38 special load trouble

R

RHall

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Ive always had good luck with my loads untill I got a box of lead 158gr semi wadcutters, now I get alot of rounds stuck in the barrel and the powder will burn and round wont leave the cartridge, I use a Lee Turret press and winchester 231 powder with the .37 lee powder disk. Anyone have any advice ? I think my crimps are ok but maybe Iam being cheap with the powder.:confused:
 
RHall said:
Ive always had good luck with my loads untill I got a box of lead 158gr semi wadcutters, now I get alot of rounds stuck in the barrel and the powder will burn and round wont leave the cartridge, I use a Lee Turret press and winchester 231 powder with the .37 lee powder disk. Anyone have any advice ? I think my crimps are ok but maybe Iam being cheap with the powder.:confused:
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I don't know how the lee turret works, but if your actually burnin' powder and the bullet is not leaving the gun, you ain't burnin' enough......
 
Did the powder work ok before? Any chance the powder got wet? Are you using a scale or just the disk? Obviously, it's not throwing enough, if any, powder. The primer alone is enough to put a cast bullet into the barrel. You may not have any powder in the case. Lose the disk and weigh the powder. That'll tell you if it's the powder. Checking with a scale how much powder your disk is throwing wouldn't hurt as well.
Hodgdon gives 3.1 to 3.7 grains of 231 for a 158 grain cast bullet.
You really don't need to crimp. Neck tension should be plenty.
 
Sounds like an unreliable AutoDisc. I had that happen a lot with the spring operated version before they went to the chain type. Would not fully retract resulting in short powder charges. Run it dry a few times and watch it carefully. If it doesnt retract fully its hanging up on something, most likely the expander die, especially if u have one of the new swivel adapters on it. U may have a wee burr someplace causing it to stick.
Good luck, and carry a bigger hammer;)..
dB:)
 
This sounds like an accident waiting to happen...before you reload anymore, change your setup, use a proper scale, and don't load anymore until you can be sure you are dropping the right charge every time. I'd change the press if I had to, I'm too careful? In over 40 years and hundreds of thousands of reloads, Ive never had a bullet stick in the barrel. Go to a single stage if you have to!
 
Two things I would check. Speaking from experiences I have had.
1. Empty powder out of dispenser and check the rubber grommet down in the bottom of the dispenser, it sometimes gets powder along side it restricting flow.
2. Check that you have not over tightened the screws or wing nuts that hold down the powder dispenser over the disk, because it causes the disk to stick in the open position not throwing any powder into the brass case. Just snug it.
After all that check a few powder throws for correct amount.
 
.37 should be 4.0 grains of W231, which is listed as a minimum load in my ancient manual. I'd check to see that your measure is functioning properly.
 
Well I stipped my loader down and found it to be gummed up with crud, so I cleaned it all up, I double check that I was getting 4 gr on my scale and spent quite a bit of time adjusting my crimp, so Iam off to the club to checkem out.
 
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