Everything about Reloading.

[FergusonTO35]

Sounds good.

 

[srb08]

Sounds good.

Here's a link to some good information on using pistol powders in rifle cartridges.

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

 

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks. I'm surprised they even tried Titewad, that one is like flintlock priming fast. A few tenths of a grain increase will really flatten a primer.

 

[tp2177]

Hoping to get a few more 9mm and a few more 45 loaded before I go to the range on Friday. First time in a long time since I’ve been to the range.


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[FergusonTO35]

The Lee 356-124-TC is a excellent 9mm bullet, every gun I have tried it in shoots great. Do not get the tumble lube/micro band version, it is garbage. The standard lube groove version is a great bullet and you can shoot it unsized with a coat of liquid alox if you like.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Thought I should post a warning to all the reloaders here about hard primers. I have a bunch of Remington 1.5 small pistol primers purchased during the great panic of 2012-2013 when it was all I could find. I think Remington was mixing in small rifle primers to get product out the door because in some of these trays, as many as 25% are too hard for any of my handguns to fire. I was shooting my Ruger Service Six with some of these primers yesterday and you could tell the shell of some of them was way too hard. This revolver sets off every other primer no problemo. My Marlin 1894 .357 fires them no problem, so I'll feed them to that one until they are gone.

Fortunately I have had really good luck with Winchester and CCI primers lately so those will be used in ammo that just has to go bang. Federal are the softest and most reliable small pistol primers I think, unfortunately they are an endangered species around here.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Right now, my favorite gun to shoot is my Mossberg 464 (Winchester 94 copy) .30-30 with the Lee C309-113-RF lead bullet over 8.8 grains of Unique. It clocks 1562 fps out of my rifle, so basically a warm .32-20 WCF. Very accurate, easy to shoot, and cheaper than quality .22 LR. This is the biggest thing I like about reloading, you can make ammo exactly the way you like it. There are no commercial loads like this I am aware of, even if there were you would be paying about $1.50 a shot and have to order them. In fact your only real option would be to buy a .32-20 rifle (figure $5-600 absolute minimum) and feed it "cheap" cowboy loads which still set you back around .75 cents each. I got my 464 LNIB for $300.00 and .30-30 brass lasts forever when neck sized and loaded light.

 

[sawfun]

The cheapest gun I've heard to shoot is a .32 caliber flintlock when casting your own round balls and using pillow ticking for the patch.

 

[Wagnerwerks]

I've been getting pretty into casting and have yet to buy a lead pot. I have a grill burner and cast iron frying pan I use to cast and prep wws but I think I might grab a little Lee pot to cast in the basement. Any of you have a fav?

 

[FergusonTO35]

I have the Lyman Big Dipper, pretty much the same as the standard Lee pots. It is just a basic pot that holds around 10 pounds and doesn't have bottom pour. If I ever get a second pot it will be so I can keep two different alloys ready, not necessarily to upgrade. I've read that the RCBS Pro Melt is the nicest one around but pricey. I would rather spend that money on more molds and lead.

 

[FergusonTO35]

The cheapest gun I've heard to shoot is a .32 caliber flintlock when casting your own round balls and using pillow ticking for the patch.

Lots of folks make their own blackpowder and knap flints. I may give it a try someday, smokeless reloading and casting eats up too much time and $$$ as it is.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Well, with Dad just picking up a nice 4" Ruger Security Six, we're now loading .38spl and .357 mag for 4 different arms, to include a 6" Colt Python, a 6" Taurus 608 and my Ruger 77/357 carbine. Plenty of other calibers in the arsenal, but I truly love the .357. The .41 Mag, .44spl/44 mag and .45 ACP, .45 Colt and .454 Casull are also wonderful in their own rights an I do like the .40S&W over the 9mm.

