Reloading BS thread

I was at a gun shop yesterday and they had several pounds of it in stock.
I use CFE Pistol for almost all my handgund loads (.380, 9mm, and 45). The only other handgun caliber I load is .357 and I haven't tried it on that yet. Load data looks promising, might have to give it a try. I get good velocity, and low standard deviations with it. Plus it is pretty clean burning and low flash. All around great powder.

 

You made some and I was just shooting some Had some time to kill waiting for some solder joints to cool so figured it was a perfect time to bring it out.


And its brother, the 458socom made an appearance...though I didnt shoot any of it today (it was in the ammo case for some reason)

 

What you shooting at? Or nothing in particular?

 

Theres a steel 66% IPSC target out there at ~100 yards (kind of center of the picture and not far below the skyline

 

Where did you get your cast bullets?

 

Ive had them for quite some time. Not 100% where i got them...might have been at Cabelas? They are 405gr Laser Cast (made by Oregon Trail bullet Co). Though i think the company got sold so not sure how they are these days.

Once I shoot up those Ill more than likely stick to the Barry's plated bullets that Im using in the 458socom

 

I had just read plated, but did'nt really register in my mind.
I guess that these are made different than the old school FMJ.
Got me wondering.

Some lite reading from Berry's MFG. In the FAQ.

-What is the difference between Plated/Jacketed/Cast bullets?
Berry's Preferred Plated bullets begin as a swaged lead core. The plating process works through electrolysis. The swaged lead cores are tumbled in an electrically charged bath containing high-grade copper ingots. The copper clings to the lead and the longer the bullets remain in the bath, the thicker the plating. Our bullets are plated to the correct size and then taken out of the bath.

Jacketed bullets start with a copper cup, which is "drawn up" into the form of a jacket. Lead is then swaged into the jacket.

Cast bullets are made up of lead that has been poured into a bullet mould. These bullets come in various hardness levels depending upon the alloy of the lead. All of our cast bullets are lubed and all have the same hardness (about 20 bhu). We distinguish between Hardcast and Cowboy only in that our Cowboy bullets are often used in Cowboy Action Shooting events.

Comparison:Jacketed Bullets: Generally are most expensive but can be shot at magnum velocities and require less cleaning than Cast bullets.
Plated Bullets: Not as expensive as Jacketed and cleaner than lead but you'll want to stay away from magnum velocities when loading plated bullets.
Cast Bullets: Usually cost the least, but are very "dirty" and often cannot be used in indoor ranges

And

-Why is the bullet diameter 0.001" bigger than my load book recommends?
Berry's Mfg sizes our .32 cal, 38 Super, 9mm, 40/10mm and .45 ACP a thousandth larger than the standard FMJ round diameter. It is completely safe to load, as our bullet is constructed out of a soft lead and then plated with copper, which does not cause the pressure spikes that an oversized FMJ round would. The plated bullet pressure curve resembles that of the hard cast or lead bullets.

 

I load a lot of .357 - we compete with it. Using Unique, I load between .38 and .357 power levels (since we don't need full .357 power.)

Very happy with Unique. I will try CFE Pistol. Always up for new ideas!

 

Anyone have a lead on some Hogdon BL-C(2), IMR 4198 or some CFE 223? Only have a pound left of BL-C(2) and I have more reloading to do and no one has any in stock

 

I might be able to find imr 4198. Dunno how much to ship though

 

You're the best!

I'm over in Texas so shipping shouldn't be terrible. Let me know how much you can find and price. I need like 4lbs but could swing an 8lb jug. If you find a box, let me know dimensions and weight and I'll pay for shipping and email you a label.

 

Ill see what i can find, i got 1lb as i didnt need much but he had more, i just didnt look too in depth

 

The plated ones sound a lot like powder coated cast lead, which is what I use. Way cheeper than jacketed, and just as good for practice and plinking.

 

I've mostly used HP-38 and H110 for my .357 loads, but I really don't shoot it very much.

 

Shoot I'll take 1lb if that's all he has. Finding powder has sucked and people local are gouging too

 

What do you use the BL-C for?

 

Reloading just 223. Using a Hornady 55gr fmj-bt

 

I haven't tried this powder before but I do have a pound of it. You like the results for 223? 1 pound should go a long way for the 223.
Thanks

 

I have to still develop a load for it. I have a lb too and wanted to try it out. I’ve heard great things about it so figured I’d try. If my math is right 1lb should do about 250 rounds if there are 7,000 grains to a pound

 

I load/shoot Berry's plated bullets in my light .357 loads (lever action silhouette). They are accurate, and don't leave a mess in the guns.

Plated are less expensive than jacketed, and have almost the same advantages.