A thread for the discussion of making and shooting your own hot loads.
>hot loadsHaving the opposite problem
If the load data calls for a certain size Lee dipper do I still need to weigh the powder charge?
Why is mixing powders such a bad idea? As long as they're similar, shouldn't you be able to just start small and work your way up?Do different powders have different expansion ratios? Will 1cc of one powder fill substantially more volume at the same pressure (after burning completely) compared to another?
>>61481286How light were you were loading those things? I just go 1grn lower than my normal loads for wadcutters. That always works well.
>>61481330Well that's probably not really all that dangerous, it will lead to inconsistent loads. Powder dippers are never that accurate because of how the powder is. It's like when you try to get a perfect teaspoon of sugar for a recipe or coffee, it's never the same amount every time.
>>61481367Why and when would you ever need to do this? Do you have a couple grains of a rifle powder you're trying to get of rid, but didn't buy more of it?
Finally got reloading gear, reloaded 320 rounds of 38 special so far. Spent last 2 hours depriming 357 brass… on a related note, I apparently collected 645 357 cartridges from shooting my Blackhawk. Gonna reload another 100 38 special tomorrow, start running brass through a tumbler, and if all goes well next week I should be reloading some 357. Feels good.
Anyone have the harbor freight tumbler for brass? Thinking about that as I've been steadily depriming 5.56 cases and want to start loading them.
>>61481945Do you already have a perfected load. It took me about 100 reloads of 5 test loads with 2 powders to figure out my perfected 38spl load.
>5000 Indonesian small pistol primers for 4.6 cents eaEither I made a really nice deal or a big mistake
>>61481330I would weigh the charges. Using a powder throw, I usually measure the first 10 charges.
>>61481367>Why is mixing powders such a bad idea?The burn rates are well known for a specific powder but mixtures of powder can perform very differently. It's not an "average" of the two powders.>As long as they're similar, shouldn't you be able to just start small and work your way up?Theoretically, but "if they're similar" is key here. That is asking for people to fuck up badly. It's much easier to say "don't mix powder" than it is to say "Well, you can, but in these circumstances....">Do different powders have different expansion ratios?Yes. And the ratios aren't linear either.>Will 1cc of one powder fill substantially more volume at the same pressureYes.All that said, I wish there was more good documentation. You can read about people purposely making duplex or even triplex loads where various powders are mixed for a specific goal. I have found a few mentions here and there, but never a comprehensive work on the subject.
>>61481392Here's the loads. Got the primers from my buddy who said they're "Bosnian" idk what that means. I think my problem is either the primers or I'm fucking up the crimp somehow. Had 4 squibs from that box
>>61483256>The burn rates are well known for a specific powder but mixtures of powder can perform very differently. It's not an "average" of the two powders.It's this right here. The coatings put on smokeless to retard its burn rate are different and who know how fast or slow it will burn when mixed with another, even similar powder.The only duplex load I'd actually use is a grain or two of shotgun/pistol powder under some FFg.
>>61481286What are ya doin sonney boy>>61481330Eh depends on how consistent you want your loads to be and what your loading.Let's say your dipper has a +/-5% tolerance, that's gonna make a much bigger difference on a smaller cartridge with a charge in the single digits of grains than a larger one. Ideally you should never use the dippers and at least get what's in ops picrel.>>61481367Burn rates don't stack like that, also different powders have different size grains, remember how your tiny Legos would always fall to the bottom of the bin between all the bigger ones?>>61483256I think the most common duplex charges are the black powder guys that use a couple gr of red dot to more consistently light thier 45/whatevers. But it's critical that you use a compressed load to avoid the powder mixing or, and this one is a doozy, launching the main charge into the back of the bullet causing detonation and catastrophic failure. The Quigley guys have a writeup on that.
>>61483338Don't crimp primers, make sure they are seated completely.I actually crush fit my cheapo primers because they can be a little insensitive. What happens is the first light strike might just seat the primer the rest of the way and it may not set off again.
>>61483388>What are ya doin sonney boyHonestly I have no idea I'm trying to figure it out as I go>>61483400I'm not crimping the primers I'm crimping the case around the bullet. Is that not what I'm supposed to do
>>61483410Crimping won't give you a f2f. How are you setting your die when you start crimping?It's just a roll crimp right?
>>61483410Cast bullets work best for light loads, powder coated is even better. Unique is a good powder for this.Usually you don't need to crimp on low power 38s but it's not gonna hurt.
>>61483425I just walk-in the depth on the first few rounds then I set the depth when it looks right>>61483452My buddy has some unique i could try out. Is 5gr of hp38 a light power .38? I thought it'd be kind of beefy
>>61483388>I think the most common duplex charges are the black powder guys that use a couple gr of red dot to more consistently light thier 45/whateversThat's one example that I've read about, but as I understand it the point was more about consistency of burn and reducing fouling rather than ignition issues, which I'll get to in a second. There were even special powder measures made for this purpose that dispense two different powders at the same time, like the Ideal No. 6. I've heard about these being used, and obviously they exist, but I've never found a source that discusses exactly what powders were used, what ratios demonstrate what effects, etc.Another thing I have read about, and also have personal experience with, is using a small amount of BP or fast smokeless to aid ignition in very large centerfire cartridges. Stuff like .577 Nitro, .505 Gibbs, etc. Those use very slow burning powder and even with magnum primers ignition can be erratic, so a couple grains of 4F against the primer solves that problem. So long as the added "ignition" powder is very small in volume relative to the main charge I haven't noticed any signs of excess pressure, increased velocity, etc.Another example is to aid in the regulation of black powder double rifles. There actually is some documentation regarding this, including pressure data, in the very hard to find book Shooting the British Double Rifle by Graeme Wright. The issue here is that many of those old guns were regulated using the old Curtis & Harvey black powder which isn't made anymore. Modern black powder is not as powerful. So, the author experimented with adding increasing amounts of smokeless to BP charges to bring the velocities back up to what they should have been with the correct powder, at which point the two barrels would shoot to the correct point of impact again. This is useful if you shoot antique double rifles but it's not good for much else.
>>61481224My God I love handloading
>>61483471I typically seat and crimp in two separate steps. After seating bullet, place cartridge back in the holder, remove seating stem, run cartridge up into the die, run the die down until you feel resistance, lower rhe cartridge, give the die another 90-180° turn, and start crimping. If you want to do both crimp and seat, then follow the same steps, but once you have the crimp portion set, run a finished cartridge back up into the die, put the seating stem back into the die and turn it down until you feel the stem contact the bullet. Now your die is set to seat and crimp consistently.
>>61483522I will do this thank you anon
>>61481984No, last week I took about 5 different loads to the range, this week I’m taking the two best. 158 grain hardcast on 4.4 and 4.6 grains of unique. I’m not really worried about pushing 38 special all that far, I figure the main point of having it for my Blackhawk is occasional plinking and lettung people who don’t shoot much try something bigger than 22 without worrying about recoil…. I got lucky with a bunch of reloading gear bought as a lot from an estate sale and it included about 900 pre primed new 38 special cases and another 800 ish unprimed new ones. Seemed like starting small was prudent.. plus I was able to start with pre primed brass, this week I fire the new brass I primed, next week it’s gonna be fired brass I’ve cleaned and reprimed.
>>61481224I've actually gotta get a real press now. I can't fit the 577 Snider dies in my Lee hand press. :(you've served me well you autistic little red bastard.
>>61483498The only anecdotal mixed powder loads I know of are the original 454 casull.. dick casull used 2 or three different powders in layers while developing the round (while it was still in 45lc casings) but I’ve never seen any explanation of which powders or how much he was using.. and a lot of notes about how with modern powder this isn’t advisable..
