OAL for Xtreme 380

[Zendude]

I bought a box of Xtreme 100 grain plated bullets. These are flat nose bullets instead of the Ranier 100 grain round nose bullets that I usually use. I use an OAL of .980 for the round nose. If I use .980 on the Xtreme flat nose bullets, they don't fit in my mags properly.
So, my question is what would be an equivalent OAL for the flat nose bullets that gives the same case volume as a Ranier round nose bullet at .980 OAL. Would it just be subtracting the difference in length between the two bullets from .980?

 

[jwrowland77]

Best bet is to just do a plunk test and to check in magazine for fit.


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[LiveLife]

Xtreme 100 grain plated bullets. These are flat nose bullets

what would be an equivalent OAL for the flat nose bullets that gives the same case volume as a Ranier round nose bullet at .980 OAL

When I did my 380 Auto load development with X-Treme 100 gr RNFP, I determined .945" OAL as comparable to .980" used with RMR 100 gr RN profile bullet (But due to the RN tip added to the base of RNFP, your seating depth will be deeper ).

Comparison picture of X-Treme RNFP and RMR HM RN with bullet lengths

Because of the deeper seating depth, when I conducted my W231/HP-38 powder work up, I reduced my max charge by .1 gr to 3.0 gr instead of 3.1 gr and tested 2.6/2.8/3.0 gr test loads - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=748320

 

[Zendude]

When I did my 380 Auto load development with X-Treme 100 gr RNFP, I determined .945" OAL as comparable to .980" used with RMR 100 gr RN profile bullet (But due to the RN tip added to the base of RNFP, your seating depth will be deeper ).



Comparison picture of X-Treme RNFP and RMR HM RN with bullet lengths

Because of the deeper seating depth, when I conducted my W231/HP-38 powder work up, I reduced my max charge by .1 gr to 3.0 gr instead of 3.1 gr and tested 2.6/2.8/3.0 gr test loads - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=748320

That's really good info. Thank you!
It was interesting to see all of your 380 load results, especially using a 2.5 inch barrel.

 

[LiveLife]

My 380 Auto is Taurus 738 with 2.84" barrel.

This "pocket pistol" was tested at 7 yards using the crude (crappy) built-in sights but with smooth DAO, got decent groups below (While I have plans to test other powders, no I won't be testing pocket 380Auto at greater distances ):

Around 1" with reference W231/HP-38 loads

 

[lauderdale]

BDS free hand or off rest?

 

[LiveLife]

All of my pistol loads were tested while resting my hands on a small ice chest. I think this method better duplicates "off hand" shooting I used to test my pistol loads before I got progressive glasses (at least for this ex action pistol shooter) instead of resting the dust cover of pistols on the "V" notches of the pistol rest that my bullseye shooting mentor used (I know, we could talk about virtues of using a pistol rest but that's for another thread ).

For future pistol testing, I am working on building a DIY version of machine rest like the ransom rest so 25 yard range tests will be less affected by human factor.

 

[lauderdale]

Thank you BDS I respect your knowledge!

 

[Gearhead Jim]

When I started loading the X-Treme 100 gr plated FP for .380, I just bought a box of the reloads with that bullet from their partner company Freedom Munitions and measured the OAL on those, which was .950"

The Freedom Munitions reloads were, in my opinion, too hot for regular practice use; they had both the heaviest bullet AND the highest velocity of any .380 ammo I bought. But the OAL was probably about right, because they functioned nicely in my Glock 42.

I've now fired about 3,000 of my X-treme reloads at .950" with WW231 through four different Glock 42's and they feed perfectly. At 25 yds, I'm hard pressed to tell any accuracy difference between my reloads and my 90 gr Gold Dot carry ammo.