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10mm - 220gr. load...

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#1 ·
Anyone know where I could find some reload recipes for a 220gr. bullet? I've checked my manuals and the powder manufacturers websites and they all seem to max out at 200gr. Xtreme Bullets sells a 220gr. .40 cal, so I thought about loading it for myself, but I can't find any recipes.
 
#2 ·
Chris-530:

When 10mm was introduced by Norma in the 1980's the load was 200 gr truncated nose bullet at 1200FPS. As time went on people realized that load was a bit harsh and 180 gr loads became the norm, especially when the 40 S&W was introduced. The 40 S&W was basically a down loaded 10mm but with a shorter case. The norm for both has been 180 gr. more recently.

Full load 200 gr. loads are not fun to shoot. My Colt Delta Elite twists in my hand with every shot. I reload so I actually load the 10mm to 40S&W load levels which feels like a 45ACP load. The gun is much more pleasant to shoot. Recoil doesn't bother me but less recoil in these larger calibers is much more fun. The big push rather than the sharp recoil (like you get with 9mm) makes the shooting day much more enjoyable. I also down load 44 mag to 44 Special for the same reason. Any of these loads I can shoot all day and not pay for it in the following couple days.

220 gr bullet size is really a 41 Mag weight bullet. 10mm and 41 Mag are not anyway equals of each other. The 41 mag is more powerful and attempts to use 41 mag load levels in 10mm will result it serious problems like blown primers (don't ask how I know this!).

LDBennett
 
#3 ·
Of course if I were to do a 220gr. load, it'd be within reason and not trying to match a 41mag load. I know Underwood and Doubetap produce a 220gr. load, but I'd rather load it for myself than buy a box for $50. This wouldn't be so much for plinking, but my 10mm is my camping/hiking firearm.
 
#4 ·
To touch on the matter a little further being that my previous reply was a little rushed having been late for work... I guess since I know that a couple manufacturers out there can produce legitimate 220gr. loads, I wanted to achieve that myself and to see what kind of results I could acquire. I'm sure that the 200gr. load would be more than sufficient, but I'd like to "play" with the caliber a little more and see what it's capable of within it's reasonable limits. I figured that since they make a 220gr. bullet, that there had to be some load data out there for it. I was simply wondering if anyone out there with their manuals have seen a recipe for it. I'd be curious as to what Underwood and Doubletap are using. All I've ever loaded for my 10mm are 180gr. with Longshot and a few with 800X.
 
#6 ·
I have never seen one either and I have well over a dozen reloading manuals.

Experimenting is fun but doing it outside the documented load recipes is dangerous. I ran into this when I got the first Colt Delta Elite 10mm my LGS had for sale back in the 1980's. There was nothing for reloading available initially.When I found dies and bullets and added another reloading press capable of doing 10 mm I still had no reloading data. I improvised thinking 41 mag loads might work...WRONG!!!! I popped primers immediately. Since that time decades ago I stick to only reloading manual loads and even then I start low and work up.

I recommend buying loaded 220gr commercial ammo if you have to experiment and to NOT reload for it. BE SAFE.

LDBennett
 
#7 ·
Fair enough. Sounds like the smart thing to do. If the 220 loads were more feasible, then I'm sure more manuals and powder manufacturers would be listing that info. On that note, let me shift it over to the 200gr... I've never loaded hard cast before and I'm curious as to if I loaded these 200gr hard cast bullets, what data would I use? http://www.xtremebullets.com/10-40-200gr-FP-p/x1040-200fp-b0500.htm Would I need a gas check? I'm sure I can't just used standard 200gr FMJ data, so I'm wondering how the HC load data would differ and where I would find a safe recipe if I were to purchase some of those. Thanks, LDBennett. I appreciate your input.
 
#8 ·
chris-530:

At the velocities 10mm goes, leading is a surefire thing. Any bullet needing a gas check has to be designed to accept a gas check. If you want to stretch up to max energy with 10mm you need to use jacketed bullets. Anything else may lead. I had great success with Hornady XTP 200 gr bullets.

I use Rainier plated 180 gr bullet and 5.5 gr of W231. That is a 1000 FPS load in the middle of the power range and well below max. If I want full load and 200 gr bullets I use the Hornady XTP and 10.6 gr of AA#7 for 1183 FPS. That is over the current recommendation by Accurate Arms but that may be due to the latest AA powders are no longer made by the same people and may be different. Any AA powder you buy today should follow their on-line recommendation with a max load of 9.8 gr for AA#7. Today AA #9 is a better choice to get max power out of 10mm and 200 gr jacketed bullets.

The original 200 gr Norma factory load was claimed to 1200 FPS and it takes AA #9 to get within 50 FPS of 1200 FPS today.

Go to AA for loading details:

http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/WP_LoadSpec_1-23-14.pdf

LDBennett
 
#9 ·
Xtreme says their hard cast bullets are approximately 18 Brinell. Lyman 49th has 10mm load data for #2 alloy which runs about 15 Brinell. The highest velocity shown is 1381 FPS using a 150gr bullet. The 175gr bullets top out at 1275 FPS. The pressures listed for the max loads imply that pressure rather than velocity was the limiting factor.

Laser-Cast/Oregon Trail Bullet use a special silver bearing alloy that is ~24 Brinell. Their 10mm load data shows a max velocity of 1364 FPS with a 155 gr and 1105 FPS with a 200gr. I've been shooting Laser-Cast 158gr SWC in a 357 at 1200 FPS and the barrel comes home clean as a whistle.

None of the above loadings use a gas check.
 
#10 ·
If it were me, just for kicks I would call X-treme and ask why they even make the 220g copper plated bullets in 10mm/40 S&W calibers since none of the widely accepted loading manuals have tables for them. They might just know of a source or two! There's got to be a market for them to be making them.
 
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