Tul9033

The 4.3's were over after elevating the gun. The 4.4's are over without elevating, but go to 174 PF with. From the IDPA rulebook: 2. Official Chronograph Procedure If the chronograph is being done separately from the competitor (pulling and/or bagging ammunition to chronograph) where the chronograph official uses match-supplied guns for the chronograph, the following procedure should implemented. Chronograph three (3) rounds at a distance of ten (10) feet using a gun of MAXIMUM barrel length for the DIVISION. If two (2) of the three (3) rounds exceed the power floor, the competitor is in compliance. Prior to each shot, the muzzle of the gun should be elevated to move the powder charge to the rear of the case, thus giving the competitor every chance to achieve maximum velocity.

Wanted to update this. I made up some 200gr plated SWC with 4.4gr of Clays @ 1.25 and was getting 174 PF. I was actually breaking 165 PF with 4.3, but I wasn't tilting the gun back before each shot to get the powder against the primer in my first round of testing. Actually made a significant difference. It's something I usually do and is standard procedure at the chrono at major matches. I tested Clays and Titegroup side by side and it was amazing how much louder Titegroup was than Clays.

Thanks for the info guys. I did notice Hodgdons had the OAL listed as 1.15. I load all of my 200gr SWC to 1.25 so that should lower the pressure a bit. I'll work some 4.4gr and 4.5gr loads up and run them over the chrono. Moly bullets weren't really an issue they were right on the PF line. However, plated were quite a bit under. My next order will be some 200gr SNS coated SWC without the lube grove. I'll admit I'm not the greatest group shooter but, these Clay's loads with Bear Creek moly and Berry's plated were grouping in the 5" range @ 25 yards. Steve RA, thanks for your speadsheets, I look at them often. However, I'm not 100% what I am looking at. Should I just be looking at the average group size (3/5 avg, 4/5 avg, 5/5 avg)? Is the average velocity for both guns/shooters across all strings? What is 3/5, 4/5, 5/5? What do the bolded #'s represent? Thanks!

I see quite a few posts with people going over the Hodgdons recommended max of 4.3 with a 200gr SWC, some up to 4.6. I'm not making PF with 4.3. I'm around 163 @ 4.3 1.25 OAL and I'd like to have a min 5 PF cushion. I've got mixed feelings going over 4.3. Contemplating going with another powder I have on hand like Titegtoup or WST. I'm comitted to the 200gr SWC, using both plated and moly. I've got over 10 lbs of Clay's and was planning to use it this season, but I expected to make PF @ 4.3. I'm also in a tough situation where I am moving soon and getting ready to break down my reloading gear. I really want to have all my rounds for the season done before the move. Since I can't really develop a load right now I may just fall back to 5gr of Titegroup with the swc. This is used primarily in a 5" Dan Wesson Valor.

Have you tried over more than 1 chrono? That does seem a bit low. I am @ 134pf with a MG 124gr JHP and 4.0 TG 1.10 OAL. What Chrono are you using?

Did you load some Hi-Tek and Clays? I'm getting ready to start my winter loading of .45 and was considering the SNS 200gr SWC and plain Clays. I've got a bunch of Clays and hoped to use it with a 200gr SWC.

Run the media by itself. The media will need cleaning after so many cycles. Usually Dawn alone will do the job.

IMO there is more time to be lost than gained going for a fast draw. You may gain a few tenths, but a bad grip is going to cost you on every shot. I strive for a solid consistent grip on every draw. I work on getting my grip, getting the gun up, and a sight picture. I'm not a Master class shooter; 1.8 is my practice par time. How many times do you draw and fire from the same spot in a match? I know the majority of the time I am drawing and moving into a shooting position before the first shot.

Happened to me at the State IDPA match. I had an empty mag on my belt for the equipment check. Of course no equipment check and I never replaced the mag. First stage had 2 reloads with retention, needless to say I was screwed. I didn't have enough rounds to finish without fishing in my pockets and I ended up grabbing a partial and ran dry. Not a good way to start a major match. I check each mag before the buzzer now.

From SS Tumbling Media: Make sure you occasionally tumble just the Media with soap or Simple Green for a few hours to clean carbon from media. Use only 1/4 teaspoon LemiShine or less, more is not better. Try using Cold water to tumble and Cold water to rinse brass and make sure you rinse the brass really good. Let the brass dry on its own and see if that helps. I use 1 tablespoon dawn and rinse really well with hose water.

In the summer I place my brass on the AC compressor fan for a few hours and it dries it right up. I've been in the boat where I found a piece of brass with a bit of water in it after loading several hundred rounds. Was not a good feeling not knowing for sure if I had dropped powder in a wet case. I've also had some cases show a discolored spot after drying, usually where it was touching another case.

The silver ones from a few years ago were terrible, I was seeing a minimum 10% failure to ignite on first strike. I didn't have any problems with the brass colored ones.

I missed the ICE for large backstraps. Will it fit in the IDPA box? Do you need extended base plates? Thanks!

Does such a thing exist? I haven't found one. So far I like the ZEV the best, but it won't work with a backstrap.

Never had an issue with the fronts. I suspect the competitive shooters in hot climates are probably seeing more of the rear rusting issue. Repeated contact with sweaty hands are responsible. The Dawson rears are good sights, they just rust. The Warren sights are made of a much harder metal, not sure if it is the coating or the metal they are made of that keeps them from rusting.