need a little information about h110 powder

[mtinner]

I'm new to reloading and would like to ask the experts about H110 powder. I found some H110 powder the other day while looking for some 2400, so I thought I would grab it. I want to load up some .357 mag. and wanted to know if 15gr. of H110 would be a good starting point behind a 158 gr. lswc using small magnum pistol primer, or maybe start with 14 grains. I'll be shooting these out of a Ruger GP 100 with a 4" barrel. What kind of recoil should I expect and would there be any chance of leading. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

 

[BE Mike]

What does your reloading manual say?

 

[trophyhunter]

Here's some QL data on that load, 110 fills the case loading .357 but it's dirty about the best you'll do touching the Sammi pressure ceiling is a 70% burn.

Cartridge          : .357 Magnum (SAAMI)Bullet             : .358, 158, LEE C358-158-SWC
Useable Case Capaci: 16.354 grain H2O = 1.062 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 1.590 inch = 40.39 mm
Barrel Length      : 4.0 inch = 101.6 mm
Powder             : Hodgdon H110


Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !


Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms


-20.0   81    13.04    865     262   14517   7695     50.9    0.673
-18.0   83    13.37    893     280   15611   8119     52.5    0.649
-16.0   85    13.69    922     298   16789   8554     54.1    0.625
-14.0   87    14.02    952     318   18060   8999     55.7    0.602
-12.0   89    14.34    982     338   19430   9453     57.3    0.581
-10.0   91    14.67   1012     359   20906   9916     59.0    0.560
-08.0   93    15.00   1043     382   22510  10388     60.6    0.539
-06.0   95    15.32   1075     406   24238  10866     62.2    0.520
-04.0   97    15.65   1108     430   26093  11351     63.9    0.501
-02.0   99    15.97   1141     456   28094  11843     65.5    0.483
+00.0  101    16.30   1174     484   30256  12339     67.1    0.466  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0  103    16.63   1209     512   32593  12839     68.7    0.449  ! Near Maximum !

 

[45fan]

LSWC and H-110 arent typically the best match in 357. Its a powder that likes to be pushed hard, and lead bullets without a gas check tend to prefer being pushed under 1200 fps. I try to keep the softer ones around 1000 fps to avoid leading issues. Find yourself some jacketed 158's, and it will be a great powder for heavy 357 loads. For target stuff, I tend to use a bit faster powder, like Universal clays, or N-340

 

[Fullmag]

LSWC and H-110 arent typically the best match in 357. Its a powder that likes to be pushed hard, and lead bullets without a gas check tend to prefer being pushed under 1200 fps. I try to keep the softer ones around 1000 fps to avoid leading issues. Find yourself some jacketed 158's, and it will be a great powder for heavy 357 loads. For target stuff, I tend to use a bit faster powder, like Universal clays, or N-340

Agree 100% H110 and 2400 both are full-house load powders or magnum loads and not well suited for cast lead bullets unless with gas check for sure or jacketed only. Best to stay with the advice of the loading manuals.

Powder Valley did have some Zero JHP's for good price not long ago. Just looked their out of 158gr but have 125 JHP for 50.00 per 500. Powder Valley, Inc.

 

[mtinner]

Thanks for all of the replies.
I do read my manuals, but I also like to get on here and hear opinions from others. I'll be getting me some gas checks and load a few rounds and see what happens. I'll probably get me some jacketed bullets as well and play around with those.
Thanks again for the help.

 

[Fullmag]

Thanks for all of the replies.
I do read my manuals, but I also like to get on here and hear opinions from others. I'll be getting me some gas checks and load a few rounds and see what happens. I'll probably get me some jacketed bullets as well and play around with those.
Thanks again for the help.[/QUOTE/]

Always good to see what others are doing.

 

[djones]

Don't load H110 under minimum published loads.

 

[billybob44]

Don't load H110 under minimum published loads.

^^^+1....As well as Winchester 296 powder (Same powder-different label)

I use only Magnum primers with H110/WW-296....Bill.

 

[Lee S. Forsberg]

H110 likes heavy crimps.

