Geez...I'm such a noob:(

[Texas Sheepdawg]

You may find this odd, but your cases sound exactly like mine. What's even more odd is that I have yet to trim any of them. If they ever do manage to get longer, then I will trim them but like so many have mentioned here, these cases don't really seem to get longer as you go, mine have pretty much stayed where they were when I started or shrank just a tiny bit. My luck would be I would trim them to one size, shoot then find that they have shrank so much, they become unusable.
But that's just my experience with them so far.

[Outdoored]

Hoot...for my first reloads I will use your precise data above using the 225ftx, 38g of lil gun, once fired brass, taper crimped to .476....but use the wolf smr, the cci 400, and the cci 450 primers...5 of each.......the primers will be the only variable. I will run them through the chronograph and report my findings as soon as the chrono comes in and I get the time....hopefully within the next week.

[Jim in Houston]

Hoot...for my first reloads I will use your precise data above using the 225ftx, 38g of lil gun, once fired brass, taper crimped to .476....but use the wolf smr, the cci 400, and the cci 450 primers...5 of each.......the primers will be the only variable. I will run them through the chronograph and report my findings as soon as the chrono comes in and I get the time....hopefully within the next week.

I plan to do pretty much the same but with the 250 FTX. I have some other primers that l will work into the mix.

[Hoot]

Hoot...for my first reloads I will use your precise data above using the 225ftx, 38g of lil gun, once fired brass, taper crimped to .476....but use the wolf smr, the cci 400, and the cci 450 primers...5 of each.......the primers will be the only variable. I will run them through the chronograph and report my findings as soon as the chrono comes in and I get the time....hopefully within the next week.

I eagerly look forward to that report! It's worth waiting for the Chronograph to put some numbers up. Members have produced reports in the past with different primers and it will be nice to see different primers shot close to one another. Shoot a few fouling shots before you start your data runs to settle the bore down. Things change during those first few shots. Then there is a window which lasts until too much fouling starts causing the readings to drift. When I would be out to gather numbers, I would clean and re-foul every 20 or so shots. Fouling shots were an opportunity to get rid of rounds left over from an idea that didn't pan out and had been abandoned before the rounds ran out. Also, shooting round Robin is useful as long as you don't lose track. It happens...

Hoot

[Outdoored]

OK...here's the data.
All rounds fed and extracted well when fired...Hoot, looks like we have the same issue regarding this
The details:
20" Bushmaster barrel
Temp 78, Sunny, wind NW@15mph
Bullet - 225gFTX
Taper Crimp only - .476
All Rounds were loaded with 38.0gr Lil Gun
All Rounds seated to OAL of 2.115
All cases were prepped and were once-fired (Hornandy), Flash holes deburred. Each case was 1.689-1.690
An expander die was NOT used
Data:
Wolf Small Rifle Magnum Primer:
V1-2135
V2-2068
V3-2013
V4-2148
V5-2094
Group was not so good....about 4 inches, Mainly verticle (stringing)...the windage was spot-on, but the target wasn't stable in the wind, so I'm gonna have to throw out the accuracy on this day.
First shot had a primer that appeared to be flat, The rest were fine.....Sooting was BAD...so bad that the soot caked in the rim on the 4th and 5th shots (bullets pulling?)
No hangfires

CCI 400
V1 - 2145
V2-2232
V3-2140
V4-2161
V5-2136
Primers looked good
Groups the same as above
Sooting was the same as above
No hangfires

CCI450
V1-V3 Error
V4-2170
V5-2250
Primers good, Sooting still the same, groups about the same. No Hangfires

Same case data, same loading procedure-Hornandy XTP Mag 240g
Primer - CCI 400
Bullet - XTP MAG 240g
Seated to 2.060 COAL
Taper crimp only - .475
Lil Gun @ 34.0g
V1-2122
V2-2130
V3-2126
V4-2101
V5-2117
Primers good, groups much better - way high of set zero (8 inches), but fit nicely into a 2" grouping
Mild sooting noted
No hangfires

36.5g
V1-2114
V2-2225
V3-2111
V4-2267
V5-2226
Primers good; No hangfires.
Sooting returned on final 3 rounds, but not as bad as with the 225gFTX
Grouped right with the 34.0g charge, with 2 flyers off center about 2 inches to right.

And finally....Factory New Hornandy 250gFTX
V1-2161
V2-2100
V3-2144
V4-2124
V5-2075
Groups about 2.5"
Some minor sooting of cases.

BTW...all loading was done with a Lee Hand press......Still waiting on my RCBS press to come in....I just couldn't wait.

OK...there ya have it......Looks like I have some figuring to do....My most consistent load was the 34g behind the XTP...more experimentation to come. Any advice or observations are appreciated. I'm sure I missed something.

[Hoot]

Lotta good data Ed, but I'm too tired to start in on it tonight. 04:30 comes early. Count your blessing on the weather. My thermometer is down to +0.7 F right now and it hasn't had the night to drop even further yet. Add to the plummeting temps, the 10-20 Mph wind when I was walking my dog around 7:30 was withering.

I will wade in more tomorrow on your results, but in a nutshell, your reloading technique looks sound. Sooting happens with lighter bullets unless you crank up the pressure/velocity. Your Charges with the 240 XTPs were a little on the light side, which could explain some of the sooting. If the rounds don't rise to pressure fast enough to seal the mouths, then a little soot leaks back. Pressure goes up quicker, the heavier the bullet is or the hotter the primer is, but your velocities are not bad for CCI 400s. Heavier bullets are not as dependent upon primers being really hot to achieve efficient combustion.

You're off to a great start. Those 240 XTP (Mags?) can stand 38gr of Lil Gun and beyond. Possibly as high as 39.5. With the 225s, I've gone as high as 40-41gr IIRC. There's a second accuracy node in that higher charge. Not to sound like a broken record, but the Rem 7 1/2 and WSRs will get them cooking faster, both in sealing pressure and overall velocity.

Great work!

Hoot

[Texas Sheepdawg]

Lotta good data Ed, but I'm too tired to start in on it tonight. 04:30 comes early. Count your blessing on the weather. My thermometer is down to +0.7 F right now and it hasn't had the night to drop even further yet. Add to the plummeting temps, the 10-20 Mph wind when I was walking my dog around 7:30 was withering.

I will wade in more tomorrow on your results, but in a nutshell, your reloading technique looks sound. Sooting happens with lighter bullets unless you crank up the pressure/velocity. Your Charges with the 240 XTPs were a little on the light side, which could explain some of the sooting. If the rounds don't rise to pressure fast enough to seal the mouths, then a little soot leaks back. Pressure goes up quicker, the heavier the bullet is or the hotter the primer is, but your velocities are not bad for CCI 400s. Heavier bullets are not as dependent upon primers being really hot to achieve efficient combustion.

You're off to a great start. Those 240 XTP (Mags?) can stand 38gr of Lil Gun and beyond. Possibly as high as 39.5. With the 225s, I've gone as high as 40-41gr IIRC. There's a second accuracy node in that higher charge. Not to sound like a broken record, but the Rem 7 1/2 and WSRs will get them cooking faster, both in sealing pressure and overall velocity.

Great work!

Hoot

+1! Good job. Hoots' points are all right on the same track as mine.