How much pressure to seal case...

[woodperson]

Loading .41 mag with 215 grain coated bullets and Trail boss. Looking for 800 to 850 fps. Getting black cases which I assume is gas blow by from not enough pressure. How much pressure does it take to seal the cases in the cylinder? I have Tight group, Universal, Clays, and the Trail boss in stock. Any suggestions on the best one to pick for the 800 to 850 or so loads? I am not really worried about double charging because I use pretty good technique to prevent that so maybe Trai Boss is not the powder for this application. I am loading around 6 grains of it. Or just stick with Trail Boss and clean the cases? Is there any other downside other than the black on the case?

 

[tsubaki]

This is what Hodgdon lists, you would expect Clays to fit your bill.

Case: Remington Twist: 1:18.75" Primer: Winchester LP, Large Pistol Barrel Length: 10.125"
215 GR. CAST LFP
--------Powder-------- Dia-------OAL-------gr-----FPS------Pressure----------gr------FPS-------Pressure
Hodgdon Trail Boss-.410"-----1.600"----4.5-----752----13,000 CUP-------6.5-----910-------17,100 CUP
Hodgdon Titegroup-.410"-----1.585"----4.5-----882----12,800 CUP-------5.5----1,004------17,400 CUP
Hodgdon Clays------.410"-----1.585"----4.0-----825----24,600 CUP-------5.2-----979--------26,700 CUP

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I like Universal for light loads but you still might get some blow back at 800 -900 fps.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

A lot of variables are involved in obturation and blow by problems. How hard is your brass, bullet weight, chamber diameter ??? Fouled cases don't nessecarily mean the pressures are low.

 

[jn 41]

I have had good luck with UNIVERSAL and POWER PISTOL with cast bullets in 41 mag.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Fouled cases don't nessecarily mean the pressures are low.

Hi,

:)

I'm going to toss in one thing which has worked for me, and that is a snug crimp. I use and like the Lee Factory Crimp Die for this purpose, but whether one applies more crimp with a "4th die" such as the FCD or Redding's fine Profile Die, or just does the job with the existing seating/crimping die isn't the point. Getting a better ignition and burn in the microseconds before the bullet leaves the case is.

My first experience with this came from using an old lot of Green Dot in .38 Spl. I'd have probably come away with cleaner hands emptying charcoal from the grill than I did shooting my original "The guys on the interwebs say I don't need to crimp so I'll try it" loads! After changing nothing in the recipe except to do my best to duplicate a factory crimp (honestly, those guys actually do know a thing or two about making ammo!), the cases came out almost perfectly clean.

I've also experienced what many of you probably have, too: the faster to fastest powders for a given result generally produce the cleanest burning ammo.

Rick C

 

[woodperson]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am using coated bullets for the first time and am not putting a lot of crimp on them. I do have the FCD. Also a taper crimp died since I loaded some without a groove.