What did you do in the reloading room recently?

Yes, I hear you. That LTC and the Lyman 130g LRN (311410) seem to be my go to bullets for many calibers, at least when I get motivated to do any casting.
Enjoy!
You would probably love the MP 360640
It’s heavier but the profile is amazing for feeding in lever guns and for speed loader or moon clip use.
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Just read an article on "heavy 38 special reloads". The author claims heavy lead (not jacketed) bullets do very will on snub revolvers. Look at this load data below. Bullseye and 2400 were both used with 198 grain projos with decent velocity and accuracy. Very interesting.....in a 3.5 inch barrel he's claiming 899 fps with a 198 grain projos while staying in 38 special pressures with no signs of over pressure....using 2400 powder.Screenshot_20200128-195246_Drive.jpg
 
Just read an article on "heavy 38 special reloads". The author claims heavy lead (not jacketed) bullets do very will on snub revolvers. Look at this load data below. Bullseye and 2400 were both used with 198 grain projos with decent velocity and accuracy. Very interesting.....in a 3.5 inch barrel he's claiming 899 fps with a 198 grain projos while staying in 38 special pressures with no signs of over pressure....using 2400 powder.View attachment 327933

ook up the old 38/44 or 38 heavy duty loads.
They were the predecessor to the 357. These were the hot loads to be fired in the large N frame revolvers.
Hence the 38/44
 
So here are some 38/44 or 38 high velocity loads. All lead of course because they came out of the Lyman/Ideal #40
Second pic is the Loadbooks USA 38 special manual. It’s a compilation of all the load data from all of the manufacturers published loads at time of print.
1231 loads. 45 Bullets. 37 Powders.
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No, sorry "meh", that was more in response to "whacko's" dilemma.
The Lee 356-120TC is a handy bullet for the .38 Special and .357 Magnum (reduced loads). Technically, it's a 9mm bullet, but my mold drops them so I can size them for .38 and 35 Remington use. I don't know how smoothly it will feed in your lever gun, but the truncated cone profile makes for slick speed loading in the revolver.
Being a plain-base bullet, I suppose it is GTG for cowboy action shooting; don't they (SASS) require non-gas-checked bullets?
I cut the lube groove out of my 356-120tc and opened it up to drop .358 @ 126gn

Works great Hitek coated just not in an M&P 9 with 231 (leads like crazy with faster powders)
 
Here’s some 38 spl jacketed 158 gr handgun data from my Sierra manual for what it’s worth...
View attachment 327962
Now that's interesting as hell. In the nosler manual it showed 3.5 bullseye as a mid range load and 4.1 as max for 158 jsp. This manual shows 3.4 as the minimum and can go up to 4.9! Damn maybe I did give up on bullseye too soon. According to this manual I was basically using the minimum load in the Henry.


Also according to this manual the 9 grains of 2400 I loaded is minimum and my Lyman stated that 9 grains is mid range. Now I'm worried the 9 grains of 2400 is going to give me the same problems.....well maybe it won't because 9 grains according to this manual will yield 850fps from a revolver. The velocity stated is well above what bullseye would have yielded. I can't wait to test the ones I made last night.

There is an * next to the 2400 chart......is that noting the "most accurate loads" like the Lyman manual does?

SMH
 
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Now that's interesting as hell. In the nosler manual it showed 3.5 bullseye as a mid range load and 4.1 as max for 158 jsp. This manual shows 3.4 as the minimum and can go up to 4.9! Damn maybe I did give up on bullseye too soon. According to this manual I was basically using the minimum load in the Henry.


Also according to this manual the 9 grains of 2400 I loaded is minimum and my Lyman stated that 9 grains is mid range. Now I'm worried the 9 grains of 2400 is going to give me the same problems.....well maybe it won't because 9 grains according to this manual will yield 850fps from a revolver. The velocity stated is well above what bullseye would have yielded. I can't wait to test the ones I made last night.

