Starting charge for Clays w/230gr plated bullet?

[Pro2AInPA]

I'm wondering how much below the start charge for a jacketed bullet I should start for a plated bullet.

Hodgdon lists a start charge of Clays of 3.7gr for a 230gr FMJ bullet and 3.5gr for a lead bullet.

To make things more complicated - these are for a 1.200" OAL. I'll be loading closer to 1.250".

So, what woul you use as a start charge?

[fastarget]

Been running 3.8 with berrys 230RN, good load . 1.250-1.255........1.200 strikes me as a HP length.

Edited October 29, 2010 by fastarget

[Pro2AInPA]

Been running 3.8 with berrys 230RN, good load . 1.250-1.255........1.200 strikes me as a HP length.

Me too. Hodgdon lists it for a LRN, though.

Happen to know what PF you're hitting at 3.8 with the Berry's?

Edited October 29, 2010 by Pro2AInPA

[fastarget]

Ave of around 170 PF with Baer premier........with one gun, 161PF with the other Baer barreled gun a Baer/SVI . Be good to chrono yours, since both of my guns are Baers but the difference in PF is substancial.

[Kyle O]

I'd just add, work up a load for YOUR gun. They are all different. Always better to start lower.

[Pro2AInPA]

I always work up my loads and I always chrono, just wondering where you would start with these components, and wondering what PF he got with that load just for reference.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: 3.9 grains of Clays should get you 165-170PF with your OAL. Thanks, Eric

[yoshidaex]

I would start at 3.8 and work your way up.

My SS needed 4.2 grains at a oal of 1.250 to make 170 pf.

[Mattog22]

Hello: 3.9 grains of Clays should get you 165-170PF with your OAL. Thanks, Eric

+1

I use 3.9 with lead, 4.0 when I want to make sure.

I use 4.2 with jacketed and make PF

[safarihunter]

3.9 or 4.0 seem to be the go to loads for my pistols

[Glock3422]

Yesterday I tested 4.0 Clays with Berrys 230RN in the range of 1.255 to 1.260.

My first round did not make 165 (barely), the next two just made it, and the next seven were in the 170 range. I did not have my chronograph and borrowed one.

I plan to retest on Wednesday with my chrono.

This is was with a Glock 21. Temp was low 60s.

My Hodgdon manual shows with 4.0 grs (Max Load) of Clays

230 gr LRN at 1.200 793 fps

230 gr FMJ FP at 1.200 732 fps

I am thinking of either shortening the OAL, or going up .1 or .2 on the powder.

The bullets feed fine. I have been using this OAL in both a Para and a Glock for quite a while. I had measured comparable Federal and PMC and found they are in the 1.26 range.

My previous load did not need to make major.

The Speer manual references a max OAL of 1.275 and a 230 gr TMJ test length of 1.26

Opinions?

[sauza45]

I have loaded clays for a Glock 21 gives me 167 power factor with kkm barrel

Clays 4.0

Oal 1.230

Cci large pistol

Bullet Hornady 230 HAP

Crimp .470

[hankfan79]

Hello: 3.9 grains of Clays should get you 165-170PF with your OAL. Thanks, Eric

+1

I use 3.9 with lead, 4.0 when I want to make sure.

I use 4.2 with jacketed and make PF

I chrono'd some rounds today.

G21 w/Lonewolf Barrel

3.8 Clays

1.250 OAL

.470 crimp.

I was hitting a PF of about 184. That was really high. 3.9 was breaking 200 PF.

I am thinking of going to 3.6.

[Glock3422]

I retested with a stock G21 barrel, 230 Berry's, 4.1 of Clays at 1.2475, .470 crimp, new Winchester brass using One Shot, Federal primers.

Temps in the 40s.

30 rounds tested in 10 shot strings. One round in the 3rd string was way off and not considered representative.

Of the remaining 29, High 764 fps, Low 723 fps, Avg 741 fps (Includes the one very slow round).

Extreme spread 36, 39 and (75 with the slow round) without the slow round 31 fps.

Average PF of each string 170.

Of the 30 rounds-

High PF 175.7

Low PF 157.9

2nd Lowest 166.2

The muzzle was not raised before each shot and the slower rounds may have been due to case volume.

I shot a match with about 75 rounds and had no issues.

[Dryden]

I'm wondering how much below the start charge for a jacketed bullet I should start for a plated bullet.

Hodgdon lists a start charge of Clays of 3.7gr for a 230gr FMJ bullet and 3.5gr for a lead bullet.

To make things more complicated - these are for a 1.200" OAL. I'll be loading closer to 1.250".

So, what woul you use as a start charge?

Here's what Berry's has to say about plated bullet loads:

Plated bullets occupy a position between cast bullets and jacketed bullets. They are soft lead, but have a hard outer shell on them. When loading plated bullets we have found best results using low- to mid-range jacketed data in the load manual. You must use data for a bullet that has the same weight and profile as the one you are loading. Do not exceed mid-range loads. Do not use magnum loads.

Source: http://www.berrysmfg.com/faq-q9-c1-How_do_I_load_Berrys_Preferred_Plated_Bullets.aspx

I don't usually load mine hot so I'd probably start at the low end of the 230gr jacketed load and work it up from there.