Some general questions about handloading

[Greenjoytj]

Is a hot handload defined as one loaded to a reputable reloading book maximum charge weight, or one that has been worked up to be beyond the book maximum charge yet still performs safely in your gun? I would guess that start is start, max is max and anything beyond max book is called hot.

If your chronograph shows your max book load handload has velocity lower than the book, do you continue to add powder till your chromo says you've hit the velocity of the max load?
Your gun maybe a slow gun and never reach book max MV at max charge weight.

Also the reverse scenario if you should hit the max load velocity at say half way up the recipes list of load increments is that mid point now your max load for that particular gun? I suspect this maybe true. Your gun maybe a fast gun and reach max MV with less powder.


I've read that reading traditional signs of high pressure is quite unreliable.
1) reading flatten primers may not be a reliable tell tail of high pressure under certain conditions. What those condition are I don't know.

2) cartridge case head expansion (CHE) requires too much art and skill to master. I recall reading the story about the development of the 7mm STW and how expertly concocted handloads using this CHE method proved in the ballistics lab to be over SAMMI limits. Would CHE work in a 35K psi 357 mag ctg I don't know?

3) Ease of fired case extraction the cases just fall out of the cylinder when its upended. Is that a reliable sign of pressure within the max rating? What if the chambers were bored off spec and were too large. Maybe split cases would detect that over size chamber condition, I don't know.

Every-time I reload little questions like these pop into my head.
I've got a dozen plus loading manuals I would have thought I would have stumbled across the answers to question like these by now.

 

[OKFC05]

Is a hot handload defined as one loaded to a reputable reloading book maximum charge weight, or one that has been worked up to be beyond the book maximum charge yet still performs safely in your gun? I would guess that start is start, max is max and anything beyond max book is called hot.
Hot is a loose term applied to near max pressure or high speed. Over SAAMI MAP max is a term for a load by an idiot.
Some manuals stop below SAAMI max MAP, in which case you look for another manual. Powder increase vs pressure increase is NON_LINEAR, especially near MAX. So don't guess.

If your chronograph shows your max book load handload has velocity lower than the book, do you continue to add powder till your chromo says you've hit the velocity of the max load? Not if you're interested in safety.
Your gun maybe a slow gun and never reach book max MV at max charge weight. If you want to go faster, either get a slower powder, or a higher rated gun.

Also the reverse scenario if you should hit the max load velocity at say half way up the recipes list of load increments is that mid point now your max load for that particular gun? I suspect this maybe true. Your gun maybe a fast gun and reach max MV with less powder.

I've read that reading traditional signs of high pressure is quite unreliable.
Now this one is very true, especially in the "old" low pressure straight cases. A 38 spl or .45 Colt may give the first pressure sign by the topstrap hitting the ceiling.


1) reading flatten primers
may not be a reliable tell tail of high pressure under certain conditions. What those condition are I don't know.

2) cartridge case head expansion (CHE) requires too much art and skill to master. I recall reading the story about the development of the 7mm STW and how expertly concocted handloads using this CHE method proved in the ballistics lab to be over SAMMI limits. Would CHE work in a 35K psi 357 mag ctg I don't know? When pressure labs became widely available, it was learned that a LOT of wildcat cartridges and loads were simply proof loads, running up to 20% over SAAMI max. Any fool can shoot proof loads and hope the gun will survive on the engineering safety factor.

3) Ease of fired case extraction the cases just fall out of the cylinder when its upended. Is that a reliable sign of pressure within the max rating? What if the chambers were bored off spec and were too large. Maybe split cases would detect that over size chamber condition, I don't know.

Every-time I reload little questions like these pop into my head.
I've got a dozen plus loading manuals I would have thought I would have stumbled across the answers to question like these by now.

As I say repeatedly, internal ballistics is extremely complex, which is why we use TESTED data from reliable manuals.

