Need advice on first reload

[ruger-p94]

I am getting my pot and mold for my S&W 13-3 357 and will be making (358 Diameter) 158 Grain Tumble Lube Semi-Wadcutters.

I have not found a store yet to buy the powder and primers locally yet but I will find one. I noticed that for that casting you use a certain types of powders. Is it best to visit the store first and get a list of what they stock and then decide what you want to load from there. I would order on line but the shipping is a killer. I am doing a lot of reading but have not found any info on how to really start. thx in advance.

[runfiverun]

cool another new guy welcome...
dude here's what you do.
get a reloading manual first and foremost.
now since you are using a tumble lube mold 'd suggest you read around here some more.
start with a middle of the book load [medium powder speed at a medium velocity]
now that you have looked in the manual and have seen that thse powders will be on the order of unique,universal,aa#5 etc...
you can then make a more informed choice..
information and not internet drivel plus experience and caution will get you started on the right path.
at the very least look at the hodgdons,alliant's and accurate's websights.

[Beerd]

ruger-p94,

Welcome to Cast Boolits!

Small pistol primers and a pound of Unique powder will get you off to a good start.
..

[462]

Dittos on the welcome.

Any edition of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook or their Reloading Handbook, or their Pistol and Revolver Handbook will give you the most cast bullet information, hands down. Pick up a Hornady, Speer, or even a Sierra manual, too. Read them all a couple times. Practice making dummy rounds -- no primer, no powder -- till you become comfortable and proficient. Then move on to making live rounds.

[MtGun44]

+1 on what 462 said.

You won't go wrong with Unique, Red Dot, W231, Titegroup or Bullseye for that cartridge.
They will likely have an assortment of pistol powders. There are many ways to select
powders. One way is to get the smallest possible charge - saves money. Of course, it
is possible to accidentally double charge a case with these tiny charges and damage the
gun. Another way is to go for a slower and bulkier powder, which will require a larger
quantity and either eliminate the possibility of a double charge or make it a lot easier to
visually detect. Since you buy powder by the pound, larger charges mean more cost per
shot, even though the velocity may be the same as a different powder with less powder
quantity, and therefore lower powder cost per shot.

Shape and size of the powder granuals affects the ability to run through a powder meter
accurately. If you are going to be weighing all charges at first, meterability is entirely
irrelevant.

You should stay away from W296/H110 (same powder, two vendors) because it is only safe
at maximum or near maximum charges. Essentially all other pistol powders can be safely used
in greatly reduced charges for lower velocities, but not W296/H110 - although it is a wonderful
powder for near max to max loads in .357 Mag, and the other magnum pistols.

Bill

[bobthenailer]

Welcome to the fourm ! perhaps a fourm member could possibly be in your area ? advertise for one, im sure they would be glad to help you out any way they could .
good luck
BOB

[P.K.]

Welcome aboard!

I don't want to cause info overload but here is some more reading for you. It will answer alot of questions before you you even think to ask them. ;-)
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=110213

[Wayne Smith]

DO NOT try reloading without reading and using the data in at least one and preferably two manuals, as recommended above. There are many sources of data, us included. Unless you have a tested and reliable reference to check it against you have no idea if the person posting knows what they are talking about or if they happened to reverse numerals in the process of posting. The data in the reference manuals are all based on tests and measures and are reliable.

Any store that sells primers and powder should have several manuals on the shelves. Don't buy powder and primers without also buying preferably two of those. One of them should be the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook if you are going to shoot cast.

[1Shirt]

Welcome! Read current reloading manuals, suggest starting with the Lyman. Also pick up the freebees from the various powder mfgs. Empahsis on Hogden.
Spend a lot of time on this forum, and read and ask questions regarding specifics.
Don't hurry, remember safety first as it will limit your regrets later.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[xbeeman412]

Above all dont be afraid to ASK anything You are not sure of.

Best of reloading to You. Hope You can find a reloader/caster in Your area to mentor You.

Read untell You are tired and pick up the next day where YOu left off..never to much info .

Enjoy!!

[firefly1957]

Welcome to forum
Your casting your bullets but before you look for a load you do need to check a reliable book . And to give good advice we need to know what you are doing with the load and what alloy you are using and probably type of lube as well. Remember one thing seating depth of that bullet affects pressure. Even two different 158gr. slugs that seat differently will need new loading data.