>>61483553oh, also all my 577 Snider BP loads from two years ago worked perfectly fine when I went and shot them last week. I had loose goops of bore butter in them and they were stored in my extremely hot and humid Florida garage. I was surprised. I might also convert to the 24ga brass shotshells for it because the machined cases kinda suck with respect to obturation.
Spear (RCBS rock) chucker chads STAND UP
>>61483471I load 5gr of hp38 in my 9mm luger and it's on the lighter end so I kinda assumed it would be in 38 as well
>>61483561I suspect Casull used it to try to make 4227 burn better.4227 is a weird powder and probably one of the only magnum pistol powders available back then. It's very slow in almost all magnum pistol cartridge, doesn't burn clean, velocity is nowhere near H110 or even 2400, and doesn't provide much pressure relative to case fill.
>>61483578I bought my Rock Chucker Supreme 2 years ago when Brownells had a pricing fuck up and sold it for $99.
Free hazmat at powder valley.
>>61481286>>61483338Have you considered not using a shit powder? AA#2 and 3N37 working perfect for light .38spl loads around here
>>61483498Forgot pic of the ideal No. 6.>>61483561Yeah, that's the final example I never got around to because I had to take a call. Casull even used triplex loads where the powders were layered. I have seen the powders used though I don't recall them off the top of my head. My understanding was that he was layering powders to try and get a different curve by combining fast and slow powders but that became obsolete with the invention of more modern powders that are specifically designed for magnum pistols. Still, I'd like to read anything about it if I can.
>>61483879Neat o
>>61483625Shminteresting. Good to know>>61483871Idk I'm still learning; you're rude
I'm going to start reloading .223 for my AR15 with a 1:12 twist; what bullet would be best for 100-200 meters maximum ?
>>614841751:12 is a really slow twist, you can probably only stabalize light bullets.
>>61484175Most bullets up to 65 gr will be fine. Some people will say 55 max, but that comes from the 62 gr SS109/M855, which is relatively long (and thus unstable) for its weight; basic lead-and-copper 62 gr bullets do just fine in 1-12" rifling.
>>61484175>1:12 twistAnything 55gr
>>61483879It would be interesting to try layering powder in something like a 14 inch 460 xframe… lots of case capacity to work with, and you could take advantage of the variable twist rate…
>>61484343I would not. We have enough powder choices these days that the appropriate powder will get you better performance than trying to make a mixture to get an unknown burn rate/pressure curve.Back when Casull was doing his, there was really only pull down surplus powders available and only 2400/IMR4227 were appropriate.
>>61484343While I find the subject fascinating and I want to read hard science on it if at all possible, I agree with >>61484480, we have much better powders today so it's unlikely that there would be anything to be gained from a duplex, etc, load.Something that would be really cool would be if there was any software which could model this.
>>61482299GODSPEED
Not a handloader, but am curious about solid copper hollow point loads. Does anyone hand load those for pistol calibers?
>>61484724Not usually. Copper is much harder than lead and typical lead-based bullet alloys so it requires a higher velocity to expand--higher velocities than most pistol rounds generate.
>>61482299My Argentinian primers I bought all go bang, but I am really seating them slightly crushed. I recommend you do the same.
>>61484724I don't, but they expand fine. I'm assuming you're talking about Barnes TAC etc. At rifle velocities they will shear the pedals off, but the shank will take whatever speed you can safely reach.
>>61484724I’d be curious about how economical it would be to turn my own solid copper rounds. I’d go nuts trying it for 45 acp or 9mm. But for 500 magnum and 500 bushwacker…. I wonder if the cost of a mini lathe is worth it.
>>61484949>I wonder if the cost of a mini lathe is worth it.hell no, as it will take you far too long to make a single bullet, especially since most mini lathes lack power feed.
>>61481224>>61481286>hot loadsI’m loading under starting loads, and what I’ve got shoots more reliably than “white box” ammo.
My hand primer broke so I finally got one of those Ram Prime kits. Slow as shit, but perfectly primed cases everytime. Just shove the thing in there and it gets the perfect depth without having to think about it. If I was loading more, I'd hate it, but for my 100 rounds a week it's doing a great job.
>>61484175Holy shit this is our infantry? We are so fucked
>>61486987You're just now finding this out?
>bring my reloads to a match >like 10% fail to fire servico primers are fucking trash, is there something I can do with them to at least salvage the stock I have?
>>61488206I haven't had a single f2f with mine, crush seat them. If you still have them, then use a slightly heavier spring in your gun.
>>61488293it's a P30, the hammer smacks fiocchi magnum rifle primers fine and gives a good strike every time. this is just off actually flattening the primers in the press.
>>61488308My GP100, which is lightly sprung, sets off CCI Magnums, the thickest in my experience. The servicios seat really hard, but they have gone bang every time.
>>61488336i have like 9k of these things, kek. you think actually lightly flattening them would improve reliability or reduce it by kind of pushing the compound around.
This weekends test rounds. 148 grain hardcast 38 special, starting at 3.8 grains of unique, going up to 5. Looking forward to seeing how they do. Got another 1k 148 grain hardcast bullets so…. Once I find one I like I plan on loading a bunch.Out of curiosity these are crimped on the cannelure and are all right at 1.478 oal. I might be able to lengthen them a bit before I run out of cannelure, would that make much of a difference or is it not something I need to really worry to much about. Couldn’t find exact load data for 148 grain hardcasts, so I used the data for 150 grain hardcasts of a similar profile and didn’t go to the max..
Is federal brass soft? Had an extractor rip the rim off the case instead of pulling it back. Case wasn't stuck at all, but I suppose heat and expansion could explain that.
>>61489080What cartridge was it? I find that federal brass is the best 9mm, 45ACP, 38spl, and 308 brass, but that's all I have experience with.
>>61485727The Lee ram prime is great especially in the current primer drought, eh shoves in any LR primer in any case and doesn't afraid of anything
>>614894043006
>>61492175Hmm, well I guess I'd order some Starline, Sig, or PPU then.
>>61483507>>61481224fuck reloading pistol calibers, they're too cheapreloading is for obscure/beastly rifle calibers. saving 75% on 338 or 6.5 carcano or 25% on 9mm, takes the same amount of time, hmm
>>61493392That depends. Stuff like 9mm? That's not so easy to save money on. Any sort of magnum? That's different. It doesn't take long to pay off loading gear if you shoot .454 Casull
>>61493392>fuck reloading pistol calibers, they're too cheap45LC is $1.25+ a round, meanwhile I can load it for 45¢ a round. Also, even 9mm makes sense if you're loading heavy sub-loads that often cost $1 a round in a box at the store.
>>61493392There are more pistol cartridges out there than basic bitch 9mm 38 40 and 45 my dude.
Do you think there will be any good sales come memorial day?
>>61493392Yeah I actually agree; it’s just a fun/satisfying hobby.
>>61493392>he reloads to save and not reload to shootI go through about 1k a month and that's not a ton but it's enough to where it's easier to just have a 30 minute block every couple days to just churn out 200 rounds or so than be constantly waiting for more bullets to keep a rotating stock and it does add up.
>>61493392I pretty much just shoot pistols, I just recently got into reloading and I’m starting small with 38 special and working my way up. I got into reloading for 357 in loads I like not light loads smith and Wesson likes, 45lc, 454 casull, 500 magnum, and eventually 500 bushwacker. Plan to hopefully get a 10mm magnum in around a year, and a 44 magnum after that. someday I plan to add 50 AE and maybe 500 linebaugh to the mix…. Basically all of those calibers are a LOT cheaper to reload than buy new, and yes I’ll shoot more, but I think even then it’s still cheaper shooting more and reloading, than shooting less and always buying new.. also some of the possibilities aren’t available for sale… for example I’d love to try a 700 grain bushwacker round…. Maybe if I ever get to afford a freedom arms 357 I’ll try loading to 353 casull range (thanks to whoever mentioned that, it was a fun rabbit hole to dive down)To be honest I’m looking forward to getting to practice shooting my Alaskan more accurately with 454 loads.. up till now I’ve been getting better, but when you only have 20-60 of one type of round it’s hard to get used to how the guns gonna be with it, and theirs an incredible amount of difference in feel and performance between different big bore cartridges..
