New to reloading.. Charge question.

[Nevada Ed]

You can take a primed case, run it through the belling die and then reload it again.
Some bell dies also de-prime, just remove the primer pin (rod)
from the die but measure main die body out from locking nut and height of bell section out from the main die unit before dismantling, so you will have the correct die setting when done.
Might wear safety glasses just in case but I never had any problems.

 

[scooter123]

If you work the press SLOWLY you can also push out the primer for re-use. Note, this is not a recommended procedure in any reloading manual but if you wear eye protection or a face shield, keep any combustibles well away from the press, and move the ram in a slow and steady motion there isn't any huge risk of setting the primer off. BTW, you definitely need to consider any recovered primers as a combustible so remove every single live primer from the area of the press immediately after pushing in out of the casing. This means that recovering those primers is a one at a time deal but it is doable.

Second note concerns plated bullets and roll crimps. I shoot a lot of plated bullets due to the ECM rifling in most of my revolvers so I have a fair bit of experience with them. While to don't want to get "stupid heavy" with your crimps these bullets are NOT quite as delicate as some would have you believe. What I would suggest you do is plan on sacrificing 3 or 4 bullets and do a bit of experimenting you how heavy you can crimp before you break the plating. BTW, inertial bullet pullers work quite well for evaluating your crimp. Pull a bullet and look for any exposed lead using a magnifier. Once you do this I expect that you'll find that a crimp that is very close in appearance to WWB FMJ 38 spl. will provide a good solid crimp that doesn't break the plating.

 

[rwsmith]

BTW

What kind of gun are you using? Some models of the .357 aren't built for continuous duty full loads.

 

[C17]

Check your load data. 21 grains seems high.

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp


Just dont use FMJ data for plated bullets.

 

[rwsmith]

It's best to have a few

And perhaps invest in a new reloading manual.. The one I have is actually fairly thick.. 500 pages of load data

No manual has everything, it helps to have several if you can swing it. I'm going to add a Lyman's cast manual to my collection because I getting into cast bullets and they have the most data for cast.

 

[chiroptile]

Thanks, guys.. I was thinking of reusing the primed cases after pulling their bullets with the new powder (I picked up some 2400 yesterday) but I looked inside the case and saw that some of the H110 was left behind.. Looks like it's trapped by static electricity, almost.. Can't seem to get the remnants out. And even though it isn't much left behind, I don't want to risk mixing the powders.

I loaded up five new cases with 15 grains of 2400. Pretty light crimp for now. Will give it a run tomorrow and hopefully be back to report the results.

rwsmith, I will be putting these through a 5 inch 627PC..

 

[chiroptile]

Well, nothing exploded, nothing got stuck in the barrel.. Shoots on target. 15 grains of 2400 with magnum primers pushing a 125 grain plated bullet. Didnt notice any signs of excessive pressure. I did notice some powder in the barrel and inside the casing, but I guess that is what everybody is talking about when they say that the 125 bullet is a little too short for some of the heavier loads. Maybe will try a little more crimp next time.. Thanks again, guys.

 

[rwsmith]

I once read about the long strands of powder used in rifles in (WWII?). I forgot but it seems logical they were flat - to keep the burning rate the same down the long rifle barrel. But my faulty memory says long and round?

I think you may be referring to 'Cordite', a smokeless propellant, which was used in British rifles and cannons. It looked like, well...... cords. They were placed longways in .303 rifles like jackstraws. Cordite was in use in WWII but the Brits couldn't keep up with demand so they imported American smokeless power for rifle cartridges. So no, your memory isn't faulty there.

BTW - H110/296 and 2400 are both excellent in .357 magnum. If you don't need full velocity, Unique is a great choice and is EXTREMELY versatile in many calibers.

 

[rwsmith]

Check, chiro

rwsmith, I will be putting these through a 5 inch 627PC..

Check, chiro. That will eat anything you can feed it all day long.

And I'm glad you found a good load.