Loading the 327

[sixshot]

Doing more testing today with my 327 maggie & the 135 Ferminator HP, very interesting! First test today was a little increase in powder charge, it was windy so I didn't set up the Chrono. The regular cast slugs with LBT lube shot a normal group at 25 yds & I pulled base pin & checked for any leading from the increase in powder, there was nothing but a clean barrel.
Next I shot the same powder charge, same primer, same bullet only powder coated, no other changes, I was shocked. The group was half the size of the other, I can't post a photo because Photo Bucket says I'm out of band width for the month. Sometimes you can get some crazy results & shooting just 16 rounds (8 in each target) isn't a fair test.
Everything I've tested has been in small quanities because I don't want to end up pulling bullets if something doesn't work. I'm sure this load is somewhere over 1300 fps. There is no pressure data I'm aware of with this heavy slug so I won't list the charge, but the 8 shot group was terrific with the powder coat.
Now, it gets interesting! I'm reloading the freshly tumbled cases & reloading them with shiny red powder coated slugs. I run out of clean brass & pick some out of a new bag of 500 cases, can't remember where I bought them but they are new & they were factory primed. I was loading 50 of them & I see one thats quite full of powder, I dump the powder in the powder scale & it weighs exactly the amount I'm loading, I dump it back it & seat a bullet, the bullet won't seat because I've compressed the powder. OK, now, all of are saying, there must have been something in the case already. Guess what, there was & it was compressed powder, I found 3 out of 50 that already had compressed powder in them! True story!
I had to dig it out with a small allen wrench it was so packed in the case. I'm sure I'll find several more in the bag of 500 that has compressed powder in them. I've never heard anything like this before & it kind of scared me. Tomorrow I'll be making some phone calls to see if I can find answers. Anyone ever heard of something like this?

Dick

[AxeHandle]

This is an interesting phenomonon there Dick. I'll make a point to look at my new primed brass before I load it. My primed brass came from Freedom Arms. I've got a bag of unprimed Starline 327.

[Encore64]

That is interesting. It always pays to look for sure.

I bought some bulk Remington
25-20 cases some years back. Thus far I have found five without flash holes.

There is just no substitution for visual inspection.

[squawberryman]

I had that happen on some cases a while back. Being relatively new to the forum, didn't want to say anything. Mine was with the stuff that came primed from Freedom Arms. I haven't dug back through them to look at the remainders but I will though.

[magman]

I always size new brass. If it is primed I take out the depriming pin. That way I start with round brass and check for issues. I did have some Starline brass where there was no flashhole, other than a broken depriming pin, no harm.

[sheriff]

That's one I've not heard. I've had them, as have others, with no 'flash hole', or the primer pocket too small, but never any 'already filled'.

[contender]

If I read this right, you found some new brass, previously primed, that had compressed powder already in them? WOW! A new one to me. I have some of the FA new primed brass myself, and I'm gonna look at it a lot too.

Now, I'm more interested in the PC red bullets & how they performed! Tell us more.

[sixshot]

Guys I also resize new brass but only go half way down the body so I don't knock out the primer, I'm only interested in sizing the top end anyway. Today I found 3 more rounds full of powder but now I don't think its powder. After closer inspection & after I had settled down a bit I dug more of it out & you have to DIG it out with an allen wrench, etc. I think its fine ground tumble media. It looked so much like the H110 I'm using that I figured thats what it was, not so. But still what a shock, its packed almost like concrete.
Mine either came from Freedom Arms or Midway, can't remember but it comes in a large freezer bag (500) & its Federal brass.
Wish I could post the photo's of the 2 groups I fired yesterday, I'm still in shock & will have to do this test again. If you have a smart phone give me a name & full phone number & I'll send the photo's of the 2 targets.
This 135 gr. Ferminator bullet isn't going to work in the new 327 single sixes using 327 brass & I'm not sure you'll get much results using it in 32 maggie brass, I just don't think the velocity will be enough, this is a long bullet that needs speed to stablize.

Dick

[sixshot]

OK, I kept looking at this hard caked material that I dug out of the 6 cases & it just looked like powder, so, I took some outside on the table & lit it with a match, it ignited just like powder! I don't think tumble media would do that & its very fine, just like H110, yoweee! I'm going to call Bob Baker & see if its possible that new brass could have caked/packed powder inside.

Dick

[tek4260]

It has to be some pull downs. Reckon that the round never took off and they have pulled factory rounds down and sold them as components? Maybe Midway had a large stock of factory loads that weren't selling and separated them into components and sold them as primed brass and bulk packed bullets?

[snappy]

Here are Sixshot's targets. Nice shootin' sir! Were your pc bullets gas checked?

[2 Dogs]

Dick did you inhale

How bout it's probably fine media caked with polishing agent and that agent is flammable. I'm certainly not there looking at it myself but I doubt it's powder....

[sixshot]

Jeff, yes they are GC'ed, what I do is gas check & size them before powder coating, much easier to get them on. Then, after coating I size them a second time, those using a GC seater wouldn't have to size twice.
I think I'll stock up on polishing agent & use it instead of pistol powder, seems to light ok! The only thing I did different on the above targets is, after I shot the first eight rounds on the left with conventional lube I raised the sights 3 clicks & then fired the powder coated ones. I'm not sure this is a fair test, I need to repeat it to be certain, just not enough shots fired to say there's that much difference. I've bumped up the velocity, now I'll start testing downrange a bit, also I'll try magnum pistol & small rifle primers to see if there's any change.

Dick

[2 Dogs]

You keep working there Dick. Its only been about 3 years of me insisting that you try a bit more powder but eventually you will get a stout load worked up!

My thoughts are that the powder coated bullets are leaving the barrel at a different velocity and that is a accuracy "node" for that combination. Get Callshot to help you figure out how to hook up and use that chronograph! I hear he is a mathmatical genius!!!

[sixshot]

Yes Fermin, old Callshot is a true math whiz kid, I'm sure he can be a big help if I get in trouble & if I keep razzing him I'll probably get in trouble! Last I seen of him he was counting fingers & trying to get his socks off, must have been more than 10, actually 9 1/2, that one finger doesn't count very well.

Dick