Anyone tried 115grn Xtreme or Berry's bullets in 380 ACP, and how far do you have to seat them? A lot of people seem to have good luck using 115grn 9mm bullets in 380, but I can't figure out how far they're seating them, or what powder load they're using for the lowered case capacity.
>>61493392I have contemplated getting a pistol in 9x21 Steyr, that's definitely a handgun calibre for reloading
>>61495103probably on bullets, powder, cases and presses. sales always come and go. I doubt you are gonna get a great deal on primers.
>>61496516I have loaded a few of Taffin's 353 loads, but only using 296(H110). The Accurate No9 loads he published are pretty scary.The Magnum Research BFR and 6-shot Redhawks will handle those loads too.
>>61481224shit I wish i saw this thread before making my query thread.
>>61498674Good to know, I was wondering about the RedHawks.. I know I’ve seen some pictures of the cylinders on 6 shot ones where the wall thickness is best described as comical
>>61498731Cylinder diameter for the mega revolvers in 357 are all comical. >Freedom Arms 83 1.750" (5 shot)>BFR 1.75" (6 shot)>Redhawk 1.78" (6 shot)Now, that doesn't tell the whole story, because the FA and BFR cylinders are both made of 17-4 stainless that is tougher than the 416 stainless the RH cylinder is made of. For 357 Mag though, there's practically no difference.
>>61498710Well, you're here now.
Did some 45-70 with standard length casings. Used 47gn of imr 3031 and pressed a 405gr bullet into the cartridged. Shook it a bit and it sounds like it's completely full. My lee load data mentions a min of 45.5 to max 48.5 gn of imr 3031. I know 3031 is a slower burning cartridge but would I get a squib?
>>61493392Laughs in 10 cent .44 magnum reloads
>>61500418>I know 3031 is a slower burning cartridge but would I get a squib?no. you'll know because instead of going>bang!it'll go>clickit's pretty easy to tell when .45-70 goes off.
>>61500418>I know 3031 is a slower burning cartridge but would I get a squib?a squib in a case with 47 grains of powder ?
>>61500418No, 3031 is a fine powder for full power 45-70. The only powder I've found better is Accurate 2495 with heavy bullets(420gr+)
>>61493429>>61493681>>61493767>>61496141>>61496336>>61496516>>61497055>>61500438how much 44mag/454casull are you going to shoot, just pay the $30 a box of 20 for your hunting trip and $50/100 range ammo to sharpen up a bit in the off seasonthose other calibers are silly. laughs in 20c/round steel case 9mm/380
>>61501338Disgusting. 9mm is big time gay.
>Go to sporting good store cause they have $50 Argentine primer bricks>Ask for a brick >Employee tells me they only have 6 sleeves left>Ok, I'll take all 6 then >Hands me all 6 upside down>Bottom sleeve falls out and they go everywhere >I apologize even though it's not really my fault >Guy gets on his hands and his knees to get them all >I quickly walk away from the disaster zone >Cute cashier I've been chatting up for a month asks what's going on back there >I tell her there was an accident and don't say another word It's been 3 days and I'm still mortified by the whole experience. I don't think I can ever go back there.
>>61500750>>61500848Thanks fren>>61500828I'm a newbie reloader, and never had a squib before. I read one line elsewhere about 4198 and folks said something about less case density (cartridge fullness) means it's less likely to have a squib. My lgs ran out of 4198 so I got 3031 instead.
>>61501338I don’t hunt with 454, I just enjoy shooting big bore stuff. In the last year I’ve shot around 450 rounds of 454…. Gone through a bit more 45 LC but I haven’t tracked it as close… got a very full 5 gallon bag of brass saved from both calibers…. Most I’ve bought of 1 type of ammo is a tie between HAM munitions 240 grain 454 and Grizzly’s 265 grain hardcasts.. including those two I’ve tried about 15 different loadings from a variety of manufacturers.. was looking to see what I liked with a plan to start reloading. Pic related was from a while back before a range day with some friends.. we ended up going through about 80 rounds…. Looking forward to being able to reload a bunch of the same rounds and work on better controlling my aim with it.. hard to dial it in when you jump around between a ton of very different bullets and velocities…I can confidently say that I average around 1.60-2$ per 454 round buying them new and not including shipping…. The only limiting factor to me shooting it more is the ammo price..
>>61501508I have had squibs with 4198 and 45-70, so it's decent advice. it can be annoying in a lever action because the primer will kick the bullet partially out of the case, then you can't eject the bullet because of the limited size of the ejection port.
>>61501508Much more likely for a squib to come from low density loads of slower powders(relative to cartridge).Some powders are more temperature sensitive than others, but that shouldn't matter unless you're shooting in very cold weather.
>>61501537Hey anon, fairly new Alaskan owner here, been enjoying getting info from your posts. If you feel like dumping opinions and experiences (eg, avoid this brand or that powder, such and such bullet likes to be seated differently than spec) I'm all ears
>want to load .405 winchester>surprisingly decent selection of bullets available>no brass to be found anywhere>no ammo to shoot which is why I want to load it in the first placereeeeeeeeeeeeee
>>61501381it's killed more people than yours (unless your favorite is .22)
>>61502178I’ll let you know as soon as I start reloading it…. I just got the reloading gear… wanted to get it for a while but put it off due to getting a 500 magnum bfr.. Currently working through some 38, then 357 for a few weeks (load, test fire on the weekend, load next batch) then I’m switching to 45lc, then finally 454. As far as good info though, it’s been my experience that the copper jacketed rounds feel a bit more accurate, I think they grab the rifling just a tiny bit better than the hardcasts.. right now I plan on trying some loads with h110, and after talking with the bushwacker guys I’m gonna be looking for some h335 and ram shot tak, as well as cfe blk since that’s the powders they recommend for their loadings, and if it works for bushwacker stuff it probably works well for 454..If your looking for preloaded 454 ammo then I’d first say that the Buffalo bore 360 grain hardcasts have the most felt recoil out of my Alaskan by a wide margin. The HAM munitions 240 grain hollow points are loaded pretty hot for the price, but theyve messed up 2 of the orders I placed with them, in both cases they fixed it after emailing them. And lastly aria balistic engineering makes a 420 grain hardcast 454 round that’s pretty nice. I need to actually order some 454 bullets.. I’ve already got 45lc hardcast bullets but none of them have gas checks and as I understand it hardcast starts to do funny things with high power loadings without that.. but again I’m new to reloading so I may just be wrong. Also if you see the grizzly 265 grain hardcasts, those are a lighter recoil (in 454 terms) and make really nice fireballs like below.Congrats on the new gun! 454 Alaskan is hands down my favorite hand cannon. Have you gotten to shoot it yet?
>>61493330I researched my gun a bit more and it turns out Remington made the chambers small using metal that likes to rust. The brass expands into the pitting and gets stuck. Looks like I got work to do.
>>61503031Grizzly and Cast Performance Bullets are done. They cancelled my order for boolits back in May 2022 and have not had anything in stock since.
