder have been pushing 158gr hard cast lead bullets at full power since the 1930's.
Hand cast square base bullets are best over commercial bevel base bullets.
 
I could be wrong, but I THINK they have reduced that max load to 16 of H110 behind the 158 XTP.
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I'm pretty sure you are right. I developed my load from the Speer #9 way back when. I know they reduced the max load in modern specs, but I may or may not have ignored it in my loads after discovering I had been "overloading" my GP100 for 25 years. :D
 
One VERY underrated powder works real good with cast.....HERCO.

Not nearly as finicky as Blue Dot. In my experience with 158 gr. works better than Unique. Down loads pretty good and uploads great; not spiky at the top like Blue Dot.
 
backtracking to the...
OP said:
The powders I have on hand... Autocomp, Universal, Titegroup and Blue Dot.
Anyone have any experience with this type of bullet and these powders ?
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... RTP
 
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