Originally Posted by
Duelist
If you can go 3.7 gr BE with a 158gr LSWC or RNL, then as far as safe loads are concerned, 3.5 with a 148gr lead WC would logically be fine as far as pressure is concerned, but might not deliver as good accuracy as the standard 2.7gr load for the lead WC. Multiple books list different loads and maxes. You should probably start ten percent below what you want to load, and ladder up to that. IOW, don’t start with the max load in the book. If that’s 3.5, then load 2.7 and work up by tenths of a grain. With lead WC, stop when you find the most accurate and shootable load. The most powerful load you can possibly make with that bullet is pretty irrelevant for most uses.