 

[noylj]

Is a hot handload defined as one loaded to a reputable reloading book maximum charge weight, or one that has been worked up to be beyond the book maximum charge yet still performs safely in your gun? I would guess that start is start, max is max and anything beyond max book is called hot.

What did the three or four manuals you must have read say? A hot load is a load that is max or overmax in YOUR gun using your components—showing at least the initial signs of pressure. A manual gives you the max load for their gun using their components. If you look at your three or four manuals, you'll find the start/max loads vary due to component differences (including lot number of powder), which is why there really is NO SINGLE MAX load other than for your gun with a particular mix of components.

If your chronograph shows your max book load handload has velocity lower than the book, do you continue to add powder till your chromo says you've hit the velocity of the max load? Your gun maybe a slow gun and never reach book max MV at max charge weight.

I think you answered your question. If not, please read my response above. ALL a chrono can tell you is what velocity you get with YOUR gun and YOUR exact mix of components. Your gun can, at the same pressure, produce 100fps or so more or less velocity even with the same bullet. Then, if you look at even one of your manuals, you'll see that for a specific gun and components (only varying the powder used), the load that produces the max pressure produces a wide range of velocities.

Also the reverse scenario if you should hit the max load velocity at say half way up the recipes list of load increments is that mid point now your max load for that particular gun? I suspect this maybe true. Your gun maybe a fast gun and reach max MV with less powder.

Velocity is related to pressure, but not 1:1. Are you seeing any pressure signs? Did you manuals say to load to a given velocity or to watch for pressure and not to exceed if pressure signs are noted?


I've read that reading traditional signs of high pressure is quite unreliable.
1) reading flatten primers may not be a reliable tell tail of high pressure under certain conditions. What those condition are I don't know.

It isn't reliable with .45 Auto, as pressure are too low. By the time you see pressure signs on primers, you are well above max pressure. This is why there a several pressure signs to watch for. I like to track the following:
1) With an auto pistol, where do the empties land compared to factory ammo with the same weight bullet?
2) With any gun, how does recoil feel compared to factory ammo for the same weight bullet?
3) For all cartridges I have measured, there is a bulge just above the web of the case. If I track that as the charge increases, the bulge grows. I compare that to a factory round using the same case headstamp.
4) For high-pressure rifles, I measure the case head diameter before and after firing. Any increase, and I "assume" I am at max pressure or higher and drop the load down.

2) cartridge case head expansion (CHE) requires too much art and skill to master. I recall reading the story about the development of the 7mm STW and how expertly concocted handloads using this CHE method proved in the ballistics lab to be over SAMMI limits. Would CHE work in a 35K psi 357 mag ctg I don't know?

If you consider the use of a micrometer as requiring too much art and skill, you shouldn't reload. You will be using a caliper and a micrometer. For .357 Mag, you don't tack the case head diameter, usually. Track the bulge as noted above.

3) Ease of fired case extraction the cases just fall out of the cylinder when its upended. Is that a reliable sign of pressure within the max rating? What if the chambers were bored off spec and were too large. Maybe split cases would detect that over size chamber condition, I don't know.

If your cases are harder to extract than factory, the most likely cause is higher pressure. If your cases split, it could be a chamber that fails SAAMI dimensions or it could be cases that were already abused or bad brass or something.

Here is a write-up from Pressure Signs - Shooters Forum
on Pressure Signs by unclenick:

