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Old July 24, 2013, 05:17 PM   #3
serf 'rett
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 25, 2009
Location: Stuttgart, AR
Posts: 1,569
I have not used Bullseye powder, but I have loaded over 7500 Berry’s 115 grain RN, MO Bullet 124 grain RN Smallball and Berry’s 124 grain HBFP primarily with W-231, Unique and Power Pistol powders. When I started there was some confusion on my part due to the lack of load information for these bullets; therefore, the reload maxim of “start low and carefully work up” was applied. Different series were loaded and tested for grouping. Adjustments were made and loads retested. Testing is the operative word with these bullets, because the load data is scarce.

You must understand that what may be good in my pistols, may not be good in your pistols. The 115 grain Berry’s RN presented no reloading problem and were tested with 5.4 to 6.2 grains of Power Pistol with OAL of 1.120”, R-P brass and CCI 500 primers. Where I quickly encountered a problem was loading the 124 Berry’s HBFP and the 124 MO Smallball. Both of these bullet profiles are wide; therefore, when I attempted to load them at 1.120”, I found the bullet would come in contact with the lands in the chamber before the case headspaced on the case mouth. My Springfield XDm chamber required a reduction in the OAL to set the bullet back enough to allow the case mouth to headspace. With the 124 Berry’s HBFP, my tested OAL was 1.070” which allowed a “jump” of approximately 0.015”. With the lead 124 MO Smallball, I tested at 1.100”; however, the bullet was actually in slight contact with the lands at this length, as I chose to not allow a setback distance with this being a lead bullet.

I mention the above in case you have a pistol with a “short” chamber like my Springfield. You would do well to double check and make sure the bullets are not contacting the lands before the case mouth seats on the chamber counter bore.

With 124 grain Berry’s bullets and 124 grain MO Bullet Smallball, Power Pistol did produce very good groups, which were closest to point of aim, but had higher perceived recoil in my pistols. The accurate W-231 load was soft shooting, an excellent target load, but wouldn’t make IDPA power factor. The accurate Unique load landed between these two powders.
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