I am New to the reloading world and was wondering if I can use the Hornady 120 Grain V max with H335 powder. I see a load for the nosler 120 and I don't know the rules with mixing bullets.
In a nutshell yes, as long as you begin your work up at the Start Loads you should be fine swapping out components. It is when you decide that your great load of XXZ shoots this bullet so well and you simply swap over to another of the same bullet weight or heavier that you generally screw tha pooch. The one thing you will see in several calibers are loads listed for say a bullet weight of 139gr, 145gr, or 154gr bullet where your looking for a 140 or 150gr load. This might not apply to the specifically to the Waters but across the board for other calibers. In working your loads up from the Start Data, your generally fine using the load listed for the lighter bullet of the two but not the other way around unless it is within a few grains like the example above. At the very least a call to the powder company will get you generally great service and data for the loads your looking for. Even some of the bullet manufacturers will pass along the better recommendations for the particular bullet and caliber your interested in.
I can tell you that there isn't such a thing as to little load research. Also, it pays to have several reliable loading manuals on hand for reference, and also keep good notes on the loads you put together. Stick to the loads listed in the manuals and on the powder manufacturers sites and you should be fine. Asking for data on line is fine but always verify it before use and start low and work up. There are loads going around the net that folks have worked up on their own. This might be fine for them to use in their gun but might take yours apart in your hand. So if you keep it simple and by the books your in for a long and fun hobby.
As for loads, I have found that RL-15 worked very well with the heavier 140gr loads I shoot from my Contender. There are other powders which shot good but the RL-15 shoots great. Depending on if your shooting the Contender length barrels or a rifle barrel you would be better off sticking to the Single Shot Pistol bullets in the heavier weights if they are still available. Another option with the Single Shot Handguns, is using the Nosler Ballistic Tip or possibly the Hornady SST bullets. These promote expansion down to lower velocities than some others and will give you better results on game should you decide to hunt with your loads, (however do not use the pointed bullets in a tubular magazine.) Again here is a great reason to give the manufacturer a call and ask about the particular bullet your looking into, and the lowest impact velocity they feel it will perform well at. Some are much better than others especially in the heavier weight bullets. The 120gr Nosler bullet is specifically designed for the velocities this case will deliver, and the 140gr Ballistic Tip is a great bullet for ranges out to 200yds on deer. There again the Barnes 120 is also another which will deliver good velocity and deep penetration as well, but are a bit pricey. There are however plenty of mid weight bullets from others that will shoot and perform great as well.
Good luck