There is an * next to the 2400 chart......is that noting the "most accurate loads" like the Lyman manual does?

SMH
The * denotes the use of magnum primers.

The only reason for the increased max charge weight for bullseye that I can think of would be the Sierra bullet design. Their JHPs are longer than other JHPs like the Zeros. The bullet length below the cannelure is shorter than other JHPs. I noticed this with the Sierra 44 cal 240 gr JHPs I have and compared them to the Zero 240 gr JSPs.

So technically there’s more room/space for powder using their bullets?

I could be wrong though. Just a WAG.
 
Been trying to use up all the open containers of powder that I have hanging about that I don't really use anymore. Loaded up 500 rounds of 10mm last night, used up the last of the Blue Dot with that. Got open containers of RL19 and RL17, gotta find something to do with those....not even sure why I have them.

On another note, I picked up a pound of CFE BLK for the 458 Socom, anybody use this powder? If so how do ya like it?
 
Been trying to use up all the open containers of powder that I have hanging about that I don't really use anymore. Loaded up 500 rounds of 10mm last night, used up the last of the Blue Dot with that. Got open containers of RL19 and RL17, gotta find something to do with those....not even sure why I have them.

On another note, I picked up a pound of CFE BLK for the 458 Socom, anybody use this powder? If so how do ya like it?
I’ve used it and done a ton of research on it in 300 blackout.
It gives very high velocity with very low pressure. I’m not sure how it behaves in the Socom though
@1919FAN Might know
 
I cut the lube groove out of my 356-120tc and opened it up to drop .358 @ 126gn
Works great Hitek coated just not in an M&P 9 with 231 (leads like crazy with faster powders)

Hitek coating, that's one thing I haven't moved onto yet. It does seem to be the way to go, but I have put bullet casting on the back burner.
Norm's offerings and purchases from American Reloading have not made the casting effort worth it. Yes, I'll probably crank up the Coleman stove again, but not just yet.
 
Been pecking away for 20 minutes at a time the past few days, cranking out the 9mm. I do 100 a night so I don't lose my mind. I also cleaned another 300 or so rounds of 9mm brass last night because the stock was running low. Oh, and reloaded the primer loading tubes; man I hate doing that. BORING

I so want to pull the 9mm dies and crank out some 45-70 loads. Maybe next week. Pete
 
Last evening, I was trying to get my Super 1050 adjusted to pump out some 9mm rounds for the squirtgun when it just jammed in the most horrendous way. I think I got a piece of Berdan primed brass in there and it bent the spindle that holds the de-capping pin. I called Hornady to purchase a replacement and was told one would go out in the mail to me today under warranty.

Shout out to Hornady for standing behind their products!!!!!
 
Oh, and reloaded the primer loading tubes; man I hate doing that.

I am nervous about leaving primer tubes loaded. I load only the primers I'm going to use during that session. Even when I pull the little cotter pin and empty them into the press, every time I'm like *phew* when they don't go off.
 
I am nervous about leaving primer tubes loaded. I load only the primers I'm going to use during that session. Even when I pull the little cotter pin and empty them into the press, every time I'm like *phew* when they don't go off.
Hmm... never really thought of that. Heck, i even use a my depriming die to push out unfired primers when needed. Wonder if anyone has had primers go off when reloading.
 
Hmm... never really thought of that. Heck, i even use a my depriming die to push out unfired primers when needed. Wonder if anyone has had primers go off when reloading.
I also leave tubes loaded when I know I will be doing consistent reloading sessions each day.

Haven’t burned my house down yet...
 
Hmm... never really thought of that. Heck, i even use a my depriming die to push out unfired primers when needed. Wonder if anyone has had primers go off when reloading.
I do the same thing to "gingerly" remove unfired primers. Never had one go off.
I have had a primer go off when seating it.
Upon inspection, it got turned sideways in the primer holder and then crushed when I went to seat it.
That's one out of 60,000 rounds reloaded on my Dillon RL550B.
 
