How many cartridges do you load

[Ziptar]

Just one. .45 Colt.

I don't need anything else.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Hey Ziptar 45 Colt is a great stand alone round. Tony M, my hat is off to your extream "Wildcatness" Of the ones you listed, I have heard of a few, of some of the others I can only say WOW! Several years ago a LGS had a smith in 357 Bane & Davis (sp) that I passed on and regretted, I believe 357x44mag in 8 3/8 inch would be a great personal defence gun, it lost favor to the 357 max so you can see that was a while ago. Thanks every for posting, Ivan

 

[bmcgilvray]

Load for all center firearms taking center fire cartridges around here except for one, the .41 Long Colt, and I really need to order a die set as I've already gathered a supply of brass and bullets.

.22 Hornet
.223
.22-250
.220 Swift
.25 ACP
.257 Roberts
.270 Winchester
7X57
.30 Carbine
.30-30
.30 Remington
.300 Savage
.30-40
.308
.30-06
7.62X39
.303 British
.303 ICL Improved
.32 Long Colt/.32 Short Colt
.32 S&W Long/.32 S&W
.32-20
.32 Winchester Special
.351 Winchester Self-Loading
.380 ACP
9mm
.38 S&W
.38 Long Colt/.38 Short Colt
.38 Special
.357 Magnum
.38-40
.405 WCF
.41 Magnum
.44 Special
.44 Magnum
.45 ACP/Auto Rim
.45 Colt
.455

 

[Tony M.]

Ivan,

The 357 B&D is a great caliber! I've shot one in a blackhawk, and it was something to behold. I have the dies, but not the reamer for that one. I've been tempted a few times by the occasional cylinder or gun that pops up on the auction sites, but so far have resisted.

Many of the wildcats I have dies for were the brain children of friends of mine (and a few of my own concoction) and may or may not prove to be all that practical. I've been slowly accumulating contender barrels that I can convert as test beds. and have already converted several, but again, not enough of those danged tuits (the round ones) to get everything done!

 

[BCDWYO]

I'm a bit behind most of the boys here with only 11!...
45 acp
357 mag
38 sp
38 Super
40 S&W
10 mm
44 mag
44 Sp
45 Colt
308 Win
30-06

Saving brass for the 41 Mag but haven't got the dies yet.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Tony M, those 30x44 and 32x357 sound like good juju for woodchucks and rock chucks. I'm thinkin' with 85 to 110 grain pill out of 10" contenders they should be around what 15 or 1600 fps? I'm just starting to play with 22 Hornet 10", 221 Fireball 10", and 7 TCU 14" Contenders, have had some of these barrels 30 years and haven't got around to loading for them (did 1 batch of TCU 25 years ago and shot terrible). But last summer I was with a friend shooting a 14" Hornet at clay trap targets at 200-250 yds, and have dug out the guns and dies for more fun in my life. Ivan

 

[Larry from Bend]

I started reloading in '74. But you guys are way ahead of me in numbers. Been loading quite a few 44 Special lately.

22-250
223
7mm Rem Mag
270
6mm-06
308
38 Special
357 Mag
44 Special
44 Mag

 

[Engineer1911]

Too many

I started in 1974 with 30-06.

Rifle
.222 Rem
.223
.22-250
.243 Win
.25-06
.270 Win
7 mm -08
.280 Rem Express
7 mm Rem Mag
.30-30 Win
.308 Win
.30-06
.30-06 Ackley Improved
.300 Win Mag
.303 Brit
.35 Rem
.45-70 Gov

Handgun

.30 Herrett
9 mm Para
.38 Spl / .357 Mag
.40 S&W
.44-40
.44 Mag
.45 ACP
.45 Long Colt

 

[Tony M.]

