Calibers that go together with reloading like peanut butter and jelly?

[gmerkt]

I don't have any that I "like" to load one more than another. In the past few years, I've greatly simplified the range of what I still load. All the odd-ball and weird cartridges and firearms went away. Now I only load .223 Rem., .308 Win., .30-06, 9mm Luger, .38 Special and .357 Magnum.

The .30-06 effort is hanging by a slender threat, I have only one M1 Rifle left that I shoot that in. I've thought that when all my .30-06 ammo and supplies are gone, I'll let the rifle go. But that may be some time, as I probably have 2,500+ rounds for it. When it goes on a trip to the borrow pit, at most I fire off 100 rounds at a session.

I don't count .45 ACP in my reloading line-up anymore but I still have one .45 automatic. I have about 1,000 rounds of reloads for it, once those are gone, so is the gun. But again, it's going slowly.

It used to be fun to reload obsolete cartridges using substitute or home-made materials. I don't do that anymore but it was enjoyable and satisfying.

One cartridge that I'd never liked the looks or idea of was the .38-40,. or for purists, the .38 WCF. Which uses a .40 bullet. Until I owned a couple of Ruger revolvers made for it. I was able to come up with some very accurate loads, it was comfy to shoot (of course the revolver was hefty), and I never had any of the dreaded problems off-discussed attendant to the WCF line. It was enjoyable to load and shoot.

 

[oremike]

I'd say revolver cartridges are what I like to load the best. 45 Colt being my favorite.

 

[orygun]

Cartridges that are PBJ to me are straight wall pistol cartridges that can be sized with a carbide die. I don't think there's anything easier. Being able to use a progressive loader makes finished rounds flow into the catch pan. It's the easiest and I get great satisfaction out of stacking up the boxes of ammo I made, but I see it as more of a chore, like cutting firewood. I don't dislike it, but I'd rather be doing other things. I will set the machine up and crank out as many rounds as I have components for, doing it for at least two and a half calibers. (45ACP, 38Special/357 MAG)
After that I switch back to my rifle stuff. Twenty rounds of precisely tailored hunting or testing ammo will take as long to assemble as 4-500 hundred handgun rounds, and that's OK.

 

[2ndtimer]

I don't know that I have a favorite. I really enjoy .357 Magnums and .38 Specials because that is what I started with. I load .223's the most because I shoot them the most, both in AR's and bolt guns. They are accurate, economical and amassing a great supply just makes me feel good. Same for 9mm, which I can load the fastest, since the Dillon RL-550B is already set up for it. I also enjoy loading for the .308 Win, both the AR and bolt guns, but probably will cut back on that one, since my son's long range bolt gun was stolen out of his pickup a few months ago. It was a Savage 12 FV in a chassis with a Bushnell Elite scope. Here is a pic:

If anyone happens to see it, let me know.

 

[ma96782]

What calibers do you enjoy reloading and why?

Maybe....say it this way......

A straight walled case (normally a pistol round) is usually easier to reload.

Vs.

The typical bottle necked cartridge (normally the rifle rounds). Yeah, more case prep steps and exacting headspace requirements, etc...

So then......I'm lazy.

Aloha, Mark

 

[ageingstudent]

Some calibers aren't as fun to reload as others. Some are quite enjoyable.

I'm likely going to eliminate 38/357 or severely reduce my need to reload and or have that much of that caliber and I'm interested in adding another caliber in its absence.

So….

What calibers do you enjoy reloading and why?

Thanks!

Reno

I don't know brother, I don't think I have ever enjoyed a more versatile cartridge than .357/.38 because you can also shoot some of those bullets in 9mm. Handguns and carbines all using same bullets and tons of profiles...can also size those projectiles to .352 in a step or two and shoot them in a .351wsl if you can find a 1907 Winchester. You can usually find projectiles in the .358 .357 caliber fairly easily and not as expensive. I make my own but whenever I'm looking around I can usually find them. I don't think I've ever seen more versatility than 38/357. As far as a handgun cartridge anyway.

Edit...also making shot charges for them is kinda fun and useful. They will knock a rat on his arse and not wreck your sheetrock or siding.

 

[P7M13]

Edit...also making shot charges for them is kinda fun and useful. They will knock a rat on his arse and not wreck your sheetrock or siding.

Do tell!

