New to reloading - most economical calibre

[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.

[tacfoley]

The club I'm hoping to join does a reloading course as part of the probation term. I'm still waiting on word back about mine and my dad's membership. It dundonald rifle and Pistol club.

That's a good idea - very few clubs, including mine - do such a thing.

tac

[tacfoley]

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.

Yup. Not even the mighty .44Mag produces enough ME or MV to take deer-y stuff.

tac

[DedIdick]

That's a good idea - very few clubs, including mine - do such a thing.

tac

Our club has the reloading gear at the clubhouse for instruction & load development.

[Simon_S]

I use the Lee 38spe TC dies mate and I can get groups the size of 50p at 50M don't no how you could get better with it
If your not loading FMJ you will not need the extra crimping die


http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?...oducts_id=1918

[loiner1965]

That's a good idea - very few clubs, including mine - do such a thing.

tac

ours do .one new member blew both his lbr and his .44 / 45 underlever up a few weeks apart.
reloading is easy if you know what you are doing so its best learning from experienced reloaders and not jump in at the deep end

[tacfoley]

ours do .one new member blew both his lbr and his .44 / 45 underlever up a few weeks apart.
reloading is easy if you know what you are doing so its best learning from experienced reloaders and not jump in at the deep end

Hopefully he has now taken up fishing, or something less likely to deprive him of fingers.

tac

[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!

[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.

[loiner1965]

Hopefully he has now taken up fishing, or something less likely to deprive him of fingers.

tac

unfortunately no.....not sure if he still reloads .
he didnt stick to tried and tested powders like unique etc.
i think he used a position sensitive powder and got flash over but cannot be certain.
nice chap but i rarely see him and i dont shoot next to him either lol

[tacfoley]

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.

Can you please PM me with details of your calibre and load - including ME and MV?

TIA

tac

[tacfoley]

unfortunately no.....not sure if he still reloads .
he didnt stick to tried and tested powders like unique etc.
i think he used a position sensitive powder and got flash over but cannot be certain.
nice chap but i rarely see him and i dont shoot next to him either lol

Wouldn't take much more than a double charge of Unique of do serious damage to SOME LBRs. Loading 12gr instead of 6gr in LBR would be exciting, but not fatal, but loading 24gr instead of 12gr of the same stuff would be fatal........

tac

[1066]

Wouldn't take much more than a double charge of Unique of do serious damage to SOME LBRs. Loading 12gr instead of 6gr in LBR would be exciting, but not fatal, but loading 24gr instead of 12gr of the same stuff would be fatal........

tac

I think that's the easiest mistake to make with pistol cartridges and newbie reloaders who jump in with both feet and buy a progressive press. There's usually plenty of room for a double charge of something like Bullseye in a .357 case but you can't make the same mistake with a .223 and something like Varget.

[Daryll]

..I’m probably going to be berated for this but in my experience Lee equipment is relatively cheap for a reason, you get what you pay for. The kit is “ok” or is inconsistent or breaks easily - their 38-55 dies for instance apart from the sizing die are actually 375H&H dies and the seating die shaves lead off the side of heads affecting their accuracy! The ones I acquired now are relegated to backup and replaced by a decent brand which do the job correctly.

I would recommend investing in a better brand of reloading gear as it is better quality, particularly the dies. RCBS, Redding of Lyman all being excellent - the RCBS Cowboy dies being the best (imho) on the market for loading Lead heads. If progressive presses are the order of the day you cannot go wrong investing in a Dillon 550 or 650 set-up, they’re the best on the market with what is probably the most consistent Auto Powder throwing system you can get.

Andy

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.

To be honest Des, I bought my Lee dies for reloading 38/357 about 30 years ago, so without looking at them I can't remember whether they're .38 or .357, although I remember getting the ones that gave me the option to load both calibres.

At the same time I bought a Lee Pro 1000 progressive press... 30 years on that its still going strong and used for my .357s, after maybe 50,000 rounds of .357, .45 and 9mm over the years.

The only thing thats needed replacing a few years ago was the shell plate carrier ...I somehow managed to bend it...

[DesG]

To be honest Des, I bought my Lee dies for reloading 38/357 about 30 years ago, so without looking at them I can't remember whether they're .38 or .357, although I remember getting the ones that gave me the option to load both calibres.

At the same time I bought a Lee Pro 1000 progressive press... 30 years on that its still going strong and used for my .357s, after maybe 50,000 rounds of .357, .45 and 9mm over the years.

The only thing thats needed replacing a few years ago was the shell plate carrier ...I somehow managed to bend it...

Same same on all counts (except for the shell plate!). I'm just trying to save newbies to reloading from having to buy two sets of dies like some of our club members have.