>>61501338This nigga doesn't dump 300 rounds of various big bore into steel plates each trip to the range.Ngmi
Guys, I'm losing it trying to find Large Rifle Primers for my 6.5 Carcano and 8mm Mauser loads. I'm just thinking of throwing in some Large Pistol Primers (Maybe Magnums if those are still in stock) and seeing how it goes. I've got 50 cases of 6.5 and 300 of 8mm just begging to be reloaded. I know it's generally not recommended, but this whole shortage is getting ridiculous. I'm going to seat them past flush to try and minimize primer piercing, if that will even happen.
>>61503935>spending all your range time on tactically worthless gunsngmi
>>61504304Sometimes you gotta just slow down and smell the cosmoline.
>>61504304>t. email job haver
>>61481286Did this with 454 casull. Didn't realise there was a minimum pressure required for H110 and the loads I was using were designed for a bullet seated much deeper into the case.The powder turned brown and blasted everywhere like confetti.
>>61493429460 SW Mag is $5 a round here and I can reload it for $1.25. Unreal savings for very little time spent.
>>61493392Agree unless you're doing specialty loads.
>>61481286Stop loading hard bullets at low velocities into guns that leak more gas than an 18th century percussion rifle
>>61500438I am getting my desert eagle welded up for a suppressor. what is the heaviest 44mag load I can make? know of any super heavy bullets?
>>61507745Desert Eagle has a hardcore 1.600" length limit. 300gr XTP is about the heaviest bullet I'd recommend.
>>61507832you know, I might be able to make it work. the gas port on the DE is just past the chamber, so maybe I can use a fast powder to get enough port pressure to cycle, but not run the bullet up to supersonic. I'll noodle around on GRT and see what's up.
550 357 cases primed and ready…. Guess what we’re reloading next.
>>61508063125 grain hollow points…
>>61505341those are cool, any rifle practice is good
>>61508068If I may recommend, Xtreme bullets makes a pretty cheap plated 125gr bullet good to 1300fps or so. Good practice .
>>61508068I miss those Remington bullets, legit good soft hunting hollow points.
>>61508161I’ll check them out. I got about 2k of these from an estate sale and I don’t shoot a ton of 357, so I think they’ll last me a while.. definitely want to try some hot loads with them, both Lyman manuals and a hornady manual i have seem to think I can get up to 1500 fps on 21-22 grains of h110… so I wanna try working up to that on a few, other than that I’ve got unique powder to try a bunch of less spicy loads. Other than that I’ve got some 4227 to try.
>>61508161>Xtreme bulletsLuv me Xtreme bullets. Their 200gn 45 projectiles are my go to for all my 45ACP loads.
>>61507960.44 Special or even .44 Russian brass might be an option to fit more bullet.
Finally I can sort all of that mess out>>61508063are there any full length resizing dies for .357 ? I shoot them out of a Rossi Puma and the chamber doesn't support them very well, I can't chamber them again.
>>61511625The best you can do is run the die down until the shell holder touches the bottom of it.I think most shell holders are set so you're not stressing the case's webbing.
>>61511897>The best you can do is run the die down until the shell holder touches the bottom of it.That's what I do, but it's way not enough, maybe I shouldn't reuse these anywayDo you think the redding titanium carbide resizing die can do the trick ?I am using a RCBS die set for .38 / .357
>>61511975Basically it looks to me like your Rossi's chamber doesn't support the bottom of the case at all. Not a uncommon problem for it to be comically oversized. If it's under warranty, make Rossi rebarrel, if not then see if you can find another barrel to have it installed.
>>61511999>your Rossi's chamber doesn't support the bottom of the case at all.you are totally right, its oval, maybe for feeding ?
>>61511305I need to know if more bullet exists first. the Deagle manual is extremely clear to not use cast bullets, but I don't know if that means just cast+lubed, or cast+powder coated or cast+lubed+gas checked. or all of them. I don't know of anything close to .430 that get heavier than 300gr and is jacketed, the next size up is .452, and sizing down .022 seems like it'd need 5+ different sizing dies.
>>61511999>>61512034Ok, it's for feeding, the bullet points up above the chamber so they made that oval recess to orient the round correctly.It sucks but I'll may have to trash the brass from that rifle
>>61512040cast+lubed and cast+lubed+gas check will not avoid lead to get into the gas port.plated bullets are okayish according to a guy at the range shooting a .50AE one but he doesn't shoot only that, he alternate FMJ / platedit seems .50AE bullet are almost not produced anymore, no idea for .44 but it looks like you can get FMJ for other cartridges ?
>Casing I bought from online snaps clean off into my carbide resizing die
>>61512045I know why they make them that way, but yours is excessive. The miroku 92s don't do that to brass.You may need to check the headspace on that gun, maybe it's somehow not locking up as tightly as it should.
>>61512117Better lube up then
>>61512117What caliber and brand, anon ?
>>61511305Yeah, but then how fast can you really push them?
>>61483628Makes it the best 25-20 powder.
>>61511625Can those wall supports even hold up to you pushing on the press handles? I had to bolt mine to a table with a 2x4 then bolt the table down.
>>61512065wait, really? the only reason to get a deagle is to get it in .50, dang it.
>>61517850You can use hard cast bullets in a Desert Eagle, I think coated is fine too.
>>61517850If you want factory made bullets for a deagle in 50AE, just get some copper plated bullets. Xtreme, Berry's, and Evergreen all make .500 projectiles for use in handguns.
>>61517405Oh it's just for storage, I made a bench to use them
>>61518250I bolted together a bunch of 2x4s and my shit wobbles like mad, anything to do about it other than try and level the feet? would braces at the bottom help?
>>61518874From the looks of it that guy knows a decent bit about woodworking, the bottom boards look like they’re possibly attatched using a mortise and tenon joint, the support board on the front directly under the top, aside from having a pleasing cutout appears to be attatched using 3 pegs on each side… those two features specifically are going to make this a lot more rigid…. 10/10 bench making, would expect to be able to multi track drift..As far as making yours more rigid.. the answer goes one of two ways.. either get better at woodworking and use some nice tight joinery and cross supports.. or the inelegant way…. Use bugle head screws to put diagonal 2x4s in an X both between the back supports, and on the sides.. then personally if you want the nuclear option pick up a 4x4 post and cut it to length and install it as a middle support post on the front.. it’ll get in the way a little but if it’s cut to the right length and ends so that the top is screwed right to it directly under where your press sits then it’ll help run that force straight down.. also as you said make sure your legs are level.. slide shims under them instead of cutting them down….
>>61518900maybe I'll redeem myself by mortising the cross braces together so they're flat (I will fuck it up and use copious amounts of wood glue and saw dust to make it fit)
>>61518874I fixed the bench on the wall to keep it from tilting, it's small. The top is two planks glued together with a lot of weight on top of them and half a week go cure.Maybe you can add some metal railing somewhere to rigidify your setup ? Maybe the problem is that your 2x4s are twisting and you need something perpendicular to fix that ?I used a cheap as f... tv furniture when I was in an appartment, it was wobbling and cracking but it did the job for .223 and .38 until I began to reload 6.5x55 SE.>>61518900Thank you anon, I know shit about woodworking and it was my first significant project, it was more of a challenge to not use screws. Got me some tools to aid for the mortizing and dowels and I was a lot lucky that it all came out decent.
>>61518874>would braces at the bottom help?That depends on why it's wobbling. If you made it solid but it's not square so it doesn't sit level on the floor the leveling would help but braces would not. If it sits flat on the floor but it flexes/bends then braces would help that.Post a pic of what you have.
How do i trim 223 at the correct size ?I have the Lee Deluxe Die Set Don't tell me i have to buy another die And it seems like nobody does that on this caliber
been purposely ignoring handloading- is everything still unobtainium? if so i'll go back in my cryo chamber and revisit in a few years
>>61521542>And it seems like nobody does that on this caliberI do, I use the quick trim lee thingyyou need the die for .22" and the trimmerhttps://leeprecision.com/quick-trimor the Lyman E-zee trimhttps://www.lymanproducts.com/e-zee-trim-hand-case-trimming-systemI measured the brass and it's still in specs after shooting it so maybe don't bother.
