Clays And 200gr Plated Bullets

[cliffy109]

I don't have a chrono so I just need a bit of help here. I really like the cost of Rainier bullets and I have a strong preference for flat pointed ammo. I had been using 4.1 grains of Clays with 200 grain bullets, but it was pointed out to me that this likely would not meet the 165 power factor for IDPA or USPSA. I bumped that up to 4.6 grains and I suspect I'm fine at this level, but can somebody tell me where I really am with velocity? How far back can I drop it and keep the velocity over 825 fps?

As an alternate, what about a 230 grain load with the Rainer plated ammo to keep me over 720 fps with Clays?

Yes, I'm trying to game it. I want to be "legal" but I also want as much advantage as I can get from the ammo. Yeah yeah... I know... its the indian, not the arrow, but a better arrow doesn't hurt.

[DougCarden]

4.0 - 4.1gr CLAYS with 230 Ranier will get you where you want to be. If you are going to compete find or buy a chrono so you dont have a bad day at a big match....

[Bear23]

In some of my guns, i can use as little as 3.6 gr. of Clays and make PF with a 230 moly bullet (RN) loaded at 1.250"

I generally use 3.9 gr. Clays and easily make PF with a 230 gr. Bullets Moly...This gives me anywhere from 182 PF to 173 PF depending on the gun. I have also chronoed 230 JHP Rem Gold Saber and Speer 230 JHP Gold Dots with the same powder charge and ended up with 172 PF out a Wilson CQB 5""

With a 200 gr. LSWC (moly) i only need to go to 4.1-4.3 gr. Clays to make around 172 PF. I have not chronoed any jacketed SWC with this load. I hope this helps.

[cliffy109]

In some of my guns, i can use as little as 3.6 gr. of Clays and make PF with a 230 moly bullet (RN) loaded at 1.250"

I generally use 3.9 gr. Clays and easily make PF with a 230 gr. Bullets Moly...This gives me anywhere from 182 PF to 173 PF depending on the gun. I have also chronoed 230 JHP Rem Gold Saber and Speer 230 JHP Gold Dots with the same powder charge and ended up with 172 PF out a Wilson CQB 5""

With a 200 gr. LSWC (moly) i only need to go to 4.1-4.3 gr. Clays to make around 172 PF. I have not chronoed any jacketed SWC with this load. I hope this helps.

That helps, but I will admitt that I'm not very experienced as a reloader and I don't know if I should expect similar results with a plated bullet versus the lead bullets you are using. How close should these be?

[AustinMike]

In my 5" Kimber, 230 gr. Rainier and 4.0 at 1.260" was consistently 175pf. 3.8gr. would probably do it just fine, but you have to chrono out of your gun to be sure. For what it's worth, I think that given the same power factor the 230gr. feels softer than the 200gr. bullets. Recoil perception is a very subjective thing though.

[Carlos]

Cliffy wrote:

" I really like the cost of Rainier bullets and I have a strong preference for flat pointed ammo. I had been using 4.1 grains of Clays with 200 grain bullets, but it was pointed out to me that this likely would not meet the 165 power factor for IDPA or USPSA. I bumped that up to 4.6 grains and I suspect I'm fine at this level, but can somebody tell me where I really am with velocity? How far back can I drop it and keep the velocity over 825 fps?"

I shot the Plated/ TMJ'd 200s w/ Clays powder in a .45 ACP Edge for my first 1.5 yrs in USPSA. I think I burned about 12 lbs of the stuff.

Here is what I recall from my barrel:

W. the round nose plated 200, I found I had a safe margin at 4.6 grns and loaded to 1.260" OAL. Note- that is just slightly over book, but I never had an issue and the .45 is stronger than it is given credit for (i.e. - just look at .45 Super). I think that if you are loading out that long, then go w. 4.6

For the shorter lenghts required for Plated/TMJ'd SWCs, I used 4.5 and always chronoed major at every match. Length I used was 1.245" OAL.

Regards,

D.C. Johnson

[TonyT]

The Rainier website, www.rainierballistics.com, lists the following data under the Midway section:

200 gr. Rainier FP - Reem 2 1/2 primer

4.3 gr. Clays = 729 fps = 12300 psi

5.5 gr. Clays = 941 fps = 21000 psi

[Canuck-IL]

4.3 gr. Clays = 729 fps = 12300 psi

5.5 gr. Clays = 941 fps = 21000 psi

I'd take that real cautiously! No loading mannual I've ever seen lists over 4.9 Clays - and that was for a 185 FMJ. The load data from Midway on the Rainier site also doesn't list actual OAL (just SAAMI maximum values) but they do note they're getting max pressures...same with the BE load in the same section...suspiciously high and not likely to tolerate any setback at all.

/Bryan