watermonger
Member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2010
- Messages
- 65
I've been playing with quickload for the last couple weeks on and off and I've noticed a few things about the .500 S&W cartridge and I've got a few question for anyone who loads it. Obviously and as per quickloads warnings every time you launch the program, I'll be buying a manufacturers reloading book (technically it will come with the hornady kit I want but I digress) and starting with some by the book loads. I'll also be purchasing one of these one book one caliber loadbooks for a wider diversity of loads to choose from, but eventually I want to start loading some 60000+ psi loads so I can squeeze every last joule of muzzle energy from the cartridge that is safely possible. So as to my questions...
The three best non-European powders that it keeps giving me for suggest loads and any given psi always seem to be Winchester 296, Hodgdon H110 and Hodgdon Lil'Gun. With Lil'Gun usually giving the most velocity at any given psi. Are these three powders any good for .500 S&W, or are there better choices that QL either doesn't have or I didn't notice cause they were further towards the bottom of the velocity list?
QL doesn't seem to account for crimp or primer when it calculates loads, there is something called shot start pressure, which can be manually entered, but the suggested pressure is either 1160 psi for lead handgun bullets or 2175 psi for jacketed handgun bullets. It does say to add 7200 psi to the start pressure for a bullet seated to touch rifling, but that shouldn't be necessary for a revolver right? If I wanted to account for crimp or primer differences how much psi would I add to the 1160/2175 psi start pressure? Or is the difference even enough to be worth worrying about? Is shot start pressure even the right figure to be messing with to account for the differences in pressure caused by crimp/primers?
QL seems to have a fairly limited selection of bullets for the .500-501 caliber, how exactly does one start creating loads for custom cast lead bullets that can be found from manufacturers like matts bullets, missouri bullet company, etc. Do you just buy some and develop loads based on known loads with similar bullet weights? Find other peoples load data on forums like this one? just wing it?
Also the press I am looking at purchasing is a Hornady LnL Classic kit, aside from dies (do these usually come with a way to taper/roll crimp? or do you have to buy that seperately?), shell holders, bullet puller of some sort, stuck case remover and a way to clean brass, is this a decent starter setup for .500 S&W? Is there anything else that kit doesn't come with that I absolutely need?
Thanks!
The three best non-European powders that it keeps giving me for suggest loads and any given psi always seem to be Winchester 296, Hodgdon H110 and Hodgdon Lil'Gun. With Lil'Gun usually giving the most velocity at any given psi. Are these three powders any good for .500 S&W, or are there better choices that QL either doesn't have or I didn't notice cause they were further towards the bottom of the velocity list?
QL doesn't seem to account for crimp or primer when it calculates loads, there is something called shot start pressure, which can be manually entered, but the suggested pressure is either 1160 psi for lead handgun bullets or 2175 psi for jacketed handgun bullets. It does say to add 7200 psi to the start pressure for a bullet seated to touch rifling, but that shouldn't be necessary for a revolver right? If I wanted to account for crimp or primer differences how much psi would I add to the 1160/2175 psi start pressure? Or is the difference even enough to be worth worrying about? Is shot start pressure even the right figure to be messing with to account for the differences in pressure caused by crimp/primers?
QL seems to have a fairly limited selection of bullets for the .500-501 caliber, how exactly does one start creating loads for custom cast lead bullets that can be found from manufacturers like matts bullets, missouri bullet company, etc. Do you just buy some and develop loads based on known loads with similar bullet weights? Find other peoples load data on forums like this one? just wing it?
Also the press I am looking at purchasing is a Hornady LnL Classic kit, aside from dies (do these usually come with a way to taper/roll crimp? or do you have to buy that seperately?), shell holders, bullet puller of some sort, stuck case remover and a way to clean brass, is this a decent starter setup for .500 S&W? Is there anything else that kit doesn't come with that I absolutely need?
Thanks!