Load manuals and experienced reloaders frequently advise working a load up in small charge increments while watching for pressure signs. Many beginners are unaware of all the signs, so, below is a partial list of pressure signs, along with alternate causes of the signs where I am aware of them. No one particular sign can be counted on to work in all guns nor even with any particular set of load components all the time. There is also no way to tell which sign will show up first in your gun and with your load combinations, so you have to learn to watch for them all.
1.Case bulging, particularly near an unsupported part of the head. 2.Case crack along side (may mean excess pressure, but may mean brittle, defective, draw mark scored, or worn out brass). 3.Case head expansion (CHE; may mean high pressure, may mean nothing in isolated case). 4.Case head separation (may mean high pressure, but may mean excess headspace or worn out brass). 5.Case splits in body in under 10 reloads-back loads down at least 2% (can also be due to ammonia vapor exposure or a brass defect in an individual case). 6.Case mouth split (may mean high pressure, but more often means case needed neck annealing). 7.Case pressure ring expansion (PRE; not much more reliable than case head expansion but may mean pressure is excessive). 8.Case primer pockets getting loose in five reloadings or fewer. 9.Case excessive stretching (this is actually visible pressure ring area stretching which may be due to excess pressure or to excess headspace). 10.Extractor marks appear on case head in semi-auto rifle after incrementing powder charge up (may be high pressure or bad timing or an extractor standing proud on the bolt face). 11.Fired case won’t fit back into chamber. 12.Gas leak (see Primer Leaking, below). 13.Groups start to open up at or beyond a suspected maximum load pressure. 14.Hard bolt lift. 15.Incipient case head separations (partial case head separation). 16.Incremental increase in powder charge results in lower velocity or at least in no increase in velocity (may also mean uneven bolt lug contact being forced to touch down on both sides; watch for stringing on the bolt lug axis as additional symptom of this). 17.Primer blown (primer falls out when gun is opened; same as loose primer pocket). 18.Primer cratering (may mean high pressure, or it may mean a worn firing pin or firing pin tunnel, or may mean you have a new production Remington bolt with chamfered firing pin tunnel). 19.Primer flattening (may mean high pressure, or may mean long headspace; some loads always make flat primers; softer primer cups (Federal) flatten more easily than harder ones (CCI), so it also can mean nothing at all). 20.Primer mushrooming (may mean high pressure, or may mean long headspace). 21.Primer piercing (may mean high pressure or may mean incorrect firing pin protrusion or incorrect firing pin nose shape). 22.Primer leaking around primer pocket (may mean high pressure, may mean loose primer pocket in case, may mean damaged primer was inserted, may mean primer backed out too far during firing, which excessive chamber headspace makes possible). 23.Short case life -back load off at least 2% (under 10 reloads in non-self-loaders or with military brass in self-loaders, 6 or less in self-loaders with commercial brass). 24.Sticky or hard case extraction (especially in revolvers this is a positive sign to knock the powder charge down at least 5%). 25.Torn case rim (from hard extraction). 26.Primer pocket expansion (PPE; this is likely no more accurate than CHE (3., above), but is a more sensitive measure for those with tools that can measure the inside diameter of a primer pocket repeatably to the nearest ten-thousandth of an inch). 27.Ejector and extractor impressions on the case head (can also be due to ejector and extractor fit problems). 28.Increase in required trimming frequency (this is a sudden increase in case length growth per load cycle; it can be caused by excess pressure, but can also be a sign of increasing head space due to some other problem. It is especially common as a pressure sign in lever action guns because the greater span from bolt face to rear lug allows more steel stretch when pressure gets excessive.) 29.Increasing apparent headspace (this means the cases are coming out longer, including from casehead to shoulder. It can mean bolt lug setback, which is usually an extreme pressure sign. It can also mean a loose barrel or an improperly set Savage barrel. Whatever the cause, the gun should go straight to the gunsmith for inspection.) 30.Gas or Flame Cutting of revolver top strap. (Can also be due to excessive barrel/cylinder gap that needs correction.) 31.Gas cutting of rifle bolt face by gas leaks around primer pocket. (Can also be result of occasional leaks from normal rounds firing, as is observed in many military gun bolts.) 32.Velocities at 15 ft higher than manual maximum load velocity for same powder and barrel length. For example: one fellow using a .243 Win load one charge increment below the manual maximum got velocity 200 fps higher than the manual claimed for its maximum load's velocity. His single-shot action was popping open at every shot. With QuickLOAD we were able to calculate he had about 77,000 psi. An alternate explanation, if everything else is normal, is that your chronograph readings are incorrect. It is not uncommon to get high readings due to muzzle blast when the chronograph is too close to the gun. I recommend 15 feet minimum, since that is what the manual authors typically use. Some big magnum rifles need even more distance.