>>61521542There are to basic ways to trim. First is with a special "trim die". These are usually not included in standard loading sets, and they're kind of a pain in the ass to use. You set them up in your press, run the shellholder all the way up to the die, and then use files to remove the excess brass that sticks up. The die is hardened so the file won't cut it. The other method is with a special trimming tool like >>61521607 mentions, there are various models on the market, I use a Forster.
>>61521553Im making sub 20 cent reloads right now. Just gotta buy supplies in bulk.
>>61521553Nothing is unobtainium just expensive as fuck
>>61521542>>61521607 here, checked 20 fired .223 cases, one didn't go well into the case gauge, the other ones are ok the one that is not correct has a dimple on the base but its length is OK with a caliperproblem is, you are supposed to trim after resizing and that's a pain in the ass if you have a progressive. .22" often means high volumes so you most certainly have.I reload .223 with a dillon RL550C so I trim before, not the good way to do it but who gives a fuck.My process is deprime (with the Lee APP), clean (vibratory tumbler corn something), trim, reloadDoesn't seem that .223 lengthens a lot, on .243win and 6.5x55SE, it is really significant.
>>61521542Get something that you can chuck in a drill and headspaces off the shoulder or else it takes way too long. Possum Hollow or Little Crow.
Does anyone load their own carry/defensive ammo? I'm currently carrying S&B SP 38spl in my snubbie, but I worry that the factory load won't lead to expansion at defensive distances. I'm thinking of loading my own with my regular target loads.
>>61521705I make [a lot] per year so I don't give a shit about cost savings, I want to make autistic super precision ultra custom loads because why pay $12 per round of 338 memepua if I can load something a little better for approximately the same cost>>61521788last time I checked in literally all presses except for like a $60 chink metal one were out of stock, and primers too
>>61522230I just bought large pistol, small pistol and small rifle primers online 3 weeks ago for 70-80 / 1k. Large rifle are harder to come by but I see some on ammoseek for a hefty premium. Right now I'm looking at precisionreloading.com and see quite a few presses in stock.
>>61522100The biggest issue you'd run into with loading your own defensive stuff would be the liability bullshit if you ever had to use it against someone. A prosecutor could have a field day with stuff like "he made his own because factory ammunition was not deadly enough", etc.
>>61522410fuddlore
>>61522410in your made up fantasy world, if any lawyer tried to pull this bullshit then the circumstances of you shooting someone weren't very kosher
>>61522470Sort of, it has been brought up in cases, but I've never seen it be the cause of the prosecution. That one with the guy whose wife shot herself in the head after a battle for the revolver had bigger problems than skeeter loads with little gsr. It ended in a mistrail, conviction, and ultimately being overturned, but the guy's wife had been shot in the head. Tough sell to a jury and a prosecution wasn't going to believe you weren't just sick of your schizo wife after shot at you. Killing her was a favorable outcome regardless.
>>61518874Gusset the legs and add adjustable feet.
>>61481224A friend inherited some old guns but hecan't buy reloading dies without a loicense. Anybody knows where I can get the blueprints for 32-20 and 38 reloading dies? We have access to a metalworking shop. Things are so bad here I'll have to machine the brass out of barstock but I really want to go shooting with him.
>>61522410>"he made his own because factory ammunition was not deadly enough", etc.I'm not worried about that. They'll say that if I use hollow or soft point factory bullets, that I wanted to inflict more harm. If I use FMJ, they'll say that's the same stuff the military uses and that I'm a dangerous military LARPer, or that they over penetrate so I'm irresponsible. If I call up the local police department to get the exact same ammo they use for use of force incidents, they'll say I'm a dangerous cop LARPer. YOU'LL NEVER HAVE THE RIGHT BULLETSI'm interested in ending the threat as quickly as possible, and maximizing the performance from my firearm to do it. No need to worry about something that will be a problem no matter which way it goes.
>>61522410Name one (1) time this has ever happened.Also, reloading is fucking addictive. Calming as shit, too. Just started reloading 223, with options to reload 308, and I cannot get enough of it.Start with 55gr ZSR and turn it into really competent 62gr loads going about 3000FPS. Not to mention that the casings get so fucking clean and shiny in the tumbler.
>>61522675Those are both rimmed cartridges with straight necks so you don't need reloading dies.
>>61522100Expanding handgun rounds is a marketing gimmick. All pistol chamberings have virtually the same effectiveness in self defense situations.
So what’s everyone doing tonight? Finally got this die in…
Posted this in msg but might aswell post this here.While depriming my S&B Brass, I noticed that about a quarter of it had flattened out primers.Before shooting, the ammo was factory loaded. So this wasn't a case of an overcharged case.Anyone know what powder and powder charge S&B 180gr FMJBT .303 British uses? I've had to throw out some cases due to neck stress. But I paid it no mind due to the nature of .303 British. But now I'm suspecting it might be a QC issue with S&B .303 Brit. As all this ammo was bought during Pandemic.
>>61525322Pic related. unfired cartridge and a flattened primer side by side
>>61525236Any real reason to get the 4 die set over the 3 die set? I find the crimp on my combo bullet seating/crimp die that came in my 3 die set to be great. I guess people with 4 stage turret presses might be fans, but as a single stage user, I find the time saved to be useful.
>>61522100yes.I haven't jacked off in two weeks and I'm one horny fucker right now. Every time I push to shit semen drains out of my dick. Reloading used to take the edge off, back now I can't stop thinking of tits. I fucked up over a dozen 556 that I know of and will have to pull the rest to be safe.
>>61525508I’m new to this so take it with a grain of salt, but for bigger stuff a lot of places recommend seating, then crimping.. I’m doing the 45 LC first as practice. Then I’ve got about 500 454 casull cases to reload and a really good crimp on those is pretty important. Also I have 2 single stage presses.. so I’m gonna put a die in both and just move between them rather than have to unscrew dies and swap. I figure worst case I spent a bit extra and have an extra die…
>>61525236So a couple hours later… and I have it all deprived and resized, back in the tumbler.. on a side not I apparently have 602 45 LC cartridges… would have been 605 but I misaligned and crushed 3. Also found a 44-40 cartridge.. also… holy shit my arm is tired…
>>61526013For my single stage purposes and due to time constraints, I've taken to doing batches of around 150 and I only do one step per night. Keeps me sane.
>>61525534I guess you could try working it into a reload. Get some UV cure resin, mix your semen in there and pour it into some hollow point projectiles and then cure.Screw Hornady FTX tips. Make yourself some Horny SEX tips.
>>61526013How did you managed to misalign some? You using a multi stage/turret press?How did you mix a 44-40 case in there? Did you pickup this brass at the public range?
>>6149881117-4 can handle something like double the pressure of 4150 ordinance steel given the same chamber dimensions. We talked about it in the barrel steel thread a few days ago. Good to know.
>>61529195The misaligned casings were a mix of moving a little to fast, and the lee case holder having a lot more wobble than i expected. I think I’m gonna see if calranch has a hornady one this weekend.. if I seat a case it I can wobble it side to side a degree or so, by comparison the 38/357 hornady case holder I have doesn’t let it wobble period.. The 44-40 came from one of 2 possible sources. It could have been mixed in with the other misc stuff I got from the estate sale and I missed that it was different and chucked it in with my 45 casings, or it could have been in a mixed bag of about 30 45lc reloads that I got from a swap meet. I was shooting it through a Ruger Alaskan, when I get home I’ll take a look and see if the cases chamber and if they look blown out. The rest of those 45lc rounds had the crimped ledge about halfway down the casing and I could see someone missing it and throwing it in there… I suspect if it chambered in the Alaskan it would probably fire, be fairly inaccurate but hard to notice with 2 rounds in an unfamiliar lot.. if that’s the case I’m glad it was in a super redhawk and not a single action colt or something fragile.. not that I have one… and to be fair part of why I got the Alaskan was its reputation as being overbuilt.
