"Best" common cartridge to handload?

[keithhagan]

Which factory-loaded handgun cartridge benefits most from handloading?

This could be based on cost savings, performance, something else, or a combination.

By "common" or "factory-loaded" let's say anything loaded by federal or remington.

 

[ddixie884]

38spl or .45acp are a good place to start. and will allow you to shoot very useful loads with cast bullets for a very good price and brass is usually easy to come by.............

 

[Racer X]

huge price savings on revolver loads and 10mm.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I'd say the 44 Special & 45 Colt.

If you've got a modern revolver in one of these, & in good condition, the weak (for vintage firearms) factory loads can be greatly improved upon.

.

 

[stansdds]

These days, any handgun cartridge other than 9x19mm and any rifle cartridge other than 5.56mm NATO. Back in the times of plenty, the 10mm Auto, any of the magnum cartridges, and 45 Colt were more economical to reload. If you are looking to wring the most velocity out of a cartridge within safe pressure limits, the 10mm Auto, 44 Special, and 45 Colt are good candidates. Today, these cartridges seem to be down loaded in deference to handguns that do not hold up well to full power loads.

 

[dogdoc]

Just about any revolver round and 40 and 45 acp. An easier way to say it is anything other than 9mm usually results in huge savings over factory ammo. 9mm is low priced again so you can only save a couple bucks a box.

 

[mikerjf]

The one you've got and shoot a lot of.

 

[Roofuss]

Most all rounds for a revolver and .45 ACP for semi-auto's .
I do have 2 revolvers in 45 ACP, so that works out, too.

 

[Casual Smith Nut]

For cost savings: any revolver cartridge especially the magnums and harder to locate 44 spl and 45 colt. I'm thinking more ordinary/normal cartridges.

For getting into the rabbit hole of reloading in general: 38 spl, it's very forgiving on powder type and bullet type/weight. Also you can cover a lot of ballistic varieties especially when shot from a 357 mag revolver… less danger of hot 38 loads wearing on the gun.

For performance: 44 special, most factory loadings when available leave a lot of room for warmer loads. The cartridge is capable of much more than what is available from the factory even before getting into magnum territory.

 

[Rule3]

Easy to load? or best to load for cost savings??


Any of the revolver 38.357 44, 45 Straight wall are easy AND much cheaper than buying loaded ammo,
10mm is easy and a BIG money saver



When prices were more normal, I pretty much stopped loading 9mm and 556 rifle. You could buy them cheaper than reloading. But today????

 

[scooter123]

The 380, bullets are inexpensive due to the light weight, powder usage is minimal, and while popular it's still an expensive caliber to purchase. Add it all up and the cost of reload versus commercial comparison makes it a very worthwhile caliber to reload. Another is the 40 S&W, it's become a rather unpopular caliber and as a result it's become rather expensive to purchase. This means that there is a real cost benefit for reloading this caliber.

BTW, IMO the 40 S&W is still an excellent caliber for self defense and the internet BS about "massive" recoil for this caliber is the major reason it's not as popular as it should be. I'll also note that Speer still offers a 165 grain Gold Dot that clocks in at 1150 fps from a 4 inch barrel. Anyone who thinks that is "weak" really should think again, Federal's 357 Magnum in a Semi Jacketed Soft Point clocks in at 1200 fps for a lighter 158 grain bullet. I've shot both and the recoil of the 357 Magnum is much stiffer from my 620 than the recoil of the 40 from my P239.

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

Probably easier to say which of the common cartridges is least beneficial to reload. That would be 9mm hands down.
But 45 Colt and the not too commonly found 41 Remington Mag are two of the most beneficial to reload.

John

 

[IAM Rand]

I would say 38/357. Maybe 45 because you can go either revolver or semi auto. Kind of a hard question to accurately suggest a cartridge thought. Most depends on what you have. Unless you are planning on obtaining firearms based upon what is best to reload.

If that is the case then still 38/357 or 10mm. Both are valid revolver and semi auto cartridges. I believe you only need 1 set of dies to reload both. Not sure about the 40/10 because I don't reload them.

 

[jcelect]

Which factory-loaded handgun cartridge benefits most from handloading?

This could be based on cost savings, performance, something else, or a combination.

By "common" or "factory-loaded" let's say anything loaded by federal or remington.

Sir, your question is pointed at a very narrow aspect of handloading. Everyone handloads for many different reasons and the least of which is to duplicate factory made cartridges. My answer to your question is, the .256 Winchester Mag and the 22 Remington Jet! This is based on cost of factory ammo! Both of these cartridges were popular in the 1960s. Today, factory made ammo will cost $2.00-$3.00/rd., if you can find it? I can produce the .256 brass and reload it for a small fraction of $3.00/rd.
jcelect

 

[Drm50]

Any straight cased-rimmed revolver cartridge of your choice. These days reloading covers preformance, availability and costs. Especially if you cast your own bullets.

 

[GypsmJim]

If you cast your own boolits, EVERYTHING is better reloaded.

 

[BrovoEchoSierra]

Good advise above. I agree that straight wall rimmed cases are the easiest. I totally agree on cast bullets making the whole loading thing really worth while.
I think common pistol rounds like the 9mm and 40 S&W are probably not where the savings lies.
Take a look at the price of 45 Colt, 44 specials and magnums, and this is where reloading really pays off.
In rifles, I can build more accurate ammo than I can buy, so there is an advantage here as well.
I shoot cast bullets in old military rifles, where ammo is scarce and high.
The low recoil and cheap cost makes shooting them way more fun.

 

[reddog81]

The one you've got and shoot a lot of.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Whatever you have guns for and shoot a lot. When it comes down to it there's really not any significant difference between loading for most of the common handgun rounds. For a new reloader .38 Special is a good option because components are easy to find and any reloading recipe will work in a revolver without worrying about if the gun will function.

I don't ever shoot .40 S&W, but my sister only has one pistol and it's a .40 S&W... What's best for me is going to be different than what's best for her.

Yesterday I was reloading .38 Special because I was running low on .38 Special ammo so that was the best under those circumstances.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

38/357 and 44 Special/Magnum

 

[smithra_66]

Which factory-loaded handgun cartridge benefits most from handloading?

This could be based on cost savings, performance, something else, or a combination.

By "common" or "factory-loaded" let's say anything loaded by federal or remington.

Any these days!

Factory ammo is insanely expensive.