Book min-max loads for 220gr hard cast

[Kenk]

Morning Folks,
Do any of the following powders / manufacturers (Longshot, Power Pistol, or Blue Dot) offer book min-max loads for 220gr hard cast? I have looked high and low with little success
Thanks

Ken

[sqlbullet]

The Lee manual may have data.  I am not by my desk at the moment so I can't check.

All the major powder companies max out between 200/205. 

Pull down information can be a guide.

[The_Shadow]

Kenk, none that I have seen showed load data for 220 grain bullets.  200 grain was the max jacketed and usually FMJ style keeping the bullet short to still allow powder room.  Later Hornady and Nosler offered 200 grain JHP's and there were 200 cast bullet molds from Speer and Lyman.

Double Tap was first to offer 230 grain loads with the 135 grain JHP over a 95 grain lead ball called the Double Tap 230gr Equalizer.  Hence two holes bleed better than one.  Later other offerings of heavy for caliber 220 and 230 cast bullets were produced and utilized by DT & BB.

[Kenk]

Thanks, From what I can tell, Longshot could be a good option for the 220gr cast, the question is where to start my work up gains wise?

[sqlbullet]

I would start at 6.0 grains and work up.  I would stop at 1100 fps. 

Doubletap pull-down data for 230 grain is 7.2 grains.
http://10mm-firearms.com/factory-10mm-ammo-pull-downs/double-tap-230gr-hard-cast-pull-dowm/

Underwood pulldown for 220 grain Rim Rock has been both 8.4 and 8.0
http://10mm-firearms.com/factory-10mm-ammo-pull-downs/underwood-220gr-hard-cast-pull-down/

[Spudmeister]

Well.... you certainly have my interest.  I have long wondered if we took the best of the 220gr loads and the best of the 200gr loads, which one would be more practical.  Please keep posting results, good or bad, as there is so little data out there.

[Kenk]

Thanks folks!

[Kenk]

I guess the question is this; once you venture above say 180 / 200 grains, are you losing enough FPS / Foot Pounds of energy to make it worth goin there?

[sqlbullet]

Depends on what you want the cartridge to do.

If you are looking for a large temporary wound cavity, good expansion and moderate penetration then sectional density around 0.140-0.160 is usually the sweet spot for handgun rounds.

If you are looking for good penetration through tough hide and bone then higher sectional density values are desirable.  The Keith style 250 grain 44 Mag bullets run 0.194, right there with the 220 grain 10mm bullets.

While it is true energy drops off some from 180-200-220, momentum actually increases between these rounds.  I ran the data using 1350-1250-1150 for the relative velocities of the three bullet weights and got:

Weight	Velocity	Sectional Density	Energy	Momentum	Taylor KO
180	1350	0.161	728	34.7	13.9
200	1250	0.179	694	35.7	14.3
220	1150	0.196	646	36.1	14.5

I included the Taylor KO value as it does attempt to account for the benefits of heavier bullets. I think it has far more application in hunting than in personal defense, and I think it's merits were over-sold, but the data-point does offer some insight at the same time.

In my mind if you are looking for a non-expanding round, nothing wrong with a 220 grain bullet, if you understand it's drawbacks.  First, there is a significant recoil penalty to be paid for those few extra grains of weight.  Second, the margin of error in reloading is also much smaller since useful case capacity is diminished.

But if you are comfortable with these limitation, 646 lb-ft of energy is nothing to sneeze at, and the extra sectional density and momentum will benefit the round under certain conditions.  Good luck making a gel block long enough to stop that bullet.  I ran a 205 grain bullet all the way through eleven gallon jugs of water in testing one time.

[Spudmeister]

Sqlbullet,

I am with you on your suggested velocities with 180 and 200 gr cast bullet.  About right for a 5" quality barrel.  But is that velocity for the 220 gr a red hot nuclear load that needs major powder compression?  Or is it about as hard to get 1,150 fps out of a 220 gr bullets as it is to get 1,250 fps out of a 200 gr bullet? 

Thanks for your insights.

[sqlbullet]

Underwood loads the 220 grain to 1200 fps advertised.  And they usually make/exceed advertised velocity.

1200 fps would be a very hot load.  In fact, in my own reloading I would stop all three of these weights  50-100 fps short of the values presented cause I tend to be a cautious guy. I don't see the need for that extra speed in my shooting .  If I were hunting bear or other dangerous game, I would be more inclined to push that boundary a tad.

[Spudmeister]

OK, thanks.  Think I get the gist of it.  I am all for the 220 gr hard cast load but I think I am a little too conservative to push it anywhere near the Underwood load.  Of course it may be more chicken than conservative 

[Kenk]

Me as well, l think I'll just buy a box or two from Underwood and stick with my 180gr XTP and HAP loads

[Kenk]

Morning sqlbullet,
You had mentioned starting at 6gr of Longshot when using the 220 hard cast WFN. Any thoughts on what a max, or near max load would be, not that I would even come close to that?, plus I am unable to check my FPS at this point
Thanks

Ken

[Kenk]

Hodgdon is saying 7 - 8.2gr's of Longshot for a 200gr FMJ, but nothing about the heavier WFN cast bullet, Thoughts...


BULLET WEIGHT
200 GR. HDY FMJ
Manufacturer
Hodgdon
Powder
Longshot
Bullet Diameter
.400"
C.O.L.
1.260"
Starting Load

Grains
7.0
Velocity (ft/s)
1,034
Pressure
23,900 PSI
Maximum Load

Grains
8.2
Velocity (ft/s)
1,172