In addition to testing some reloads, I shot some Double Tap and "factory" reloads available for purchase from Vandalia Range and Armory.
First, I will admit that during the first string of shots over the chrono, I hit one of the sun shades.
Luckily it was with the .45 since the 10mm might have sent the whole chrono into orbit
. Even though the back sensor looked damaged, the chrono still seemed to work, I just got more errors than I usually did before. I tried 10 shots over it for each different load, but I rarely got all ten loads to read. Tonight it's supposed to be rainy so I'll try to rig something up to make it work better.
All of these were tested with a Glock 21SF, Lone Wolf 6" slide, and KKM 45-10mm conversion barrel and 24lb recoil spring. USE EXTREME CAUTION as these loads might not be safe in an unmodified gun with a chamber that is not as tight!
Anyway, on to the results.
All data collected on 4/1/10, 76ºF, elevation 1,115ft.
I did some messing with Blue Dot and 180gr FMJ's flirting a little over max and trying with Large Pistol and Mag primers.
180gr FMJ, 11.0gr Blue Dot Powder, Large Pistol Primer (max load listed on Alliant's website, tested at 1295fps)
8/10 loads measured
Min velocity: 1274fps
Max velocity: 1355fps
Average velocity: 1314fps
Average energy: 690ft/lbs
Std Dev: 23.99
Same load, Mag primers.
6/10 loads measured
Min velocity: 1327fps
Max velocity: 1403fps
Average velocity: 1359fps
Average energy: 738ft/lbs
Std Dev: 30.16
Due to the results with a bigger powder charge, I think this one might have been a little more consistent if I would have had a reading for all of the shots on the chrono. Obviously the mag primers did push more velocity out of the load with Blue Dot.
Now I bumped up the powder charge to 11.4gr (this is
OVER MAX)
Large pistol primer;
7/10 loads measured
Min velocity: 1327fps
Max velocity: 1376fps
Average velocity: 1356fps
Average energy: 735ft/lbs
Std Dev: 20.72
Now, with mag primers:
8/10 loads measured
Min velocity: 1363fps
Max velocity: 1405fps
Average velocity: 1381fps
Average energy: 762ft/lbs
Std Dev: 14.13
This load was the most consistent out of all of them. Next test I will need to work up to this load with the XTPs.
Before I got my loader set up I bought some of the range ammo they sell at
Vandalia Range and Armory. I was pleasantly surprised, as they were only $17 a box of 50 and they felt as if they were loaded pretty powerfully. They are loaded with 180gr flat point FMJ, and mixed cases (most of them Federal).
I did manage to get all 10 loads to measure on the chrono.
Min velocity: 1255fps
Max velocity: 1329fps
Average velocity: 1292fps
Average energy: 677ft/lbs
Std Dev: 22.36
Double Tap. Advertised 1350fps out of a stock Glock 20 bbl (4.4"). Doesn't quite measure up, even with my 6" bbl.
Link to ammo. I did kill a deer with this load last year, it went in the neck and nearly penetrated lengthwise (stopped somewhere in the intestines).
Loads measured: 9/10
Min velocity: 1279fps
Max velocity: 1376fps
Average velocity: 1309fps
Average energy: 685ft/lbs
Std Dev: 29.46
Next, 180gr XTPs. These were my answer to the Double Tap rounds, intended on using for deer or other similar sized game animals (or blowing **** up). I worked some of these up to the powder charge before, so I know they were safe in my gun but this is
OVER MAX for the powder charge.
Brass: Starline New
Bullet: Hornady 180gr. XTP
Primer: CCI Large Pistol
Powder: 9.6gr of Alliant Power Pistol
Loads measured: 8/10
Min velocity: 1398fps
Max velocity: 1505fps (this one was 50+ more than all the rest of them, I'm not sure what happened with it, but WOW, that's 905ft/lbs!)
Average velocity: 1433fps
Average energy: 820ft/lbs
Std Dev: 35.89
This one was more consistent than the data suggests, as the 1505fps load was the only one that was anywhere near that high. If you remove that one from the data pool, the Std Dev is inline with the others. (1422fps average velocity, 22.55 Std Dev) I did have some problems keeping the OAL consistent with the XTP bullets (I believe due to the seating stem not matching well with the bullet profile) so that one could have been shorter and I missed it for some reason.
I found the addition of Federal Magnum Large Pistol primers with Power Pistol powder lowered the average velocity, but did make the loads more consistent. Same load with the mag primers:
Min velocity: 1374fps
Max velocity: 1437fps
Average velocity: 1399fps
Average energy: 782ft/lbs
Std Dev: 21.74
Observations:
1400fps is scorching for a 180gr bullet.
*****DO NOT try to replicate this without starting LOW and working your way up.****
Magnum primers will bump up the velocity for Blue Dot not necessarily for Power Pistol. Both powders kick ass, though. Next test I will load up some XTPs with Blue Dot and compare to two, and hopefully not hit my damn chronograph again.
I intended on doing accuracy on paper as well as chronograph data but it was windy and all my stuff was blowing around. I was getting frustrated enough keeping everything from blowing away while walking around the yard with the cast on my leg so I scrapped those plans at the start of my shooting.
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