What did you load or shoot today?

[RangeJunkie]

Reporting back from today. Put 277/277 down range today with 0 issues!

I'm pretty satisfies considering I had no loading experience prior to this and setup everything myself. During loading tonight (~200 rounds) I crushes 2 primers into the case and had one that didn't seat at all (pretty sure that was my fault). I believe it's just a consistency issue with me being so new to it all. Other than that great first day on my newest addiction!

FWIW the press I am using is a Dillon 650, mounted to a bench I made which is more than solid for it's use.

 

[Slow Hand]

Loading up some heavy .45 S&W loads for my new Ruger flat top .45 convertible. Loading my hand cast 454424's both solid and hollow points over charges of unique, lil gun, and HS-6. Nothing like load experimentation via SWAG! Probably be a few weeks before I can shoots them but am definately looking forward to testing the new Ruger out!

 

[Skip]

Loading up some heavy .45 S&W loads for my new Ruger flat top .45 convertible. Loading my hand cast 454424's both solid and hollow points over charges of unique, lil gun, and HS-6. Nothing like load experimentation via SWAG! Probably be a few weeks before I can shoots them but am definately looking forward to testing the new Ruger out!

I love to experiment!

One thing I am not going to do though, use Lil' Gun in a revolver.

Bob Baker from Freedom Arms has put out that they had to replace barrels prematurely and the only common denominator is Lil' Gun. I use it a lot in 357Mag loads, they just go in a Marlin 1894 is all!

 

[Slow Hand]

I've heard of it eroding throats on rifles and forcing cones on rifles; is this what was reported? I shoot a lot of it behind heavy bullets in my Rossi .357 and my heavy hunting load in a heavily modified NMBH.

 

[Skip]

Forcing cones on rifles? Maybe if your rifle is a Governor or a Circuit Judge.

This is all with revolvers. Freedom Arms makes the HUGE caliber monsters in 5 shot variety based on single action design. Some say they are the absolute best at that platform. Not sure about that but......

No revolvers & Lil' Gun for this ole boy. If you do a web search, "freedom arms and Lil' Gun", it will turn up an article by the owner of the company where he talks about his findings.

FWIW

 

[Broom_jm]

Well now, the SAAMI spec calls for a forcing cone on 357 Magnum chambers, so if you get one for a T/C Contender or H&R single-shot, yeah...you just might have a forcing cone in your rifle. This is one reason why stretching 'em out to 357MAX is such a good idea; you can largely eliminate that silliness.

Today I loaded up my first batch of 380 ACP. I used Magtech cases ( ) with CCI small pistol primers. I seated 90gr Sierra JHP bullets over a smidgeon of Alliant Power Pistol. Made 5 test rounds that hit the pie plate and slid the slide, so I threw together another 95. These are for the wife's gun and she'll shoot most of those tomorrow, I'm guessing.

Interesting challenge with these tiny cases. The powder charge is so small, yet so critical. Also, the seating depth is VERY important. The entire range with this powder, from min to max, is only like half a grain, so getting the tube to drop it right wasn't easy. I checked frequently, as I went. Fortunately, the bullets and seating die seemed to have an affinity for one another, as getting the precise .925" cartridge OAL was not tough at all.

Anybody else out there masochistic enough to reload 380?

 

[Slow Hand]

Forcing cones on rifles? Maybe if your rifle is a Governor or a Circuit Judge.

This is all with revolvers. Freedom Arms makes the HUGE caliber monsters in 5 shot variety based on single action design. Some say they are the absolute best at that platform. Not sure about that but......

No revolvers & Lil' Gun for this ole boy. If you do a web search, "freedom arms and Lil' Gun", it will turn up an article by the owner of the company where he talks about his findings.

FWIW

It's been a long day....

I've handled and fired quite a few FA revolvers. I'd say they are definitely the best 'production' revolvers out there. Now when you get into real customs revolvers guys like Bowen and Linebaugh are really amazing. I've been lucky enough to play with some really special guns thanks to some freinds with good tastes! I'll do a bit of searching and see what Mr Baker is talking about.

