Ok, as stated in earlier posts ready to start using wife's Christmas gift in the next couple of weeks . Lock and Load progressive.. I will be loading 40 S & W,357 Magnum 125 & 158 grain and 44 Magnum. And I'm going to reload S & W 500 for when I get it back I would love some feedback on primers, powder, bullets etc. I want to get a mold and go start to finish so mold brands models etc would be good info too.

Thanks in advance.

thewelshm

What reloading manuals do you have?

I like the Speer and Lyman myself. They have lots of info relating to the questions you have. Read the entire "front part" of each book before you get to the data itself. Invaluable.

__________________
USAF, 69-92
Vietnam, 72-73

Modern Reloading Richard Lee is what I have so far...


thewelshm

FNG here with a first post. I sold all my 40s&w pistols and stopped reloading for it but when I did I found Hodgdon HS-6 to work real well. For 357 magnum I like Alliant 2400. I use 158gr. LSWC's, standard primers and push them (no chrono, I'm going by load data) to 1100fps or so with no barrel leading. It's a round I can shoot all day from my 686. I'm told 2400 is a great choice for 44mag also.

I like AA #5. A nitrocotton version of Unique that is about one grain slower than Unique, but meters like water. Six grains behind a 158 hard cast 38, six grains behind a 125-grain 9mm, and six grains behind a 180 hard cast in the 40. Jacketed bullets work just as well with the same load.

Oh: and 11 grains of AA #5 behind a 240-250 in the 44 Mag.

The good news is that bullets and primers are back on the shelves in my area, and most areas that I am hearing about.

The bad news is that pistol powder is still very difficult to find. I have seen a few types of pistol powder show up from time to time, but they are not the old standbys that either I have been using, or I hear others using a lot.

I'm getting rather low on Universal, and am looking to get a pound or two of it. I am willing to shift to another powder that will do a decent job for me in .38 and 9mm, if one shows up on the shelves.

http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-con...pec_7-2-13.pdf is the PDF file for Accurate Arms powder. It lists lead and jacketed loads. AA powder seems to be more available that the other brands. As a ball powder it measures very accuraetly and consistently through most powder measures (Lee auto disk doesn't like anybody's ball powder).

Lyman Reloading manual has data for cast and jacketed bullets. I use both manuals to load with according to bullet weight and type. A jacketed 125 gr 9 mm bullet doesn't care if it is RN or HP or who manufactured it. A mid- range load from either manual will be successful. If your barrel passes the "PLUNK" test you are good to go.

Primers -- that's easy, use the ones you can buy that are correct for your loads, pistol or rifle, large or small. Large pistol won't work for small rifle or large rifle.

Enjoy your new hobby, it is that simple and easy .

__________________
S&WHF 366

My first suggestion would be to select the one of your calibers you use the most and do your learning on that one only.
The Lee book is good as is the Lyman.

For bullet moulds, I think the easy/least $ way to start, would be Lee moulds (sold at Midway and others) and Lee sizers also. Just my preference, would be to go ahead and get moulds for gas checks. At low velocity you won't need to check them. I would also avoid tumble lube, it is a mess and a half. and you are locked into Lee's lube, but there are many brands of better lube. WHEN YOU START TO CAST BULLETS, you need to decide "why". Is it for inexpensive bullets or for superior quality bullets that you control the alloy and expansion. Technique and equipment are different. Pick up a copy of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook. It goes into great detail on how to cast High Quality bullets and what is required to do that. I have cast quick plinking bullets by the 10,000. I have cast high quality bullets by the 100, it makes a difference! ( I had a batch 400, 330 grain .375's that I weighed every one. The extreme spread of weight was .6 grains for 99.6% of them. That is approx. .25% weight variation, and I've had 308 Match jacketed bullets a lot worse!). So You get to choose what you wish to accomplish. There are better moulds than Lee, but Lee's will last for over 40,000 bullets with reasonable care, that is based on the first Lee mould my best friend bought USED in 1982, and still casting a thousand or 2 a year. I haven't done any .500 bullets but I done 1000's of 310 grain .430's for 44 Mag and they are a hoot! (My only .500 is a 50 AE and they require Jacketed bullets). I would recommend single or two cavity moulds. Lyman makes 4 cavity and Lee makes 6 cavity moulds there are a few reasons not to get them, mostly extra cost for less consistent results. Choose alloys for each application. Wheel weights will behave different than Lyman #2 or the much softer 30:1, and all have their place. I stamp the alloy into every ingot, so they don't get mixed together by accident. It is alot to learn, you may want to purchase cast bullets to start with to see if you even like non-jacketed bullets. Have fun learning! Ivan

Thanks for the info Mates, I'm an anal kind of guy so you know there will be loads more questions coming

thewelshm

What, media is the most common corn? I am going to tumble and sonic clean so the brass is really clean. Thoughts on this process?

thewelshm

If you want shiny clean brass get a stainless media tumbler. One step like new brass in about 2 hours.

You are about the open the classic dry vs wet case cleaning argument. I'm not that fussy about clean brass and dry is fine with me. Cheap is buying reptile bedding from the pet store. I think it's corn cob... might be crushed walnut, can't remember and really don't care. A little polish and half a used dryer sheet and my brass looks good in about 3 hours.

Walnut cleans quicker, corn cob polishes brighter. A little Midway liquid polish helps.

__________________
Science plus Art

Everyone definitely has their own opinion on wet vs dry, walnut vs corncob. Personally, I sonic clean to get rid of nearly all of the dirt/residue and then tumble in corn cob to shine it up. I am sure that many others will post their 2 cents, but if you do go with tumbling with corn cob, don't waste your money on buying media from the major reloading companies. Buy corn cob blast media in a 20/40 grit. This is much cheaper ($23 plus $5 shipping for 40lbs, or free shipping on orders over $50 here: Blast Media by ECONOLINE - Pneumatic Blasting Media by Zoro Tools Industrial Supplies ) and the 20/40 grit will not get stuck in the flash holes. Really it is the same stuff, just ground a little finer. 40lbs will last a long time and I just add a little bit of the brass polish and it works well.

Well, loaded my first cast block of 50 rounds this weekend with 357 LSWC and lubed them with X lox and placed them on parchment paper for the day. I'm
real pleased with the result and look forward to going to the range this coming weekend 158 grain for my 19-4. Oh I tumbled the brass with Walnut media and finished up with corn cob and Lyman case polish. They looked great, I will be using my sonic cleaner but really didn't need it for Brass. I think the dies will visit that now and again


thewelshm

Wow, you really jumped in with both feet. Hope those first loads are good ones!

Stay tuned Ill let you know

thewelshm