uglydog said:
... barrel diameter (fit) is not a factor as detonation occurs long before the bullet reaches the barrel...
Good point.
uglydog said:
...I'm sure there are minimums, in every data base I have or have seen,...
I too, am sure there are minimums. Unfortunately, in this case, I have found none.
uglydog said:
...Reread the boring and uninteresting areas of your sources and you should find this bit of info...
Actually, I find the "boring" areas quite interesting.
uglydog said:
As there is no published data using the hollow based wadcutters in the 357 mag that I can find, though there are some for the double based wadcutter, it stands to reason no acceptable loads were developed for this bullet style.
Agreed. That is what this bit of research is all about, to see if there is a safe load or not.
uglydog said:
Putting "safe" though ineffective loads into a manual would probably negatively affect the reputation of the publication and ultimately affect their bottom line.
Again, I concurre. I would also like to think that any given manual would post a cautionary note about HBWCs in a 357, if it has been proven to be unsafe, impractical, or dangerous. But, I have not found that info either.
uglydog said:
I am sorry you thought I called you a fool, I meant it to refer to the actions you were contemplating...
I've re-read my post, and do not see where I indicated what I was contemplating. But allow me to clarify. I'm working up some loads for a HBWC in a 357 case. It is my hope, that I will find one. However, with the data I have now, my hopes are fading.
uglydog said:
...contact a couple of bullet and powder companies directly.
I will contact them, but not until I have done enough research to be able to ask an informed question. And, unless I can find a powder that can fill more than 50%, it's not even worth asking, as I will already have my answer.
I am sure that you have heard the rule of thumb "get as close to 90% fill as you can". If I stuck to that, I'd have to throw out most of the data for "target" loads as those charges do not give a 90% fill. And so far, with this project, 53% is as close as I can come, and I don't like it.
Part of my point is that I've never heard what a lower limit would be. When does one start to think about a given charge being safe?
And that leads us back to my original question "At what point do you feel that there is not enough powder in the case to fill it?
I'll start. 75% is where I begin to worry.