44.. 45.. 357..

[BCRider]

I have a 38/357 for CAS and works really well. Have been looking at uping and getting a 45 colt. Is there that much difference between 45 Colt and 45 Long colt? I would prefer the 45 Colt in order to match ammo with my 1911. Any comments?

.45 Colt and .45 Long Colt is the same round.

You are thinking of .45 ACP. I don't know of any lever actions shooting .45ACP, though maybe there is one?

bmtoon, Claven is right that you are confusing .45acp with .45Colt. Two totally different cases and absolutely not compatible in any way. The only thing they have in common is the Colt origin and size of the bullet.

I've never seen a lever rifle in .45acp. Only in .45Colt, which is the rimmed revolver cartridge vs the rimless acp cartridge.

 

[Claven2]

You need to look at the ruger/TC only loads in most manuals for the .45 colt. You can get the same velocities with lower pressure if you use a rifle capable of the pressures. Any modern 92 should handle .44 mag pressure I'm a .45 colt chambering.

Reloading the .45 is where it's at to outperform the aneamic 1873 SAA loads sold in stores.

the .45, which can easily do anything the .44 can and more, if handloaded.

Umm... are we talking about the 45 LC vs the 44 Rem mag here? ' Cause I'd think the 45 is a little short when going up against a 44 mag.
Could be wrong...not running to get my reloading books, but still...

 

[sobo4303]

I chose the 38/357 for my CAS because of the shear availability of brass and cheap ammo. I reload, but now that my daughter is hooked, I go through more ammo. The UMC green box is $20 for 38 spl 158 grainers.

I load with 357 brass in my handguns, just cause I want too. It too is so plentiful. I reload mine to about 900 fps or so. I want to feel those handguns kick a bit - but not going to win any first prizes.

As for the rifle, even for plinking, you will quickly grow tired of that tube feed. I know - I did with my Henry 30-30.
For my 357, I use the Marlin Cowboy exclusively. It is a magnificent rifle.

 

[bmtoon]

tks, I am reloading for 9, 38/357 and just getting started with 45acp and yes is cheaper especially for CAS. I have an Uberti in 38/357 rifle and love it for CAS

 

[sobo4303]

My Marlin loads 10 in the pipe. It is also a great plinker. Funny thing is, with all the folks I know with 45/44 or 38/357 - all reload. All have reduced loads of one sort or another for CAS and everyone use those loads for plinking.

For hunting, I would agree that the 357 would be a little light. Of the choices you offered, my choice would be the 44 mag. My opinion and preference for hunting though, would be a 30-30 (336 of course, open sights).

 

[DocBurN]

My Marlin loads 10 in the pipe. It is also a great plinker. Funny thing is, with all the folks I know with 45/44 or 38/357 - all reload. All have reduced loads of one sort or another for CAS and everyone use those loads for plinking.

For hunting, I would agree that the 357 would be a little light. Of the choices you offered, my choice would be the 44 mag. My opinion and preference for hunting though, would be a 30-30 (336 of course, open sights).

since i have no knowledge of reloading.. i taught going to the 38/357 would be cheaper to shoot.. but this morning i was thinking.. should as well get the 44 mag for the extra power if the plan is to reload.. could be as cheap as reloading a 357.. probably depend on what you put in it.. powder.. black magic.. bullets.. do they all pretty much cost the same to reload ?

Someone need to point me in the direction of a good reloading starter kit URL so i can check it out and feel less stupid.

Ultimately, i would like to create 12 gauge slugs (thats another story or kit.. out of birdshots) but a reloading "kit" for a 30-06 and (one of those calibers.. 44 or 357 if i ever get my mind straight on what would be the best for me)

 

[sobo4303]

RCBS and Redding make decent starters. As for the the dies, once you have the basic kit, you just purchase them separately and the fun begins. To make the casings uniform, I swear by the Lee trimmers and use of a low speed drill. They trim cases consistently so there is no worry of buckling the case shoulders. The other non-necessity is to buy a casing cleaner/polisher. It makes them look great and reduces the frequency of cleaning your dies. For lube, I use the RCBS spray (although many others have homemade recipes too).

With the 44, you will get a 3 die set.

As for powders and bullets, the sky is the limit. For plinking and CAS I use lead bullets (357) and for powder I use Unique and have grown quite attached to Trailboss as it actually fills the casing. I also us the approximate load as they did back in 1873 without the smoke. For primers, I exclusively use CCI for all my reloading needs. For brass, I went to a local indoor range and bought 2000 empties. That was two years ago. I still have not gone through my first 400.

For the lead loads, some folks swear by the use of Crimping Dies or neck resizing only (I am not particularly fond of either). So there is that consideration too.

Get yourself a good manual and feel free to contact me at any time for advice. There is no black magic to it and I find it relaxing to listen to a hockey game (Jr. A right now) while I crank out rounds. The best thing is that you have complete control. You control the QA/QC, the final product and the costs per unit.