For a note about measuring the bulge above the web, see:
Simple Trick for Monitoring Pressure of Your Rifle Reloads | Hodgdon Reloading

Here is a write-up on measuring the bulge above the web from Rocky Raab (Shooter's Forum and others):

Expansion of fired cases is measured just ahead of the web, at the maximum case diameter. A high quality micrometer and a practiced hand are required.

Measuring (?) Pressure

Many times I’ve been asked how I determine how much pressure a given load develops. The answer is that I don’t. That is, I don’t determine the actual pressure in pounds per square inch. What I can observe, however is relative pressure, and that is enough.

Let me explain: The actual pressure that a given rifle or pistol load develops when it is fired is important, both for performance reasons and for safety. As reloaders, we are vitally concerned with both; but we lack the means to measure pressure. The big ammunition companies have laboratory equipment that costs well into the millions of dollars, and even it only gives a rough approximation of what happens inside a cartridge case when the powder burns. That equipment can, however, determine peak or maximum pressures of ammunition. We amateurs have no such systems available to us. (Yes, I know all about Dr. Ken Oehler’s Model 43 Personal Ballistics Laboratory. It is truly a magnificent system for the very advanced amateur, but even he doesn’t claim that it measures actual pressures.)

The good news is that we don’t need million dollar laboratory systems that tell us actual pressures. Once peak pressures have been determined by a laboratory, all we have to determine is if our loads develop less or more pressure than factory ammunition. That’s what I mean by relative pressure.

Before I delve into this any more, allow me to give credit to a real expert. Ken Waters, a true reloader’s reloader, revealed all that I’m about to explain to me. It is explained in much more detail in the first chapter of Ken’s classic “Pet Loads Volume I.” I urge you to study Ken’s words in great detail, as he is a masterful wordsmith in addition to his skills at the reloading bench. And now, back to my effort.

The pressure generated by burning gunpowder exerts force in all directions equally. Part of that force is used to accelerate the bullet down the barrel, and the rest causes the brass case to expand in the gun’s chamber until it is stopped by the chamber walls. That is a good thing, because the expanded brass acts as a gasket or seal. Thus, the 50,000 pounds per square inch or so of incredibly hot gas and incandescent particles are kept within the gun and not blown at hypersonic speeds into our tender anatomy. (Keep the image that has just formed in your mind very fresh, and recall it when you are tempted to add just one more grain of powder.)

The brass case, having now expanded as far as it ever will, holds its new size and shape – except for a small amount of “springback” – after the bullet exits the muzzle and internal pressure drops once again to ambient, or zero. Thinner parts of the case expand more, but also spring back more, than thicker parts.

Where the case walls are almost their thickest, just ahead of the internal part of the case called the web, at its rear, the case expands to its largest diameter, and springs back least. The higher the pressure, the farther the case expands. And that, readers, is the secret of the method.

Let us take the venerable .30-06 case as an example. Using a precision micrometer that reads to four decimal places (.0000”), and measuring an unfired factory round, we find that the case measures .4700” in diameter at a point just ahead of the internal web (or about 3/8” ahead of the rim). After that round is fired, we measure again at the same point and find that it has expanded to .4720”. In THAT GUN, therefore, factory ammo expands .002” at what we must presume is normal working pressure for that caliber.

Now we prepare a reload using the same bullet weight and a powder charge at the start level from a current reloading manual. (We measure to be sure that our sizing die reduces the case to near-original size, as well.) After firing that round, we find that the case has now expanded to .4715”. We obviously have a safe load that develops less than factory pressures. A chronograph
would reveal that velocity is below that of the factory load, as well.