Heck, i even use a my depriming die to push out unfired primers when needed. Wonder if anyone has had primers go off when reloading.

I'm chicken. When I botch something up and put a primer in a case before I should, I douse it with WD40 and toss it. I keep meaning to run an empty case with a live primer in a revolver just to see how loud the pop is, but have so far forgotten to actually do it.

I'm not so much a safety nazi as just afraid of ending up in the newspaper.
 
I'm chicken. When I botch something up and put a primer in a case before I should, I douse it with WD40 and toss it. I keep meaning to run an empty case with a live primer in a revolver just to see how loud the pop is, but have so far forgotten to actually do it.

I'm not so much a safety nazi as just afraid of ending up in the newspaper.
If I have botched (unable to deprime on the press) brass that's primed, I usually just put them on my concrete basement floor and set the primers off with a screw drive and a hammer [rofl]. It's relatively loud so I will wear hearing protection. But I have done it without hearing protection and it wasn't ultra loud to the point my ears were ringing but not quiet either.

I probably shouldn't do that because of the lead that's in the primers and my basement isn't a shooting range with HEPA filters etc...But I'm not doing thousands of these at a time.
 
This is how decapping a live primer would work for me:

*BANG*
*BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG*

*sirens*

"Uh oh."

-- some time later --

Judge: "P.., you saw the warning in all of your reloading manuals and in the manual for the reloading press you were using and on every package of primers you possessed that says not to decap live primers, correct?"

Me: "Yes, your Honor."

Judge: "Did you think all of those warnings did not apply to you?"

Me: "Yes, your Honor."

Judge: "You see now that you were in error, correct?"

Me: "Yes, your Honor."

Judge: "How smart do you feel at the moment."

Me: "Not particularly, your Honor."

...
 
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Got a 9mm case stuck in the resizing/depriming die...

Was that an "AMERC" case?


Wonder if anyone has had primers go off when reloading.

Only once. I don't know what set it off as I barely was touching the primer. My guess is some sort of static discharge as I approached the primer pocket. Still a mystery. It startled me and rang my ears for awhile.
I gently decap live primers regularly. Never had any issues. I suppose if you forcefully rammed the decap pin into the primer anvil, you could light it off.
As for oil deactivation, I've still had primers ignite after soaking. If the primer element is completely dissolved and cleared from the cup, you should be okay, but I'd take a hammer and anvil and make some noise with old primers to fully deactivate them. .22 duds are deactivated like this, too Of course, pull the bullet and powder first.
Eyes, ears and gloves recommended!
 
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Was that an "AMERC" case?
Nope. I learned my lesson with those many years ago.
After I got a batch of those in my fired casing buckets, I had to hand sort every single piece of brass to weed them out.
At the time I had six, 5 gallon buckets full of brass.
Not fun.

In my prior picture of the stuck casing you can see part of the NATO headstamp.
 
Why not just put the shell in a wheel gun and fire off the primer ? Or did I miss something It's not like your trying to save the primer anyway .
If I have botched (unable to deprime on the press) brass that's primed, I usually just put them on my concrete basement floor and set the primers off with a screw drive and a hammer [rofl]. It's relatively loud so I will wear hearing protection. But I have done it without hearing protection and it wasn't ultra loud to the point my ears were ringing but not quiet either.

I probably shouldn't do that because of the lead that's in the primers and my basement isn't a shooting range with HEPA filters etc...But I'm not doing thousands of these at a time.
 
Why not just put the shell in a wheel gun and fire off the primer ? Or did I miss something It's not like your trying to save the primer anyway .
I didn't want to risk locking up the revolver (without pressure, the primer will blow/back out of the case against the recoil shield, and bind up the cylinder so it won't turn) so it's easier to just use a screwdriver and hammer [laugh]
 
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