What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Discussions covering the components and techniques of reloading for your handgun.
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horseman
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by horseman »

Ranch Dog wrote:Are you going to use any cast bullet with that handsome '11?

Probably not. Funny, Larryw and I had that very conversation a week or so ago. I know that 45 acp and lead projectiles go together like PB and J, but my lead supplies are limited and that's all I use in 44mag, 45 colt and 357. I don't shoot any of those near as much right now but one never knows when he'll get back to it. My Pro Melt hasn't fired up in over two years, it's just sitting there with a half pot of lead looking forlornly at me. :lol: NOW, having said that, when I get into loading 45 Super I will probably look to some lead bullets just for the performance in a hunting scenario. Not sure where to go there as I haven't really studied that caliber near enough. But from what I HAVE read (a bit) you can push a 255gr to 1200fps which equals "most" of what I load in my 45 Colts (Rugers). Pretty potent I would think. May be good for your hog hunting....up close and personal... :lol:
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by GasGuzzler »

Made some .45 AUTO today.

Long story but I cast the bullets today and finished the rounds today.

Only ended up with 42 because I fragged a few cases.

First time using the mold...it's a Lee TL 225 grain that dropped 230.1 on almost all of them but it's the old style pin two-holer that to be honest is a piece of crap.

I have to slap the top and bottom with my hammer handle to get it to CLOSE for a pour. Once I learned the stupid crap it wanted I made OK bullets.

The brass was once-fired by me and was only wet tumbled and dried when I started.

I hand primed with my RCBS and loaded them on the single stage with four Lee dies and an RCBS Uniflow mounted to my powder-through die.

I used a crappy choice for powder and a crappy choice for primers but oh well...

S&B LPP
1X brass
Auto-Comp 6.0 gr
My alloy
BLL
Lee 452-255-TL with old style pins

They look fat at the mouth but all clunk into my RIA with gravity only.

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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by mr surveyor »

Last weekend was 30-30 and .45 auto, so to be different today I loaded a batch of .38 spl for the first time in a year or so.

Even though I said I'd never let it happen again, I let myself get caught completely by surprise with a less than sufficient stash of components … particularly projectiles. I had plans to buy a 6 caliber batch of bullets in May or June ….. but :roll:


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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by GasGuzzler »

I may run some .45A XTP (I found two boxes of 185 gr I don't know why I have) defense rounds or maybe just use my RFN bullets I use for .45C...
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by horseman »

GasGuzzler wrote:I may run some .45A XTP (I found two boxes of 185 gr I don't know why I have) defense rounds or maybe just use my RFN bullets I use for .45C...

Those XTP''s are good bullets. Tough, they liked to be "pushed" a bit to get em' to open up real nice. I have 300 left but I'm not sure where I'm going to go with them. Thinkin' 1050ish maybe a bit more, Silhouette will get you there with a bit of room to spare. Not a +P load either but it ain't one of those BE or 231 loads most seem to like to shoot.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by GasGuzzler »

Yesterday was 9X19 day. I thought everything was set up from a couple years ago when I built the rack to hold my turrets and when I converted from AutoDisc to AutoDrum ... but as I found out only the drum was set (close) for the 4.7 grains of Bullseye. The dies were not ... which is OK ... unless you think they are set up.

Anyway here is what I got.

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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by horseman »

Way to go GG. Looks very good. Today was MY 9mil day. Just finished up the last of my 115gr. Gold Dots, two boxes of 100 projectiles each. I ran 10 rounds of them over my chrono to check and they averaged a tic over 1200fps (that is out of a 3 1/2in barrel). Preeetty warrrrm. I think from now forward I'm going to switch to the 124's...and a mite slower. Went out and shot 3 cyls full of 44mag from my SBH as I hadn't fired that for some time and had the rounds just sitting in a plastic container on the bench. Didn't really remember what the heck they even were. Well, they were very LOUD, my missus even came out of the house to see what I was shootin'. (she usually just ignores my shooting, but like I said it's been awhile since I shot this guy. Another thing I noticed is that since I've mostly been shooting a couple auto's of late I found I couldn't get a "comfortable" two hand grip on that "plow handle". Don't think I care for that...I like those guns.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by GasGuzzler »

Them's HOT 9's. I made .45 Colt today.

7.0 grains Unique under my cast 260 grain Lee bullets. My lube sized at .452 through my heated RCBS LAB then coated with BLL. 1.60" OAL.

I'm out of these bullets nearly so I only made 30. Need to cast some more but thanks to RD, my sprue cutter is working again and ready when I am.

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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Ohio3Wheels »

44 mag this time around. Once fire Armscor cases, 240 grain Acme with conventional lube, 22.5 grains of H110 and CCI Magnum Large Pistol. That almost uses up the H110 and leaves me with about 15 of the primers trying to use those up also. Data from the 4th edition of the Lyman Cast Bullet handbook.

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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by horseman »

Ohio3Wheels wrote:44 mag this time around. Once fire Armscor cases, 240 grain Acme with conventional lube, 22.5 grains of H110 and CCI Magnum Large Pistol. That almost uses up the H110 and leaves me with about 15 of the primers trying to use those up also. Data from the 4th edition of the Lyman Cast Bullet handbook.

You'll "feel" those for sure... :lol: nowadays I've been keeping my 44mags down around 1,000-1100fps max with 260(ish) cast using 2400, that's enough for me. Several years ago I loaded up 50 "hot" 45 colt loads for one of my Rugers, 260gr. SWC cast from an RCBS mold over 24g. of H110 (under max load according to John Linebaugh, but not much) Shot six of them. Fast forward several more years and I picked up a Ruger 4inch Redhawk and after shooting it a bunch with "normal" type 45 colt loads I decided to shoot some of those original "hot" loads in it. I looked in that box a couple months ago as I was going through my loaded round boxes (they're in a green box) and there are still 38 left. I still have almost two pounds of H110 in my powder cabinet. I've only ever bought two pounds of it. :D Lately I've "pushed" some 230gr XTP's out of my 45 acp over 1000fps. It's starting to get my attention.... :?
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