 

[oldpink]

LSWC and H-110 arent typically the best match in 357. Its a powder that likes to be pushed hard, and lead bullets without a gas check tend to prefer being pushed under 1200 fps. I try to keep the softer ones around 1000 fps to avoid leading issues. Find yourself some jacketed 158's, and it will be a great powder for heavy 357 loads. For target stuff, I tend to use a bit faster powder, like Universal clays, or N-340

Outstanding advice, reward on the way.

Don't load H110 under minimum published loads.

The single most important bit of advice for H110.
H110 was designed for performance, which makes it far better suited to properly lubicated hard cast, gas checked lead, plated, or jacketed bullets.
There are lots of better choices (Unique, HS6, Bullseye, etc.) for soft lead, but when you want to really safely demonstrate the capabilities of .357 Magnum and several of the bigger magnum handgun rounds, H110 is easily in the top five choices, especially with medium-heavy to heavy bullets.

 

[padawan]

Outstanding advice, reward on the way.



The single most important bit of advice for H110.
H110 was designed for performance, which makes it far better suited to properly lubicated hard cast, gas checked lead, plated, or jacketed bullets.
There are lots of better choices (Unique, HS6, Bullseye, etc.) for soft lead, but when you want to really safely demonstrate the capabilities of .357 Magnum and several of the bigger magnum handgun rounds, H110 is easily in the top five choices, especially with medium-heavy to heavy bullets.

Interesting comments. I used 110/296 for 300bk loads with good results. Not to try to thread-jack but what do you mean by 'Don’t load under minimum published loads'? I'm relatively new to loading and try to follow my load manuals religiously. Using mostly Hornady manual.

 

[trophyhunter]

Interesting comments. I used 110/296 for 300bk loads with good results. Not to try to thread-jack but what do you mean by 'Don’t load under minimum published loads'? I'm relatively new to loading and try to follow my load manuals religiously. Using mostly Hornady manual.

W296/H110 are pistol powders first and foremost, with a burn rate much higher than most typical rifle propellants. The issue with an undercharged cartridge lies in having too much volume remaining in the case behind the seated bullet allowing an excess of the powders surface area exposed to atmosphere in the casing and more or less exploding rather than burning off at a normal rate when fired.

Plenty of guys have sent M1 carbine rounds downrange at 3000 FPS and had to clean out their shorts afterwards trying to work up a load and ignoring the published recipes for making military ball ammo, those published minimums are there for a good reason.

 

[oldpink]

Interesting comments. I used 110/296 for 300bk loads with good results. Not to try to thread-jack but what do you mean by 'Don’t load under minimum published loads'? I'm relatively new to loading and try to follow my load manuals religiously. Using mostly Hornady manual.

Just adding to what padawan mentioned, with double-based ball powders, especially H110/W296, it's particularly critical to never load below the minimum listed charges because it can and has led to detonations.
This has happened enough that many of the manual publishers have seen fit to caution about that in their books.
I'm unsure about exactly why that is without talking directly to a smokeless powder chemist, but my educated guess would be that a significant part of the reason has to do with the nitroglycerin added to the nitrocellulose to provide more energy per unit volume of powder, which is what differentiates a double-based powder from a single-based powder.
There are other double-based powders, including those for handguns, but most of them are flake type and not as slow burning, so their burn qualities are different.
This is not to say that it's safe to load below the minimum listed charge for any other powders, even a single-based flake type, especially because of the well known dangers of squib loads and the annoyance and problems of case fouling and gas blowback from the brass failing to expand due to low pressure levels.
However, if you compare the range of minimum to maximum charges with H110/W296 with the same range of listed charges for more moderate burn rate powders, you'll find that the range is much narrower for the former.
In short, this particular powder excels with maximum effort or near maximum effort loads with the proper bullets, but there's a reason why you won't find moderate or mild loads of any sort with it for any caliber.
It's doubtful that anyone here would be so foolhardy as to load below minimum (or above maximum, for that matter) for any caliber, but this is one of those circumstances in which sticking to the books is even more critical.

"I'm relatively new to loading and try to follow my load manuals religiously."
Quoted For Truth