What did you load today?

Loaded all my 38SP (plinking - 3.0 gr Clays under 158 acme lswc; goes 640 fps avg from my 1.8" airweight) and 357 brass (with my "standard" 13.5gr of 2400 under same 158 acme lswc). Can change my 650 to 40 SW and 357 Sig now :)
 
I loaded some 160 grn 15.5 grns of IMR and same bullet with 15.5 of H110 for my 357.

If you can get more Trail Boss, I'd suggest doing it! It's very versatile, not setting any records with velocity, but can be used from 38 spl up to 308 (subs, stupid quiet with a suppressor!). Around here (Tampa FL), it's a hard powder to get. And can be traded for more powders with the 300 blk out crowd. They buy it any chance they get, youd think it was a powder shortage if asking for Trail Boss locally, lol.
 
That's interesting about the Trail Boss. Here, it does seem to move off the shelves pretty quick, and I like it though it seems a bit dirty and it goes quick because it's such large flakes. I've got two or three canisters of it waiting to be used, but I've got some other powders I was planning to play with like Universal and Longshot.
 
Been working on some new loads for my 4" 686 - Well after burning up some powder I have concluded that 3.5gr of Bullseye and 125gr LSWC bullets make for an accurate and fun plinker in 38 Spc. Stepping that up a bit 5gr of Unique makes for a bit stouter plinker/small game thumper with 158gr LSWC. It's just into +P territory in 38 Special and a ton of fun to shoot. Now that I have a couple 'go to' loads, it's time to work up some 357Mags for some serious thumping. Fun stuff.

Here's the 5gr Unique load at 25yds and 2 of the 3.5 Bullseye targets (rested w/2X scope for load development)
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As soon as I shot those groups I jerked the scope off and proceeded to double my group sizes. lol, Oh well, at least I know the what the gun will do, now to work on the shooter.....and being how I shot up all of last nights reloads, I know what I'm going to be doing tonight!
 
VIC_vega9.... that's some serious reloading right there!! Like Mad Max SHTF reloading, lol.

Just out of curiosity, where do you start with a recipe like that? Just knowledge over the years? Like knowing burn rates and stuff? And where did you get powder like that?

I think itd be kinda awesome to shoot the wood bullets, too, lol. Cutting up dowels, some one asks, "what are you doing?", "um, pretty obvious.... reloading....!" Lol
 
Reloading today

Reloading 357 Magnum.

My current, go to, plinking 357Mag reload is;
148gr Lead DEWC double end wad cutter.
3.0grs Alliant RED DOT. CCI Small Pistol Primer.
Brass is Nickle plated Winchester.
Crimp is what I call medium roll crimp.
Velocity approximately 700 fps?
Bullets tumbled lube with Ben's Liquid Lube,
for Lead free barrel performance.
Primers no where near flat.

Very accurate in my stock circa '90's S&W Model 686-3
357mag 6"bbl, hand ejector 6 shot.
 

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Trying the USMC 45 auto target load.
A Nosler 185 JHP over N310. They use just 4.1 grains with light springs IIRC, but my pistol (USP 45) is stock so I went with 4.3 and 4.6 grains to get the big beast to cycle.
I was shocked to see my local Fleet & Farm had the Nosler bullets, XTPs too. Same price as Midway, and sales tax instead of shipping, so it's a bit cheaper.
 
I loaded up 450 45 Auto this evening. 250 with Zero 230 grain FMJ and 6.8 grains of Shooters World Ultimate Pistol and 200 with the same bullets and 9.0 grains of Shooters World Auto Pistol. All with CCI 300 primers.

The 6.8 load of Ultimate Pistol gives me right under 900 ft/sec out of my 5" barrel 1911.
The 9.0 load of Auto Pistol is a bit of an experiment. I've loaded it at 8.5 grains in the past which yielded a little over 900 ft/sec so I wanted to see what a load closer to the max load shown by SW's data would go at.
 
I have had a series of crises and so haven't been reloading or shooting for far too long, but last week I finally had time to load a bit. I recently got a Rossi 44 mag lever action, so loaded up a couple of hundred rounds with my current standard 44 practice load - 7.0 gr Trail Boss under a 180gr coated LRN. I have been experimenting with 10gr Universal loads in my 44, so I loaded some of them as well. They are fairly low power compared to max 44 magnum loads, but will still launch a 180gr bullet at ~1300fps, which IMO is plenty for use in my CCW M629 Deluxe.

