Baltimoreed11754
Member
.45 something. [Colt, Schofield, ACP, AR, Webley]
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What are the most frequently reloaded cartridges these days?
- Thread starter tndrfttom
- Start date
A better handle on what's being reloaded right now might be indicated by looking at bullets being sold.
Granted, lots of flaws with that too - like home made cast bullets, bullets suitable for a number of popular cartridges (like .308 Winchester, 30-06, etc.), bullets either used but already on hand, or bullets bought but not yet used
And putting together together all the possible information for all bullet manufacturers would be daunting.
Still, it might be interesting (and doable) to look at what bullets were sold by, say Midway or a similar supplier, over the past year
Virtually every die I commonly use nowadays is at least 20 years ago, and I occasionally use dies I bought in the 1960's. Die purchases leave reloaders like myself totally out of the picture.
Granted, lots of flaws with that too - like home made cast bullets, bullets suitable for a number of popular cartridges (like .308 Winchester, 30-06, etc.), bullets either used but already on hand, or bullets bought but not yet used
And putting together together all the possible information for all bullet manufacturers would be daunting.
Still, it might be interesting (and doable) to look at what bullets were sold by, say Midway or a similar supplier, over the past year
Virtually every die I commonly use nowadays is at least 20 years ago, and I occasionally use dies I bought in the 1960's. Die purchases leave reloaders like myself totally out of the picture.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
My most interesting set of dies, are a set I will most likely never use. Thee were given to me by Harvey Donaldson's cousin. The were Harvey's back-up set of dies when he developed and marketed the 219 Donaldson Wasp.
I don't own, but have held the #4 set of dies made by Ned Roberts for his 257 Cartridge. (They were with the #4 rifle at an OGCA show in the 1980's)
Ivan
I don't own, but have held the #4 set of dies made by Ned Roberts for his 257 Cartridge. (They were with the #4 rifle at an OGCA show in the 1980's)
Ivan
oddshooter
Member
Forget the range ground leftovers from shooters; and the die makers sales doesn't give us volume.
The answer to the OP's question is through Starline.
Their brass is probably the best source for all handloaders, not just new handloader folks.
Their data would not include shooters, just handloaders.
I wonder if we could get their sales by caliber for last year?
Prescut
The answer to the OP's question is through Starline.
Their brass is probably the best source for all handloaders, not just new handloader folks.
Their data would not include shooters, just handloaders.
I wonder if we could get their sales by caliber for last year?
Prescut
Yep, the buckets at the range were full of 9x19 before the black death. Nada these days but being a brass rat I couldn't believe people were leaving hundreds of .223/5.56 and 9x19 brass in the bucket. Brass is brass. I had so much .223/5.56 I had to move some of it. Still debating about selling my 9x19 brass because of the situation with civil unrest and the possibility of a an economic collapse. If nothing else inflation is going to make it more valuable. When people will pay 0.50/rd for ammo, brass and primers becomes a gold standard for reloaders. Looks like about a nickel for once fired brass now. Two years ago you couldn't give it away. Many different powders can be used for 9x19 and you can cast your own bullets, but primers and brass is essential. Darn hard to make those yourself.
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LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
For many years the manufacturers of reloading dies reported the most popular calibers as .30-06 (rifle), .38 Special (handgun), and 12-gauge (shotgun).
I suspect this has changed since the spikes of interest in .223 (rifle), 9X19 (handgun). I doubt that 12-gauge has lost its premier position.
For my own uses the .45ACP and .38/.357 are tops in handgun, no doubt. .30-06 remains my most commonly used rifle cartridge, although I own a dozen others. Some of the vintage and antique firearms (.25-20, .218 Bee, .32-20, .300 Savage, .250 Savage, .45-70, .45-90, .44-40 and a few others) provide me with a lot of interesting experiences. Never got into shotgun reloading at all.
I suspect this has changed since the spikes of interest in .223 (rifle), 9X19 (handgun). I doubt that 12-gauge has lost its premier position.
For my own uses the .45ACP and .38/.357 are tops in handgun, no doubt. .30-06 remains my most commonly used rifle cartridge, although I own a dozen others. Some of the vintage and antique firearms (.25-20, .218 Bee, .32-20, .300 Savage, .250 Savage, .45-70, .45-90, .44-40 and a few others) provide me with a lot of interesting experiences. Never got into shotgun reloading at all.
Green Frog
Member
It could be that there isn’t as much revolver brass on the ground because the guns don’t throw it there. I know shooters who are also reloaders who favor revolvers for just that reason. Likewise shot gunners who favor doubles over semiAutos for the same reason.
With the increased awareness for reloading, “dwell time” for brass on the ground at the range has also declined, so a casual survey will only show a record of what is left laying, likely the least popular rounds.
The question is indeed a complex one, but in my case, reloading boils down to what caliber(s) I want to shoot next. I don’t build up large stores of reloaded ammo like some of my friends do.
Froggie
With the increased awareness for reloading, “dwell time” for brass on the ground at the range has also declined, so a casual survey will only show a record of what is left laying, likely the least popular rounds.
The question is indeed a complex one, but in my case, reloading boils down to what caliber(s) I want to shoot next. I don’t build up large stores of reloaded ammo like some of my friends do.
Froggie
DWalt
Member
Given prices of handgun ammo, I expect the rimmed revolver cartridges would be at or near the top of actual reloading activity, if not necessarily indicated by the purchase of new equipment.
In rifles, surely the 6.5 Creedmoor is in the running somewhere. I don’t recall ever seeing the industry get behind a new cartridge and push it as hard as the 6.5 CM has been pushed.
I’d be surprised in 9mm, .45 ACP, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and 6.5 Creedmoor weren’t somewhere near the top of the list.
I see many people shooting the 6.5 CM, but I don't understand what the attraction is. I guess I'm just too old-fashioned. I am also a fan of the 6.5mm, but the 6.5x55 Swede, not 6.5 CM.
Just because there are so many guns, I'd guess the most popular reloaded rounds would be:
Handgun - .38 Special, .357, .45 ACP, .44 Mag, 9x19 (no particular order)
Rifle - .223, .30-'06, .270, .243, .308 (no particular order)
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DWalt
Member
I doubt there is anywhere near the amount of shotshell loading done today as 20 years ago, as it's now about as cheap to buy loaded shells as it is to reload them given the high price of components. .410 and 28 gauges may still be reloaded in some quantity as they are relatively uncommon (and pricey) on dealer's shelves, but the major users of those sizes would be skeet shooters.
ruggyh
Member
According latest survey performed by Load Data
They released a series of article for these over the past two month and can be found here
Load Data Load Development Articles
1. 9mm
2. 45 ACP
3. 40 S&W
4. 44 Magnum
5. 357 Magnum
6. 38 Special
7. 380 Auto
8. 45 Colt
9. 460 S&W Magnum
10 500 S&W Magnum
They released a series of article for these over the past two month and can be found here
Load Data Load Development Articles
1. 9mm
2. 45 ACP
3. 40 S&W
4. 44 Magnum
5. 357 Magnum
6. 38 Special
7. 380 Auto
8. 45 Colt
9. 460 S&W Magnum
10 500 S&W Magnum
