Pistol Cartidge Reloading - My ongoing Journey

[Scrumbag]

Well my friends,

It’s Friday and I have been popping out to the garage to play about with reloading gizmo’s and such on my journey into reloading pistol cartridges for the first time.

I have for a long time had a Lee turret press but I have only used the turrets to change between calibres rather than for any progressive reloading.

However, this week given how slow I am at reloading “pistol” rounds vs the guys who do it regularly I thought I would automate the turret and see how I do. So, I have set up the 4 hole turret with my Lee 4 die 44 mag / 44 special pistol set

So, I have learnt a few things…

• I’m still not 100% sold on priming on the press and I think for my precision / hunting bottle neck rifle rounds I will still primer using a hand primer but I will persist as it might be just my lack of practice
• I think I’m going to buy a Lee auto drum powder dispenser.
• a. It would seem to be quicker rather than a scoop of powder for each charge (seems to take 2 hands)
• b. You are less likely to forget to charge your case as if you have to remember to
  • i. Place primer on primer arm and seat
  • ii. Manually charge case
  • iii. Put bullet on top of case ready to sea
  • (If I can cut of these steps seems I will be less likely mess-up something)
• c. If you drop a charge through your “charge-through” expander die without raising the ram all the way after priming, it is just a little messy
• I still frickin’ hate handling Unique powder… I swear you look at that stuff and it leaves whatever vessel it is in for somewhere else (Also still not convinced I like how it throws / scoops for volumetric measures)
• I also learned that if you don’t do a full stroke, your load through expander can make any pistol bullet look like it was designed for a weird, big bore Nagant….
• I’m impressed with how clean the Federal 150 primers are vs the small and large Magtech rifle primers I use in bottle neck cartridges… (I wonder if this tells me something…)

So, despite the “learning process”, I did load 50+ rds of 44 special fairly quickly this afternoon and I think it bears working with more. (Unique and 240gr RNFP)

So, next plan of action is:

• Get Lee autodrum (Might pick up a Rifle Charging Die as well, I load a fair bit of .223 Rem with X-terminator and that does very consistent weights volumetrically)
• I’m going to experiment with priming by hand (using RCBS hand primer) and then resizing, expanding etc (For Lee Carbide pistol dies the pin isn’t needed for the case sizing so can set the decapping pin so it doesn’t decap on the up stroke).
• Order up some Hogdgon Universal (Apparently it meters well and is the single base, modern, Unique – which I like how it shoots, but hate how it handles…)

Please chime in with advice, wise cracks, anecdotes or anything else you feel.

Scrummy

 

[Monsai52]

.44 Special is one of my all time favorite handgun cartridges, so much you can do with it from extremely accurate target rounds to pretty heavy thumpers if needed. I've loaded with Unique for 45 Colt and 44 Special for a LONG time, but for my more moderate level loads I switched over to Trail Boss. I think it meters better than Unique, and because it fills the case so much it isn't position sensitive like Unique, and obviously it's impossible to double charge.

I also like using High Tech coated bullets for those calibers that I don't cast for. They're clean to handle, and don't seem to lead the bore. If you're in the U.S. I think that Bayou Bullets are about the best.

Best regards,

 

[Tanks]

I prefer a progressive press. Can reload about 2,500 rounds an hour at a leisurely pace. Bullets are coated lead from SNS casting.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Congratulations, you have entered the realm of building loads that suit you! Not depending on what the store has on the shelf. There is, however, a misconception about reloading & that’s that you will save money. You will not save money, you will spend just as much money, but you will shoot a LOT more for money spent.

 

[Scrumbag]

I prefer a progressive press. Can reload about 2,500 rounds an hour at a leisurely pace. Bullets are coated lead from SNS casting.

Blimey! That’s impressive! I feel happy if I can do a couple a minute…

 

[Scrumbag]

Congratulations, you have entered the realm of building loads that suit you! Not depending on what the store has on the shelf. There is, however, a misconception about reloading & that’s that you will save money. You will not save money, you will spend just as much money, but you will shoot a LOT more for money spent.

Well, we shall see. All good fun as they say. Hoping to load an accurate load in 44 mag for hunting with

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Well, we shall see. All good fun as they say. Hoping to load an accurate load in 44 mag for hunting with

Do not rule out good old 2400 in the Special or Magnum. You don’t need magnum primers with 2400 either. It’s an old powder, but as good today as many newer powders & better than some!