>>61529685The difference between 416 Stainless and 17-4 stainless when heat-treated for greatest .2% yield is a difference of about 30%. You see really big differences when you look at something like 465 Carpenter, which is going to offer a 66% increase in .2% yield over 416.All Ruger's factory 454 Casull and 480 Ruger revolvers use 465 as the cylinder steel.
>>61529171>biological warfare reloadsEggcellent
>>61525342I suspect it's a bit hot but a lot of their rifle primers flatten that way
>>61481224Best thread I can think of to ask. What is 5.56, .223, 9mm, .38, etc. brass going for at the moment? I don't want super crazy top dollar, just "would be reasonable that someone would actually buy at" and over scrap. It'd be sorted by brand. Either by casing or around 50-250rd bags. I want to sell off some stuff I really really don't need or want. Just once fired range brass, not deprimed or polished or anything.
>>61529773So got home and got out the calipers and took some pics. I think there’s a pretty good chance I shot these out of my Alaskan without realizing it. Bottom section of both is at .464, but starting about 1/4 inch below that lower case crimp, but above the faint line in the cases it mushrooms out to .479….the mouths of both are slightly curled in at .44 so if your curious what happens when you throw a 44-40 round in a 454 revolver… this is it.
>>61532113In my defense they were mixed in with these…. The outer 2 are the 44-40’s the rest are 45lc..
>>61532121Slightly different rim thicknesses which is why they didn’t fit in the shell holder, but apparently had no problem chambering in the revolver..
>>61532130Not much visible difference when viewed from this end other than the head stamp, and I probably had these in a speedloader…. I’ve run a couple hundred 454 loads since I shot these, and they probably didn’t get much chance to do anything weird in the short barrel on my Alaskan… I don’t have anything in 44-40, but apparently if you do, watch out for this I guess?
On a better note the rest of my 45LC casings look pretty good after a second tumble with polish
Have some new loads to try out tomorrow at the range. I really should get a Chronograph for more accurate tests. Anyone have a recommendation?
>>61534029Pretty much everything I’ve seen recommends saving up for the garmin… it’s pricey, but you won’t accidentally shoot it…
Anyone make and shoot gallery loads for their rifles? I want some to shoot at the pistol range, but I don't have any good leads for a powder charge that would work in a .308.I have some 100gr .30 cal plated bullets and 90gr cast and coated wadcutters, and Vihtavuori N310 and N320 powder at hand. I wish I had a spare rifled action to test fire in.
Anybody knows what is the parent case for 32-20? I heard it can be made with 556 brass but I find it unlikely.
>>61534844it's a rimmed cartridge so it's unlikely 5.56 brass can be easily utrned into that, or maybe on a lathe but it would mean way thinner walls at the bottom, if there's even enough material to do that.Is it expensive to buy as is ?
>>61534601Get a cheap .308 Savage or something. I've considered getting a sacrificial Taurus for .357 loads.
>>61534844Off the top of my head, no. But I do have the two bibles on the subject: Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions by Donnelly andDesigning and Forming Custom Cartridges by Howell When I'm back in my office a bit later I'll check for you.
>>61534844There isn't a parent case, your options for making it are limited to cartridges with the same rim diameter, rim thickness, and base diameter.
>>615348448mm level revolver case brass can be resized to 32-20 specs.doeamt buffalo arms have brass for 32-20?
>>61534844Closest you'll get is .327 federal magnum, but it will be a loose fit.
I fucked the deprimer in my resizing dieI can still deprime with my Hand DePrimer Frankford Arsenal, resizing still work right ?
>>61536093what caliber is it for anon ? There's a bead (expander) on the deprimer for bottleneck cartridgeswhat is fucked, only the depriming bit ?
>>61536093I accidentally pushed the pin out of place and it wouldn't torque down again. Did just fine with secondary depriming until that resizing die got a casing stuck in it all the way with the rim snapping clean off. Resizing dies are cheap too and I now have extras for my common calibers.
>>61536261223
>>61536435it's stuck ? Can you unstuck it with an inertial hammer or something else ?Maybe put the brass in a vise and the rod in a drill and try to unfuck it ?Or very carefully file the brass, he deprimer rod should be hardened enough that a file will not damage it
made some light loads for my grandma, and she loved them. Not mouse farts, but the perfect amount of power for proper shooting. I don't have any hard data on them, but I thought I'd at least share it in case anyone here needs granny friendly loads. >38 Special >125gn RN>4.3grn WIN 244 >WIN SML PIS Primer>OAL: 1.4750">Extra Tight Crimp to ensure the case has good purchase on the bulletReally comfortable shooting in a S&W 642. I made these purely to help her build up to full power 125gn defensive loads she normally keeps in it. She doesn't get out to the range but maybe once every 6 months. Also, point of impact was similar out to 30ft as her defensive ammo of choice, so all she need to do was deal with the little extra kick. It made the whole range experience with her really nice.
>>61539324I just tried some different 38 special loads with 148 and 158 grain semi wad cutters, used unique with 4 grains up to 5 and 5.2 grains respectively. Ended up liking both at 4.6 grains. Wasn’t trying for super hot… I’ve got 357 for that. I’m pretty new to reloading and these are for a 7 inch Blackhawk though, so your mileage may vary.
>>61539324good work anon, that's nice of you
>>61534029I've used a Prochrono for many years and managed to never shoot it but the Garmin Xero looks nice it would be way easier than messing with my chrono + tripod and aligning it to the target. If you have the money and shoot at a public range the Garmin would be worth it I'd imagine.
Man, the Hornady case trimmer does not actually work with Lee Precision shell holders. Now I gotta order a #11 shell holder.
>>61540225This is why I just stick with one brand. I'm a lee man, and that's just how it is. Well, I do have one set of RCBS dies, but those were a gift.
>>61534972Can't find this brass for sale here in Brazil and can't import it. So I either turn it on the lathe or I don't get to shoot. Bummer.
>>61535643>>61535734>>61535911>>61536081Thx for the input anons. I got a carbine in 32-20 from my grandpa. It was made in the 50s and it's in mint condition but sadly there's no 32-20 for sale here and I can't buy the brass and import it bc there's an import ban on these items. Guess I'll buy like 1m of brass bar stock and have a machinist machine at least a few cases for me... the bullet mold is easy enough to do with a drill press I have at home but the lathe work is a bit more complicated.
>>61540627>>61540645How much trouble would you get in if an American anon sent you some brass in the mail? Could we hide it in a teddy bear or something?
>>61540727I would get charged as an international arms smuggler. I was in Florida last January I saw so much fucking brass and primers I nearly cried... here it's an arm and a let for primers. I have like 1000 primers and 2kg of gunpowder and that's fucking it that's supposed to last me until 2025
>>61540777>last January I saw so much fucking brass and primers I nearly criedDamn, you should've seen it in 2019 and earlier, you probably would've had an aneurysm. It kinda sucks now by our standards. There's got to be a way we can make brass look like something else, yet still easily reshaped into it's original dimensions with a simple re-sizing die. There's definitely a creative way to do this.