If we elect to increase the powder charge in small increments, we might notice a progression of expansion measurements. Succeeding loads might result in diameters of .4717, .4718 and .4719”. The next identical increase in powder charge might produce a diameter of .4721”. The chronograph, if used, would reveal steadily increasing velocities until that of the factory load were equaled or slightly bettered. At this point, we can assume that the pressure being developed is roughly equal to that of the factory ammunition, and we have reached a maximum load for that rifle. That is where we stop, even if the loading manual shows higher loads.

If we were to proceed with even higher charge levels, we would note several things: cases would expand to beyond that of factory ammunition, velocities would show ever-smaller increases per charge increase, and we would begin to see other signs of excess pressure. Namely, we might now observe sticky extraction, cratered or flattened primers, bright spots on the head of the case, or other classic signs. But all of those classic signs only begin to appear AFTER we have already gone beyond factory maximum pressures!

Notice that we do not now, nor ever did, know the actual pressure of any load fired. The precise numbers are immaterial. If we can assume that the factory ammunition produces pressures that are no higher than established maximums for that caliber – and we may safely make that assumption – then we can also conclude that our own reloads do not exceed that same level of pressure.

Better yet, we can observe a working maximum charge BEFORE any other signs of over-pressure even begin to appear. It is this ability to observe the APPROACH to maximum pressure that is so valuable. All other methods of judging pressure reveal only that a safe maximum has been PASSED. Determining relative pressure by the case measurement method allows us to observe when we are below, roughly equal to, or in excess of the pressure of factory-loaded ammunition.

When using this method, there are several things that must be remembered:
1. You must begin with fresh factory ammunition using the same bullet weight as you intend to reload.
2. The results are only valid in one particular gun. If you reload for more than one gun in a given caliber, the entire procedure must be repeated for each separate gun.
3. You should use a single lot of brass cases, or the factory cases themselves, for the tests. Cases of different composition, hardness, or dimensions will invalidate the results.
4. You must use a precision micrometer capable of measuring to at least four decimal places, and also develop a consistent measuring technique.
5. You must measure only at the “expansion ring,” a slightly bright ring that appears on the case wall ahead of the internal web, roughly 3/8” from the rim or ¼” ahead of the extractor groove or belt. This ring is easily seen on any fired case, and is not to be confused with an even brighter ring that presages a case separation.
6. All other safety practices normal to reloading must be scrupulously followed.

For a much more detailed explanation of this method, I once again encourage you to refer to Ken Water’s original work in his Pet Loads Volume I.

Rocky Raab

 

[AlHunt]

Well, there's a ton of info above for you to digest. My only thought is that "hot" is subjective, but "max" is exactly that. I would not exceed max charges.

 

[fredj338]

Well, there's a ton of info above for you to digest. My only thought is that "hot" is subjective, but "max" is exactly that. I would not exceed max charges.

Agree on the subjective of hot, but max is whos max? Max loads are all over the place from source to source. Generally when true pressure signs ahow up. You are all ready over pressure. Use the manual data as a guide, work up slow, use a chrono & some common sense.

 

[DWalt]

Rule one - MVs from revolvers as given in reloading manuals are mostly fiction. There can be large differences in MV from different revolvers (even with the same barrel length) firing the identical load. Unless you have a chronograph, you are guessing as to what MV you're getting with any specific load. But nearly always, whatever the gun, the reloading manual recipes will give you a higher than actual MV. In general, if your fired cases are sticky to extract, you can assume you are probably in excess chamber pressure territory. Flattened and cratered (around the firing pin depression) primers are another indication of same. It's easy enough to measure base expansion, but the problem with that it by the time you measure excessive expansion, you are already well into excess chamber pressures. But there is really no reliable chamber pressure measurement method for the average shooter. It's best to not exceed the top load shown in reloading manuals whatever the MV actually is.

 

[Wise_A]

There are no reliable pressure signs in handgun cartridges.

Max is something you need to sort out for yourself. What that means is going through all the available loading data, and figuring it out. Maybe you just go with the one you trust the most, or you throw out the highest and lowest, or you average.

