Is there anyone who has a formula of how hot over some books can you load, 5% 10%???

For example, I am loading 38 Super, I believe I have reached my goal of what I need to make major 1325 FPS with 125 gr. power factor 165,625 bullet, but wont know till I have time to go to range where they have a chrony, Hornady book shows a max load of 1250FPS with 7.1 grs of power pistol, I did a gradual up load to 7.7 should be about 1350fps, so is there a safe formula a person can rely on?

In a word, NO!! :eek:

Anyone who advocates loading above the recommended maximum as contained in reloading manuals is giving ill advised thoughts!

There are many and varied factors that go into reloading ammunition. The type of firearm (lever, pump, semiauto, bolt, topbreak, rifle, handgun), the material strength of the item (each manufacturer has its own specifications), overall condition (new, worn, poor), the rated chamber pressure, condition of bore/chamber and the load combination of the cartridge (condition of brass, standard or magnum primer, type of powder and type/weight of bullet, seating depth).

All these things enter into a SAFE combination of firearm/ammo.

The best advice is to stick with those recommended loadings. If you insist on going over the maximums listed, better do it in very small increments (tenths of a grain at a time) and pay close attention to visual and physical indicators of high pressure (flattened/smeared primers, case heads imprinted with ejector mark, rub marks, bulged cases, hard bolt lift/action opening, sticky extraction, blown primers, excessive recoil - to name the most common) and STOP when any are noticed.

It's your face and hands - just how close are you willing to put them in the proximity of a potential bomb?

You may get away with overloads in a particular firearm for a while, but believe me, you're not doing it any favor. In time the overloads will cause stress failures and operating malfunctions much sooner than normal loads.

Don't.

Supect you will anyway. Do us all a favor, and shoot a few lanes over from any innocent by-standers.

IF that .38super doesn't have a set of Pachmeyer grips, get some...the steel back-bone under the rubber just might save your hand when a case lets go at the head.

When a case does let go, will (1) blow the magazine out of the bottom of the gun along with any ammo it contains (2) will buldge the grip...if the grip is wood or plastic, will send chunks of it into your hand (and perhaps a splinter or two sticking oput the other side). (3) May buldge the slide. (4) Send small very high velocity bits of brass case out of the ejction port.

How do I know...had a regular load in .38super (factory loaded) blow it's head. The Pach. grips saved my hand from real damage, although it stung it badly when the grip puffed up and I did catch a couple of bits of brass case.

Now this was with a ramped barrel...a modification taht surronds the case head with steel...and heavy springs. Was trying some factory 147gr. JHP ammo when it let go.

Best guess is that for whatever reason the crimp let go on that round when it was being fed into the chamber...bullet telescoped back into the case...pressure increased over design limits.
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Worth mentioning. HAd a .22LR round blow it's head in a little pocket semi-auto with wood grips. Blew the magazine out of the gun, broke the magazine latch along the way, blew the extractor off the slide, and when the grips sshatters, jammed splinters into my hand...with a couple sticking out the back side of my hand. Couldn't turn the gun loose..was trying to, but it was nailed to my right hand by those splinters.

I hate to be a wet blanket to your experimenting, but the only FORMULA you are working with is the one destined for disaster. If you need more speed/power etc. Just get a bigger gun and be safe. It is real hard to tie your shoelace with one hand along with a lot of other things. BE CAREFUL

thanks for all your replies and thoughts, there are many +P loads for 38 super, the load I used was not that hot in comparison to plus P , only a couple 10th oveer what hornady had listed, I called starline brass to see what difference there was in plus P brass and regular brass and there is none only the plus P markings so not to get the loads confused.

But sometime after posting I decided not to use my 38super for IPSC but I will use my 45acp in L10, like most said less wear and tear on my gun, I checked cases after shooting they were fine and I new in most cases a couple of 10th is not going to make that much difference, many books data vary that much and more, what hornady might show are Lyman or hogden may all differ somewhat.

Thanks for advise

You can make your power factor with heavier bullets and stay under MAX. This recipie's been around for a while.

http://recipes.alliantpowder.com/rg.taf?_function=pistolrevolver&step=2&bulletID=35&cartridgeID=1016&caliber=%2E38&cartridgedescr=Super%20Auto%20%2BP&bulletdescr=147%20XTP

Bye
Jack

Most often the idea is to hit the target, when you achieve your best group save the load whether it is on the bottom or the top makes no difference as long as you believe it is the most accurate ammo you can load. I have on occasion went above the book as most of us have, all the while watching carefully for high pressure signs. Nobody advocates a above book load though all of us know that the book loads have been coming down for a while via the "I'll sue you" crowd. Get an older reloading manual from a gunshow. Ken Waters pet loads is a good source also. Always start low.

Running major-power .38 Super loads isn't for the beginners or the squeamish. If you know some shooters in your area who are doing it, take a good look at their guns & loads and any advise they may offer.

Other than competition with specialized guns / loads, can see no real reason for this.

Jack Monteith

Thanks I will try those , see how I like them. I found a few others also in +P


Swany
I understand all that , in IPSC if you shoot a bullet under .400 you score in minor , you loose points, so you must reach a power factor, power factor is 165,000, formula being bullet weight X FPS=power factor, so 125 gr bullet at 1250 fps=156,250m that is why you need to go up one way or the other to meet power factor, why not just use .40S&W or 45ACP they meet power factor with ease, muzzle lift, 38 super is much esier on muzzle lift copared to 40 or 45 you can get back on target much quicker with less muzzle lift, and all the events or timed in seconds.

That is the only reason I am expermenting my 38 versus my 45


Thank You all again
Frank

Really isn't a problem reacinjg those levels with the .38super if you (1) pay strick attention to the data, allowing no substitutions (2) use a ramped barrel...this is a major modification to the frame and a whole new barel system that includes a one piece barrel and feed ramp (3) re-spring appropriatly (4) include a recoil buffer (5) compare brass and only use cases recommended for these loadings.

Do those things, and the .38super can make major without too many worries...willb eat the buffer to death rather quickly.

Comps. work better with high velocity gas...that's the main reason p\eople tried hot-rodding the .38super (and before that, it was the 9mm...and some people found ways to make major with it, but enough of them blew guns up that it became obvious the 9X19 was NOT the way to go).

Personallky, I'd not go there. Convert to .357Sig. if you want a light 9mm bullet at those speeds.

ribbonstone

Yes my gun has all that it is a Kimber Stainless Target 2

I had called Kimber some time ago about shooting +P and they said no problem, they also told me a few things to do if I were to shoot +P loads, buffer and heavier spring all that is needed, but as I said earlier , it was just a thought and after shooting a few loads of +P I decided there was no gain even though the 38 super is a much flater shooting round, I can do the same with my 45ACP and with no where and tear on my gun, muzzle lift with +p in my 38 is about the same as my 45 maybe more, My 45 is a Springfield Long Slide Trophy Match the 6 inch slide really cuts muzzle lift down I can see and feel the difference compaired to my 5 inch.

Thanks for your reply