What did you do in the reloading room recently?

Loaded some 32 Remington for a model 14 pump. I used some of Norm's cast, coated and gaschecked bullets meant for 8mm. They're .323. They were a good fit in the case and chambered easily. I know .323 bullets have been successfully used in 32Special and 32/40. We'll see how they work in 32 Remington.
 
The 44 specl loading in a 44 mag case was a fail. All over the paper at 50 feet even from a rest. I shot my 357 blackhawk same way just to be sure I wasn't just having a bad night and put all in the 9 and 10 rings at 50 feet like usual. Guess I'll have to order some waducutters and 44 spec brass and try again. Maybe the revolver just doesn't like special loads I don't know. My blackhawk is like that......hot 357 mag the group is tight......38 specials it opens way up
 
The 44 specl loading in a 44 mag case was a fail. All over the paper at 50 feet even from a rest. I shot my 357 blackhawk same way just to be sure I wasn't just having a bad night and put all in the 9 and 10 rings at 50 feet like usual. Guess I'll have to order some waducutters and 44 spec brass and try again. Maybe the revolver just doesn't like special loads I don't know. My blackhawk is like that......hot 357 mag the group is tight......38 specials it opens way up
That’s always been my experience in my revolvers - both 357 and 44 mag (and loading special loads in magnum brass). Never tried loading in special brass though
 
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Snuck out to the range late this afternoon for the first time in awhile. Snagged a bunch of shiny once fired 38 spl and 7.62x39 brass on the ground. I’ll never stop being a brass rat 😂
When I get to the range and no ones there Im like "YES!!". Drop my shit and scoop up as much brass as I can find.
 
Never tried loading in special brass though
I tried .44 special and reduced loads in my model 69, both. Quite a lot of them. Biggest frustration was the variability in POI, but accuracy wasn't as good as when shooting magnum loads, either. I gave up on reduced loads for that gun and put a scope on it instead. That brings the recoil back to a more friendly level. Having said that, I've stupidly been thinking about a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 special. I don't know why, just appeals to me for some reason, but so far I've been successfully talking myself out of it every time.
 
When I get to the range and no ones there Im like "YES!!". Drop my shit and scoop up as much brass as I can find.
Too many reloaders at my range, and digging through the brass buckets are verboten (though nobody's going to fault you for picking out a handful of high value, once-fired brass cases off the top). I have managed to collect a few dozen once-fired 45-70 cases that were ejected downrange and which I discovered while walking to and fro to set up targets, but if I see a .44 magnum case, it's like as not been nearly worn out by a reloader. Back when I shot at MFS, though, the membership paid for itself in once-fired brass.
 
hot 357 mag the group is tight......38 specials it opens way up

I ran into this too.
Its less noticable in mag loads because of the force that the bullets being driven in.
I can tell you what worked for me across 3 wheelguns. May or may not apply to .44. but it worked in .357 and .45acp.
I was able to shrink groups up considerably by reaming the cylinder throats.
Theres a lot of freebore between the tip of the bullet and the cylinder throat using special cases. The cylinder throats are never uniform out of the box, theres always a minor variance all 6 or 8.
The bullets launching in and sizing sown before it hits the forcing cone. Get one thats smaller than the rest and its really hammering in there you get groups all over the place.
If you have the cash and can do it yourself, pick up one of these with the pilots, or bring it somewhere that can do it.
Mark each cylinder 1-6, then fit the pilots in and record it. You'd be surprised how much variation there is.
 
When I get to the range and no ones there Im like "YES!!". Drop my shit and scoop up as much brass as I can find.
I've had to almost force people off my brass before. I get being a brass rat.....if I'm on the range and someone us firing factory ammo in a cal I use I will generally ask if they are keeping their brass and if they say no I tell them just leave it on the floor I'll sweep up lol. But.....a few times I've had guys start sweeping up my brass while I'm still shooting......like running the broom between my feet while I'm changing mags......dude.....I'm keeping that brass! And they slowly walk away and I give them the well earned eye roll 🙄
 
I ran into this too.
Its less noticable in mag loads because of the force that the bullets being driven in.
I can tell you what worked for me across 3 wheelguns. May or may not apply to .44. but it worked in .357 and .45acp.
I was able to shrink groups up considerably by reaming the cylinder throats.
Theres a lot of freebore between the tip of the bullet and the cylinder throat using special cases. The cylinder throats are never uniform out of the box, theres always a minor variance all 6 or 8.
The bullets launching in and sizing sown before it hits the forcing cone. Get one thats smaller than the rest and its really hammering in there you get groups all over the place.
If you have the cash and can do it yourself, pick up one of these with the pilots, or bring it somewhere that can do it.
Mark each cylinder 1-6, then fit the pilots in and record it. You'd be surprised how much variation there is.
Oh boy. I've heard if this process in other revolver forums. I'd like to get the most out of my revolvers but not sure I could bring myself to trying this.....I'm not exactly the most mechanically inclined.......putting my rcbs turret together last week was an adventure 😂
 
Bangin away at a plate rack at the range.
I can hear the hits, but the plates ain’t movin.
Figured my loads were weaksauce.
Wrong.
Hinges are full of lead.
Dug this out. Went to the other bays and cleaned those out as well.
Never turn down free lead.
Next time i’ll bring a pickaxe and a mule.