 

[Skip]

I have loaded 380 for more than a few years now. Long before it became vogue to do so. It seems that the advent of the LCP and other recent light weight configurations that fire that round has really sparked intrest in reloading that caliber.

As a matter of fact, locally, 380 ammo about 6 months ago, would have brought about twice what it should have, if the seller was of the mindset to make some money.

If I have the firearm, I reload for it. Most of them, the 9mm and 380 excluded, get cast bullets 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the time that come from the garage!

 

[Skip]

Oh, and actually, in the publication for RIFLES, here: http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/206.pdf, there is no specification for one chambered in 357Mag. Since that is so, there can be no diffinitive answer as to whether a chamber has a forcing cone or not in a rifle. No standard = anything goes.

Some may, some may not.

Now, there is a standard for the 44Mag in a rifle. Gotta do a bit of digging there. I need the info for a project to 445 Super Mag!

 

[Skip]

And in the #205 publication, here: http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/205.pdf
On page #43, there is a drawing of a forcing cone there, since for the most part it is a revolver round, but no dimensions are given for that. Again, in my experience with standards compliance, where the rules are silent, anything goes!

Well, almost anything!

 

[Slow Hand]

That drawing looks like its for a revolver cylinder and barrel. You can see the stepped down cylinder mouths and the forcing cone in the barrel. Normally the area between the chamber and rifling in a rifle barrel is referred to as a leade or throat. I know some lever actions don't want to work with LFN or WFN styles of bullets from LBT moulds. My NEI mould that casts a 195 gr swc-gc bullet has had no issues in my Rossi.

 

[direland]

500 rds 40 S&W, 800 rds 9mm (Major)/ Will finish 400 rds of 9mm (Major) tomorrow then practise. Love this weather.

 

[Broom_jm]

Oh, and actually, in the publication for RIFLES, here: http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/206.pdf, there is no specification for one chambered in 357Mag. Since that is so, there can be no diffinitive answer as to whether a chamber has a forcing cone or not in a rifle. No standard = anything goes.

Some may, some may not.

Now, there is a standard for the 44Mag in a rifle. Gotta do a bit of digging there. I need the info for a project to 445 Super Mag!

Are you suggesting chamber dimensions are different based on whether it is fed into a pistol or a rifle?

The reason many carbines and rifles, in 357 Magnum, have a forcing cone is because that is what the specification calls for, irrespective of the barrel length. I agree that some do not, but a LOT of them do.

.357 Rem. Max. Chamber Throats

 

[Skip]

Slow,
How is the other end of your chamber? The Puma I have is VERY generous in it's 45Colt one.

In fact, if you "juice" the loads to where you really get awesome performance, they tend to get kind of "Glocked" if you know what I mean!

 

[Slow Hand]

I've pushed it near max with Lil Gun and the aforementioned 195gr bullet and have had no issues with bulging. This is an older Rossi, and I've been very happy with it.

 

[RangeJunkie]

500 rds 40 S&W, 800 rds 9mm (Major)/ Will finish 400 rds of 9mm (Major) tomorrow then practise. Love this weather.

Nice! I'm sure I'll hear gunfire in the distance! Haha

 

[Cat-Herder]

I got my daughter to seat gas checks on some .308s I cast up, while I was loading some 38s for plinking next weekend. She's quite an awesome little helper! :-)

 

[Broom_jm]

I got my daughter to seat gas checks on some .308s I cast up, while I was loading some 38s for plinking next weekend. She's quite an awesome little helper! :-)

Very cool, Cat-Herder!

Last night my 10 year-old daughter was priming and charging cases while I seated the bullets. Then she got out the Red Rider and scared the bejeebus out of half a dozen cans!

 

[teddy12b]

Shot: Yesterday was an awesome day at the range. First I was using my mildot scopes as bdc reticles for the first time ever and that was nice. Then we dumped 100 shells through the 12ga shooting clays. About another 50 rounds through the 45acp.

Loaded: Some 223 69gr match loads. 50 down another couple hundred to go.

 

[GLOCKMAN23C]

I started to reload some .45 acp and realized that I cannot find the priming tool for my press. Now hours later, still no tool, and I've managed to annoy the wife, and myself. Doh!