reloading: more chrono, pulldown powder, and even some retail .22LR
The day was going to be cloudy, which means the solar will struggle but the cheap Amazon chrono will be happy.
I set up a folding table, chair, and the chrono (on tripod) with a 10ft berm backstop.
8x57mm Mauser
First up was retail PPU 198gr FMJ. Averaged 2,297fps out of the 29.5” barrel, for 2,319ft-lbs of energy. PPU is known for light loading so that tracks.
cartridges made from pulled-down components
Is this a Bad Idea for someone like me who is new to reloading? Probably. But I approached it methodically and I’m still alive to tell the tale.
I’d accidentally bought some 8x57mm JRS because I didn’t know Rimmed 8mm Mauser existed. I saw the dusty box of Sellier & Bellot 8x57mm on the shelf and snagged it like Gollum on the Precious. Durrrrrr….
I used a bullet puller to remove the 196gr SPCE projectiles and powder. I deprimed carefully with a universal deprimer.
Re-using pulled bullets is common practice but re-using primers and powder is not, especially when we don’t know what the powder is.
My thinking:
- the JRS and JS case dimensions are extremely close once we disregard the rim. There is a ~2° difference in the shoulder angle but it’s imperceptible to the eye and I don’t think it could materially affect case volume.
- There were 17 cartridges to be pulled down, so if I collect all of it and weight it the divide by 17 I should see the charge weight of the powder.
- If I round down to the next whole number that should give me the max1 charge, 48gr in this case.
- 90% of the “max” will be serve as the starting load and 95% will be the middle load.
- there is published loading data for the 196gr S&B SPCE projectiles
the results
The starting load averaged 2,297fps, for 2,296ft-lbs. The max load averaged 2,531fps, for 2,787ft-lbs. Every round went bang and every primer held together. A successful experiment, IMO.
retail .22LR
.22LR
No, I’m not reloading rimfire. But while I had the chrono out I might as well show that fantastic little cartridge2 some love.
I shot both Remington High Velocity 40gr plated (what I think Remington now calls “Golden Bullet” and what appears to be Remington Thunderbolt 40gr lead RN.
high velocity / golden bullet
Out of the ~16” Henry AR-7 they averaged 1,248fps (138ft-lbs). Out of the 4.5” Stoeger Luger barrel they averaged 1,073fps (102ft-lbs).
Remington Thunderbolt
I had what appeared to be Thunderbolts (unplated lead RN) in the magazines and also loose in an unmarked container. These averaged 1,154fps (118ft-lbs) in the rifle and 1,022fps (93ft-lbs) in the pistol. The Stoegers are infamous for being finicky about ammo but no burps with either of these.
Srsly: do not take my word (or anyone else’s) on matters of reloading. Get some manuals, start with light charges and work up, etc. You are responsible for your own loads as I am mine.