What did you do in the reloading room recently?

Nice - 2400 is fun & snappy no doubt., and yes on the N frame. :D

My latest chrono data (.44 mag "lite") shows 15.3 gn 2400 w/ a 240 gn LSWC (Hi-Tek coated) had a mean right at 900 fps over 24 shots (629 w/2-5/8"). I hope to do the same set with the 329PD shortly. Accuracy was also pretty good - hitting 10" gongs ~4/5 at 50'

Our local shop here just got a big Alliant delivery, so I snagged a few bottles of 2400 before they 'evaporated'.
 
quiller said:
I found the idea online but made a few improvements. Look at the photos and ask questions if you need more information.

1. Remove the bowl from the brass tumbler and bolt on a bucket. I used an old tile grout bucket, not a 5 gallon, but a 5 gallon will work.
2. Cut the top rim off 2 other 5 gallon buckets. If you use Home Depot buckets just cut off 1.75” or just below the second rim. Theses will be used as spacers.
3. Cut the bottom out of the black sorter and rivet in the .380 aluminum case sorter plate. Sold separately but a must have.
4. Rivet the 5 gallon rim tops spacers onto the tops of the black and blue sorter.
5. Drill a bunch of 5/16” holes in the bottom of one of the buckets you cut the rim off and use it for catching all the .22, .380. I added a few drawer pulls I had laying around so I could remove it easier. The other bucket bottom will catch any dirt the falls through. Doing this prevents stuff from gathering in the bottom of the bucket you bolted onto the tumbler….another must have.

I’ll be happy to demonstrate if anyone wants to come visit me in Harvard MA. Happy sorting!
Click to expand...

I like that, a lot.

Thanks.
 
andrew1220 said:
Damn. What you using for powder in those?
Click to expand...
Unique in the 38
2400 in the 357
Unique in the 45-70

p.. said:
What do you use for a resizing and lubing press?

I'm trying to imagine what it's like running those 38s through an airweight. My thumb hurts already. :)

How does the 3 ball round group?
Click to expand...

I use a Star lube sizer.

The 38s are surprisingly mild. Even out of the 442
IIRC this load zipped through 32” of gel too.

The 3 balls pattern pretty well. At about 25 yards they’re 3” or so apart.
At 50 yards they would all be on the torso.
At about 900 FPS it’s like getting shot by a Colt walker 3 times.
 
dhuze said:
I have a box of .45's marked very similar.

I was cranking out rounds on a progressive and forgot about watching the powder. Somewhere along the way I ran out but kept loading. I started to pull them, but got sick of that real quick so I just put them in a box and marked them accordingly. I think there's less than 50 finallly.
Click to expand...
Could you just weight them? I used to weigh all my rounds when I was new at it, only takes a second, was a good fail safe for me..
 
TZCHRIS said:
Could you just weight them? I used to weigh all my rounds when I was new at it, only takes a second, was a good fail safe for me..
Click to expand...
Works OK with heavy powder charges, e.g. 44 magnum with H110, but bullet and brass weights can combine to muddy the waters when there's only like 5 grains of powder that's supposed to be in there. Probably you can find some empties at the bottom of the weight distribution. But ultimately there's only two ways to be sure.
 
meh said:
Works OK with heavy powder charges, e.g. 44 magnum with H110, but bullet and brass weights can combine to muddy the waters when there's only like 5 grains of powder that's supposed to be in there. Probably you can find some empties at the bottom of the weight distribution. But ultimately there's only two ways to be sure.
Click to expand...
good point, I only load 5.56 so I have not run into this, TY.
 
gerrycaruso said:
The 15 grain load shot the best and velocity is about 950 fps out of a 3" model 24. It's dead on at 10 yards but I had to hold on the cross bar above the plate to hit at 100. I'll try 20 grains out of an 8 3/8" model 29 .44 magnum tomorrow.
Click to expand...
I suspect you'll be around 1100 fps with 20gn - getting close to the published "max". No problem with an N-frame. I always like 25-30' with the .44 - seems like you can adjust for trajectory for just about any load in just a few shots. We have a 12" gong at PSC which makes it easy ! :D
 
TZCHRIS said:
Could you just weight them? I used to weigh all my rounds when I was new at it, only takes a second, was a good fail safe for me..
Click to expand...
It was actually the first thing I did.
It is all mixed cases. Even cases from the same batch will have variances. The same goes for plated lead bullets. Combine the two and I'm not finding 5 grain differences I found differences, but some I pulled had powder . I even took a bunch off the top to start with, because I knew for certain those were empty.
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
View attachment 508399100 - 215 grain bullets for the 38
100 - 170 grain bullets for the 357
50 - 3X round ball loads for the 45-70

Kept me busy yesterday.
Click to expand...