 

[ageingstudent]

Do tell!

Okay...back when I lived out in Fairview we had the odd rat running around because my neighbor was messy with pet food outside. I was reloading one fall night with the man door open and suddenly felt "watched". I looked behind me and there was a big rat standing on his back legs sniffing at my garage. The M36 was already loaded with shot and sitting by the vibratory cleaner on the bench...dropped him right in the doorway and the stray shot didn't even Penetrate the cedar siding on the house.

 

[P7M13]

Okay...back when I lived out in Fairview we had the odd rat running around because my neighbor was messy with pet food outside. I was reloading one fall night with the man door open and suddenly felt "watched". I looked behind me and there was a big rat standing on his back legs sniffing at my garage. The M36 was already loaded with shot and sitting by the vibratory cleaner on the bench...dropped him right in the doorway and the stray shot didn't even Penetrate the cedar siding on the house.

Excellent -- what was the load?
Sure, I could search, but why bother when I know your knowledge runs deep. Mine would be in a GP100.

 

[RVTECH]

I looked behind me and there was a big rat standing on his back legs sniffing at my garage.

Reminds me of an afternoon when I was living in Redmond, OR (west of town out of city limits) and my then wife said there is a BIG RAT on the windowsill on the front deck outside looking in - so I put a CB cap in my Marlin 39, walked around the house and saw it on the edge of the deck and sent it flying.

So I noticed it was two tone, and didn't actually look 'wild' (knowing also rats are NOT 'indigenous' to the Redmond area), I called the DF&G then next day for some input.

I explained what I did and the first questions were what color was the rat and was it's tail 'slick' or hair covered?

Well, I answered a two tone white and brown and it was definitely slick tail as I picked it up by the tail and flung it out into the pasture.

His answer was 'well I have some good and bad news' to which I asked him to tell me - first was he said good news is there are in fact no indigenous wild rats in the Redmond area - Bad news was he said I think you shot a kid's pet rat that got away - a wild rat would never jump up on a windowsill and look in unless it was familiar with people and was probably wanting in......

 

[ageingstudent]

Excellent -- what was the load?
Sure, I could search, but why bother when I know your knowledge runs deep. Mine would be in a GP100.

700x and hp38 work well. 5 gr hp38 IIRC? #8 shot works well I think the shot charge is 95-100 gr. It's not a high pressure load so you really don't have to worry. It does make a little noise. From the outside of the garage it's just sounds like a nail gun. I usually use a mixed shot load. Anything from number 5 through number 9 haha. If you want any more details I'll look it up. It's a handy load for Critters in town when you don't want the police to show up. I would say the effective range is Maybe 8 yd. I also notice the pattern benefits from a shorter Barrel because the shot experiences less spinning I think from the rifling. Too much rifling makes donut-shaped patterns.

 

[ageingstudent]

700x and hp38 work well. 5 gr hp38 IIRC? #8 shot works well I think the shot charge is 95-100 gr. It's not a high pressure load so you really don't have to worry. It does make a little noise. From the outside of the garage it's just sounds like a nail gun. I usually use a mixed shot load. Anything from number 5 through number 9 haha. If you want any more details I'll look it up. It's a handy load for Critters in town when you don't want the police to show up. I would say the effective range is Maybe 8 yd. I also notice the pattern benefits from a shorter Barrel because the shot experiences less spinning I think from the rifling. Too much rifling makes donut-shaped patterns.

By the way that's another great thing about the 38/357. It's much easier to make a shot cartridge for a revolver. .44 would be no different except lots more shot and maybe louder haha.

 

[ageingstudent]

Reminds me of an afternoon when I was living in Redmond, OR (west of town out of city limits) and my then wife said there is a BIG RAT on the windowsill on the front deck outside looking in - so I put a CB cap in my Marlin 39, walked around the house and saw it on the edge of the deck and sent it flying.

So I noticed it was two tone, and didn't actually look 'wild' (knowing also rats are NOT 'indigenous' to the Redmond area), I called the DF&G then next day for some input.

I explained what I did and the first questions were what color was the rat and was it's tail 'slick' or hair covered?

Well, I answered a two tone white and brown and it was definitely slick tail as I picked it up by the tail and flung it out into the pasture.