I also am experimenting with a .32 Long load for my newly acquired M30 snubnose. I've loaded up six rounds each of 100gr coated LSWC over 2.7, 3.0, and 3.3gr of both Universal and Herco. First of all, those are hot by modern standards, starting at book max. But from all my research, 32 Long recipes are incredibly anemic because they don't want to blow up ancient break apart H&Rs. I've seen folks post much hotter recipes so I'm not too worried about it, and my older reloading manuals show up to 4.3gr of Unique (which is a lot!), but I do plan to shoot them in my LCR327 first to check for signs of overpressure, then if they look okay I'll load up some more to shoot thru my M30. I'm not trying to turn the gun into a magnum, but I'd like to find a fairly hot load for use as a CCW. The M30 is a bit smaller than the LCR, which makes it a bit better as a pocket pistol.

I also loaded up about 200 more .32 Long rounds of 2gr of Trail Boss under that 100gr LSWC. Those are strictly for fun.

Lastly, I finally got a chrono so I get to be a bit more scientific with my loads, which I'm excited about.
 
About 1600+ 223 for plinking (all brass I've had :) ). Single session, all brass has been prepped beforehand. Had one stoppage on my 650 - primer wasn't feeding. Disassembled primer feed and glad I did; there was 1 primer stuck half way due to junk accumulated. If I'd decided to "persuade" it it'd probably got sheered and might have detonated whole tube which was just refilled :eek:
 
Just finished about 350 .40 S&W with 175 SWC. Now ready for about 300 more with 180 gr FMJ's. Prepping some .45-70 cases for my Browning 1885. Then on to some .357's with Starline brass to use up some odd bullet weights that I never really needed in the first place. There's something to be said about sticking with the basics.
 
Well I did two load work ups today. Made a .44 special load using 240 LSWCHP on top of 8.7 grains of N350 with an average of 920fps out of my 629. And I did a .38 special load for my 36 that pushes a 158 grain LSWCHP at 850fps using 6.3 grains of N350. Out of my 6in 66 I was getting an average of 1020fps with the same load.
 
worked most of the day on 400+/- pieces of brass in 38 special. Powder and bullets tomorrow. brass is clean, primed and ready, power and bullets awaiting assembly.
 
I loaded up some 303 British ammo today. I used a 174gr bullet and BL-C(2), now to see how well they shoot in the old girl.
 
I loaded four 2.2 liter coffee pots with my own blend of coffee (robust blend but with low acid) and took them to church - it was Sunday, after all.

The 9mm will come on Tuesday. 115 gr JHP over 5.5 grain of Hi-Skor 800X.
 
Well, so far nothing, but...

Yesterday I ran my third load of mixed (9mm, 40S&W & 357SIG) brass through my new Thumler's, Lemi-Shine & 4 drops of DAWN... WONDERFUL!:D

On my way over to the "shop" to load up my (now) favorite 357SIG practice load: 124gr RAINIER hp with 7.5gr of UNIQUE @ 1.140"

Cheers!
 
I try to avoid tumbling cases with different case mouth diameter together - often cases get "stuck" together locked with few pins between the walls. Sometimes they get stuck even with cases of "next" size like 9mm and 45 ACP.
 
I see a bit of that, but...

I try to avoid tumbling cases with different case mouth diameter together - often cases get "stuck" together locked with few pins between the walls. Sometimes they get stuck even with cases of "next" size like 9mm and 45 ACP.

It is just an(other) opportunity for me to further cull the SS pins that somehow are the exact length to get stuck in those small primer pockets...

Actually, the 40S&W can fit in the 45acp's, the 9mm in the 40's: the worst ever was a 40 stuck rim-first in a 44magnum... I had to cut that entire combination in half with a Dremel and there were no SS pins causing the jam when all was said & done!:eek:
 
I actually primed a couple hundred 222 cases that my daughter has been using to shoot the darn PDs here at the ranch. Guess I am gonna have to take over that chore as she just went back east to visit the family there for a couple weeks. I have been using my CZ in 204 to take care of a few.
 
Actually, the 40S&W can fit in the 45acp's, the 9mm in the 40's: the worst ever was a 40 stuck rim-first in a 44magnum...

That's exactly the reason I avoid tumbling mixed calibers; also when I did and had cases stuck together - kinetic bullet puller solved problems every time w/o destroying cases :)
 
My 16 y.o. grandson is coming for a couple of weeks so I'm loading some 200 gr SWC's with 6.0 grains of Unique for my Springfield 1911. He likes to shoot.
 
I picked up a box of Berry's 158gr 38cal bullets for my next batch of 357 magnum loads that i use for our bowling pin matches at our outdoor range using 14gr H110...
 
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