Loading 180 gr HST bullets in 10mm

[Idaho10mm]

Hello all,

I recently purchased 500 Federal HST 180 gr bullets that I intend to load in 10mm. I did a search here, and saw a couple of loads posted that people had tried.

For components, I have the following- Starline brass, primers- WLP, Federal Gold Match LP, and CCI 350, powder- Longshot, Silhouette, 800X, and Power Pistol. Silhouette and Power Pistol are more than likely a no-go for 180gr anyways.

I saw that others stated that the HST bullet is a little longer than other 180 gr bullets as well. OAL was 1.255"-1.260".

Can I use the data in my reloading manuals for 180 gr 10mm and just work up from minimum? Are there any special precautions I should be aware of due to the HST being longer? 

[sqlbullet]

reduce 10% and work up.  Watch for signs of pressure.  A longer bullet should reach max at  lower charge.

Don't discount Power Pistol.  It probably won't get you 1350 fps with a long 180 grain, but it should deliver some good velocities in the middle 1200's.

[The_Shadow]

Most of the current manuals there loading data could be used with any 180 grain JHP, there recipies are somewhat lenient.   Where you will see a big difference in length is with 100% copper projectiles even with lighter weights.

For the COAL I use 1.2550" with HTS 180 grain...

[Dieselman]

I have loaded quite a few 180gr HST's in 10mm.  As you already stated, be cautious  start low and work up carefully. My goto load is 8.4 grains of 800X , WLP primers with a C.O.L. of 1.255 and that load is a solid 1250fps from my 10mm Kimber 1911 factory five inch barrel.

I have played around with other powder combinations with the HST as well.  I know that I achieved 1350fps with one of my Longshot loads fairly easily. I don't have my load data in front of me to tell you what the powder charge was. But I can tell you that is was a fair amount lower than what other people report to get a non HST 180gr jacketed bullet up to that speed.  Same thing with Blue Dot and HST's. Again lower charge weights equal higher than typical muzzle velocities. At least in my gun anyways.

All that said, I settled on the 800x @ 8.4 grains because I had more 800x on hand, it's an accurate load in my gun, and I prefer to keep velocities around 1250fps for general purpose loads so as to try and make the brass last a little longer.  Not to mention give me a little more margin of safety.

[Idaho10mm]

Thank you all for the replies. Looking through all of my reloading manuals, there are loads listed for 180 gr 10mm with all four powders that I have on hand. I am going to load some of each and see how they perform over a chrono. Of course, where I live, this won't be until spring!

[Dieselman]

 I got out my notes to see what my longshot load was with HST's.    I recorded that a 9gr. charge of Longshot clocked in at 1315fps avg. 9.2 was 1340fps and 9.4 was 1370 with signs of high pressure.  I can't find my Blue Dot data for the HST

[jeffreybehr]

...http://10mm-firearms.com/factory-10mm-ammo/fwiw-i-now-have-four-boxes-of-factory-10mm-pd-cartridges/
and discussing these test results and the excellent HSTs Federal uses in the 40S&W here...
http://smith-wessonforum.com/ammo/482892-i-just-posted-note-expansion-tests-10mm-auto-factory-ammo.html
...I then got a brain-whiff* about how many 50boxes (36, actually) of Federal 180g. 40S&W ammo I have.  I could pull some!--and pulled one VERY easily with a kinetic puller, so I'll pull a bunch tomorrow and start loading for my Big10.  Interestingly, the very highest velocity achieved by known-high-quality books with a 180g. HP is 1280FPS by VihtaVouri using N105; other than that, the only other loads I could find over 1200FPS are Hodgdon's with Longshot (1287FPS) and 800-X (1210) and Western's with #9 at 1242FPS.  Methinks the pushing-or-exceeding-1300FPS loads published by Forum members are substantially exceeding SAAMI-maximum pressures.

I'll see what I can do with HS-6 to get the HST180 to c. 1100FPS before I go further.  But first I need to get my LabRADAR running.

I'm hoping the HST180 performs as well at 1100FPS as it does at c. 980FPS (at 10 feet) out of my S&W M&P full-size.

Interesting also is that I can buy the HST180 ammo less expensively than the Barnes TAC-XP155 bullets, namely c. 50 cents each v. c. 80 cents. 

* Some of us have brain-storms, I have brain-whiffs.   

