Rangertim Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 (edited) I started reloading about 4 months ago on a Dillion SDB. I reload Meister .45 200gr. LSWC with Win 231 powder. I was used a chrono at the local club to test my load to make sure it made Major. At 5.9gr. of 231 the chrono only came out to a 166PF. After reading some other threads and doing a little research, that seems like a lot of powder to only reach 166PF. I now actually load 6.0gr. just to make sure I average major. It seems to shoot fine through my 5" 1911. Could there have been a problem with the chrono? Does that seem like an excessive amount of powder? Any thought? Thanks. Edited July 11, 2007 by Rangertim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmap Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 What length are you loading to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Yes, what cartridge length. Also, what barrel length? You could have the slowest barrel ever made, in a Commander, and thus need 6.0 to make Major. Your buddy could have the fastest barrel ever made, and only need 5.7. That's life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangertim Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 Yes, what cartridge length. Also, what barrel length? You could have the slowest barrel ever made, in a Commander, and thus need 6.0 to make Major. Your buddy could have the fastest barrel ever made, and only need 5.7. That's life. I'm loading to 1.250 and shooting through a 5" springfield 1911. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoMiE Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 <Bob Barker voice>That's too much!</Bob Barker Voice> Winchester list 5.6 gr. as max load for 200 LSWC. I load it to 5.0 gr. and make major with OAL of 1.255". I switched to WSF and it make major no problem without being at max load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangertim Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 <Bob Barker voice>That's too much!</Bob Barker Voice>Winchester list 5.6 gr. as max load for 200 LSWC. I load it to 5.0 gr. and make major with OAL of 1.255". I switched to WSF and it make major no problem without being at max load. I honestly think there was a problem with the chronograph. I plan on using a different chrono this week to figure out exactly what is going on. Thanks for sharing the info with the rookie reloader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superdude Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 as an interesting experiment, place the two chronos in line and shoot over both of them at the same time. if one of them is wacky, it will be obvious in just a few shots. one thing to watch for with chronos is that sometimes when the sun is out, they can give wonky readings, especially with the screens in place. direct sunlight on the screens can sometime be a problem - don't know why. i've found that overcast skies can be the best conditions for chronographing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPatterson Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Also make sure the start screen is at least 10 feet from the muzzle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I used load 5.7 in the old 175 PF days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 <Bob Barker voice>That's too much!</Bob Barker Voice>Winchester list 5.6 gr. as max load for 200 LSWC. I load it to 5.0 gr. and make major with OAL of 1.255". I switched to WSF and it make major no problem without being at max load. Have shot 231 for over 25 yrs...and NEVER saw any 5" gun make major with 5.0 under any 200 SWC....you sure you did not mean 5.6 or 5.7??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Tracey Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Ken Oehler of the chronograph fame is now writing about ballistics in Shooting Times magazine. In a relatively recent artical, he suggested that to verify chrono readings in general, shoot several strings with either .22 rim fire or even an air rifle. Both tend to have known and constant velocities unaffected by the vagaries of centerfire cartridges and minimal muzzle blast. I mention the magazine because you may be able to find his articals online. At the 2007 Shot Show I spoke with Ken because I own the 35P and was concerned about lack of parts. Not to worry was the reply, but,....in discussing chronographing the .45 ACP, he said results can very often be misleading and inconsistent.......because of that cartridges forward moving shock blast. I guess what he was saying was: a chrono can be affected by the shock,or muzzle blast or the screens see that blast, or the muzzle is too close to the screen. Beats me, but he said the .45 ACP was a particularly bad offender. His cure: Shoot through a vertical port in a piece of plywood to get rid of the blast potential and verify functioning for consistency by use of the .22 or air rifle. So, try your chronograp with either the .22 or air rifle and see if readings (speed and SD) are where they ought to be. If yes, perhaps the blast is giving it a fit. I hope that gives you some potential answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoMiE Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 <Bob Barker voice>That's too much!</Bob Barker Voice>Winchester list 5.6 gr. as max load for 200 LSWC. I load it to 5.0 gr. and make major with OAL of 1.255". I switched to WSF and it make major no problem without being at max load. Have shot 231 for over 25 yrs...and NEVER saw any 5" gun make major with 5.0 under any 200 SWC....you sure you did not mean 5.6 or 5.7??? Maybey my chronograph is starting to act up? I will try 5.0 and 5.5 with 231 and see what I get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoMiE Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 OK, I loaded up some 45's and made it out to the range today. Tightloop was right, my 5" didn't make major with 5.0 of W231. It did make major with 5.3 and probably would squeak by with 5.2 gr. of 231 (gonna try that later). Found my old notes and I used to load 5.5 gr., not 5.0 gr. So here are my results... Shooting Chrony Professional ~10' from muzzle... Oregon Trail Lazercast .452 LSWC bullets... W231 5.0 gr. OAL 1.255" Crimp .468 WW Brass FPS 767 817 799 805 819 786 778 AVG. 795 ES 52 SD 19 PF 159 W231 5.3 gr. OAL 1.255" Crimp .468 WW Brass FPS 832 840 851 854 851 852 836 AVG 845 ES 22 SD 8 PF 169 W231 5.7 gr. OAL 1.255" Crimp .468 WW Brass FPS 891 899 911 883 886 893 850 AVG 887 ES 61 SD 18 PF 177 And also chrono'd my WSF load just cause I had some with me... WSF 6.3 gr. OAL 1.255" Crimp .468 WW Brass FPS 876 884 841 830 AVG 857 ES 54 SD26 PF 171 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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