However, if three sources say 5.6, and the fourth says 6.5, I would say maybe go with 5.6.

A bigger question is--why are you loading up to max?

If you need more velocity, don't be cheap. Go out and get a slower powder. If you need more power--buy a gun that fires the cartridge you need. There's no sense stretching a gun and cartridge to do something they don't really want to do.

If you're not getting the accuracy you want, maybe you're barking up the wrong tree somewhere. Try swapping primers, crimp, length. Or just ditch the load, try a different powder, or accept that the bullet doesn't play nice with your gun.

 

[AlHunt]

Agree on the subjective of hot, but max is whos max? Max loads are all over the place from source to source. Generally when true pressure signs ahow up. You are all ready over pressure. Use the manual data as a guide, work up slow, use a chrono & some common sense.

Max loads vary from manual to manual, but generally not wildly so. A reloader needs to apply some experience and common sense since none of us own the equipment to directly test the pressure of our own loads.

I'm thinking OP does not yet have a great deal of experience and probably shouldn't be playing out beyond the bleeding edge.

 

[tpole]

As mentioned above, "hot" is a subjective term used by handloaders typically to designate a given load that has exhibited some sort of pressure sign in a given firearm. "Too hot" is self-explanatory.

Kindly remember that all guns are individuals, no matter if they came off the assembly line in immediate succession. Also remember the chambers in your cylinder are individuals. A load that shows no apparent pressure signs in hypothetical chamber 1 may well exhibit them in, say, chamber 3 due to differences in chamber/throat size, etc.

I would guess that most handloaders on this forum and elswhere keep a notebook in which they record their research. You should as well. In the comments section include as much information as you can. Impressions over the long haul will greatly inform you about your loading and your firearm(s).

Walk softly; prudence rules.

 

[retiredbadge8091]

I generally never load to anywhere near the suggested maximum load simply because if I've done it right I've worked up to my accuracy load well before that. I reload to stretch my budget not handgun frames. As others have stated if you need more power, buy a more powerful handgun, or step up to a rifle.

 

[rwsmith]

At your own risk....

Mainstream published loads in strong, modern guns are safe unless there are other factors (squib in barrel, oversized bullets, etc.). Proof loads are fired about 1/3 above recommended safe pressure. But to go beyond established max loads is to do so at your own risk. I would be the first to say that there is some area that would still be safe for a specific gun. (Maybe it has a loose bore and an excessive gap) But the only reliable indicator that a load is past the safe point is damage to the gun that could include catastrophic failure. Not recommended.

If I want hot, I try to find a load that has been published by a reliable source and used. Bear in mind that some reloading books like Speer #8 were considered to contain some loads considered excessive and could be dangerous, so that's not the ultimate answer either. Approach any max load carefully. A cracked cylinder is better than a kaboom with the backstrap peeled back.

 

[fredj338]

Max loads vary from manual to manual, but generally not wildly so. A reloader needs to apply some experience and common sense since none of us own the equipment to directly test the pressure of our own loads.

I'm thinking OP does not yet have a great deal of experience and probably shouldn't be playing out beyond the bleeding edge.

Agree, the issue is new guys have little common sense when it comes to reloading. Like chrono readings. You can't go by the book as it is NOT your gun, most of the time not even your bbl length. So trying to chase book vel = safe pressures is dicey at best, unless you have a true understanding of what the data is telling you.
I reload for several wildcats, no data available. So I work up using sim data for sim cartridges & use the chrono & all available pressure signs, even the nebulous ones. This also comes in handy when using components NOT readily done in common calibers. Again, you need to understand the chrono readings & things like powder burn rates, not for most newbs.
My point on book max is it can vary quite a bit, depending on whos book & your gun. So max in my gun, same components, may be diff than max in yours. Why we ALL do proper load dev, not just plug & play book data. We have probably all gone past book max at some point. Why, sometimes you just need to know what that is in your gun.

