The Hodgdon data book list 13.5 gr of H110 as max for 180 JHP. Many people use as much as 16.0 gr of H110 with the 185 FNGC. How do they know this is safe to use? It seems they do get a good bit more velocity than I do. I would like to reach those speeds. How do you do that safely.

I am using a Ruger 50th Anniversary 357, which should be stronger than a K frame. But how much stronger? How do I know when I am approaching danger?

Short answer, you better have a chronograph when you get into uncharted territory. Keep an eye on the velocity....

The cast bullets have entirely different charactaristics than jacketed. Different amount of case capacity taken up, different amount of friction, bearing surface, etc..... the fact that they might weight the same is sorte coincidental. Compare the two bullets side by side (lining up the crimp grooves) and you'll start to get the picture.

I don't know what the small new Rugers will take, to be honest. I only shoot the 16 grain load in my full-sized guns.

Mike,
thanks for the reply. I have heard to watch for proportional velocity increase with powder increase. To watch for low extreme spread. That is where the good loads are (or so the article says). My big question is: Will that procedure take me to loads like 16.0 H110 behind the 185 FNGC?

I admit I am real nervous about going into "uncharted territory". I just want to make sure I proceed on a proper and safe path. Does anyone know what pressure 16.0 H110 with 185 FNGC produces??

No one could predict that. Best advice.... start with the published data, and work up. If you don't exceed the velocities given by the data, you should be fine. Make sense?

If you want to go beyond the published velocities, that is where you get out on your own. But frankly.... I'd expect you could run a good cast 180 grain bullet to about 1,200fps or so without any problems. How much powder that will take, isn't something you may be able to predict ahead of time. That's why we work up.

Best of luck.

Mike,
You said the short answer was a chrono. I want the whole, long winded answer. I think the procedure to follow is the Beartooth article "Max Loads" And Handguns at

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/15

Is this the process to follow, to safely work up to these types of loads??? Is this what people mean when they say "work up a load"??

It would take a book, basically.

But the heart of the answer is, the faster you go, the higher the pressures run.

One thing you might want to keep in mind is those higher velocities don't necessarily kill any better. My experience is mostly with 44 mags, but I've found that 1250 to 1350 fps kills as well as the same bullets pushed to 1500 fps. That is with lead. I quit using jacketed bullets years ago. Way to poor results in the field compared to lead.

You can start looking for pressure signs when your working up hot loads. Primers super flat, cases sticking in the cylinders, big chunks of cylinder missing, you know things like that.

In reality if you want those super hot loads why not go with a revolver designed for them like the 454 Cusull or the new Smith 460 or 500. The new Smith's are designed for 60,000 psi.