Ok, as part of my quest to look at 10mm Auto carry ammo alternatives after a squib load in my Winchester Silvertips, I decided to consider loading my own. I had done some load development in the Spring that included 180 gr XTP loads, using Accurate #9 and CCI standard and magnum primers. At the time I was doing it more just for fun testing out my new Lab Radar chronograph.
Anyway, I have gone back and picked two loads that had the highest velocities and lowest standard deviation, which turned out to not be the hottest/fastest loads. That is fine since I'm not looking to beat up my guns, but do want something hotter than 40 S&W. The loads were 14.2 gr of Accurate #9 with a CCI 300 (non-magnum) primer, and 13.6 gr of Accurate #9 with a CCI 350 (magnum) primer. When I had fired these in the Spring I recall that they were stout, but not unmanageable at all, and didn't see any signs of over pressure in the cases. I would say the recoil was similar to the factory Winchester Silvertips.
Before loading up more to test along with the Winchester Silvertips, Hornady Critical Duty and Sig Sauer V-Crowns, I wanted to verify that these were indeed good/safe loads, and this is what I found:.
Accurate website/Lee Loading Manual
Hornady 180 gr XTP, maximum load of 13.5 gr of #9 and a Winchester large pistol primer (non-magnum)
Hornady Loading Manual
Hornady 180 gr XTP, maximum load of 14.9 gr of #9 and a Winchester large pistol primer (non-magnum)
Speer Loading Manual
Speer 200 gr TMJ, maximum load of 14.0 gr of #9 and a CCI large magnum pistol primer
Lyman Loading Manual
Winchester 175 gr Silvertip, maximum load of 13.9 gr of #9 and a CCI large pistol primer (non-magnum)
My Nosler manual doesn't have data for 180 gr bullets, just 135 and 150.
So as I see it, my loads are over max according to the Accurate website data and the Lyman manual, but below max for the Hornady and Speer manuals. I'm sure there are discrepancies like this all over the place, but how do you old salts reconcile this. Any other sources of data to look at that would sway me one way or the other? I know the safest thing to do is just use the most conservative data, and again, I'm not looking to damage my guns, or more importantly, myself.
Thoughts?
Anyway, I have gone back and picked two loads that had the highest velocities and lowest standard deviation, which turned out to not be the hottest/fastest loads. That is fine since I'm not looking to beat up my guns, but do want something hotter than 40 S&W. The loads were 14.2 gr of Accurate #9 with a CCI 300 (non-magnum) primer, and 13.6 gr of Accurate #9 with a CCI 350 (magnum) primer. When I had fired these in the Spring I recall that they were stout, but not unmanageable at all, and didn't see any signs of over pressure in the cases. I would say the recoil was similar to the factory Winchester Silvertips.
Before loading up more to test along with the Winchester Silvertips, Hornady Critical Duty and Sig Sauer V-Crowns, I wanted to verify that these were indeed good/safe loads, and this is what I found:.
Accurate website/Lee Loading Manual
Hornady 180 gr XTP, maximum load of 13.5 gr of #9 and a Winchester large pistol primer (non-magnum)
Hornady Loading Manual
Hornady 180 gr XTP, maximum load of 14.9 gr of #9 and a Winchester large pistol primer (non-magnum)
Speer Loading Manual
Speer 200 gr TMJ, maximum load of 14.0 gr of #9 and a CCI large magnum pistol primer
Lyman Loading Manual
Winchester 175 gr Silvertip, maximum load of 13.9 gr of #9 and a CCI large pistol primer (non-magnum)
My Nosler manual doesn't have data for 180 gr bullets, just 135 and 150.
So as I see it, my loads are over max according to the Accurate website data and the Lyman manual, but below max for the Hornady and Speer manuals. I'm sure there are discrepancies like this all over the place, but how do you old salts reconcile this. Any other sources of data to look at that would sway me one way or the other? I know the safest thing to do is just use the most conservative data, and again, I'm not looking to damage my guns, or more importantly, myself.
Thoughts?