 

[Peak53]

Good advice

...I reload to stretch my budget not handgun frames. ...

Couldn't have said it better

 

[fredj338]

I generally never load to anywhere near the suggested maximum load simply because if I've done it right I've worked up to my accuracy load well before that. I reload to stretch my budget not handgun frames. As others have stated if you need more power, buy a more powerful handgun, or step up to a rifle.

Factory loaded ammo is max or right near that. So nothing wrong with loading say a 10mm to equiv. After all, why I have a 10mm instead of 40s or a 300winmag instead of 308?? I do drop off max for my magnums for practice ammo. Easier on me & the gun, but if I want to shoot 38sp equiv, I would just load 38sp.

 

[ggibson511960]

Case Head Expansion

I read with great interest the accounts of using CHE as an indicator of pressure. No doubt CHE is broadly indicative as a comparative measure from load to load, but I cannot buy in to using it as the sole determinant of a safe load. While variations in brass properties in a lot of cases is likely minimal, the variation in brass properties in progressive reloads is not, limiting CHE to use in once-fired brass. Chamber I.D. clearance is another variable introducing more non-linearity. CHE's big advantage is that it uses only a micrometer and diligence, not expensive pressure transducing instrumentation, let alone knowledge of arcane metallurgical like materials modulus, Poisson's Ratio, and hardness. One day we will have better access to piezo-electric pressure transducers and we'll yet again learn how mislead we were by approximate methods like lead crusher pressure measurement.

What is a reloader to do? I stay inside the range of powder charges and recipes listed in manuals and focus on accuracy and uniformity, vigilant for obvious over-pressure signs.

 

[patrickd]

Different manuals will give you different maximums. This is due to the use of different test equipment. For example. You load a 69 gr bullet in a .223 Rem case, chamber it in a .223 Rem chamber you will get higher pressure than loading that same load into a .223 Wyld chamber and even different pressure loading it in a 5.56 NATO chamber. These are just a couple of the MANY variables in handloading. You really need to look at the part listed in the manual that tells what type gun it was tested in and then never load that max published load in your gun until worked up to that level checking for pressure signs along the way.

 

[Engineer1911]

For ultimate revolver velocity, get an 8-3/8" barreled handgun. For ultimate handgun velocity, get a Thompson Center Contender. For the ultimate in manly pain, shoot a 50 rounds of factory 44 magnum ammo through a 3" or 4" revolver.

After this learning experience, you will settle for mid-range loads using mid-weight bullets. Maximum loads will no longer be a concern for you.

 

[Warren Sear]

There are no reliable pressure signs in handgun cartridges...

That right there.

 

[noylj]

There seems to be some idea that pressure equals velocity and that you can take some powder and load to the same velocity as factory ammo andy you'll have a safe pressure.

Sorry, pressure/velocity is only related for the SAME LOT NUMBER of powder—and factory ammo does not use powders available to reloaders.
Lots of luck trying to get the same velocity with Bullseye you get with 2400 and thinking you have the same pressure.
All a chrono can tell you is velocity. Pressure is a totally different beast. They may be related, but not as some to think.

 

[Steely85]

There are no reliable pressure signs in handgun cartridges.

Max is something you need to sort out for yourself. What that means is going through all the available loading data, and figuring it out. Maybe you just go with the one you trust the most, or you throw out the highest and lowest, or you average.

However, if three sources say 5.6, and the fourth says 6.5, I would say maybe go with 5.6.

A bigger question is--why are you loading up to max?

If you need more velocity, don't be cheap. Go out and get a slower powder. If you need more power--buy a gun that fires the cartridge you need. There's no sense stretching a gun and cartridge to do something they don't really want to do.

If you're not getting the accuracy you want, maybe you're barking up the wrong tree somewhere. Try swapping primers, crimp, length. Or just ditch the load, try a different powder, or accept that the bullet doesn't play nice with your gun.

There are and the most reliable pressure indicator for the ***me' handloader is the CHRONOGRAPH.