| Handgun | PSI | Rifle | PSI | Rifle (Cont.) | PSI | |||
| 17 Rem | – | 52,000 cup | 22 Hornet | – | 25,000 CUP | 30-30 Winchester | – | 42,000 |
| 22 RF Short | – |
21,000 |
222 Remington | – | 50,000 | 303 British | – | 49,000 |
| 22 RF Long & LR | – | 24,000 | 222 Rem Mag | – | 50,000 cup | 307 Win | – | 52,000 cup |
| 22WRF | – | 19,000 | 223 Remington | – | 55,000 | 300 Savage | – | 47,000 |
| 22WRM | – |
24,000 |
22-250 Remington | – | 65,000 | 308 Winchester | – | 62,000 |
| 25 Auto | – | 25,000 | 220 Swift | – | 54,000 cup | 32 Win Special |
– |
42,000 |
| 32 S&W Long | – | 15,000 | 223 WSSM | – | 65,000 | 32 Rem | – | 37,000 cup |
| 380 Auto | – | 21,500 | 243 Winchester | – | 60,000 | 32-20 | – | 16,000 cup |
| 9mm Luger | – | 35,000 | 6mm Remington | – | 65,000 | 32-40 | – | 30,000 cup |
| 9mm Luger +P | – | 38,500 | 6 mm BR-REM | – | 52,000 cup | 300 Rem. Short Ultra Mag | – | 65,000 |
| 38 S&W | – | 14,500 | 257 Roberts +P | – | 58,000 | 300 WSM | – | 65,000 |
| 38 Auto | – | 26,500 | 25-06 Remington | – | 63,000 | 30-06 Springfield | – | 60,000 |
| 38 Special | – | 17,000 | 260 Remington | – | 60,000 | 300 H & H | No PSI Std. | |
| 38 Special +P | – | 18,500 | 6.5 x 55 Swede | – | 45,000 | 300 Win Magnum | – | 64,000 |
| 38 Super Auto +P | – | 36,500 | 6.5 x 284 | – | No PSI Std. | 300 Weatherby Magnum | – | 65,000 |
| 357 Sig | – | 40,000 | 264 Win Magnum | – | 64,000 | 300 Rem. Ultra Magnum | – |
65,000 |
| 357 Magnum | – | 35,000 | 270 WSM | – | 65,000 | 8mm Mauser | – | 35,000 |
| 357 Remington Max | – | 40,000 | 270 Winchester | – | 65,000 | 8mm Rem. Magnum | – | 65,000 |
| 40 S&W | – | 35,000 | 7mm BR | – | 52,000 CUP | 32 Win Special | – | 42,000 |
| 10mm Auto | – | 37,500 | 7 x 30 Waters | – | 45,000 | 338 Win Magnum | – | 64,000 |
| 41 AE | – | 35,000 | 7mm – 08 Remington | – | 61,000 | 348 Win | – | 40,000 cup |
| 41 Remington Mag | – | 35,000 | 284 Winchester | – | 56,000 | 338 Rem. Ultra Magnum | – | 65,000 |
| 44 Special | – | 15,500 | 7.62×39 | – | 45,000 | 338 Lapua | – | No PSI Std. |
| 44 Remington Mag | – | 36,000 | 7mm Mauser | – | 51,000 | 375 H & H | – | 62,000 |
| 45 Auto | – | 21,000 | 7mm WSM | – | 65,000 | 38-40 Win | – | 14,000 cup |
| 45 Auto + P | – | 23,000 | 280 Remington | – | 60,000 | 38-55 Win | – | 30,000 cup |
| 45 Long Colt | – | 14,000 | 7mm Remington Mag | – | 61,000 | 375 Rem. Ultra Magnum | – | 65,000 |
| 45 Win Mag | – | 40,000 | 7mm Weatherby Mag | – | 65,000 | 416 Rem. Magnum | – | 65,000 |
| 454 Casull | – | 65,000 | 7mm STW | – | 65,000 | 444 Marlin | – | 42,000 |
| 480 Ruger | – | 48,000 | 7mm Rem. Ultra Mag | – | 65,000 | 45-70 Government | – | 28,000 |
| 50 AE | – | 36,000 | 30 Carbine | – | 40,000 | 458 Win Mag | – | 53,000 CUP |
| 7.62 x 39 | – | 45,000 | 470 NE | – | 35,000 cup | |||
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By Hunter Elliott
I spent much of my youth involved with firearms and felt the call early on to the United States Marine Corps, following in my father's and his brother's footsteps. Just after high school I enlisted and felt most at home on the rifle range, where I qualified expert with several firearms and spent some time as a rifle coach to my fellow Marines. After being honorably discharged I continued teaching firearm safety, rifle and pistol marksmanship, and began teaching metallic cartridge reloading. In the late 1990s I became a life member to the National Rifle Association and worked with the Friends of the NRA. Around that time my father and I became involved with IDPA and competed together up until he passed away. I began reviewing firearms for publications in the mid 2000s and have been fortunate to make many friends in the industry. Continuing to improve my firearms skills and knowledge is a never ending journey in which we should all be committed. I am also credited as weapons master on a few independent films.
The SAAMI MAP is not the machine “loading limit” . SAAMI states:
“Cartridge Pressure measurements are subject to statistical variation. The average of several successive tests, e.g., 10 rounds drawn from an essentially homogenous quantity of ammunition [meaning the same load with the same lot number of each component] will usually differ, but will in general lie within certain limiting values both above and below the lot mean value that would be observed if all rounds from the lot from which the samples were drawn was to be tested.”
The SAAMI MAP (Maximum Average Pressure) is simply the “recommended maximum sample average pressure level for loading commercial sporting ammunition.”
The MPSM (Maximum Probable Sample Mean) is the maximum expected average of any sample of the lot. That figure is based on 3 standard errors above the MAP.
In testing handloads 10 shot samples have been found adequate when verified with subsequent sample testing. The bullet and powder manufacturers which publish loading data measure with 10 shot samples and “verify” each load with 3 additional 10 shot samples such that the maximum sample average plus 3 standard deviations does not exceed the SAAMI MAP.
Hi Range Hot. I really like your YT channel.
Anyway, I reload 45 Auto, and all the data on the cartridge in load books treats 18 ,000 CUP as the maximum pressure for standard loads. Is this just because of potential lawsuits? Do you or anyone else load pass the max pressure in the books (18,000) and to the SAAMI max pressure of 21,000? I’ve only loaded to 18,000 or there a-bouts and noticed my rounds are wimpy compared with commercial ammo.
Thank you very much.
Do you know the velocities you are getting? I would always stay in SAAMI specs but you can increase velocity and stay in the safe pressures with different powder. What reloading manual are you using?
The altranating use of pSI and or CUP is an issue.
SAAMI needs to pick ONE and standardize.
I realize that will probably never happen, But the need for simplification is still real.
I totally agree. I also am a bit confused as there is no conversion between PSI and CUP.