Favorite/Least Favorite to Reload/Most Reloaded Cartridges

[JimT]

That’s great shooting Jim, did you sort cases by make/length or use mixed cases?

Mixed cases and I did not weigh the bullets.
I have a bunch of Winchester cases and a hundred or so bullets that I weighed. Eventually I will see what they will do when I settle on a load.

[Bill in Oregon]

Jim, I have owned a lot of Lee molds and have been happy with all of them. Cool that you are shooting a Star Model BM. Remember when you could buy one for a song?

[JimT]

Jim, I have owned a lot of Lee molds and have been happy with all of them. Cool that you are shooting a Star Model BM. Remember when you could buy one for a song?

I bought this one during that time.
I am not a big fan of the 9mm but it makes sense to have at least one or two around.

[Lastmohecken]

Jared, my hat is off to you:
"Currently I am loading 9.5x60R for my 1887 Mauser and the very expensive Ch4D dies don’t really work for my rifle so I have had to make changes on how I load it. I need to make more brass for it but that is a labor of love."
I never found a Mauser in this chambering that I could afford. It was said by some to be the most efficient black powder cartridge ever designed, but coming as it did at the dawn of the smokeless era it was virtually still-born.
My hat is off also to those with the patience to load for 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm, .45 ACP, etc. I found it deeply depressing to spend the time to lovingly load these cartridges on my single-stage press only to go though a box of 50 in just a very few minutes. I never shot enough of them to justify a Dillon.

Bill,
back in the day, I averaged about 100 rounds an hour of 45ACP's out of a single stage RCBS Junior press. But I did it by going through and sizing and decapping a couple hundred cases or so, then I would sit on the sofa and prime them with a Lee hand primer. I wore out several Lee handprimers during the day. I finally bought a used Dillon 350, which I still have, and could load probably 250 rounds maybe 300 per hour on a good day with that. I was using carbide dies too, of course. Keep in mind, on pistol rounds, I didn't check them for length, trim cases or clean primer pockets, none of that, if I saw a split case, I would discard it, otherwise, I just rolled on.

[CowboyTutt]

Jim, ditto the tarp trick for my 10mm brass from my 1911 Kimber (my only auto, not really my thing). All that nickel plated 10mm brass from Double Tap is good stuff!!!
Regarding the 9mm loads, more powder always better! LOL
-Tutt

[mickbr]

Least favorite in my teens it was a 460wby lazermark, due to cost. Read about it in a Petersens hunting annual, bought one the next week , my age was about 19, sold it before I turned 20. Too much recoil, it had the intregral pendleton dekicker which didnt seem to dekick much at all. it broke the weatherby supreme scope and even reloadiing it was expensive for me. My short forary into weatherby magnums a lifetime ago. Favorite cartridge is anything straight sided now, modtly 44 mag and 444 marlin.

[6pt-sika]

Least favorite in my teens it was a 460wby lazermark, due to cost. Read about it in a Petersens hunting annual, bought one the next week , my age was about 19, sold it before I turned 20. Too much recoil, it had the intregral pendleton dekicker which didnt seem to dekick much at all. it broke the weatherby supreme scope and even reloadiing it was expensive for me. My short forary into weatherby magnums a lifetime ago. Favorite cartridge is anything straight sided now, modtly 44 mag and 444 marlin.

I’ve loaded for and shot the 257 , 270 and 300 Weatherby . The 257 was in a 700 CDL and the other two were Ruger #1B’s . All three shot great with my handloads and I killed deer with the 270 and 300 , the 257 however never had a deer walk out in an open enough place to get a bullet to them . Never dealt with the 460 but I have with the 458 Win Mag which isn’t as stout and the 416 Rigby and REM Mag both again not as stout . Have however dealt with the 505 Gibbs and I’d say that’s in the same chapter with the 460 . I didn’t enjoy shooting the 505 from the bench or the 458 for that matter .

[mickbr]

257 weatherby was always a cartridge I admired but never indulged in. What a flat shooter that would be. Big guns you indulge in there, impressive

[Crazy Horse]

Least favorite 380 and 9mm
Favorite 45 LC

[High Desert Hunter]

Favorite to load is the 38-40, I love the nostalgia of the round, the fact that no one tries to turn it into a magnum unlike the 45 Colt. I'm sure I would feel the same if I loaded the 44-40 too. I have a Ruger Buckeye Special in 38-40/10mm, I only shoot the 38-40 cylinder since the 10mm has a messed up throat on one of the chambers that is beyond help, I don't miss it. For the rifle, loading either BP rounds for the Sharps, or loading 44 mags for the Marlin Classic, I spend about equal time between centerfire and front stuffers these days, gathering the supplies and tools to finish a flintlock fowler kit I purchased in October. I will say if I looked at my load notes, I've likely loaded more 45 Colt over the years than any of the rest, and since getting a set of Lyman dies that include the M die, the 32-20 has become much more pleasant to load for and I thoroughly enjoy the Marlin 1894 I have chambered in it, load a 115gr Ranch Dog bullet from an Arsenal mould, and it's accurate as far as I can see to shoot it. Least favorite by far is the 5.56/.223, hate crimped primers.

Dave

[JimT]

@High Desert Hunter ... Dustin Linebuagh started hot-rodding the .38-40 some years ago.

"Dustin Linebaugh has thoroughly modernized the .38-40 by chambering it in the Ruger Bisley with an oversized six-shot cylinder and the results are quite impressive. Muzzle velocity using specially cannelured Hornady 180-grain .40 caliber XTP jacketed HPs is at the 1,600 fps range with a 61⁄2″ barrel. After trying this load out on paper I tried some shots at small rocks on the hillsides 250+ yards away. I held up what I thought would be enough front sight, perched the rock on top, squeezed the trigger, and hit about four feet high. I kept holding less front sight until I was holding dead on to hit. This makes it a very flat shooting, easy recoiling varmint, small game and small deer-sized game sixgun." (from John Taffin)

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[High Desert Hunter]

Jim,
I remember this one, but as far as load data goes, it's stayed relatively sedate. The other 40 calibers took that ball and ran with it! Such an easy shooting sixgun cartridge that kills jackrabbits with authority as far as I can hit them. I need to settle on a mould and a bullet weight, currently load the 180gr jacketed and 197gr cup point cast bullets for my 10mm SR1911, with a Lee FCD, they both work. Hope to someday acquire a lever action in 38-40.

Dave

[JimT]

Jim,
I remember this one, but as far as load data goes, it's stayed relatively sedate. The other 40 calibers took that ball and ran with it! Such an easy shooting sixgun cartridge that kills jackrabbits with authority as far as I can hit them. I need to settle on a mould and a bullet weight, currently load the 180gr jacketed and 197gr cup point cast bullets for my 10mm SR1911, with a Lee FCD, they both work. Hope to someday acquire a lever action in 38-40.

Dave

I too prefer the .44-40 and the .38-40 at standard velocities. The days when really high pressure sixguns were fun is long past for me. I like my .45 Colt 800 .. 850 fps loads. The standard .38 Special is just sweet. The .38 WCF rifles are out there. All it takes is a bunch of those worthless green pieces of paper.

[High Desert Hunter]

Amen! You speak the truth, they are worthless. I keep telling myself I need to reduce the herd before adding anything, just never been good at that!

Dave