Post by Bullshop on Jun 18, 2020 8:58:12 GMT -7
ll the loads I run into for the 33 WCF are for 200 gr bullets.
I was shooting 33.5 gr load with a WLR primer, and a BHN 15, 209 gr GC bullet (Accurate 34-220A moud) at about 1940 FPS.
I ran out of BHN 15 alloy and used some I had on hand that is BHN 11 to 12. Bullets dropped at 218 g.
I am really cautious when loading for the old ones so I dropped the charge to 33.0 gr and got 1850 FPS with a spread of 70 FPS. The primers started to flatten, back out a little, and there was some sooting around a couple of the primers indicating gas was escaping. The cases ejected smoothly.
Here are my questions:
(1) Would you agree that the problem with the 33.0 gr load is that the pressure is too low?
(2) In your experience, would you expect much of a difference in velocity and pressure in the 33 WCF between 200 gr vs 218 gr bullets?
I am really curious how IMR 4895 fills the case compared to 3031 and how it will work with my heavier bullets.
(3) If I buy 20 of your 38.5 g rounds and they work out for me, do you think I that would be a good load to work from for my 210 to 218 gr bullets
Answer
#1 Sounds like possibly so but without being there to check myself I will not state for certain
#2 No I would not expect much change
#3 My standard procedure when going to a bullet that is more than just a couple grains more weight is to reduce the powder charge by the same percentage as the increased bullet weight is to the lighter bullet.
As a general rule when using powders that are within the correct burn rate range for any given cartridge the lighter bullet weights for the caliber will be best paired with the faster burning powders within that burn rate range and as bullet weight increases powder burn rate should get slower. 4895 is slower burning than 3031 so should be better suited to heavier bullet weights.
I will add something I learned from Harvey Donaldson on this subject. He said that once he found the optimum volume setting with his powder measurer with a certain powder burn rate paired with a certain bullet weight that he never changed that volume setting after that. He would only change powder burn rate to faster for lighter bullets or slower for heavier bullets. He was referring to the IMR powders of the time about 1950’s because they were pretty much the modern standard at the time. The series of powders started with 4227 on the fast end and ended with either 4350 or later on 4831. If you look at the progression of available bullet weights for any given caliber in most load data books you will see that highest velocities are shown with the faster powders in the correct burn rate with the lighter bullet weights and as bullet weight increases you will see that the progressively slower powders produce the highest velocities.
This is what Harvey discovered long ago with these powders that the powder volume stays the same and what changes is bullet weight and powder burn rate. For this reason I suspect when optimum loads are developed with your 3031, and 4895 powders for the different bullet weights the volume will be very nearly the same. I often find this to be true but never noticed until I got that tip from Harvey Donaldson a true pioneer in this field.
I was shooting 33.5 gr load with a WLR primer, and a BHN 15, 209 gr GC bullet (Accurate 34-220A moud) at about 1940 FPS.
I ran out of BHN 15 alloy and used some I had on hand that is BHN 11 to 12. Bullets dropped at 218 g.
I am really cautious when loading for the old ones so I dropped the charge to 33.0 gr and got 1850 FPS with a spread of 70 FPS. The primers started to flatten, back out a little, and there was some sooting around a couple of the primers indicating gas was escaping. The cases ejected smoothly.
Here are my questions:
(1) Would you agree that the problem with the 33.0 gr load is that the pressure is too low?
(2) In your experience, would you expect much of a difference in velocity and pressure in the 33 WCF between 200 gr vs 218 gr bullets?
I am really curious how IMR 4895 fills the case compared to 3031 and how it will work with my heavier bullets.
(3) If I buy 20 of your 38.5 g rounds and they work out for me, do you think I that would be a good load to work from for my 210 to 218 gr bullets
Answer
#1 Sounds like possibly so but without being there to check myself I will not state for certain
#2 No I would not expect much change
#3 My standard procedure when going to a bullet that is more than just a couple grains more weight is to reduce the powder charge by the same percentage as the increased bullet weight is to the lighter bullet.
As a general rule when using powders that are within the correct burn rate range for any given cartridge the lighter bullet weights for the caliber will be best paired with the faster burning powders within that burn rate range and as bullet weight increases powder burn rate should get slower. 4895 is slower burning than 3031 so should be better suited to heavier bullet weights.
I will add something I learned from Harvey Donaldson on this subject. He said that once he found the optimum volume setting with his powder measurer with a certain powder burn rate paired with a certain bullet weight that he never changed that volume setting after that. He would only change powder burn rate to faster for lighter bullets or slower for heavier bullets. He was referring to the IMR powders of the time about 1950’s because they were pretty much the modern standard at the time. The series of powders started with 4227 on the fast end and ended with either 4350 or later on 4831. If you look at the progression of available bullet weights for any given caliber in most load data books you will see that highest velocities are shown with the faster powders in the correct burn rate with the lighter bullet weights and as bullet weight increases you will see that the progressively slower powders produce the highest velocities.
This is what Harvey discovered long ago with these powders that the powder volume stays the same and what changes is bullet weight and powder burn rate. For this reason I suspect when optimum loads are developed with your 3031, and 4895 powders for the different bullet weights the volume will be very nearly the same. I often find this to be true but never noticed until I got that tip from Harvey Donaldson a true pioneer in this field.