The Security six does have a shorter cylinder (like the Python) than the Taurus does and that of the 77/357's chamber. So, the 180-200gr pills will be saved for the Taurus and the Ruger carbine. but 158gr pills and less will work with equal aplomb in all 4.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Those Sixes are my favorite wheelguns of all time. My 1988 Service Six (last year they were made) is one that I won't part with. You ever try lead slugs in the .40 S&W? I feed my Glock 22 4.2 grains Bullseye under a Lee 401-175-Tc at 900 fps. It's like having a 15 shot .44 Special.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Not yet, but I will be soon in my Sig P250 Compact. For carry, I'm running hollow-points, Winchester Rangers, (I think). But for practice I will be trying lead soon. It worked fine in my GenIV-G23. I suspect with standard rifling, my Sig will do even better. I'm two rounds down, but w/1 in the chamber, I've got 14 rounds of close to .44spl (more like .41spl) on tap, with two more mags of 13 readily available.

 

[Junior Samples]

Lots of folks make their own blackpowder and knap flints. I may give it a try someday, smokeless reloading and casting eats up too much time and $$$ as it is.

I have alot of lead bars and a old I think maxi ball mold you can have if you load a few for me just to see how you like it. I cut my teeth on flintlocks. That's all we were allowed to use. We cut our own flints. Im a fair weather hunter anymore. Im not sure what caliber the mold is. I have a couple 50s and one 45.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Works for me, be very happy to pour some bullets for you. Matter of fact, I have some 320 grain Lee bullets that shoot great but are a really tight fit in my NEF Huntsman, if you would be interested in those.

 

[Junior Samples]

Works for me, be very happy to pour some bullets for you. Matter of fact, I have some 320 grain Lee bullets that shoot great but are a really tight fit in my NEF Huntsman, if you would be interested in those.

I never thought A person had a choice in size. I have always used round ball in my Hawkins no proplem, and I think 280 grain in my Contender and that gun was supper tight I almost needed a hammer. So now I see why people make their own. So what you are saying is each mafg may be a shy different?

 

[Wagnerwerks]

I never thought A person had a choice in size. I have always used round ball in my Hawkins no proplem, and I think 280 grain in my Contender and that gun was supper tight I almost needed a hammer. So now I see why people make their own. So what you are saying is each mafg may be a shy different?

Absolutely. There can be a big difference.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Yes, huge variety in bore sizes and bullets. Patched round balls are pretty forgiving, especially if you try different thicknesses of patching. Molds in the same caliber from the same maker can even vary. For example, I have the Lee .50 caliber REAL bullet molds in 250 grain and 320 grain. The 250 seats easily, you can shoot them all day. The 320 is hard to seat, by round number 7 or 8 you really need a hammer and punch. However, the 320 is more accurate likely due to this fact.

The REAL bullet (Rifling Engraved At Loading) is a special case as it has a series of ribs that taper larger towards the top of the bullet. This helps it to seat straight and the ribs scrape fouling as the bullet is pushed down the bore. The downside is they can be hard to load and some rifles just won't shoot them worth a poop. I shoot Triple 7 in my rifle which cleans easily, doesn't corrode, and gives more velocity than black powder or that accursed Pyrodex. Unfortunately, it leaves a crusty fouling which can make bullets harder to load.

 

[Junior Samples]

Yes, huge variety in bore sizes and bullets. Patched round balls are pretty forgiving, especially if you try different thicknesses of patching. Molds in the same caliber from the same maker can even vary. For example, I have the Lee .50 caliber REAL bullet molds in 250 grain and 320 grain. The 250 seats easily, you can shoot them all day. The 320 is hard to seat, by round number 7 or 8 you really need a hammer and punch. However, the 320 is more accurate likely due to this fact.

The REAL bullet (Rifling Engraved At Loading) is a special case as it has a series of ribs that taper larger towards the top of the bullet. This helps it to seat straight and the ribs scrape fouling as the bullet is pushed down the bore. The downside is they can be hard to load and some rifles just won't shoot them worth a poop. I shoot Triple 7 in my rifle which cleans easily, doesn't corrode, and gives more velocity than black powder or that accursed Pyrodex. Unfortunately, it leaves a crusty fouling which can make bullets harder to load.

So should I shop around for a bullet for my Contender? I use triple 7 and 2 x in the hawkins. I usually shoot two shots each year and it will hold small group every year at 50yds but its hell to start and the barrel is clean. And yea I use 250 grain. Do or can you use the shooting range in your area?