[ruger-p94]

Thanks for all the info and advice. I will have a library built right beside the bed so I can read a few chapters every night. Once I figure out a load I will be using I will present to the class for checking. Once again thanks from a noob.... :bigsmyl2:

[Wayne Smith]

Is this for a 9mm pistol? If so you are starting hard. It is a small case, high pressure load and this makes it picky to load for. Especially loading cast successfully without leading. There is a lot of information on this site about loading for the 9mm. Do a search and you will find out what you are getting yourself into.

Do you have or have access to a 38 Special or 357Mag revolver? They are a much more forgiving platform for a beginner.

[canyon-ghost]

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd edition, all about casting bullets and shows reloading data. If you want a reloading instruction book devoid of advertising then try the NRA: http://materials.nrahq.org/go/produc...tid=EF%2013527

Lyman #3 at MidwayUSA (world's largest shooting and reloading store):http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/796...d-edition-book

New 4th Edition: http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/867...h-edition-book

Good Luck,
Ron

[ruger-p94]

I have a smith 357 magnum. I took it out to the range on Friday to try it out. Its shoots very good but I was shooting Federal 158 JSP. I am hoping to come up with a lighter 158 SWC load for target shooting. I have a " Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold TL358-158-SWC 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 38 Colt New Police (358 Diameter) 158 Grain Tumble Lube Semi-Wadcutter." I will try to come up with some figures this weekend while reading and let you guys check them out .

edit
My first reload will be for a 38 special

Bullet 158 gr from a " Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold TL358-158-SWC 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 38 Colt New Police (358 Diameter) 158 Grain Tumble Lube Semi-Wadcutter"

Case will be Starline

Primer CCI 500

Powder Unique

Charge Weight 4.7

Velocity 815

Minimum OAL 1.44

I thought I would start off with the 38 and get some range time with the gun and get use to reloading and then work up to the 357. I will be shooting a smith 13-3 three inch

[MtGun44]

Good start, should work well. The only issue remaining is sizing diameter.

The great news is that S&W .38/.357 guns are some of THE MOST consistent on their
throat and barrel diameters over many years. If you size to .358 diameter you have
a very high probability of excellent results without slugging the barrel or throats. These
measurements are much more important for .44 and .45 caliber guns which seem to have
had major variations in throat diameters over the decades and require measurement and
custom fitted boolit diameters for best results.

Make sure you start with really clean chambers, throats and bore.

Bill

[HeavyMetal]

I've had a few Model 13's through my hands over the years, these are fixed sight HB guns and balance very well.

If it doesn't have a set of Pachmeyrs on get some and fast!

These were sighted in with 158 grain 357 loads from the factory so while you can shoot any 38 special load in it don't expect it to hit POA!

I've always used my stand by 357 load, 14 grains WW296, Fed standard small pistol primer, 150 grain RCBS SWC lubed with ither Blue angel or Carnuba Red, in all fixed sight 357's with good to great POA /POI results.

I realize this may be "hotter" than you wish to load but the only time 38 loads work in a 357, as far as POI/POA is concerned is when the pistol has adjustable sights.

Welcome aboard!

[ruger-p94]

Never thought of that. I will keep this load on the books and look around for a light 158 swc load. I noticed that Unique requires usually more grains than some of the other hotter ones and is used quite a bit for shotgun loads. I got an email out to one of the stores and should here back from them soon with what they carry. This should help so I will not have to order on line and pay shipping and hazardous. More reading tonight....also the mold I got was tumble lub...is that a big deal,.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Welcome ruger-p94. These guys are great. You will have so much fun casting your own. Be careful. That lead will be 700-800 degrees when poured. It burns fast and deep. I take it that you haven't cast before? Or am I wrong.
Tumble lube is no problem. Check out the stickies and you will see about a 45-45-10 lube made from Alox and Johnson paste wax (floor kind).

[ruger-p94]

Got my first book Modern Reloading Second Edition by Richard Lee. I went to check to see what the load is for my lee mold.. :Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold TL358-158-SWC 38 Special, 357 Magnum:
and it was not there. There was a 158 Grain Lead Bullet. Can I use those loads for my mold. I found is strange that they did not have a 158 SWC mold.

[Boolseye]

Well done! great mold, awesome boolit. I have shot hundreds and hundreds, you will get no leading at all at those velocities. Do you have the .358 push-through sizing die? You will want to size these puppies or you will get some feeding problems in your revolver. Unsized, they tend to bulge the case necks too much and create binding in the cylinder.