>>61540798Some people make large collages with different kinds of brass and frame it. It's art so it would get a pass but even so it would get slapped with a 50% import tax + 21% exchange rate tax since the price will have to be converted from USD to BRL. Believe me, I tried. It's more economic to just machine using SAAMI specs or some shit like that. Or, I could try to find the technical drawings for drawing dies and have a machinist do it for me I looked for it but couldn't find it anywhere.
>>61540798>>61540944I believe Corbin makes some drawing dies to to make jackets for swaging but they are also expensive af and I can't import it anyway..
>>61540944>50% import tax + 21% exchange rateHow do they know the value of art? Couldn't you just say it's worth like $10USD?
>>61540798Hot glue it together to make some kind of lame looking statue.. flatten all the outer cases to make them look realistic. Advertise it as “art for peace” or something like that…. Then break it down and tumble the inner cases till they’re clean.. you can probably fit a lot of brass in a 2ft x 2ft square statue…. Add a “certificate of authenticity” and throw up a fake artist page..
>>61540955>>61540997True. I could just say I bought it for 1 dollar in the US, get a receipt for it and that will be it. Guess I know what I'll do next year when I visit the US again. Thx for the ideas my dudes.
>>61541013>1 dollarMake it at least 5 or something. Has to be believable.
>>61541086$1 is a lot of money over there
>>61500438Retard. Primers alone cost more than 10c each
>>61541473>more than 10c eachdidn't get any of those cheap Argentine primers when they had them, huh?
>>61536435had this happen to me a few times from the decap pin screw down nut not being tight enough in the die. just get a set of wire cutters and crush the case around the shoulder until it splits and it should just come out of the neck after that, otherwise get some small pliers and tear the brass around where you cut it
>>61493392Im not paying 50+ cents for .38, I like my 20 cent loads
>>61483625that sounds hot? i dont know 9mm load data baecause i never loaded it but i use 5 grains in 45 ACP
>>61542859According to my Speer reloading manual 4 gns of HP38 makes a 125gn bullet go about 900 fps so if he's loading heavier bullets I wouldn't see 5 gns being too spicy. My go to load is 4.5 gns of fastish burning powder for 9mm/.38 sized loads.
I really want/need to get into reloading, but I still don't fucking know if I should buy a one stage or a progressive press. The thing is that I will mainly reload rifle round, but need to also be able to reload pistol to. I have a lot of obscure/rare caliber to reload too, and I don't want to be limited by the press. Lastly, I don't plan to reload 1000s of round a day, but I don't want reloading to be to much of a pain. So what now ? One stage ?
>>61543143I'd say start with a cheap single stage and get your dick wet. If you like it get a progressive and keep the single around for sizing rifle cases and odd tasks. Remember it takes a while to change calibers in most progressive presses and if you just want to load just 20 rounds of something it'll be a pita.
>>61543143Since you're new, want to load for rifle rounds and don't care about high volume a single stage is the right choice.
>>61543331>>61543711Agreed. Even if you decide to get a fancier press or put together a much more complex loading setup later on it never hurts to have an extra single-stage press (or two) around for quick jobs, decapping, etc.Now that said, I wouldn't get anything super cheap, especially if anon wants to load for obsolete or rare calibers. Those often require oversize dies that won't fit in some presses, or they are very long and don't fit in presses with a shorter ram stroke. Any press can load 223, but if anon is wanting to load old-school black powder rifle cartridges then he may need a larger press.I suggest looking at the Redding Big Boss II.
>>61542880i dont have a chrono but 5gr of hp38 in 45 acp seems close to factory ammo in recoil using 230r fmj. >>61543143get a single stage. unless you are going to be loading and shooting hundreds of pistol calibers a week or month its not really worth the extra price for a beginner. you can always buy one later when you are more experiencd with loading and learned all the processes. a single stage will teach you the process and is very affordable for an entry point. i also say this because i know at least 50% of people give up reloading after getting all the thousands of dollars of equipment because its too tedious for their zoomertok brain. even if you someday upgrade your setup and get more presses youll always have a use for a single stage press so you might as well get one now to begin with to see if loaidng a hobby youre interested in continuing
Got to take my test 357 rounds out today. 125 grain jacketed hollow points, with 21 grain, 21.3 grain, 21.7 grain and 22 grains of h110 out of a 7 inch Blackhawk. Lot of fun, super loud, probably going to load a couple hundred at 21.8 grains. What’s everyone’s go to 357 loadings?
>>61547503For the record I was using the Lyman loading which got 1357 fps out of their 21 grain load and 1506 gps out of the 22 grain compressed h110 load.. and I need to save up for a chronograph…
>>61542826Mine are 21¢ :(
>>61547524It's a pain in the butt to get decent velocity from 357 using H110 with bullets lighter than 158gr.Even stepping down to 2400 or AA9 doesn't really produce the goods. For some reason Blue Dot isn't allowed with 125gr and lighter bullets anymore despite being perfect burn rate for them.
>>61547503>what's the go to load9gr of Unique, or 9.5gr of BE86, or 9gr of Universal under a 125gr plated bullet.10gr Blue Dot, or 13.5gr of AA9, or 14gr of 2400, or 6gr of Unique under a 158gr plated or cast SWC.12.5gr of 2400, or 12gr of AA9, or 15gr of Lil Gun, or 13gr of H110 under a 180gr bullet cast or jacketed.Shoot a lot more if the lighter/cheap stuff. Keep in mind that using a lot of H110/296 or especially Lil Gun with light bullets is really hard on forcing cones.
>>61547632Did they change blue dot or did the manuals just change? I think the older manuals I have show a charge weight for it, and I doubt my blackhawks gonna care.. I know without a chronograph I’m just guessing, but with those 125 grain rounds they had very little recoil and sounded really impressive…. Even if the velocity isn’t great I still think I’m gonna load some to keep around for when someone wants to try out my revolver..
>>61547697It's a recent change, probably had some fluke event and panicked.
>>61547737In that case I think I’ll ignore it and just label it so it only ends up in the blackhawk
>>61541094And it's nothing here. One greenback won't even buy you a candy bar anymore. They'll figure it out if it's not a believable price, or am I giving hue custom agents too much credit? Probably am.
>>61531370>Just once fired range brass, not deprimed or polished or anything.Pretty much nothing. If reloaders want that, we just go to the range and look around. Most places that sell once fired brass have done something to it.
>>61543331>start with a cheap single stageBest place to start, and it's not like the dies or anything go bad, so they can be used in a multipress when/if you decide to step up. You can also keep that cheap single stage as a dedicated depriming press.
Anyone have tips on reloading .303 Brit? Anyway to extend brass life?I've already dedicated brass to particular rifles, I've been making sure to trim the brass to 2.22' and since I'm using store-bought projectiles I don't think I need to resize the bullets. I've opted to chamfer the mouths of the case instead of flare them so I work the brass as little as possible.I'm, curious if there's anything else that can be done.
>>61483338>7 miller litesyou have nice handwriting fren
Just got 500 Xtreme 100gn 380ACP projectiles for $40. I don't have 380 dies, but I will be loading them in 9mm and 38 special loads to see how they do. They're HBRN, so they have some extra length for their size, which will be better for seating in 9mm and 38spl cases. Seemed like a great deal that will save me some money and possibly make great comp loads for SCSA.
>>61555608Are you using SP hunting bullets? I thought everyone loading 303 used 7.62×54r bullets for cheap reloads?
>>61555608Use an elastic or o-ring
>>61534601I was into this for like 6 months until I realized it was honestly just wasting components because a rifle in a pistol caliber does the same thing far better. To answer your question though I tried 8 grains of titegroup in 30-30 and 30-40 and it worked in both with 135 grain lead bullets.
>>61534601"The load is 13gr of red dot"https://forum.castbulletassoc.org/thread/1387-the-load-is-13-grains-of-red-dot/I'd try this and some powder coated lead bullets from midway.
