Maker 85 grain copper

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BJK
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Maker 85 grain copper

Post by BJK »

What I was after was a reduced recoil and penetration HD load. I tried a 12 ga but that wasn't reliable enough and to develop what wanted in a shotgun would have taken too much time with todays available component supply. But I know metallic handloading so that's what I fell back on. Not all of the data is here, just what I settled on.

I would have been happy with a 3" group at 50 yards, but the group was under an inch with my old eyes and a red dot sight. I called it more than good.

Maker 85 grain copper
10.3" BA barrel 1/7 twist
19.6gr ww296 w/linear compensator

Using my LabRadar unit I got my data* and it was clear which load was the best. I was going to test another powder and I need to hold myself back from doing more testing which costs $ and takes time. How much better can things get? As it stands now I'm getting ~2300 fps from the 10" barrel and accuracy is 1" @ 50 yards; much better than my very generous 3" @ 50 yard requirement for acceptance. I'm getting exactly what the cartridge is designed to do... give M4 ballistics from a much smaller firearm. But it's capable of doing much more. I'll get there eventually.

As expected the bullets slow down rapidly so are a short range load.

*Not an inexpensive unit but its a ballistics lab in a relatively small piece of gear. Could I have figured out which load was the best with a skyscreen unit? Yes, but it would have taken longer since I would have had to do the computations. But in this case the data was so clear as to be immediately discernable. What I wouldn't have gotten was the data down range that proved just how rapidly the bullets slow down (see below).

V100 is the velocity at 100 yards. Ke is kinetic energy in ft/lbs. And PF is power factor, useful only for competition. (Darn it! It didn't keep the formatting I see before posting. Nothing I can do about it.)

Stats - Average 2308.7 fps
Stats - Highest 2321.7 fps
Stats - Lowest 2294.02 fps
Stats - Ext. Spread 27.68 fps
Stats - Std. Dev 13.92 fps

Shot ID V0 V4 V15 V25 V50 V100 Ke0 Ke4 Ke15 Ke25 Ke50 Ke100 PF4 Proj. Weight Date Time
1 2322 2304 2255 2210 2088 0 1017 1001 959 921 823 0 195.84 85 05-16-2021 12:58:50
2 2294 2277 2230 2187 0 0 993 978 938 902 0 0 193.54 85 05-16-2021 12:59:36
3 2310 2294 2247 2204 0 0 1007 992 952 916 0 0 194.99 85 05-16-2021 13:00:23

Removing the linear comp' and putting the Amtac 7.62 CQB on didn't change the POI one iota. Function was fine with the linear comp' and the can.

Since the CQBm isn't a hearing safe can, it only exists to get rid of blast and reduce noise slightly I had to test the load indoors and it's fine on my ears if a bit loud. No blast effect on the eardrums. So why does the can exist? It removes blast and is very short because it extends back over the barrel, adding only a few inches to the firearm length. If I have to use these loads for their intended purpose I'm not concerned about the slight hearing loss but about more important things.
Last edited by BJK on Sat Jun 19, 2021 2:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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dellet
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Re: Maker 85 grain copper

Post by dellet »

Maker has some nice super sonic Bullets, don’t be afraid to push them a bit. That 85 grain might surprise you. Your powder choice is probably the best you could have made.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
BJK
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 355
Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2020 8:30 am

Re: Maker 85 grain copper

Post by BJK »

Thanks. The only other powder I was thinking of was Lil' Gun. It might be a hair faster and maybe better. But that testing will never happen by me. I'm happy with what I got for performance. I loaded all the 85s that I had on hand. I like 1000 ft/lbs in a small package.

I used your gel data to try to extrapolate usable penetration but not too much. My ideal target was 2400 fps. But ideal and usable are sometimes 2 different things. I'm happy with what I got.

Now I'm testing 125s and if I get suitable performance buy a mess of 'em and load them up, after that I'll move to subsonic loads.

So far I'm liking the cartridge. I'm finding it to be very easy to load for.

Getting a little off subject, I discussed briefly (in another thread) using the .32/20 in modern steel to sorta do what the 300BLK will do. The reason is that I tried to find an off the shelf 300BLK barrel for Contender or Encore and couldn't find one. Then it struck me that the .32/20 barrel I have is 300BLK-like, again in modern steel only. I'm pushing a 125 to 2000fps out of a handgun barrel in .32/20. I just need to get the barrel threaded and check the twist to see how heavy a bullet it can launch. edit: 1:10 twist
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dellet
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Re: Maker 85 grain copper

Post by dellet »

BJK wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 2:53 pm Thanks. The only other powder I was thinking of was Lil' Gun. It might be a hair faster and maybe better. But that testing will never happen by me. I'm happy with what I got for performance. I loaded all the 85s that I had on hand. I like 1000 ft/lbs in a small package.

I used your gel data to try to extrapolate usable penetration but not too much. My ideal target was 2400 fps. But ideal and usable are sometimes 2 different things. I'm happy with what I got.

Now I'm testing 125s and if I get suitable performance buy a mess of 'em and load them up, after that I'll move to subsonic loads.

So far I'm liking the cartridge. I'm finding it to be very easy to load for.

Getting a little off subject, I discussed briefly (in another thread) using the .32/20 in modern steel to sorta do what the 300BLK will do. The reason is that I tried to find an off the shelf 300BLK barrel for Contender or Encore and couldn't find one. Then it struck me that the .32/20 barrel I have is 300BLK-like, again in modern steel only. I'm pushing a 125 to 2000fps out of a handgun barrel in .32/20. I just need to get the barrel threaded and check the twist to see how heavy a bullet it can launch. edit: 1:10 twist
I have never been able to reach the same speeds with Lil'gun and retain accuraccy as I have with 296. With a full case and a Maker 125 grain bullet accuracy was always sub MOA.

The limiting factor with the 32-20 will be the brass, it just can't take heavy loads.

I shoot 208 Amax in a 10 twist with no problem.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
BJK
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 355
Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2020 8:30 am

Re: Maker 85 grain copper

Post by BJK »

Thanks. I think I'll look for a mould with a flat meplat on the bullet. I have no idea what weight at this time but it's good to know that it should be possible to stabilize that bullet weight.

.32/20, yes, the brass is supposed to be it's weakness. Right now I load 125s to 2000fps in a Contender. It's a pretty stout load and definitely not safe in a rifle that fired .32/20 back in the day. Maybe I'll just load it subsonically, but that's quite far in the future. First I need to get the barrel threaded. And right now I have plenty to do with the 300BLK.

I have no idea what the loads were, but at one time it was a pretty decent metallic silhouette cartridge with the version barrel that I have. I don't think they set any velocity records with it, but instead mortared the bullets onto the steel. I have no idea what they got for case life but they didn't stress them as I am right now.

Back in the day... I did some research decades ago on the cartridge as I never intended ever having a barrel chambering the round and knew nothing about it. But I got a buy on a bunch of Contender stuff and it was in the lot. They did some incredible things with it in it's original loading which was far more sedate than my present load. It was used for deer and black bear. Unbelievable. But I guess if one picks ones shot it would work. Heck, a .22 will kill a deer if one picks ones shot very carefully. But in my research I got the impression that they were body shots and not head shots.
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