"Cat Sneeze" round - Range Repot.

[Nick_C_S]

A while ago, I posted this: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=535610

I'll try to shorten the story: I loaded 38 Short Colt with a 100g DEWC, atop 2.8g of Bullseye. After considerable imploring, Unclenick was finally able to convince me that potential exists that I may have created a high-pressure overload. He didn't say it was for certain, but he systematically explained how the load had all the elements thereof.

So I pulled the bullets, and reloaded them with 1.8g Bullseye.

Today, I finally had a free moment to get to the range and chronograph them. The rounds were super light. There was just enough recoil to know the bullet left the barrel. Even the RSO mentioned that they have "probably less report than a .22." A true "cat sneeze" round

499 FPS through a 686 3"bbl; Power Factor 50k; Kinetic Energy 55ft/lb
548 FPS through a 686 4"bbl; Power Factor 55k; Kinetic Energy 66ft/lb

I'd say that's a pretty light load. Accuracy: hmm, not impressed. I don't shoot from a rest - never could, never do, never will. I find it less consistent - just can't get used to it. I even sight my guns freehand - but that's another thread. At any rate, they seemed to "float around" a bit; but it could have been me. I was shooting through a chronograph, and not going for accuracy.

[beeenbag]

So I guess 2.8 it is?

[Unclenick]

He'll likely creep up toward it. With a compressed load of a fast powder like Bullseye, pressure can increase unexpectedly quickly. The trick will be finding out if the primer unseats the bullet far enough and fast enough that it happens before the charge is fully burning, so that the load isn't really compressed at full ignition. That happens in a lot of short powder space rounds, and frankly I expect it to happen here, but you just don't want to count on that without proving it by incremental testing. Double charges when loading 2.7 grains of Bullseye in a .38 Special under wadcutters are known to burst revolver cylinders (aka, "Bullseye Surprise"), whereas that same double load behind the same bullet weight seated out to .38 Special SAAMI maximum COL is merely higher than +P, but not up to proof loads level. So there is some threshold above which that unseating trick can't happen fast enough to keep things safe.

[Nick_C_S]

I just loaded these for the novelty of it, and for grins. I don't even know if they serve any real purpose, other than to introduce someone to shooting who's really afraid of recoil.

If - if - I load them again, I may go to 2.0g. Definitely not 2.8 - no "Bullseye Surprises" for me (funny expression btw ).

Thanks Unclenick. Just goes to show, even after 30 years of loading experience, lessons can still be learned.