David Sinko

I have shot a lot of cast 200 gr. RNFP meant for the .45 Colt out of both my 625 and Glock 21 (with Bar-Sto barrel). They worked very well for me. I was astonished that the Glock never ever failed to feed that stuff in many thousands of rounds (sorry to brag about the Glock on a Revolver forum) but I recommend a bevel base bullet to prevent shaving lead while seating. Those lead shavings tend to foul the chamber. Years ago I used the Berry 185 gr. HBRN and I believe I accidentally loaded one without powder, sticking the bullet in the barrel. I thought it misfired and before anybody could stop me I shot it out with the next round. The gun was not damaged, but that incident scared the hell out of me. I guess the moral of the story is if you're a careless reloader, that bullet is the one to use! Dave Sinko

While I dread setback when loading and firing pistol cartridges and fast powder, I am not sure why this would be a safety issue in the .223 which already usually has compressed charges anyway. I use 748 and 3031 and any load that is near max in the manual pretty much fills the case right up to the mouth. So basically I can't even use the published max loads because all the powder won't fit. I notice that some of the loads with BLC2 actually do have room to exceed the published max and not have 100% loading density. In these instances I do not crimp at all and I have never had any feeding problems. I have not yet unchambered any rounds to check and see if they seat deeper upon feeding. I'm new to the autoloading rifle game and have not loaded for any of them previously and the only rifle cartridge I ever crimp is the .45-70. I have never crimped a bottlenecked rifle cartridge. I shoot a lot of cast SWC revolver bullets out of .30 rifles (usually lever action) and I never crimp those either and have never had any problems with setback. Dave Sinko

I have a 4" 617 and a 4" 625. The 617 makes me wish I had a full lug barrel for my 66. The 617 will be good for learning one handed shooting, especially weak hand. You really should have the same contour trigger and weight of pull for both guns. Any differences will be very noticeable. And of course the grips should be identical too. Dave Sinko

I am forever stuck in SSR MA because I shot Master on a classifier back when you could use moonclips and 125 PF in SSR. I never cared for speedloaders and I don't think I could do it with my 66 but apparently that doesn't matter. IDPA doesn't let anybody go down in classification so I really do not deserve the MA classification. I was going to shoot SSR at a local sanctioned match this winter but while practicing I am suspecting that my 66 is shooting loose. Lately it seems all my revolvers are going sour at the same time. About two years I started shooting the auto just because of the lack of revolver competition. Given the choice I'd like to shoot more USPSA Revolver, especially now that I'm figuring out the scoring and strategy. IDPA Master and USPSA C class... the truth is really somewhere in the middle. But it's still discouraging when I'm the only one shooting a revolver at a USPSA match. Dave Sinko

I broke yet another one yesterday using heavily crimped PMC brass. I am using an old turret press that my brother refurbished and gave to me. I think the stations do not line up properly. I suspected a problem when I was loading .45-70 and the mouths did not appear to bell properly. I switched to a Lee hand press and then that problem disappeared. I use mostly RCBS dies and usually the pins break only when using the 550 or 650 if something is stuck inside the case. I do very little single stage loading but it looks like I may need a better press. Loading the .223 is very troublesome and time consuming due to the crimped primer pockets and the constant need to trim the brass. But it seems the problem is definitely with the press. I think it's an old Lyman. Dave Sinko

I'm tired of breaking decapping pins, especially when resizing .223 with crimped primer pockets. If I have my own pins made using S7 steel and properly heat treated, does anybody think this would solve my problem? S7 is a highly shock resistant steel but I'm not sure how it would behave as a decapping pin. Dave Sinko

Winchester's own manual shows light charges of 296, which is identical to H110. I have used their actual printed data and gotten bullets stuck in the bore. They need to stop listening to their idiot lawyers and start using some common sense when printing these manuals. They keep getting lower and lower with all the charge weights and have already reached the point of no return with 296. Dave Sinko

I checked my records and I see that I have chronographed 158 gr. cast bullets with various charges of Clays to determine what I needed to make 125 PF. One cylinder full of 3.4 grs. of Clays produced 131 PF but that charge weight is already over maximum in the manual. Plated bullets always give me lower velocities so I figured I'd need to bump that charge to 3.5 grs. to get roughly the same velocity, especially in sub-freezing temperature. I have a fair quantity of SR7625 that I bought for .40 Major in USPSA Limited and shotgun slugs and buckshot but I am trying to stick with the revolver and would rather not get involved in Limited, though it is very tempting. Then there is Viht N320 which burns very cleanly and produces hardly any muzzle flash. That is about the perfect powder but since it's so expensive I'll save the four lbs. that I have for more serious applications. Also, 800X has great potential but it will not meter worth a damn in the 550. I have never tried 700X in the 550 so I don't know if it suffers from the same problem or not. Is XMP5744 a viable powder for the .38 Special? Somehow I don't think so. I remember trying it in the .45 Colt and unburned granules would drop down into the cylinder stop window and completely tie up the action. What good is a safe, low pressure powder if it constantly causes the gun to choke? Dave Sinko