>>61556631Right now both online and in my area it easier for find Speer .303 Brit (.311) flat bottom Jacketed SP projectiles than it is projectiles for 7.62x54R.I only managed to start reloading this year. So I hadn't built up a stock pile of these things before hand.
>>61558036I recommend those copper coated 7.62×39 bullets. They're copper coated and need to be kept under 2000ft/s to prevent them from breaking up, but lighter loads will also extend the life of your brass (something you also want to do). They're cheap at $150 for 1000 Berry's and $100 for 1000 Xtreme.
I remember seeing someone doing a Neckless 5.56 77g long and slender bullet reload some years ago on youtube. someone has that video?
>>61555608Neck size only and anneal
>>61555608have you shot any of your loads yet? what load are you using? .303 is a notoriously shitty cartridge for brass life because 99.9% of people are shooting it out of a worn enfield that already had notoriously generous chamber even when it was brand new. it was designed with reliability in mud and dirt in mind not brass life. if you shoot .303 out of a ruger no 1 or any other modern new commercial rifle you generally wont have any issues with brass compared to other calibers although some manufacturers use enfield chambers as their specs so thats not always the case. there are some good boomer tricks you can use but i dont have the character count or patience here to write them all out so just yandex it. a common one is to use o-rings at the base of the cartridge above the rim to take up the slop since the majority of case life is lost on these things by the stretching at the base. .303 will have case head separations when shot out of an enfield way sooner than split or cracked necks.
>>61483338i use the same 5gr load of hp38 and dont have any issues with squibs so maybe the 7 miller lites had something to do with some of your cases not having any powder. in fact i usually use even less at 4.5gr since i like comfier loads out of my snubby but when i want to spice it up i go up to 5.5gr. you would have to be at like less than 1gr to be squbbing
Can anyone give me the skinny on 9mm "bulge busting" Lee says you cant "bulge bust) 9m parabellum cuz its a tapered case. But everyone just use their 9mm makarov die to bulge bust.
>>61560416>>61560416wtf is bulge busting
>>61560570I am too scared to search that on the internet kek
>>61481224What do I need to start reloading .45 Colt? For context, I don't reload but I want to start, but I have heard that the reloading kits aren't worth it? Can anyone tell me what I would need to get started just shooting that caliber? I want to get a Single Action in .45 Colt but the expense is telling me I ought to reload.
>>61561687single stage press, dies, something to clean the brass maybe, a vibratory tumbler can be good but you can have one outside of the reloading market where they are overpriced. A precision scale, a funnel
>>61561696Is there any specific reloading manuals that you'd recommend?
>>61561687LOAD MANUAL (this will have instructions and different powder and bullets for each load)) pressdies (these come in a set of 3, usually) and includes a shell holderpowderbrass primersbulletsprimer seating solution (hand tools or ram prime, etc.)powder measure solution (scale)a funnelcaliperscase lubeoptional:case cleaning solutionprimer hole cleanercrimp diecase gaugecase chamfer took
>>61561714>Is there any specific reloading manuals that you'd recommend?all of them !I think you can get the data for your caliber from the powder manufacturers, maybe bullet manufacturers, etc. for free, don't spend money in books if you reload only one caliber.>>61561715good list, thank you
>>61561730not you, but here's some load data for .45ACPit'll give you some ideas on what powders you can look at.
>>61561752I think he needs .45 Colt, I have some but it's for european powders
>>61561757oops, give me a minute, takin a shit.
>>6156175745 colt. when a manual warns you about a particular load being for a particular gun, follow that advice.
>>61561696>>61561715>>61561730>>61561823Thanks bros, does anyone have data for black powder .45 Colt loads? I kinda want to start Cowboy Action when I get the guns needed for it, and black powder wheelgats are a vibe.
>>61561862BP loads are precisely:exactly how much powder fits in the case with the bullet on it. a tiny bit of compression is fine (3mm or 1/8")
>>61560381I have my .303 loads yeah. They seem to work very well.I've only reloaded the same case twice. Second time reloading I started to see marks appear around the neck. So ihad to throw away a few. But so far so good otherwise.
>>61562276>started to see marks appear around the neckWere they cracks or stripes? I run brass till there is a definite crack(s). My brass often looks funny by the second resizing, but it'll go for a lot longer after that.
>>61562356It's not cracks. More like stress marks. The material is all still together in one piece, but it looks like it hasn't been uniformly resized around the neck. Easiest description is stretch marks. They leave a very definite visual presence and you can physically feel it. I'll post a Pic when I can
I hate nickel plated brass so much.
>>61503041>rustingtontragic
Anyone have good puffball 9mm loads for backyard range fun? Not into USPSA or IDPA so I don’t have to worry about power factor, just need to clear the barrel and cycle the action. Primarily shooting my p10c with stock recoil spring; thinking of going with a lower weight (15# or 11#)Currently running 5gr of AA#5 with 124gr plated at 1.10 OAL. Cycles fine but cases are barely ejecting 2ft from me. Going to ladder test 115gr with AA#2 when I get a chance.
So I want to reload 454 casull, but I have a ton of hardcast .454 diameter rounds that I’m going to resize to .452 with a bullet resizing die. As I understand it I shouldn’t use regular hardcast rounds at 454 pressures and velocities, but is their any reason I can’t get .45 gas checks and crimp them on when I resize the rounds?
>>61564559Lee 105gr SWC and 4gr N320
>>61565398Still wouldn't run them too hard. Above 20BHN and a very heavy boolit will do fine in 454, but trying to push lighter lead boolits fast is leading central gas check or not.For reference, I've ran 18BHN 300gr 44 Mag boolits beyond what they can handle, 454 will assuredly do that.
>>61565674Ok. In the bright side they’re for an Alaskan so it’s an easy clean if I do get leading.
>>61565751Yeah, bevel bases are nice for loading, but generally display poorer accuracy in my experience than plain base or gas check. More susceptible to gas cutting too.Good for low power loads, you can always take 45 Colt data for some faster powders and bump it up a few grains.
>>61543331>>61543711>>61544038Thanks everyone Any model recommendation ? Something that will last me a bit an still be useful in a couple of year ?
>>61566042Lee C or D press, it doesn't matter. I've had mine 6 years.
>>61566042What calibers are you wanting to load? If it's most things then the Lee that anon recommended will be fine. But you mentioned wanting to load obscure rifle calibers: which ones, exactly? If they're large ones like .577 Snider, .50-110 Sharps, etc, those won't fit in the basic Lee.
>>61565957The big thing I find with my Alaskan is that with the short barrel it doesn’t get much time to grab the rifling. Seems like the copper jacketed rounds always do marginally better than the linotype.. currently just started reloading 45lc for it, get to try my first test shots Saturday. It’s gonna be interesting. Kinda tempted to see if the .454 diameter hardcasts I’ve got will run without being sized down to .452…. I’ve got some small 200 grain ones as well as about 1k 255 grain hardcasts…
Do Target Hollow Points expand on impact? They've been my go to reloading bullet due to their cheap price and good accuracy, but I wonder if they actually function as hollow points.
>>61569179I understand them to not expand like a hunting/defense HP. There is probably a velocity you could push them so they did expand, but probably exceeds the velocity the cartridge can provide.
>save all my brass because I want to get into reloading>get into reloading>discover “trim to” length…..>I guess this is my life now..Honestly going to be happy when I get through all this..
>>61569267I don't trim straightwalls.
>>61569306I don’t think I’m gonna ever bother with 38…. But I figure the 357 is good practice for 454 and 500.. I’m assuming consistent case length makes a pretty decent impact on good crimping on the bigger calibers I want to reload. Definitely a decent amount of variation in the lengths of the fired brass I have.