------------------------------------------

Pulled about 30 HST180s this afternoon and loaded trios at 8.6, 8.8, 9.0, and 9.2g. of HS-6.  Hodgdon's max. is 9.4g = 1127FPS while Lyman's is 9.6g. = 1225 [!], both from 5" barrels.  My initial goal is muzzle velocity of NMT 1100FPS.

[DM1906]

...http://10mm-firearms.com/factory-10mm-ammo/fwiw-i-now-have-four-boxes-of-factory-10mm-pd-cartridges/
and discussing these test results and the excellent HSTs Federal uses in the 40S&W here...
http://smith-wessonforum.com/ammo/482892-i-just-posted-note-expansion-tests-10mm-auto-factory-ammo.html
...I then got a brain-whiff* about how many 50boxes (36, actually) of Federal 180g. 40S&W ammo I have.  I could pull some!--and pulled one VERY easily with a kinetic puller, so I'll pull a bunch tomorrow and start loading for my Big10.  Interestingly, the very highest velocity achieved by known-high-quality books is 1280FPS by VihtaVouri using N105; other than that, the only other loads I could find over 1200FPS are Hodgdon's with Longshot (1287FPS) and 800-X (1210) and Western's with #9 at 1242FPS.  Methinks the pushing-or-exceeding-1300FPS loads published by Forum members are substantially exceeding SAAMI-maximum pressures.....

Not necessarily. Published loads are typically reduced from maximum pressure (some by a LOT), many of them within the design velocity of the bullet. While the original Norma specification was 1200 FPS with a 200 gr. bullet, the original bullet was a FMJ. Factory cartridges rarely get close to that, and typically run in the ~1000 FPS range for defense and target bullets. This isn't by accident, or fear of overpressure. Available defense bullets are designed to perform within the effective velocity ranges, and target/training rounds typically track function and performance of their defense counterparts for the purpose of practical exercise. A fine example is comparing XTP with HAP availabilities. They are typically identical in function and velocity, but one is a defense bullet, while the other is a training alternative (at a cost advantage). I do the same with every practical caliber I train. We, as handloaders, often push projectiles well outside their designed velocities (for various reasons), but that doesn't necessarily mean exceeding design safety factors. Of course we know it happens, but that isn't the initial intent for the vast majority of us. For those who remain, Darwin described well. There are no "accidents".

[The_Shadow]

While I drive some of my bullets to upper performance ranges the range at which the bullet may impact my target maybe quite a bit further down range, such as hunting at a distance.  The velocity would be dropping off at the longer range!

[Geeman]

Methinks the pushing-or-exceeding-1300FPS loads published by Forum members are substantially exceeding SAAMI-maximum pressures.

There is so much to take into account.  What is good-to-go in one gun may be totally unsafe in a different gun.  Chamber dimensions, chamber support, barrel condition, OAL, crimp strength, primer used, powder batch, current weather all go into the mix. 

Anyone that starts off with an internet load without checking it out and working up from a known safe load is a fool.  That said, manufacturers and their lawyers have bringing the max load down over the years to keep law suits to a minimum.

I am a believer in working loads up with my least capable firearm in a given caliber.  I work slowly until I get a pressure sign that indicates a maximum.  Then back it off to a safe level at a performance level that can be lived with.  The hotter that load is, the smaller the margin if something goes wrong. 

Greg

[Chris P Bacon]

While I drive some of my bullets to upper performance ranges the range at which the bullet may impact my target maybe quite a bit further down range, such as hunting at a distance.  The velocity would be dropping off at the longer range!

Excellent point, and one I think the non-hunters often overlook when giving advice to hunters. Defining your usage (and range of distance) up front will help tailor the load. With hunting rounds, hotter loads are usually more desirable. As to Shadows point, a 180 Grain hollow point spiraling out of the muzzle at a velocity of 1340, by the time it reaches the 100 yard mark, it's probably slowed to a mere 1050. That 728 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle has also been reduced to a mere 450 ft lbs at that same distance (give or take, but close). Not going to mention bullet drop at that distance lol But with pistol shots I prefer to get a little closer.

For PD rounds, ranges are very short, to the point you can overdrive a bullet if hand loading. Finding that sweet spot is half the fun.

I'll shut up now, carry on!

[The_Shadow]

Yes Chris All hunters who look at the ballistics charts, can get a feel for what is expected at down range distances...
Downrange velocities, Energy potential and drop of bullet need to be studied and even tested to see how it shakes out in the real world!  Here is a chart from Buffalo Bore on their 10mm 180 JHP