What did you reload today?

[Newberg]

Had a couple boxes of Remington small pistol primers, and decided to give them a go.

I loaded up 200rnds of 38spl 158grn LSWC.

I changed things up and decides to use some of my A#2 since I have ~6lbs left and don't use it often.

Decided to load these warmer at 4grns. Still well under +P pressures.

My Dillon SQDB was great, no dumped primers or powder today.

I also ran another 100rnds of the same load using CCI SP primers since I was in a groove.

So all in all, 300rnds went by fast!

I did find plenty of 38spl case length differences, something I don't usually notice, but many cases had slight variations in height like they stretched unevenly over time. I may do an unnecessary trim run on a 100 cases to see how uniform I can get them, and if it really even matters.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I had some time yesterday to complete the fine-tuning for the .357 on the AP. I took it slow and was happy with the results after 45 rounds completed. Faster and more accurate with the seating depth than the turret press.
I primed"on the press"!!!
Ingredients were 158g Nosler HP's, Genix SPP's, 5.9g TiteGroup, a mild crimp & an OAL of 1.580+/-

 

[oremike]

I'll be finishing up the last of the 125gr TC Blue Bullets 9mm then a short run of 125gr RN 28 Special for stock. Then some 32-20 for a customer. Bullets for 45 Colt, 38 Super, 9mm sub sonic and more 38 Special all due next week. Waiting for Starline to ship 44 Mag Brass so that's still out a but.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Heading out soon to test out some .357 loads, what a NICE DAY!!!

 

[Caveman Jim]

I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful afternoon/evening to get to the pit and put some rounds through the S&W model 13-1, such a sweet shooting pistol.
And it's obvious that my young neighbor thinks it's cool too, here's his first two 6 shot groups, he only missed one round, and he also digs the speed loaders.

This is now on my go to load for .357, I'm gonna load the 500 Nosler HP's with this recipe.
5.9g TiteGroup, CCI 550 SPMP, Nosler 158g HP's OAL: 1.580+/-
Another load that I had made up for the 160g lead coated bullets made by our own Mr. @agingstudent. It shot so well and as accurate as the Nosler HP's.
5g TiteGroup, S&B SPP's, 160g lead coated bullets & OAL: 1.585+/-

 

[2ndtimer]

Should be able to use standard small pistol primers with all your Titegroup loads. Save your magnum primers for W-296/H-110 maximum loads. I have used Titegroup for some 158 gr cast SWC loads in the past. I have replaced it with Ramshot Zip. It gives similar results but seems to not burn nearly as hot as Titegroup.

 

[JJE76]

Ramping up loading before springers are in. Loaded a bunch of 45 acp 230 gr rmr over 5.3 Vv n320. Debating on more tomorrow or go chase a ghost springer.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Should be able to use standard small pistol primers with all your Titegroup loads. Save your magnum primers for W-296/H-110 maximum loads. I have used Titegroup for some 158 gr cast SWC loads in the past. I have replaced it with Ramshot Zip. It gives similar results but seems to not burn nearly as hot as Titegroup.

I will not load 357 close to max loads, I just won't do it due to my arthritis.
I reserve my W-296/H-110 for 300 blackout loading.

 

[Mikej]

I will not load 357 close to max loads, I just won't do it due to my arthritis.
I reserve my W-296/H-110 for 300 blackout loading.

Just as another point of reference, the Speer 14 book shows no .357 mag handgun loads using Titegroup. And the Lyman 49 book shows no Titegroup loads and all .357 mag handgun loads using a mag primer.
just another reference. Not suggesting there's anything wrong with anyone's choice of powder for any cartridge.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Just as another point of reference, the Speer 14 book shows no .357 mag handgun loads using Titegroup. And the Lyman 49 book shows no Titegroup loads and all .357 mag handgun loads using a mag primer.
just another reference. Not suggesting there's anything wrong with anyone's choice of powder for any cartridge.

Well, I mustn't have looked in any of those hoity-toity books I guess.
I use the old Lee loading book I got with my old turret press that was probably written back at the turn of the century. It definitely has loads for 357 and TiteGroup and that works well for me.

 

[washagonian]

I will definitely be keeping the Lee factory crimp dies!!!

Lee factory crimp dies are a life-saver (and time-saver, feed-saver, stuck-chamber saver and failure-to-chamber saver).

I use them to put a heavy crimp (and simultaneously resize the case for a second time) on my 357 mag and 38 spl rounds that I use in my lever action rifle. It needs rounds with a heavy crimp to feed reliably.

Also, I use the 380 ACP, 40 S&W and 45 ACP Lee factory crimp dies with the Lee Bulge Buster Kit to take out the base bulges in those cases - which is problematic for those calibers when shot from an unsupported chamber (like a Glock).

Gotta love those dies.

 

[ageingstudent]

Well, I mustn't have looked in any of those hoity-toity books I guess.
I use the old Lee loading book I got with my old turret press that was probably written back at the turn of the century. It definitely has loads for 357 and TiteGroup and that works well for me.

Not this century...you old fart

1950s or 60s I think.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Lee factory crimp dies are a life-saver (and time-saver, feed-saver, stuck-chamber saver and failure-to-chamber saver).

