Phat Eagle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Fraser Valley, BC
I still have boxes from them when they were up on Hastings. Used to buy my projectiles on the way up to class at Simon Fraser!
reloading 357 / 38 special worth it?
- Thread starter islquest
- Start date
I still have boxes from them when they were up on Hastings. Used to buy my projectiles on the way up to class at Simon Fraser!
Of my 4 centrefire hand guns, two of them have never seen a factory load. My .40 S & W Jericho, and my GP100. Both bought new; bought once fired brass and dies and projectiles (I have three presses); also have a brand new 6.5 x 55 Zastava that is a couple months old, and it has had a couple hundred home loads throug it.
There are savings to be had, but you can also taylor ammo to suit your purpose. For my Revolver I load .38 special on the light side for PPC, and I load them with 158 gr. round nose, flat point DRG lead bullets; they work way better with speed loaders than SWC bullets. DRG are made locally, and can be bought locally. If you are going to shoot a few boxes each time you go to the range, reloading is worth it. It is fun and it is a tributary to our sport as well.
There are savings to be had, but you can also taylor ammo to suit your purpose. For my Revolver I load .38 special on the light side for PPC, and I load them with 158 gr. round nose, flat point DRG lead bullets; they work way better with speed loaders than SWC bullets. DRG are made locally, and can be bought locally. If you are going to shoot a few boxes each time you go to the range, reloading is worth it. It is fun and it is a tributary to our sport as well.
Ah, I see they just moved a little further north. Thanks for the link.
You can pretty much disregard the cost of brass for .38 Spl handloads. Years ago I read a report of a guy trying to compare longevity of .38 brass from brand to brand. He loaded a nice, wadcutter target load, careful to not over-bell the case mouths, nor to over crimp the loaded round, and gave up after experiencing one cracked case mouth at the 80 reload count, another in the 90's, and still more chugging along past one hundred reloads!
.357 won't last as long, because they need more crimp, meaning that each time you bell the case mouth, and then re-crimp it to securely hold the bullet in place, the case mouth gets work hardened and cracks sooner. I still get twenty or thirty reloads on .357, except for the nickeled cases, which seem to crack sooner.
A nice modest single stage press with priming attachment, a scale, carbide dies, probably a measure, (but a set of scoops will get it done,) certainly a manual, most of which will come in any starter kit, and you would be good to go. Prolly churn out a modest 50 rounds per hour, especially if you accumulate brass and do each stage in large batches, so you are not spending time changing out dies too often.
This is sort of like buying a pickup. Most of us would get along fine with a half ton, two wheel drive, standard cab, 8 foot box, plain jane fit and finish. That would haul just about everything we could ever consider putting in our truck, - me, myself, and some days my wife!
Is that what we buy? Oh, no! We gotta get at least a 3/4 ton, maybe a one-ton, 4X4, off-road, skid plates, winch, light bar, with the top of the line interior finish, mag 20 inch wheels, and if I left any options out, feel free to add them after-market! 'Cause we might just poke down that country road some day to see what lies down that-a-way, and who knows, we might need four wheel drive to turn around!
.357 won't last as long, because they need more crimp, meaning that each time you bell the case mouth, and then re-crimp it to securely hold the bullet in place, the case mouth gets work hardened and cracks sooner. I still get twenty or thirty reloads on .357, except for the nickeled cases, which seem to crack sooner.
A nice modest single stage press with priming attachment, a scale, carbide dies, probably a measure, (but a set of scoops will get it done,) certainly a manual, most of which will come in any starter kit, and you would be good to go. Prolly churn out a modest 50 rounds per hour, especially if you accumulate brass and do each stage in large batches, so you are not spending time changing out dies too often.
This is sort of like buying a pickup. Most of us would get along fine with a half ton, two wheel drive, standard cab, 8 foot box, plain jane fit and finish. That would haul just about everything we could ever consider putting in our truck, - me, myself, and some days my wife!
Is that what we buy? Oh, no! We gotta get at least a 3/4 ton, maybe a one-ton, 4X4, off-road, skid plates, winch, light bar, with the top of the line interior finish, mag 20 inch wheels, and if I left any options out, feel free to add them after-market! 'Cause we might just poke down that country road some day to see what lies down that-a-way, and who knows, we might need four wheel drive to turn around!