His answer was 'well I have some good and bad news' to which I asked him to tell me - first was he said good news is there are in fact no indigenous wild rats in the Redmond area - Bad news was he said I think you shot a kid's pet rat that got away - a wild rat would never jump up on a windowsill and look in unless it was familiar with people and was probably wanting in......

No lack of indigenous rats in East County

 

[Ruger Rich]

None. I give them green paper, they give me boolits. Worked thus far.

Believe ya brother .Wasn't always that way but factory loads nowadays kick azz. But hand rolling is
also cool especially now with store ammo being skinny. But so are hand loading ingredients.

 

[Member 34319]

Besides my continued search to find another fun one, I'll add this to the thread.

The ones I really enjoyed thus far were.

10mm. Pushing heavy stuff to ridiculous speeds was a fun challenge. Making ammo that manufacturers are not allowed to because of lawyers…

300 blackout. Whether trying to get 30-30 level speeds or 45acp weight/speeds it's a fun one to tinker with.

223 and 308 were fun getting both to 1000. 223 gets extra perks for getting small and light stuff to crazy barrel burning speeds.

 

[Ben B.]

Except for the thrice-accursed small primer brass pickups, .45 acp is soooo easy to reload. .38 Spcl is also purt daggone easy.

Rifle brass prep is such a colossal PITA. The accuracy results are worth it but…daaaaang, I hate brass prep.

 

[kmk1012]

I have to agree with straight wall pistol rounds. I went through some very skinny financial times over the years and had the benefit of working for Les Schwab at the time, free lead, primers were cheap, and using Unique for almost everything I was able to shoot large volumes for about 3-4 cents each round! Now I don't cast anymore but still have about as much lead as my old half ton pickup would haul.

 

[tac]

Well, folks, I may have written all this before, but I reload EVERYTHING, or cast it, except, 'course, .22 rimfire.

So that's - in descending order of calibre -

TWO different .577 Snider - a real load and a guest-day load [hereafter referred to as GDL]
Two different .45-70 - ditto
Two different 7.5x55 Swiss - ditto
Three different .308Win - ditto plus my competition load
Two different 7x57 - ditto
ONE only 6.5x55 SE
Two different .38Spec/357Mag for me - nobody but me is permitted to shoot my cartridge-firing handgun.
Cast for Snider
Cast for .58cal
Cast for .45-70
Cast for .451 Whitworth
Cast for .457 Ruger Old Army
But buy for .38cal - really cheap here and very good.

Once upon a time and long ago it was a different story, but most of my handguns were .44cal, 9mmP or .357Mag.

 

[P7M13]

Well, folks, I may have written all this before, but I reload EVERYTHING, or cast it, except, 'course, .22 rimfire.

So that's - in descending order of calibre -

TWO different .577 Snider - a real load and a guest-day load [hereafter referred to as GDL]
Two different .45-70 - ditto
Two different 7.5x55 Swiss - ditto
Three different .308Win - ditto plus my competition load
Two different 7x57 - ditto
ONE only 6.5x55 SE
Two different .38Spec/357Mag for me - nobody but me is permitted to shoot my cartridge-firing handgun.
Cast for Snider
Cast for .58cal
Cast for .45-70
Cast for .451 Whitworth
Cast for .457 Ruger Old Army
But buy for .38cal - really cheap here and very good.

Once upon a time and long ago it was a different story, but most of my handguns were .44cal, 9mmP or .357Mag.

That's a lot of certificates there, sir! (Forget the correct term....)

 

[tac]

That's a lot of certificates there, sir! (Forget the correct term....)

I've just the one - everything is on it, including ammunition.....it's called a Firearms Certificate - FAC for short. I have just twenty-three entries on it. Many of my shooting buddies here have fifty or more. This is not quite the 'gun desert' that many of you imagine it to be.

However, over in the Republic of Ireland, a place I've never heard ANY of you criticise, EVERY gun has its own FAC. And everything over 1 Joule is classed as an FAC. All empty cases are counted as live rounds And airgun pellets are FAC items, just like regular ammunition.

NO reloading, except for the elite members of the national squad, and even then, in a bunker, with security, at one location. Just 40-something people out of the 125,000 gun owners...no Black Powder guns of any kind, BTW. The country's Explosives Act does not mention propellants, having been written in the late 1880s, before nitro powder became commonplace.

There's a lot more than that, too, but I'd hate to ruin any illusions you might have about the place..........................