I use them to put a heavy crimp (and simultaneously resize the case for a second time) on my 357 mag and 38 spl rounds that I use in my lever action rifle. It needs rounds with a heavy crimp to feed reliably.

Also, I use the 380 ACP, 40 S&W and 45 ACP Lee factory crimp dies with the Lee Bulge Buster Kit to take out the base bulges in those cases - which is problematic for those calibers when shot from an unsupported chamber (like a Glock).

Gotta love those dies.

While sorting through pistol brass if I see any that have a belly on them they go into the recycle bucket.

 

[ageingstudent]

While sorting through pistol brass if I see any that have a belly on them they go into the recycle bucket.

There's often an edge from the supported part of the chamber right in front of that belly. It makes me nervous and I don't like it so I scrap it. It's probably just a crease but it's difficult to tell if it's an actual split or crack.

 

[Caveman Jim]

There's often an edge from the supported part of the chamber right in front of that belly. It makes me nervous and I don't like it so I scrap it. It's probably just a crease but it's difficult to tell if it's an actual split or crack.

Yep, If it looks the least amount of suspect it gets tossed like this.

 

[bpyycpyy]

Well, I mustn't have looked in any of those hoity-toity books I guess.
I use the old Lee loading book I got with my old turret press that was probably written back at the turn of the century. It definitely has loads for 357 and TiteGroup and that works well for me.

Apparently your referring to OLD books chiseled into stone is OK as Hodgdon website lists TiteGroup OK for several 357 magnum pistol loads, from light to heavy bullet weights.

 

[ageingstudent]

Apparently your referring to OLD books chiseled into stone is OK as Hodgdon website lists TiteGroup OK for several 357 magnum pistol loads, from light to heavy bullet weights.

View attachment 1845384

He's got the beard of Moses for sure

 

[P7M13]

2% needed re-strike with the Glock using the Argentine primers. Not enough for me to be annoyed, but enough for me not to trust them and not buy more.

That's why I prefer pistols with hammers.

They are known to have dimensional issues that require them to be seated entirely down so the primer cup is pressed against the anvil. Many people report missing anvils, but I haven't seen any missing.

There are 2 types, a green box and a white box, both same "Servicios Aventuras".

I've had issues with both, but less issues when I make sure to intentionally seat these "deeper".

It's noticeable most when I was loading 38spl and had many restrikes, I was seating on a Dillon SQDB and may not have been as intentional on seating fully when cranking out the rounds. I now will only use these primers for 9mm until I run-out. At least my AR9 will pop these everytime.

My primer seater will allow me to adjust seating depth, but I found on some rifles, it will take two strikes as the first one will just seat the primer all the way in, the 2nd one engages the anvil. Thus, I just seat all the way in, and no misfires....

 

[ARFrog]

I have been reloading 9mm for almost 3 years now without many real issues until recently. My standard practice was to clean with S/S pins - one wash with Dawn, dump dirty water and repeat using car wash ( I thought I did so because it made the brass lustrous and shiney. ) Three or four months ago I ran out of the car wash and did not replace it since it was winter and I wasn't going to be washing my car in the near future.

Fast forward a couple of months and I started to have problems - 2 or 3 per 50 - where the case would not pass a case gauge. The finished round would sit up about a 3/16" to 4/16" high in the gauge. The downstroke on the Dillon XL 650 was experiencing extra pressure randomly and the problem cases were the end result and needed to be pulled apart and re-ran.

I tried just about everything to solve the problem including:

- tighten all bolts
- tighten the dies
- lube the bottom of the powder funnel - didn't work after 3 or 4 cases
- polish the bottom of the powder funnel
- burnished the bottom of the powder funnel with titanium dioxide

Nothing seemed to work and the problem was getting worse to the extent I was getting about 6 - 8 bad cases per 50 reloaded - definitely no bueno.

So, I called Dillon customer service and after verifying all the tightening and other checks, they asked me the one question that I had not done - did I use any case lube????

Well, no I had not. I mean I had been told it wasn't necessary for 9mm - right??? No, Dillon said I needed to.

So, while being a sceptic, I grabbed my Bootleg Case Lube that I use on rifle brass in my Rockchucker ( https://ultimatereloader.com/2017/05/09/make-your-own-case-lube/ ), put some cases in a gallon plastic bag, added a couple sprays, rolled the cases around, let them air dry, and ran some through the Dillon. EUREKA! It worked great and no more case length sizing issues or downstroke pressure issues. The only additional thing I had to allow for was to make sure the cases were dry such that the powder wasn't clumping on the case walls.

The press issues were eliminated, and the new rounds shot great at the range today - win/win!

After all this was done and finished, I had a "hey dummy" moment''' - strangely standing in the shower of all places...



...when I finally realized that the wax in the car wash had been my lube. When I thought I hadn't been using any lube, I actually in fact had been using a type of lube all along until I stopped when the car wash ran out.

 

[nammac]

He's got the beard of Moses for sure

Ah, but can he strike a stone and get water from it?

The golden calf worshippers want to know.