"Best" common cartridge to handload?

[Hair Trigger]

For me, any case smaller than .38 Super is a waste of time for the return you get for the effort. Of course, the only cartridges I shoot that are smaller than .38 Super is 9mm and .32 Auto, and I don't shoot much of those, so I'm willing to fork over the ridiculous OTC prices for a box or two of factory stuff.

I reload most "common" calibers between .38 Super and .45 Colt, inclusive. Given that .38/.357 and .40/10mm dies are the same, there's less initial cost when you have both calibers. I shoot quite a bit of .41M and .45C, and being able to tailor the loads to suit me, plus the scarcity of choices in factory offerings, makes reloading for them a no-brainer. As for .38/.357, I have a couple of .38Spl revolvers, but most of my handguns for those choices are .357 Magnum. I'd rather load the magnum cases down to a .38+P range and not fool much with shooting .38Spl from the magnums (don't have the carbon ring to have to remove). I keep a couple hundred rounds of .38Spl. for my wife to practice with in her Taurus snubbie (one of the two .38's I have, the other one hasn't been fired in >30 years).

 

[TheTinMan]

45 Colt like many others have said. You can go from a powder puff "Cowboy" load to a very viable deer hunting load in a Marlin lever action rifle. Plus it's hard to find and stupidly expensive today.

I think (if it meets the OP's definition of a factory-loaded "common cartridge"?) that the 357 SIG might also qualify...?

Perhaps too esoteric for some: I like the flexibility & capability to easily shoot 9mm, 357 SIG & 40 S&W out of the same platforms, and reloading them makes it even better.

Cheers!

I hate handloading 357 SIG. The neck is so short that it's common to go for slightly compressed powder loads to reduce the risk of bullet setback. The ballistics are pretty fantastic. A rimless, bottlenecked cartridge feeds very reliably and seems less sensitive to magazines. It's loud as hell.

 

[chief38]

45 Colt and 45 acp.

357 mag. & 38 spl. still pays as well.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I shoot more .38 Special than the average Joe. .38 Special was at one time cheap and plentiful. Law enforcement strayed away, supply dropped prices rose.

I still enjoy assembling the rounds almost as much as shooting them.

I started reloading 40+ years ago before the 9mm became popular. 9mm was crazy expensive then and 38 Special was so very common and inexpensive.

The hobby of reloading is just as much fun as shooting.

 

[DWalt]

I started reloading 40+ years ago before the 9mm became popular. 9mm was crazy expensive then and 38 Special was so very common and inexpensive.

The hobby of reloading is just as much fun as shooting.

I remember when American-made 9mm ammo was unusual to see on dealer shelves but there was generally a good variety of milsurp ammo from Europe and other strange foreign shores to be had. I don't remember any American-made 9mm pistols then, but various 9mm military pistols, such as Lugers and P-38s, were cheap and plentiful. One can literally spend a lifetime collecting 9mm cartridges and never build a complete collection. But I know one well-known 9mm cartridge collector who has come fairly close. He is a retired USAF General.