 

[Stephen Ausband]

Another fan of the 44 special here. I use a single-stage press, so reloading is slow, but I enjoy the process. (I have a Dillon SQ-B set up for faster reloading of 38/357, which I shoot more frequently.) My usual load for the 44 special is 6.4 grains of Unique with a hard-cast 240 gr. SWC. It shoots well out of a S&W M24 and a Ruger Blackhawk. Favorite lighter load is with Trail Boss, but I have more Unique on hand than anything else right now, and Trail Boss is a bit pricier.

 

[dchamp]

I recently purchased a Lee 4000 kit with the Auto Drum Powder Measure. I too am new to loading handguns. Overall I like the press. I am most impressed with the auto drum powder measure. It has been very consistent with throwing charges. I am using Titegroup in .38spl.

 

[Scrumbag]

Another fan of the 44 special here. I use a single-stage press, so reloading is slow, but I enjoy the process. (I have a Dillon SQ-B set up for faster reloading of 38/357, which I shoot more frequently.) My usual load for the 44 special is 6.4 grains of Unique with a hard-cast 240 gr. SWC. It shoots well out of a S&W M24 and a Ruger Blackhawk. Favorite lighter load is with Trail Boss, but I have more Unique on hand than anything else right now, and Trail Boss is a bit pricier.

Sounds very like what you would use a 0.7cc scoop to give (by the tables that's 6.4gr)

Sadly we can't get Trail Boss anymore

 

[Scrumbag]

I recently purchased a Lee 4000 kit with the Auto Drum Powder Measure. I too am new to loading handguns. Overall I like the press. I am most impressed with the auto drum powder measure. It has been very consistent with throwing charges.

Good to hear!

 

[dchamp]

@Tanks Have you had any issues with those coated bullets gumming up your handguns any?

 

[Scrumbag]

Do not rule out good old 2400 in the Special or Magnum. You don’t need magnum primers with 2400 either. It’s an old powder, but as good today as many newer powders & better than some!

I do have some of that to hand. Also some Viht N110, H110, VV N105 and Titegroup to try...

 

[Scrumbag]

.44 Special is one of my all time favorite handgun cartridges, so much you can do with it from extremely accurate target rounds to pretty heavy thumpers if needed. I've loaded with Unique for 45 Colt and 44 Special for a LONG time, but for my more moderate level loads I switched over to Trail Boss. I think it meters better than Unique, and because it fills the case so much it isn't position sensitive like Unique, and obviously it's impossible to double charge.

I also like using High Tech coated bullets for those calibers that I don't cast for. They're clean to handle, and don't seem to lead the bore. If you're in the U.S. I think that Bayou Bullets are about the best.

Best regards,

There is a part of me that wonders about VV Tin Star / 32C as it seems quite voluminous... Also we can get it here unlike trail boss

 

[Tanks]

@Tanks Have you had any issues with those coated bullets gumming up your handguns any?

No, and until pandemic I was shooting about 60K through my competition handguns. Most rounds without cleaning is about 400 rounds though. Then, I spray with brake cleaner, run a bore snake through and use a brush at harder to reach places and then lube and put it together.

 

[Monsai52]

@Tanks Have you had any issues with those coated bullets gumming up your handguns any?

I've not used the ones that Tanks mentioned, but I've bought them from Bayou Bullets and Missouri Bullets. They are VERY clean to handle, no residue, no leading. I think they're superior in every way to most regular lubed lead bullets you can purchase. If you're casting and lubing bullets for something like BPCR Silhouette shooting, that would be a different matter.

 

[spike.t]

I prefer a progressive press. Can reload about 2,500 rounds an hour at a leisurely pace. Bullets are coated lead from SNS casting.

Bring it here

 

[Scrumbag]

Bring it here

Carbide dies with 458 win mag sounds interesting

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Sounds very like what you would use a 0.7cc scoop to give (by the tables that's 6.4gr)

Sadly we can't get Trail Boss anymore

Sorry you can’t get Trail Boss anymore. I want to try it for light fun loads in the .44 SpecI’ll.

 

[Scrumbag]

Sorry you can’t get Trail Boss anymore. I want to try it for light fun loads in the .44 SpecI’ll.

Yeah it is much lamented. Can’t get Varget either