Speer bullets
- Thread starter mgimp
- Start date
It is just fine. As always, start towards the bottom of the suggested load data for that bullet weight and shape.
If you look at different loading manuals, Lyman, Lee, Hodgdon's for instance, they list their charges by bullet weight and shape, rather than brand.
Speer, Hornady, Nosler and Sierra, list for their particular bullets as tested on their test beds.
Unless there is something very radical about your particular Speer bullets, just go for it.
You could always go onto the Speer site and look for their recommendation for your particular bullets as well. Most manufacturers have on line loading tables.
If you look at different loading manuals, Lyman, Lee, Hodgdon's for instance, they list their charges by bullet weight and shape, rather than brand.
Speer, Hornady, Nosler and Sierra, list for their particular bullets as tested on their test beds.
Unless there is something very radical about your particular Speer bullets, just go for it.
You could always go onto the Speer site and look for their recommendation for your particular bullets as well. Most manufacturers have on line loading tables.
165gr is 165gr. I don't even bother with differing boat tail from flat base or plastic tip from soft point from flex tip from full metal jacket anymore. Find data for the weight of the bullet, load, shoot, repeat. Just start at the starting load and work up; standard common sense applies.
I only find data specific for the bullet at hand if it's one of the solid copper ones since they generally have higher pressure with the same loads compared to lead core bullets. Even then I look at all load data for solid copper bullets as interchangeable for the same bullet weight regardless of if it's a Hornady GMX or Barnes TTSX.
I only find data specific for the bullet at hand if it's one of the solid copper ones since they generally have higher pressure with the same loads compared to lead core bullets. Even then I look at all load data for solid copper bullets as interchangeable for the same bullet weight regardless of if it's a Hornady GMX or Barnes TTSX.
Just compare the differences from bullet to bullet in different manuals and trusted sources, then start at something reasonable based on that. Generally min and max aren't that diiferent between different brands of powder and bullets and if they are then maybe caution should be used with that bullet. Just don't start at max
UMMMMMM NO, not at max loads anyway. For most purposes though you are right on the money.
Boat tail bullets or ringed bullets don't have as much bearing surface against the barrel and that can make a difference in pressures. Whether it makes any difference in initial pressure spikes I'm not sure. Ganderite could likely tell you if there is a difference.
Last spring I was talking to a young fellow that was swaging his own bullets with boat tails and copper jackets with lead cores. He showed me a couple. Very nice looking bullets. Extremely aerodynamic but with a noticeable difference.
Each bullet had been chucked up in a collet on a lathe and had "rings" turned into them with a specially ground tool. The rings were very close together and about .005 in deep. Slightly more than most styles of modern rifling. The rings, covered most of the bearing surface of the bullet.
His reasoning was that by cutting the rings, he would be reducing friction between the bullet walls and barrel walls. I haven't seen him since. I would like to contact him again and see what his results were. He was expecting about a 10% increase in velocity without any increase in pressures.
I'm glad your thread reminded me of this. Now, I have to go into the shop tonight and see what I can come up with for a cutter. The collet to hold the bullet isn't a problem. The cutter may be a bit more difficult to come up with. The rings need to be concentric, so they can't be threaded.
Anyway, I'm sure you get the drift of this.
Bearing surfaces and twist rates can and do make a difference in pressures. At which point this actually makes a real difference has been discussed on other sites and no one with any real scientific knowledge or background has made any replies.
Something to think about though, on larger diameter artillery projectiles, they are equipped with driving bands instead of trying to imprint the rifling onto the projectile itself. This may be because of the extreme hardness of some projectiles in comparison to the cannon barrel. Not really sure. In such a case, friction would certainly be negated and likely pressures would be lower.
If the speer bullet you have are Deep Curl then you should NOT use load data from other bullet of the same weight even for other speer bullet. They (Speer) have taken the time to come up with specific load data to use with these bullet for a reason....check the speer website if they are Deep Curl bullets.