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
If this is it. Cheap bench mounted Lee press, set of Lee powder scoops, dies and bulk cast. Really no need for more. Your initial hardware is easily bought used, here on the EE. Easily resold if it's not for you.
Primer is stupid expensive right now, powder goes a long way at pistol charge weights, bulk bullets might be hard to find and spendy to ship. Your savings may be eaten up by shooting more, but really the expense is offset quickly, even at your volume.
Primer is stupid expensive right now, powder goes a long way at pistol charge weights, bulk bullets might be hard to find and spendy to ship. Your savings may be eaten up by shooting more, but really the expense is offset quickly, even at your volume.
The Lee hand press is a gateway drug, you just end up buying a bench mounted press anyway so may as well start with it. It will cost a bit more than the hand tool, but not much really.
38 spl brass isn't so common as it once was. Bullets and primers would be the largest expense.
38 spl brass isn't so common as it once was. Bullets and primers would be the largest expense.
I can only speak from my own experience but I would say 1 1/2-2 hours. Now I am using two 6 cavity moulds and a 20 pound pot so I have virtually no down time aside from adding alloy and fluxing. The most time efficient way is to cast in large batches. Unless you are a high volume target shooter a couple of casting sessions will provdie you with a year's worth of bullets so in the grand scheme of things it's a very small time concession. Once you have the bullets, addtional processing like sizing and lubing can be done at your leisure when you feel like doing a couple hundred here and there.
Remember that at the above casting speed and with current prices you are saving roughly $50/hour over purchasing commercial cast bullets so you pay for your initial investment pretty quickly.
.30/06 FTW
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Thunder Bay, Ontario
I still think the hand press is a handy thing to have. I can resize and flare cases sitting on the couch, it requires almost no setup, etc.
I agree! In fact, thats exactly what I did, started with a hand press then went with a bench mounted press once I had a bench to mount it to. If I could only have one, I'd be keeping the bench mounted press - as it is now, the hand press is mostly used as a loaner/teaching aide - I've got some friends who are interested in learning to reload, but my office isn't really big enough for two people to be in, so I can take the press over to their place, show them how its done, and then lend them the hand press.
Thats exactly why I like a hand primer tool - I'm not tied to my bench for that part of the process.
Well, you can buy Buffalo Bore... For about the same price per box as a reloading press... lol
Worth in terms of dollars is subjective.
But making your own ammo is a very interesting and rewarding hobby in its own right.
I suggest a simple single stage press, a 50 round plastic loading block, a set of dies (I like lee), a loading manual and a powder thrower.
You will enjoy shooting your own ammo, and alter, enjoy fine tuning the ammo for better performance.
But making your own ammo is a very interesting and rewarding hobby in its own right.
I suggest a simple single stage press, a 50 round plastic loading block, a set of dies (I like lee), a loading manual and a powder thrower.
You will enjoy shooting your own ammo, and alter, enjoy fine tuning the ammo for better performance.
Reloading 38/357 for years. Cost saving and tailored for my needs. Interesting time, very relaxing.
Casting lead bullet may be cheap, sorta of. Cost of equipment, space, time, health, or just buy a box of cast bullets. How munch do you really shoot in a year?
Casting lead bullet may be cheap, sorta of. Cost of equipment, space, time, health, or just buy a box of cast bullets. How munch do you really shoot in a year?
Agreed. Plus the widening of possibilities to load ammo that suits you instead of being limited to what's available. Want some heavy 300gr 44 mag for bear defense, a mouse fart load for plinking, full power or practice ammo for a 416 Rigby, or obsolete 38-72 WCF to get grandpa's old lever gun back in the field - reloading is the answer. If you reload you aren't limited to factory ammo that retailers have in stock.
The hand press is handy but if i was doing it over again I'd get the bench mount press first and maybe get a hand press later. I haven't used mine for years and don't miss it.
Thank you everyone that replied, I haven't been on in a few days and I come back to 4 pages of replies... wow. There is definitely a lot to take in here, especially because I have way more room than money so I have to figure out what i can hide from the wife (both financially and physically).
Thank you all again, you have no idea how appreciative I am of all your knowledge.
Thank you all again, you have no idea how appreciative I am of all your knowledge.
