RanchRoper's Reloading Ruminations

[RanchRoper]

With Universal powder I am loading 6.6 grains...shoots great with 250 gr bullet. max is 7.8.

200 gr bullet calls for 6.4 to 8.8 max

so I can stick with the auto drum setting I have likely at 6.6 or maybe go to 7.0...?

[Rifletom]

Same as my 200gr's . No need to change a thing.

[RanchRoper]

Sweet!

[clovishound]

You do know that you can get extra drums for the auto drum? You can adjust them for a certain load, and then swap out drums. It only takes less than a minute to swap a drum. A $15 pack has two small and two large.

[RanchRoper]

Thanks. The kit came with 1 large and 1 small. Think I am using the small one.
Can use large for same type load?

[RanchRoper]

Loaded 20 rounds of 200 gr LRNFP tonight. Plus another 50 rounds of 250 gr as well.
Might shoot the 200 gr tomorrow night.

[JEBar]

Loaded 20 rounds of 200 gr LRNFP tonight.

really looking forward to hearing your observations after firing them .... I wonder what, if any, difference you can tell from firing your standard loads

[RanchRoper]

Another rainy day so back at the reloading stand today. Another 100 rounds or so for the stockpile.

[Vaquero]

Pretty windy here ans alittle cool but it should warm up this afternoon.
Got 60+ cases of 357 I'm about to load also.

RP

[clovishound]

Thanks. The kit came with 1 large and 1 small. Think I am using the small one.
Can use large for same type load?

Sorry, just saw this question. Yes, you can use the large one, but there is an insert for it, IIRC, that converts it to a small capacity. Paperwork says the small is good from .25 ACP to .223 rem. Basically any of the pistol calibers, and some of the smaller rifle cases. The large drum is good from .223 rem up. Looks like you can't use the large drum as is for pistol calibers, need to put the insert in. That insert was included with my auto drum, not sure about whether there are a couple included in the 4 set of drums. OK, just checked, and they do include them in the set.

I use a perfect powder measure for rifle calibers and throw powder off press for them.

[RanchRoper]

Anybody use Titegroup powder? I see it in the local store. Says 45 Colt on bottle. Results?

[RanchRoper]

Sellier & Bellot brass is tricky to seat a primer. Very tight. Gotta check carefully.

[Rifletom]

Sellier & Bellot brass is tricky to seat a primer. Very tight. Gotta check carefully.

RR, I found the same issue with S&B .45acp brass; so be watchful. Titegroup, I am not familiar with it in .45 Colt. I think your loads right now are pretty good. Unique and Universal are two mighty fine powders for the .45 Colt.

[RanchRoper]

I loaded 20 rounds of 200 gr lead with 7.0 gn of powder. 6.4 is start load I have used so far and 8.8 gn is max. Will try them tomorrow.

[clovishound]

Anybody use Titegroup powder? I see it in the local store. Says 45 Colt on bottle. Results?

Titegroup is a good powder in many ways, but I much prefer something more in the middle of the burn speed group. Universal is my current favorite, if I can't use Trailboss. It does well with a wide variety of calibers and bullet types, and unlike Unique, it meters well. I used Titegroup for plated bullets, and got very poor accuracy. I tried them with Universal, and the accuracy was substantially better. One reason for that, I believe, is that with Universal cast and jacketed data often overlap quite a bit.

Titegroup often has a narrow window between start and max loads, and it can be very unforgiving of moderately over max loads. From what I have read pressures tend to spike quickly. Add to this the fact that it is a dense powder, making it easy to load an accidental double throw.

Trailboss is a great powder, if you are loading cast, or coated cast in low pressure calibers. It would be almost impossible for me to overload a .45 ACP cartridge using the 200 grain SWCs I prefer. Anything much over max and there would be no room for the bullet. A double throw will spill powder all over the press. It's not a good powder, if you want velocity, and is not recommended for plated, jacketed, or high pressure rounds.

[RanchRoper]

Great info. Thanks.

[RanchRoper]

Loved shooting my 200 gr bullet load of 7.0 gn of Universal today. Great fun to shoot. Very punchy but like shooting a .22. I will load many many of these....

[Rifletom]

Hmmm, I just happen to have some Universal. Well.......

[RanchRoper]

Hmmm, I just happen to have some Universal. Well.......

Try a few rounds and let me know what you think. I want to shoot them in my revolver.

[ESquared]

Did 150 rounds of 250 Gr RNFP (Coated) and 8.0 grains of Unique (Tom's recipe, I think!). 100 more prepped and primed and ready to go.

Gotta move on to some 357 next, though.

It's fun, isn't it?