Have you tried 215's in a .357 levergun?
Because now I have to try 215's in .38 in the 627 and .357's in a levergun.
Goddam you.
 
TrashcanDan said:
Have you tried 215's in a .357 levergun?
Because now I have to try 215's in .38 in the 627 and .357's in a levergun.
Goddam you.
Click to expand...
Hahah.
One issue is length. These suckers will not cycle in my Marlin 1894 or Uberti 1873.
My guess is you can load them short in the too crimp groove but now you’re playing with some serious pressures and loads need to be reduced.
When I get a chance I’m going to ask @1919FAN to run some quick load on that bullet for me.
 
TrashcanDan said:
Have you tried 215's in a .357 levergun?
Because now I have to try 215's in .38 in the 627 and .357's in a levergun.
Goddam you.
Click to expand...
Michael J. Spangler said:
Hahah.
One issue is length. These suckers will not cycle in my Marlin 1894 or Uberti 1873.
My guess is you can load them short in the too crimp groove but now you’re playing with some serious pressures and loads need to be reduced.
When I get a chance I’m going to ask @1919FAN to run some quick load on that bullet for me.
Click to expand...

Look's like the COAL is nearly 1.66" in the 38 special as it is, and if you switch to .357M brass, moving to the foremost crimp groove exactly compensates for the longer brass, bringing you right back to just under 1.66". That dog just ain't gonna hunt in most .357 magnum lever guns. You'd have to load them to the foremost crimp groove in .38 special brass, which leaves you very little room for powder. Could be fun to shoot, but it would have to be a low velocity load, I think.
 
meh said:
Look's like the COAL is nearly 1.66" in the 38 special as it is, and if you switch to .357M brass, moving to the foremost crimp groove exactly compensates for the longer brass, bringing you right back to just under 1.66". That dog just ain't gonna hunt in most .357 magnum lever guns. You'd have to load them to the foremost crimp groove in .38 special brass, which leaves you very little room for powder. Could be fun to shoot, but it would have to be a low velocity load, I think.
Click to expand...
Actually, it looks kind of doable. If I've got the data punched in right, Gordon's seems to think that in a 20" barrel you could get them going to 1280fps @32K psi loaded to 1.53" COAL over 2400. That's with a full but uncompressed load of 2400. At around 20K PSI, you can get them going 1130 fps, which is about the speed of sound. With Unique, you're looking at 960fps @20K psi, about 1100fps @32K psi. I'd probably go with a Unique load since I enjoy shooting heavy-for-caliber bullets subsonic, and my experience with downloadable magnum powders at lower pressures hasn't been that encouraging.
 
meh said:
Look's like the COAL is nearly 1.66" in the 38 special as it is, and if you switch to .357M brass, moving to the foremost crimp groove exactly compensates for the longer brass, bringing you right back to just under 1.66". That dog just ain't gonna hunt in most .357 magnum lever guns. You'd have to load them to the foremost crimp groove in .38 special brass, which leaves you very little room for powder. Could be fun to shoot, but it would have to be a low velocity load, I think.
Click to expand...

meh said:
Actually, it looks kind of doable. If I've got the data punched in right, Gordon's seems to think that in a 20" barrel you could get them going to 1280fps @32K psi loaded to 1.53" COAL over 2400. That's with a full but uncompressed load of 2400. At around 20K PSI, you can get them going 1130 fps, which is about the speed of sound. With Unique, you're looking at 960fps @20K psi, about 1100fps @32K psi. I'd probably go with a Unique load since I enjoy shooting heavy-for-caliber bullets subsonic, and my experience with downloadable magnum powders at lower pressures hasn't been that encouraging.
Click to expand...
The driving band is pretty substantial from top to bottom crimp groove. More so than something like the 358156 so deep seating in a 357 might actually produce a shorter length.
I’ll load one up tonight to check.


Does Gordon’s tool offer pre loaded common bullet designs by manufacturer?
 

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