Has anybody been adventurous enough to try 3.5 grs. of Clays with a 158 gr. plated bullet? I have a feeling that is the charge I would need with the plated bullets. I know there are some who do .40 Major with Clays and while it is not generally recommended it can be done. If it is capable of doing .40 Major then it should be able to do .38 Minor in an S&W 66. Or maybe not? If not I may buy some Titegroup. I have an important outdoor winter match and the temperature may be in the single digits so I need something that will burn very clean and not leave any residue. Has anybody used SR7625 for 130 PF in the .38 Special? It seems to be quite satisfactory for .40 Major but I don't know if I will get a clean burn in the Special. I know 231 would work but it would be way too filthy and greasy, even with plated bullets. Dave Sinko

In all my years of reloading the only truly dangerous junk I have encountered are cases stamped "L Y" and "A-Merc." Anything bearing these headstamps should be thrown out on sight. I have seen the L Y only in 9mm but A-Merc is common in most popular cartridges. Dave Sinko

It must be an obsession. The amount of dry firing alone just to condition the arms, hands and fingers to move at that speed requires more effort than most of us will understand. You need to stick with it day after day for many years. The equipment pays a terrible price too in terms of wear. Any amount of self doubt will result in failure. And again, let's not forget McGivern. There is much to be learned from him and his book. If I recall, he was at his peak in 1931, he was older than Miculek is now and he accomplished all his feats shooting one handed. If he listened to most of the experts today, he'd be doomed right from the start. There really CAN be more McGiverns and Miculeks in the world if we have the desire and the dedication. Dave Sinko

I haven't had a DQ in close to 10 years of match shooting but I recently came very close when I ran past a target and then jumped back to shoot it. The instant I shot I knew I came very close to breaking the 180 but I wasn't called on it. If I were convinced that I DID break the 180, am I allowed to DQ myself? Just yesterday I fell flat on my face at a local match while running full speed and stepping into a patch of mud. I went down hard but in that fraction of a second I knew I had to control the muzzle and keep it downrange no matter what, even at the cost of falling in an awkward manner and injuring myself. My finger was off the trigger, the muzzle stayed pointed downrange and I was able to jump back up, bloody and muddy, and manage a good stage time. Oh, there was also the time I was supposed to get a DQ at an IDPA State Match after they loaded the entire squad, kept us hot and told us to not leave the bay. After a short while I realized that I was missing a magazine, forgot that I was carrying a loaded gun and wandered over to the previous bay. I found the magazine but the SO saw me leave and come back and was going to DQ me. Problem was, you aren't supposed to keep the entire squad hot, so they had a short discussion and decided to give me a Procedural instead. So that was an interesting set of circumstances. Dave Sinko

I have a Smith & Wesson poster which says the deed was done July 24, 1999 on a single target but it does not say what distance. It also lists his other records of 8 shots on one target in 1.00 second and 8 shots on four targets (two on each) in 1.06 seconds. I presume all three of these records were set at the same time, which leads me to believe he could probably break any one of them on a really good day if he really wanted to. I can not help but wonder what McGivern would've done if there were full moonclips or eight shot revolvers back in 1931. Dave Sinko

Why remove the ability to thumb cock the gun? I have never cocked the hammer during a match but I do out in the field when I get hungry for groundhogs and have to take a long shot. Dave Sinko

Locally we have Run & Gun matches (runandgunchallenge.com) which stipulate eight rounds max in the gun at any time and all minor scoring. The matches draw a lot of Open Revolver shooters as well as stock auto. This just goes to show that 8+0 can draw a pretty good turnout even among the auto shooters. In fact Saul Kirsch was even at one of the matches. They have even uploaded some video to the website. Dave Sinko

Is there not a minimum of .357 Magnum required for Major? At least til the end of the year, if I recall. Dave Sinko

