New.. thoughts on autocomp load. Please read

[ajmaudio]

New to reloading... got some autocomp for my .40. Shooting PLATED 165 grain slugs and cannot find any data. Hogdon's site only lists SIE JHP data in this weight. :
165GR. SIE JHP/WinAutoComp /.400"/1.125" 6.5-1037-25,600 PSI
7.1-1124-31,500 PSI

I am thinking of starting with 6.7 grains at 1.135 instead of the shorter OAL listed. Would love some help here??

[freakshow10mm]

Start at the start charge and work up always.

[ajmaudio]

Good advice has anyone by chance actually run this load? I'll take as much input as I can get... loving this forum

[ajmaudio]

nobody running autocomp in their 40 at all?

[freakshow10mm]

I didn't want to rain on your parade, but I tested AC extensively in everything from .380 ACP to .45 ACP and was not impressed with its performance in any service cartridge, including the Specials and Magnums family (.38/357/.44). AC needs to be run at max or above to burn clean. Its published data is ultra conservative for some reason. Winchester is the only company that markets their OEM powder to the handloading consumers. St Marks Powder in FL makes all "Winchester" powders. In the OEM trade, AC is known as SMP 224 and has been used for several years in Winchester factory loads.

For the .40 S&W, powders I suggest are (no particular preference):

WSF
WST
Power Pistol
Longshot
Silhouette
AA #5
HS6

I have not yet tried any Ramshot powders in the pistol variety, besides Silhouette (which is the exact identical powder as the "old" Win. Action Pistol. Win dropped WAP for AC and Ramshot now distributes WAP as "Silhouette". Ballisticians at Western Powders Inc (Ramshot's parent company) confirmed many times it's identical.) Anyway, I think True Blue and Enforcer are a good burn rate for the .40 S&W. My employee is on a canoeing trip and when he gets back we are going to run some Ramshot loads in the 9/40/45 and see what we can come up with.

[ajmaudio]

Interesting... I have found no shortage of conflicting opinions with the AC powder... I wanted to use Power Pistol but haven't been able to dig it up in quantity...I have a few pounds of AC so i will have to at least give it a shot. Any advice from your experience? What exactly was conservative about the data from your findings?

[freakshow10mm]

The maximum pressure data in the Hodgdon manual is conservative. There is plenty of room above that threshold. AC's pressure curve is nearly linear, much like Longshot's.

[ajmaudio]

Just to be clear your saying that the pressure they list for a given charge is exagerated? Are you speaking of the paper manual or the website?

[freakshow10mm]

This is not advice to go beyond published data, although a manual is merely a guide. I know what I'm doing and assume the risks. I've loaded ammunition commercially for 3 years. I've got a bit of experience in load development and pressure curve.

Other way around. The pressure data they publish, both on website and in paper, is too low to be of practical use to handloaders. Basically they are weak loads that aren't the true potential of the powder. You have to venture beyond maximum charge data to get return on investment. Within the published loads, AC is useless. Above it has room for development.

This is not advice to go beyond published data, although a manual is merely a guide. I know what I'm doing and assume the risks. I've loaded ammunition commercially for 3 years. I've got a bit of experience in load development and pressure curve.

[ajmaudio]

I guess I was thinkin that the relatively decent velocity attained at low pressures was a good thing? I am still ealrning to interpret all this data

[freakshow10mm]

They will function the gun yes.

[ajmaudio]

haha u beat me... see my edited post.. thanks for the replys

[scottperk]

regarding the Autocomp comments, I find it a bit odd and difficult
to understand also as I noticed in the Hodgdon manual data
that they list Autocomp as having the highest performance of
all their powders including Hogdon, Imr and Winchester for the 10mm
in the bullet weight range of 135gr and 155gr

I know Freakshow knows his stuff so I am wondering if what he
is saying is that the load manual published velocities are
not really being produced by the loads they suggest.
If the velocities published are accurate, then why isnt
he impressed ? Now I know 10mm is not the same
as .40SW but it is at least a close cousin I would think.

[totaldla]

Listen to freakshow10mm on the subject of AutoComp - he speaketh the truth.

My experience with AC is limited to 45acp and 44mag. In 45acp I had to go way above published "max" to get it to run right - and I complained about it to anyone within earshot Eventually I found a good 45acp load, but I never post it because the risk that some DenseBob will push it further and break something.

In 44mag I found AC hard to ignite - I had to use CCI350 primers to get the ES down - sort of surprising for a mid-range pistol powder. Hodgdon's data for the 44 mag is reasonable pressure, so I never pushed the powder in this application. I've found it no better and no worse than Ramshot Silhouette and LongShot.

In summary, I'm not going to buy anymore AutoComp. If someone gave me 20lbs of it I would use it, but I'm not interested in spending any more $ on it.

[asavo757]

Thati s the load I use with frontier 165 grain platted. Out of my sig 226 they crono between 1090-1115 fps Hope this helps you!

[ajmaudio]

how is that load workin out for ya?