Printable View
Bonjour,
I'll get straight to the point.......
The only powder readily available here in France is Vectan. I'm searching for data for cast boolits. I'm going to start casting 140gr SWC & 125gr RF for my 38's.
I only want to shoot light loads and can't find any in the data manuals.:evil:
How do you safely work up/work down a load?:confused:
Merci,
fusil
With handguns, you use the same data, cast or jacketed.
I know absolutely nothing about Vectan powder, so I have no idea if it is appropriate for light loads or not. It is not listed in any of my powder burn rate charts nor is it even mentioned in any of the manuals I have on hand.
What is the velocity range in the data you have for different weight bullets? That will let me compare it with the data I do have. The wider the listed velocity range, the more versatile it is, but the specific listed velocities for the MIN and MAX loads will let me find a useful answer for you. It would be easy to simply say use the lightest listed loads, but that lightest load may be anything from a real light target load to one at the lower end of +p loads. With a little patience we'll get you shooting.
Merci,
I'll get some stuff sent dirrect to you this weekend. I've got a French reloading manual thats all Vectan. BUT no loads for cast boolits.:evil:
Encore merci,
fusil
For safety's sake, you really ought to get several current manuals, and I would suggest you start with Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook or Lee's Modern Reloading. Both have a lot of cast data and info for many powders. Having only one source you have nothing to compare a load to, and if the data is not current or there is a data entry error, you have no way to catch it. Data provided by a powder maker can be iffy. They would like you to believe that their products will work for just about anything you could conceive of loading them into. A bullet maker, on the other hand, will present data from lots of different powder makers and will let you know which are most appropriate for a specific application. I don't know what is available for powder there, though. I do know that in the UK they can get everything available here (significantly more expensive) plus several European powders not imported into the USA. Maybe it is naive of me to assume you can get such a good selection in France.
i would think that the norma line of powders would be available.
they are made in sweden.
most of the hodgdons powders are made in australia, these use a different numbering system then the one they use in the u.s. but are the same powders.
http://www.nobelsport.fr/nobelsport/...poing_2006.pdf
Powder tables are to be taken with a few grains of salt, as they might shift with the caliber or even the year of printing (probably different lots tested):
http://www.nobelsport.fr/nobelsport/...acite_2006.pdf
My favorites for the 38Sp were A1 and Ba9. They are very close to Unique and now Universal, and I used Unique data for both: starting loads and up, staying away from the insane "max loads" in magnum calibers.
I settled on A1 for the price, but I would also recommend it for a beginner as it is bulky with a light green color; ... makes it much easier to keep an eye on what you are doing.
The A's big flakes can be annoying in a traditional rotor measure but work well in LEE's Auto-Disk; simply don't use the first disk as the smaller cavities don't deliver regular loads.
My loads were mostly +Ps for 357 revolvers, with 160 grainers.
I did some limited testing with the 140 SWC+ Ba9 and the 125 LRN+ Ba10; my notes say "accurate, weak recoil, leading+".
The 160's were more interesting to shoot, and lead was free.....
What kind of guns are you going to use?
kg
Hi kg42,
I'm going to be using 2 S&W's a 686 4" and Model 19 6". Once I've got loading for these sorted I'll get started for my 9mm Jericho.[smilie=w:
Vectan is the only powder that the local gunshop and internet companies sell. You can get US powders on special order, but they tend to be 3 times the price.:evil:
Lots of guys at the club reload but they tend to buy boolits ready made.
Merci encore mes amies,
fusil
Amis, amis..., you're going to get yourself in trouble ;)...
The lighter load I found in my notes for both the Ba9 and the A1 is 0.34 grams ("g") / 5.25 grains with lead bullets of 140/150/160/166 grs in 38 Special cases.
Recoil was noted as "weak" in a 6" (686 or GP100, can't remember...), with 140/150 grainers.
That load might have been +P with the heavier ones or hard cast bullets; keep your 38's away from other people's guns if you worked them up in a 357.
I had more data for other powders (Malfatti etc...) and tried a couple of loads with the Ba10, but didn't like the powder (a dirty stinker). I replaced it with the AS in other calibers.
In 9 Luger I used mostly 0.27/0.30 grams of A1 with LEE's 125RN.
0.23/0.25 of AS gave similar results. These were all sweet and accurate loads below 1000fps, according to Malfatti.
I would seat the bullet at max oal and these powder would still come close to fill the case, so I used Ba9 for max loads and jacketed bllts.
kg
Merci kg42,
I sent an email direct to a guy in Noblesports (the makers of Vectan) and he's sent me load data for every 9mm/38spl boolit weight you can think of.[smilie=w:
I posted the question on a French site (NOT AS GOOD AS THIS ONE) and got this guys details from another Brit living here in France. :-D
Must dash as I've just been given another load of lead.
Salut et bon weekend,[smilie=s:
fusil