Picked these up at a show today. Questions

Boogsawaste

Boogsawaste

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Grabbed this box of about 50 for $2.50 just to try them out and figured they were cheap enough. Keep in mind that I'm a new handloader, but I've never seen them before. And also have no idea where to even crimp them. I only have a roll crimp if it matters. Been looking for a taper crimp but haven't bought one yet. Anyway, here they are.

D9D2A2DF-32F9-49F6-8FE7-130062764F7D.jpg
 
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According to my Speer number 9 manual these require a roll crimp over the front of the jacket. Also do not load these with a light charge, Speer says a reduced load may leave the copper jacket cup in the bore. I shot a lot of these back in the day and they are a good bullet.
 
Boogsawaste said:
Thanks guys! I really need to get a Speer manual to add to the library!
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You won't find these in a new manual. You will need one that dates back to the 70's. They are good bullets though. I can find some data from my really old Speer book tonight. Maybe I can scan and email it to you. I'm not sure if I can post a scan from a published book here. Like others have said, you don't want to shoot these with light loads.
 
If I could ask another favor, is there any data in the Speer 9 or anywhere else in your manuals with starting loads for either unique, herco, or bullseye? I'd rather use the data published in those Speer manuals for this specific bullet.
 
alde said:
You won't find these in a new manual. You will need one that dates back to the 70's. They are good bullets though. I can find some data from my really old Speer book tonight. Maybe I can scan and email it to you. I'm not sure if I can post a scan from a published book here. Like others have said, you don't want to shoot these with light loads.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I didn't see your post before I posted my last one.
 
Speer # 8 for .38 Special. Dont have a #9 handy. As others have said.. dont push these bullets too slow or you risk sticking a jacket in the barrel. Dont be afraid of the Speer # 8 manual. We grew up just fine and never had problems. didnt wear bicycle helmets, ride in baby car seats and other dangerous feats as well...

Unique-5.0 -6.0
Herco-6.0-7.0
 
That style Speer bullet is what I always loaded in my .41 Magnum and they worked well. I don't think Speer makes them anymore. Too bad, I guess too many kept trying light loads.
 
Nice score on some classic bullets. I shot a lot of them back the day through my Ruger Redhawk and even used one to kill a wild boar.
 
Would these happen to be part number 4205 by any chance? Looking through my Lyman 49th they have that part number listed for a Speer 146jhp and the picture looks exactly like these. No cannelures and all. Unfortunately there isn't any part numbers on my box of them, and I'd be a bit surprised that this would indeed be the correct ones.

Loads for 38 special are unique 4.3-5.1 (5.4 +p), and herco 5.0-5.2. No bullseye. 357 is BE 5.7-7.5 and unique 6.3-8.1. Some pretty big spreads there.
 
arjay said:
That's what makes reloading fun! My 46 Lyman shows the same Unique load,but nothing for Bullseye in 357
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You're right, it is fun! I'm really glad I it into this part of the hobby. Still lots of figuring out to do, but I found some loads that work nicely in my guns with components I can "usually" get. But I still jump at the opportunity to try something new. Also will be getting my first semi auto soon (9mm shield), so I'll be back asking all the questions now for loading auto cartridges...:cool:
 
If you REALLY end up liking these bullets, they are some of the easiest to make using swaging dies.
You could also fit them exactly to your bore that way.
I probably still have some 44's at the bottom of the pile.
I took up plain and gas checked cast bullets instead somewhere along the line.

===
Nemo
 
I shot them in a Python back in the mid 1970s. The powder I used was 2400. That load was extremely accurate and the most accurate in my Python. IIRC, Speer offered the 146 grain half jacket hp and a 160 grain half jacket soft point.
 
Alliant, also owned by ATK, published 38 Spl +P data in the 2014 reloading guide and online for the 146gr jhp swc, was hoping Speer would produce them again when things calm down. Since they have dropped all the data for older powders and bullets could not figure out why they kept this one unless it could possibly return.
 
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+1on at least medium spped with these type of bullets and
when you seat the bullets.................
NEVER try to take the load apart !! You will find the lead in the puller but the copper jacket still in the case !!
Once you load that bullet...... shoot it.

You will get around 935 fps with 5.5grs of Unique......
905 fps with Green Dot and 877 fps with Red Dot and if
you have Blue Dot 955 fps with a near maximum load, all
out of my 6" barrel with 38 special cases.

Those will hit around 1200 fps with a medium heavy load of powder in a 357 but they were so accurate in the 38, that
was where I kept them.

They are perfect for critters bigger than jack rabbits !!

Good shooting.
 
Nevada Ed said:
NEVER try to take the load apart !! You will find the lead in the puller but the copper jacket still in the case !!
Once you load that bullet...... shoot it.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Never thought about it, but that would ruin a perfectly good bullet. Good to know! Thanks for the loading data too. I just loaded up all my wadcutters so now I'll have an excuse to change the seating die and stop being lazy and load these.
 
I'd load them in .357 Mag and in HOT .38 Spl.
Looks like a good candidate for THE LOAD.
 
What ever you do keep the box, it will be a nice piece of history.

Personally I, would keep the bullet's also, but whatever you do remember to enjoy.
 
Rollis said:
What ever you do keep the box, it will be a nice piece of history.

Personally I, would keep the bullet's also, but whatever you do remember to enjoy.
Click to expand...

I'll definitely keep the box and think I'm going to keep a handful of the bullets too. Great suggestion!

I loaded up a couple strings of them for some range fun. I set OAL to 1.375ish, which seems short to me but the limited info I stumbled across seems to mirror that. Anyway, here's a pic of 5.0 unique. Yeah, maybe I need to add some lemishine to my wet tumbler. ;)
1920C333-5687-4B7E-AB82-AC787737716F.jpg
 
gutterman said:
How do these bullets compare to the old "FBI" load? I believe they were lead HP's too-were'nt they?
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Not sure how they compare. The FBI load used 158 LSWCHP. These are similar except for the weight and the 3/4 or 1/2 or whatever it is jacket.
 
Have a hundred rounds of those loaded in 357 with a heavy charge of 296, they are very accurate loan in my model 27. To bad they don't make them anymore. Would love to find a box at that price
 
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