New to reloading - most economical calibre

[JB101]

38/357 would be the most economical to load , smaller (cheaper) bullet , less powder as well.
Accuracy wise all capable, at the club I go to most use 38/357 for gallery rifle , some use 44mag down loaded to 44 special velocities so as to not exceed range safety limits ( same with 357 magnum- downloaded) .
Personally I like the 45long Colt , lovely round to use ,but if I was competing in a ' moving' competition it would be 38/357.
With regards loading gear a lee turret press would be a good start , start loading individual rounds and once confident then use the semi auto feature of it .if you find you are shooting a lot hen a progressive press is the way to go,however they can throw a wobbly if you run out of primers or powder.
Re books to get- one or more reloading guides form Sierra or other manufacturers,I always recccomend Hand loading for competition by glen zediker,it primarily applies to rifle cartridges but is applicable to reloading in general.
Not forgetting you tube,whichhas loads of videos on it as well.
Hope this helps
James

[thisisdonald]

Thanks James... lots of food info there.
I'm not too bothered about pennies per round if that's all the difference there is between 38/357 and 44/45 long colt.. I'm more thinking about what is the most fun calibre. We will primarily be shooting local competitions I think..
I've been looking at 1892s. really liking the browning guns. It seems to be the most iconic... I love the original Henry rifle as well which comes in 45 long colt

[angrybear]

I know nothing of the rifles or calibres so can't comment on that side,
but for books there is a series called "one book-one calibre" which as the name suggests you buy for your calibre & it has information from multiple manufacturers of both bullets & powders but only for that cal, rather than a single manufacturer for multiple calibres that you don't have.

[Daryll]

Go for 38/357... they're identical in all respects apart from case length, so a set of dies for 357 will also do 38.... you can then pick and choose which cases to buy, or scrounge, and use them as your starting point.

Something to consider is whether you use 38 cases in a firearm capable of using 357... there is a 1/10 inch difference between the 2 (so you can't load a high pressure 357 round in a 38 revolver, but you can load 38 in a 357 firearm).

If you only use 38 cases, that spare 1/10 of an inch in the chamber will get filled with carbon and lead, so if you eventually want to load some 357 it will be tricky..

Personally, i've only ever used 357 cases for that very reason... you can still load light target loads (3 to 4 gns of a fast pistol powder) in 357 cases.

HTH

[DedIdick]

44 & 45 make bigger holes! Might mean the difference between a 9 & a 10

[loiner1965]

44 & 45 make bigger holes! Might mean the difference between a 9 & a 10

bigger bang too

[DesG]

Go for 38/357... they're identical in all respects apart from case length, so a set of dies for 357 will also do 38.... you can then pick and choose which cases to buy, or scrounge, and use them as your starting point.

Something to consider is whether you use 38 cases in a firearm capable of using 357... there is a 1/10 inch difference between the 2 (so you can't load a high pressure 357 round in a 38 revolver, but you can load 38 in a 357 firearm).

If you only use 38 cases, that spare 1/10 of an inch in the chamber will get filled with carbon and lead, so if you eventually want to load some 357 it will be tricky..

Personally, i've only ever used 357 cases for that very reason... you can still load light target loads (3 to 4 gns of a fast pistol powder) in 357 cases.

HTH

Just a bit nick-picky but the newer Lee 357 dies will NOT load 38. The 38dies WILL load 357. The crimp in the 357 is too deep to do 38s. I also only use 357 cases.

[thisisdonald]

Thanks lads... and thanks for the giggle dedidick... that's exactly why I'm leaning towards the bigger calibres lol.. at some point there might also be the opportunity to get some shooting on a friend's land in the future.
Are pistol calibered rifles conditioned for any UK ground game?

[sarge4318]

Are pistol calibered rifles conditioned for any UK ground game?

I have my .44 conditioned for pest and vermin. Don't often use it but sometimes it is the rifle of choice on certain properties I shoot on, short range and it's like throwing a brick at them - things stay hit.

[DesG]

Thanks lads... and thanks for the giggle dedidick... that's exactly why I'm leaning towards the bigger calibres lol.. at some point there might also be the opportunity to get some shooting on a friend's land in the future.
Are pistol calibered rifles conditioned for any UK ground game?

My Marlin 1894 is condtioned for land use on an open ticket. The 22rf and the 222 are more use but the 357 is great fun to walk around with.

[tacfoley]

Just a bit nick-picky but the Lee 357 dies will NOT load 38. The 38dies WILL load 357. The crimp in the 357 is too deep to do 38s. I also only use 357 cases.

That's odd. My .357 Lee dies have been churning out .38Spec-level loads since 1980 - at one time, up to 800 a week.

Guess I've got a fluke set, right?

tac

[Simon_S]

I do think thats write the Lee 38 dies will load 38 and 357mag. If you get the 357mag dies they will do the 357mag and the 357Max
I would get the 38 dies make sure you get the TC ones

[amc577]

Find a club which does reloading courses....a book is a good idea but one to one tuition is better. Pistol calibre reloading is quite straightforward once you know what you are doing. Lee kit is fine..carbide dies, no lubing required.

amc577

[DesG]

That's odd. My .357 Lee dies have been churning out .38Spec-level loads since 1980 - at one time, up to 800 a week.

Guess I've got a fluke set, right?

tac

The old ones used to work with both as do my old dies, but if you look at Kranks WS item 90511 357, it clearly states that it will not work with .38spl cases. Item 90510 38spl states that it will work with .357. I have 1/8" spacers from the 1980s to lift the dies to make them interchangeable. A few of our club members have fallen foul of this when they've got carried away and ordered before asking advice!