Tony M, those 30x44 and 32x357 sound like good juju for woodchucks and rock chucks. I'm thinkin' with 85 to 110 grain pill out of 10" contenders they should be around what 15 or 1600 fps? I'm just starting to play with 22 Hornet 10", 221 Fireball 10", and 7 TCU 14" Contenders, have had some of these barrels 30 years and haven't got around to loading for them (did 1 batch of TCU 25 years ago and shot terrible). But last summer I was with a friend shooting a 14" Hornet at clay trap targets at 200-250 yds, and have dug out the guns and dies for more fun in my life. Ivan

Ivan,

The 30-44 will push a 110 grain bullet at up to about 2100 FPS without any problems, and could probably be increased a fair bit beyond that point with a lighter bullet. They shoot flat, and hit small-medium game with authority. The round also does really well with bullets in the 150 grain area at about 1200-1400 FPS. (1-9 or 1-10 twist)

I usually load the 32-357 to about 32/20 velocities, but it's capable of besting the old cartridge by a good 400 FPS in the same length barrels, and with the 357 brass as the base, it's cheap to make brass, and then it lasts forever.

Most of the wildcats I've worked on were designed around case efficiency, as apposed to pure top-end performance. They're mostly pretty good small game rounds too, as I have a lot more opportunity to hunt small game, it just seemed natural.

 

[lmcgust]

38 spcl, 9 mm, 45ACP, 223 and, 308
Guy-

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Tony M. In the past I've loader very hot 32-20, now days I've got a Colt from 1919, and a S&W from 1902 so I only have very light 32-20's on hand. That 30x44 at 2100fps sounds amazing! I've almost bought a 30 Herrit 10" 3 or 4 times. My FIL pulled his right arm/elbow 20 plus years ago, stiff arming a 30-30 Contender. The worst year of competive shooting (Police combat) he ever had , came in 4th in the Governor's top 20 (usually was 1st). The Big hand cannons are hard on the shooters body parts too. I had a 300 gr. 44mag load in a super 14", that was amazing but pulled my back every time you fired it. I've come to love the efficent small rounds, the ground hogs are just as dead.

 

[STCM(SW)]

Right now I have dies for 25 different calabers.
Ones I have had but are gone are 221 fireball, .380acp, 9mm mark.,
.357 Herret, .30 herret, 38/45, 41 Mag., 7x57 , .308, 32H&R mag., .416WBY, 7mm rem mag, 375H&H. might be a few more, but it's late....

 

[webley green]

Well, just three: .38/.357, .45 Colt and .45 ACP. I'm thinking about 9mm.

 

[Engieman]

Love all my reloads, can dramatically change the 'personality' of the gun depending on the load, bullet weight, and the various characteristics the different powders provide. Current load for .45 ACP, .44 Special, 9MM, .38 Special, .380, .300 Savage, and .32/20. Hard to pick a favorite, all are tuned to the particular gun as a result of research, experimentation, trial and error. Been a lot of HARD work spending all those hours in my man-cave and those frequent, stressful trips to range pulling the trigger over and over again trying to find the sweet spot. The one that really brings a smile to my face is the .32/20 in my Browning 53, and I'd say the S&W pre-15 .38 Special with 148gr Wadcutters. Both are scary accurate and very pleasant to shoot. I shoot a vintage .300 Savage with reduced loads that's a delight as well.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Back in the early 80's a class 3 dealer had a MG34 I had the Hots for. He also had a MG42, and said he would buy 500 8mm reloadable reformed brass, if I would make them. So I made 1000 8mm brass out of 30-06 military thinking I'd have 500 for when I bought that beautiful MG34. Well he had so much fun shooting his reloads that were'nt corrosive primed that he kept both guns. It took me years to get rid of that brass. But I learned I could make good reloadable brass for forgien cartridges. So when I bought my Broomhandle mauser I made 200-30 Mauser from .223 Rem. military brass- full length sized then reamed neck and trimed to length in same step, primed, light load and done in about 2.5 hours. So remember: No brass, No problem. Ivan

 

[Blind Boy]

It got me thinking....

just how many do I care for?
High intensity rifle:
.222 Remington
.22-250 Remington
.270 Winchester
.30-40 Krag
.30-06
7.65 X 53 Mauser
Black powder rifle, mostly with smokeless loads:
.25-20 Single Shot
.32-20 Winchester
.32-35 Maynard
.32-40 Ballard
.38-55 Ballard
.40-65 Winchester
.40-70 Sharps Bottle Neck
.45-70 Government
Handgun :
.32 S&W Long
.38 Special
.357 Magnum

I'm finished.
Barry