trumpetman

This is my first post on Brian's forum. I hope you find it informative and helpful as you navigate your way through the barrage of new powders. I love the old ways best, but I find myself being dragged, almost kicking and screaming into the 21st century of reloading. Here goes. Anyway, I had a "blast" at the range this morning. I tested two loads through a .357 magnum Rossi '92 lever rifle (20" barrel), and through a 5.5" Ruger New Vaquero cowboy revolver. I used Alliant Power Pro 300-MP powder under a 150 grain hard cast truncated cone, flat nose, flat base bullet (TCFN FB) of an approximately brinell hardness 18. The only reason I bought the 300-MP powder is because I can't get Alliant 2400 around here. I'm glad bought it now. 300-MP in these loadings is really good stuff. They do not leave lead deposits in my barrels, and initial results indicate a very useful and accurate addition to the Alliant family of powders. 300-MP fills the case very well when used as designed -- with heavy, magnum loads. With lighter charges of 300-MP I got velocity spreads of more than 200 fps in some loadings, so I abandoned my attempts to use it for reduced-velocity loads. 300-MP is also the best .410 shotshell powder I know of, producing good patterns, great velocities, and low chamber pressures. I am posting these results of my latest .357 magnum tests here and now for your benefit, but please realize this data is not in the Alliant reloading guide, nor is it on their web site. I cannot be responsible for your results. The following loads were slowly and carefully worked up from a ridiculously reduced starting load of 13.5 grains of 300-MP (which produced abysmal results). The two loads listed here are both very useable, and the heavier load is extremely consistent. I do not know the chamber pressure of these loads. (This cautions bears repeating.) I do not have any pressure-reading equipment. LOAD #1 Date: July 11, 2016 Powder: 16.0 grains Alliant Power Pro 300-MP Brass: New Armscor .357 magnum Bullet: 150 grain TCFN FB, 18 bnh, Liquid Alox lube added Primer: Win SP C.O.L: 1.60" Very Firm Crimp Temperature: 68 degrees F. 5.5" barrel: 10-shot average = 1,113.7 fps, standard deviation = 28.2, spread = 91 fps 20" barrel: 10-shot average = 1,686.8 fps, standard deviation = 25.2, spread = 81 fps Chamber Pressure: UNKNOWN !!! LOAD #2 Date: July 11, 2016 Powder: 18.5 grains Alliant Power Pro 300-MP Brass: New Armscor .357 magnum Bullet: 150 grain TCFN FB, 18 bnh, Liquid Alox lube added Primer: Win SP C.O.L" 1.60" Very Firm Crimp Temperature: 68 degrees F. 5.5" barrel: 10-shot average = 1,371.5 fps, standard deviation = 16.3, spread = 54 fps 20" barrel: 10-shot average = 1,937.2 fps, standard deviation = 13.5, spread = 41 fps Chamber Pressure: UNKNOWN !!! NOTE: The maximum powder drop listed by Alliant for this powder for a 158-grain jacketed Gold Dot bullet is 18.6 grains. Since my hard cast bullet is lighter than the book load, I felt safe to work up to 18.5 grains. In addition, I chose a bullet that produces a C.O.L. (cartridge overall length) of 1.60", which is the SAAMI maximum for .357 magnum. I did that in an effort to lessen the possibility of over-pressuring an experimental load. Please be cautious if you decide to pursue the above loads. In addition to the above loads, I have tested 300-MP with jacketed bullets with very good results. Also, other reloaders have posted some results of 300-MP with jacketed bullets, and they seem to agree with Alliant on at least one thing: 300-MP works best with standard primers. One more thing -- be advised that Alliant's advertised velocity of 1,686 fps for 300-MP with a 158 grain jacketed bullet was achieved with a maximum charge through a 10" barrel, using a Federal 100 (SP standard) primer. Good luck to all.

I live in Indianapolis and shoot at Marion County Fish and Game Association and the Indiana Gun Club. Welcome

Glad you came aboard! I'm a fellow Hoosier. I joined a week or two ago. I've been reading on the forum for several years. Finally took the plunge. Welcome!

I was born in Missisppi and grew up in Indiana. I play trumpet for The Starlighters Big Band, Twilite Nites Dance Orchestra, and Connection Pointe Brass, which is what we call the "horn line" at Connection Pointe Christian Church of Brownsburg, Indiana. My bride of 41 years and I have two terrific grown children. Our son is a recent graduate of Indiana University and is beginning his teaching career in northern Indiana. Our daughter is a "big rig" over-the-road truck driver. My first reloading stations were Lee Classic Loaders in .38 special, .357 magnum, 9mm, and 12 gauge. I still use the 12 gauge Lee Loader to finish off my black powder paper shells. It does the best job I have ever seen -- crisp edges, packed hard and ready for smoke to roll out of the muzzle! I like old-fashioned stuff. My single stage press is an antique Herters that my sister-in-law bought for me at a yard sale for $4. It included lots of other reloading goodies worth a heck of a lot more than $4, for sure. I still load metallic cartridges 50 at a time, looking down into each case with a flashlight to make sure they all look alike. Alliant Power Pro 300-MP is about the only modern thing I use, and that -- out of necessity, as I cannot get Alliant 2400 any more. I went down the 300-MP road "kicking and screaming," but now I'm glad I did. It is AMAZING in .410 shotshells, as well as a great powder for heavy .357 magnum loads. I am approaching 2,000 fps with 150 grain hard cast bullets with virtually no leading of the bore! Other than that one modern powder, I use mostly older powders: Promo (same as Red Dot), Hodgdon Longshot, and (of course) the "holy black." I don't seem to have a need for any other powders. Having read Brian's Forums for several years, I am anxious to engage in some give-and-take here. I am finding this group to be friendly, certainly friendlier than some of the other forums. So many times on other forums someone will ask a question, only to be met with some sort of criticism or a know-it-all who just likes to flap his keyboard 'gums.' That is uncalled for, and it turns newbies off. I appreciate the friendly spirit of many of the posters I have read on Brian's Forums. I hope to learn a lot and maybe even share a point or two. Later Gators, Greg Hodnett