Making Power Factor

[alfsauve]

While I've never had a light strike or squib in competition, I decided that paying $100+ to enter a competition I didn't want to risk a  problem so I want to use commercial ammo in the bigger competitions.

For revolver shooters it's down right difficult to make Power Factor with commercial ammo.  It's why the PF for IDPA is only 105 for revolvers.

The latest issue of Front Sight has the stats from the Revolver Nationals (and the Single Stack).  Cool to learn what the "pros" are doing.  98% use Handloads.  Of the 4% factory ammo it's evenly divided between Armscor, Federal & Precision Delta.   For .38spl I've narrowed it down to 4 brands who possibly might make PF in ICORE.   

Speer Lawman +P  158gr TMJ
Fiocchi +P 158gr  (38G) FMJ
Seller & Bellot +P 158gr
Armscor 158gr FMJ

Looks like, if I make it to IRC, I'll be shooting my reloads.

[ellis4538]

Alf, Precision Delta is the official ammo of USPSA!  They supposedly load to power factor with some to spare and ship to the match you are attending.  I'm not sure about revo ammo but haven't heard any complaints otherwise.  Also, Atlanta Arms supposedly loads to power factor.  I believe both supply small samples to so you can test it in your pistol.

FYI  FWIW

Richard

[les snyder]

Alf... as you know, the advantage of hand loads is the ability to custom tailor your loads... other than a M25 for bowling pins, I have not shot a revolver much... but made the decision early on that all of my competition firearms  had to go bang every time... I may have wanted to adjust the strain screw to the lightest double action pull possible on a wheel gun, or put the lightest hammer springs in the AR, but going bank is the top priority...by hand loading you control the components, mainly the primer cup sensitivity...accuracy ranks second for me.. long bearing surface (heavier) .35 caliber bullets have traditionally shot more accurately than lighter bullets with less bearing surface....I've always liked the ball process Winchester powders that do not burn the base of the bullets ,making them less accurate..  I'd suggest a half way step... buy brand new brass (make sure the firing pin hole is there) for your loads in major competition...not sure what bullet you like

[alfsauve]

Atlanta Arms will only make PF for IDPA.

Precision Delta doesn't list velocities AND they only talk about the .38spl in terms of PPC not ICORE or USPSA, so I'm suspicious.   Wish I could just buy 50 rds locally.

I'm thinking Armscor may be the be the best bet.   Hopefully be testing it on Friday.

Some By-The-By's

For revolver:   

USPSA is 125
IDPA is 105
Everybody else is 120  (NRA-AP, Steel, ICORE)  EXCEPT:

GSSF which says use commercial ammo as long as it operates the gun.

PPC which says:  (I love this)   

Ammunition must be loaded to produce sufficient velocity to pass
through the target AND the backer.

I don't think they're talking anything but a cardboard or poly backer.
I think that's more stringent than Bullseye err Precision Pistol which appears that as long as it's safe and makes it to the target.  Here's the Distinguished Revolver rules:

(e) Ammunition- Any safe .38 caliber ammunition using the 158
grain round nose or Semi-Wadcutter bullet only.

[alfsauve]

Thanks for the tips, Les.

I will admit to one or two squibs over my lifetime of reloading.  (All of them, for some reason, were in .45ACP.)  I'm at the level where finishing every stage is an important thing for me.  I'd just rather take that one worry out of a major competition.    Or at least not have my ego bruised when it happen

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

What the heck is "power factor" and how the heck can commercial ammo beat to weak for caliber ?

[les snyder]

Tom... in the practical gun games... I'm most familiar with USPSA...the value you receive for each shot is dependent on (1) where the shot hits the target (there are 4 zones, A,B,C,D and scored 5,4,4,2 for major and 5, 3,3,1 for minor)... you are penalized 2x the value of the shot for a miss, and (2) the perceived incapacitating ability of the bullet you fire (major vs. minor)... in the early days a ballistic pendulum was shot at the beginning of a match... it had a protractor attached to a swinging arm, and was calibrated with a 230 hardball hit from a Commander and a 124 from a SW M39... if the tattle tale of the protractor from your shot went past the 230 mark, you were scored major... and you had to move the tattle tale past the 124 mark to be scored... minor... today a chronograph replaces the pendulum (shooting a piece of steel at about 3 yds produced little places on exposed skin with red liquid running out)... the velocity in fps x the bullet weight in grains divided by 1000 is the power factor... 165 for major, 125 for minor... for gamers like myself, I like to shoot a minimum velocity that comfortably makes the power factor I desire... today I shoot a 135 9mm at about 960fps, and claim minor... factory loads have have other agenda

[ellis4538]

Alf, you might also want to try Freedom Munitions.

Richard

[tombogan03884]

Thanks Les.

[alfsauve]

Tom,

Les, gave an excellent in-depth explanation here's my take.

Bullseye shooters use wimpy loads, think the classic 148gr target load for .38spl traveling at 700fps.  Hardly any recoil.     Practical shooters decided to up the ante and insist on some minimum "power" which is, well, practical.  You can go to Bullseye and evidently PPC, with loads that barely make it to the target, but USPSA, IDPA, etc insist your loads be more like real life.

They chose to use Momentum as the measurement.   Momentum = mass x velocity.  In the metric system the standard is Kg*Meters/sec.  And in imperial it was lb*feet/sec.  Well those don't exactly fit our small bullets and high velocities.    So they chose to use the weight of the bullet in grains times the velocity in feet/second.  But even that produces a rather large number so they divided it by 1,000 to give it a more practical, easy to use value.    So a 125gr bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1,000 fps has a Power Factor of 125.   Typical .22lr is around 40ish.  Bullseye 148 grain around 100.  Typical 9mm around 130ish.  .44mag ~280.  And my .357 Maximum was over 300.  YMMV.

An interesting aside.  When Elgin Gates laid down the principles for IHMSA (handgun silhouette) two of the things he wanted was to be practical (as in hunting) and he wanted as few of rules as possible.   He wanted the  shooters the freedom to experiment and develop with out artificial limitations.  There are no PFs in IHMSA, but the round has to have the ability to knock a 50# ram off of its stand at 200m.    Too light a bullet and it just shatters on impact.  Too heavy a bullet and you feel like you're lobbing mortar rounds.   A lot of good rounds got developed in the earlier days of that game.