EFD6B702-4CA4-48A4-87BB-E0A035AAE419.jpeg
 
Sorted a large coffee can of 45acp brass.....mixed small and large primer. Set another batch of 357 mag to tumble.....loaded up 90 rounds of 45acp bullseye loads for my wife......she's got a membership to the club now so she can try bullseye league......reset the dies to start running some 30 carbine and turned my son loose on that......bad news is half the brass is over 1.29 and will need to be trimmed but he got 100 sized and primed.....tomorrow he will load them up.
 
New to reloading, I started in March, I graduated from a Lee hand priming tool to a safety prime mounted on my press today. After priming a few dozen 41 mag cases with Fed Gold Medal I was very impressed and hope the CCI and Remington primers I have for other cals behave as well. With the hand primer I managed to bugger up enough cases to invest in a universal decapper die
 
Testing primers with 2400 in 357. Loaded up 5 each CCI 500, 550, 400, and Federal 200 with 14.2 grains and 158g Speer 4211 JHP. I wonder if Ramshot, being a ball powder, may be more sensitive to primers than an extruded powder like 2400. I guess I'll find out.
Federal small pistol magnum primers definitely get along with Alliant 2400 better than Ramshot Enforcer.

Had some trouble with the chrono starting out. Took the screens off and it started reading okay.

I ran each round through the same chamber in the cylinder, to eliminate differences in how each chamber is reamed. I think I have one that's reamed a little long and gives lower velocity than the other 5.

500 small pistol: no data, felt and sounded normal. On a different day and running Zero jacketed soft nose 158 grain bullets, I got this:
1125, 1101, 1127, 1105, 1097, avg 1111, es 30, sd 14
550 small pistol magnum: (no data first round), 1152, 1183, 1108,1141, avg 1146, es 75, sd 30
400 small rifle: 1158, 1175, 1150, 1158, 1190, avg 1166, es 40, sd 16
200 Fed small pistol magnum: 1106, 1113, 1098, 1149, 1177, avg 1128, es 79, sd 33

But check this out. L-R 500, 550, 400, 200. I think I'm probably done running CCI 500s with 2400.

IMGP9369.JPG
 
Federal small pistol magnum primers definitely get along with Alliant 2400 better than Ramshot Enforcer.

Had some trouble with the chrono starting out. Took the screens off and it started reading okay.

I ran each round through the same chamber in the cylinder, to eliminate differences in how each chamber is reamed. I think I have one that's reamed a little long and gives lower velocity than the other 5.

500 small pistol: no data, felt and sounded normal. On a different day and running Zero jacketed soft nose 158 grain bullets, I got this:
1125, 1101, 1127, 1105, 1097, avg 1111, es 30, sd 14
550 small pistol magnum: (no data first round), 1152, 1183, 1108,1141, avg 1146, es 75, sd 30
400 small rifle: 1158, 1175, 1150, 1158, 1190, avg 1166, es 40, sd 16
200 Fed small pistol magnum: 1106, 1113, 1098, 1149, 1177, avg 1128, es 79, sd 33

But check this out. L-R 500, 550, 400, 200. I think I'm probably done running CCI 500s with 2400.

View attachment 704952
Nice. Good to see some data on using various primers. I use CCI/Win/Fed SPP interchangeably with my 2400 357 mag loads. Never chronoed each.
 
New to reloading, I started in March, I graduated from a Lee hand priming tool to a safety prime mounted on my press today. After priming a few dozen 41 mag cases with Fed Gold Medal I was very impressed and hope the CCI and Remington primers I have for other cals behave as well. With the hand primer I managed to bugger up enough cases to invest in a universal decapper die
What press are you using?
 
Quick review of my rcbs turret after running a few hundred rounds through it. The turret itself is solid and precise. Turning the head by hand doesn't take any longer than the Lee that auto indexed to the next head. All of this is good stuff. The priming system however.....sucks ass......when pulling the knob back to pickup a new primer it's not smooth at all and you have to wiggle it sometimes to get it to cycle. Worse than the primer pickup is the spent primer disposal.......the black primer collection container doesn't sit well in the holes that are provided.......and the "gate" that is supposed to move back and forth to force the spent primers out of the channel into the black collection container sometimes doesn't move over after priming sending the next spent primer bouncing around the bench.....2 times sending a spent primer down the channel below the ram which jammed the ram
..... which took me 10 minutes fishing the spent primer out with a cleaning pick. The 3rd time I pulled out the primer anvil and pieces of the primer.......one small piece of the primer remained jammed which made the ram lift sticky.......took me 45 minutes to finally fish out the pieces of the spent primer. So far....... i am not impressed.
 
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I was gifted a Lee classic turret this spring...... and I am constantly finding spent primers everywhere
I just "graduated" from the Lee classic turret to a rcbs turret my son got me for Christmas. So far I absolutely hate the priming system. Read my issues above. I liked the Lee turret but it wore out quickly. The rcbs I have feels like it'll last a lifetime compared to the lee......but the priming system is just f***ing awful.
 
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