Got this today but have not shot it yet. I found some rounds at home that are wad cutters and a few hollow points. Decided to load some more and this is where it get strange. I am set up in the Lyman to do 38sp for a friend. So I started resizing 20 empties but forgot the expander step and the primer setting. Went back and did the primers and put the powder in without expanding the case. So with the powder in I ran the 20 through the die and then set the bullet. After 50 years of reloading how could I screw this up you wonder?? Well the Lyman is in a strange place and the primer setter is different. Just enough to throw me off I guess. All fixed now and I will report back after I shoot tomorrow!! Craig
Glad you were able to rectify the issue, being a seasoned handloader you probably knew something wasn't right. Take care enjoy the range testing
Gun shot just fine maybe a little high but I will need to shoot more and the loads sure seemed light but the gun is not light at all. Will report more as I go. Craig
Well I loaded 38sp and 10mm and what a difference. The AA9 just about fills the case but the 38sp I have to look hard to see the powder with Power Pistol running close to max. Oh well!!! Craig
OK shot the new M200 today with the S&W air weight. Boy what a difference. The M200 with much more weight is much easier to shoot to the point I thought the loads were light but in the air weight The loads seemed very stout!! Craig
Did a quick 10 hollow base wad cutters and will shoot today. I have found about 1000 wad cutter type bullets for 38sp. I can load for a few years and not run out. I must of shot a lot of 357 at some point in my life. I do recall making a good deal on hydra shock 147g at a gun show. Well they don't spoil!! Ha Ha. Craig
Shot the HBWC and they were all right but kind of light so I took one apart and it was light at 4.4g power pistol. Was supposed to be 5.3 but the powder measure was at 4.4 also. I will reload more to test correctly. I will like these rounds at 5.5 or so I think. Craig
Well this is interesting I feel. I am loading Trail Boss powder in the 38sp just for testing and to use the powder for something!! The max load is 2.3g so I loaded 2.3 with the 148g HBWD and we will see this morning. Craig
Boy what a failure. The rounds were so weak I wasn't sure they were clearing the barrel. Plenty of room in the case for more powder but this was max so I am not sure how to proceed. I seem to remember that you could fill the case to the bottom of the bullet subtract 10 percent and that was OK to start with but you can't compress the load at all. Don't know if this is worth the effort. I will say it was clean burning. What do you all think?? Craig
OK just did the powder to the bottom of a seated bullet and it measures out to 3.1. Leads me to believe whoever did the data used this method to arrive at 2.3g. With the HBWC bullet being mostly hollow it's real long for 148g. I think I will load some at around 3.0 moving up to 3.5 or so. Craig
Shot the 38sp loads with 3.0 Trail Boss and it is still too light but much closer to what I think I can use. I still feel 3.5 might be the ticket but of course will ladder up, trying 3.2 then 3.4 then 3.5 I hope this works as I don't have much use for this powder anyway as 303 British was very light at full brass. Really this kind of scares me. But I kind of live for this kind of reloading. Craig
3.2 shot OK but I could go higher if needed. Shot the Walther P-38 today and it is still a fun gun. Shot the S&W 6904 and it was OK. Shot the Sig 2022dp and it was fine. Took four to the range shot all four and had a good time. Yesterday I shot the High Power and it is still one of my favorites. Craig
Hey Craig, now you get to clean them all, something I enjoy almost as much as shooting them. I?m still trying to get past it, but can?t bring myself to just put them in the safe dirty
I use nothing but JHP or FMJ so no need to clean much. When I do clean I get no dirt to speak of. It's an old trick I learned years ago. Craig
Lol, the only thing I shoot are JHP?s and FMJ?s yet I still get a ton of crap out after 50 or a 100 rd?s, the good part is that I kind of enjoy cleaning them for some reason 😀
Well I like to oil them mostly. Craig
Boy this is off post but I had to put somewhere!! I shot the 41AE today mostly the Sampson factory rounds like 210g FMJ and it was real fun. My reloads were just a tad light and I think I will move closer to factory if I can. Looking at what data I have I think I will try 7.5g PP with a 170g bullet see what that feel like. Craig
Well I decided to load some of the lehigh 41cal bullets I had found but just now looking around the storage area I found like 40 41AE already loaded with that bullet. Oh well!!! Craig
Back to reality for a moment!! I had to send the Rock Island 38sp back to the factory as it was jamming mid chocking. Should be getting it back any day now. Craig
Hope they get that fixed up for you Craig!
I hope so too as it was fun to shoot and reload for. Craig
The range called today and the m200 38sp is back all fixed. I will test tomorrow. Craig
The m200 shot very well but I could work on the reloads as they seem very light!!! Even the data seems light. I will use 38+p data as the load I just did called for 6.2g Power Pistol and I load this all the time in 9mm for 115 or 124g. the 6,2 is max for 158g so I loaded 6.0, We will see tomorrow. The m200 is all fixed and it functioned super!! Craig
The 158g shoots very well and not light like the wad cutters. Craig