Thanks for the suggestions. I usually won't load ammo for anybody else unless I can borrow the gun and be absolutely certain it will work properly and safely. But I'm not sure if I can borrow a shotgun with a 6" barrel, even if I have his paperwork. And this is the first time I am loading anything where pain is a primary consideration. Dave Sinko

Thanks for the responses. I have occasionally been finding this bullet for sale up until last year. The 200 gr. Gold Dot just does not have that wide a hollow point, which is what I want. I have seen a 200 gr. "revolver" Gold Dot Hollow Point listed for sale (I think from Midway) which they claim has a cannelure and I presume the wider, sharper nose profile common to the revolver Gold Dot bullets. But then this isn't listed on the Speer website either! Dave Sinko

Does Speer still make the old 200 gr. JHP "Flying Ashtray?" Or has it been replaced by the Gold Dot? It's not listed on their website and their online question submission form isn't working for me. I see Dillon sells a 200 gr. JHP but I don't know if this is the same one or not. Dave Sinko

Probably nobody here realizes that four days prior to this match Olhasso shot the ICORE East Coast Revolver Race in Open Revolver. Results aren't posted yet, but I suspect he did quite well and then went back to the XD without missing a beat. As for the "local" shooters, let's not forget James Meyers of the New Jersey State Police who shot five points down the entire match and finished right in the middle of SSP Master. Don't worry... they don't all shoot as well as he does. Oh, and was there a chronograph at this match? I see one DQ and one FTDR and not one of them was a CDP or ESR shooter. This is amazing! Can anybody tell us the percentage of competitors who fail to make power factor at a USPSA national championship? Just curious. Dave Sinko

This is all very interesting. I use the 250 gr. XTP in my 4" Redhawk .45 Colt for concealed carry and have wondered if this bullet has a propensity to blow up. I have not yet shot any deer with it so I just don't know. I did shoot a deer through the head with the old Speer 200 gr. JHP (the "Flying Ashtray," not the Gold Dot) at just over 1100 FPS in the .45 ACP and the bullet penetrated completely and showed no evidence of having expanded at all. I am starting to really believe in the Speer Gold Dot. We have shot some people with the 180 gr. GDHP in .40 S&W and these bullets always hold together extraordinarily well. The only problem is Speer loads them too soft and they don't penetrate well. Handloaded I believe this could be the best choice. I believe Speer makes a 250 gr. GDHP in .451" but I have not seen any locally and had to settle for the XTP which is readily available. Dave Sinko

I use the cheapo Lee setup and I have to trim before I resize. The gauge generally won't fit into the case mouth if the case is resized first. The problem with this is I need to deprime the cases first without resizing them. It is very slow, but I am a cheapskate and it does work. The one exception is the .22 Hornet trimmer which will fit into .223 brass after it has been resized, but then will not trim to a uniform length. When I am really bored I expand and then trim some .357 Sig brass and then shoot it in my .40 S&W. People soon realize that I am not quite right and stop shagging my brass. Dave Sinko

I just cast up a bunch of Lee 1 oz. 12 gauge slugs that use common plastic wads. I would like to load some for a friend who has one of those neat little pump shotguns with a very short barrel, I believe only 6" or so. The gun has a pistol grip and a folding lever attached to the pump, so common factory loaded slugs are unmanageable in this contraption. Does anybody know of any reduced load data? I'm looking for something that won't injure the shooter with the recoil when fired out of this itty bitty hand shotgun. I'd like to use the WAA12 wad and either 800X or 7625 powder, though I am certainly open to other options. Dave Sinko

Large grips (especially in the width) tend to cause a right handed shooter to shoot to the left. Most shooters will not be able to grip the gun as hard and placement of the finger on the trigger will be out of the comfort zone. Seemingly small changes will have significant consequences, usually disastrous at first. This is magnified in USPSA with its strong and weak hand shooting at 25 yards or more. I think this is where a lot of shooters get discouraged. Dave Sinko

OK, we just had some 40 shooters shoot the ICORE East Coast Revolver Race. I don't think I've ever seen that many people shooting revolvers at one time. But... out of all those shooters, how many would show up and shoot Revolver at a local USPSA match? Hardly anybody. Competitors love their eight shooters, dot sights and 120 PF. When the event is 6+0, iron sights and major/minor scoring the participation seems to change dramatically. Then you have those who shoot mostly IDPA, even though I have never seen anybody held accountable to 165 PF since the division split. I am convinced that USPSA is the way to go but I really don't like being the only revolver shooter at a match! If I could get even one other determined revolver shooter to show up then I'd stop shooting Production. Dave Sinko