What caliber gives you the most trouble reloading, and how did you overcome?

[dudel]

Taking a lead from Osteodocs current "hate reloading 9mm" thread, what caliber gives you the most fits and what tricks did you learn.

For me, 22 Hornet has been a tough battle. The case is so fragile, that I've gone back to single stage when loading it (seems appropriate since both guns I have in 22Hornet are single shot anyway - T/C and Handi).

If the brass tipped the least little bit, either sizing, dumping or seating, the case would crumple (and these are NOT cases you find lying around at the range, and ordering them new is iffy at best). The mouth also needed a generous chamfer when loading GC boolits. It's one area where boat tail J-words seem to save brass. Also the Hornady inline seater helps keep thing straight as the projectile heads for the case mouth. A Lyman M die also helped a lot with GC boolits. I also use the Lee collet sizing die to keep from overworking the brass (I just need to keep the T/C round separate from the Handi rounds).

After 22Hornet, everything else seems easy.

[DeanWinchester]

Casting for 7,62x54R (more than one rifle) and casting for 6,5mm Swede.
How did I overcome? I washed my hands of them and placed more focus on .308, 30/30 etc. that are more cast friendly.

I will fight with a cartridge only so long, then....I say So long!

[fatnhappy]

Since you stipulated reloading in the thread title I think I'll need to choose the .30-30. This is simply due to the nature of the beast. Since I find it necessary to crimp the necks on hunting ammo it the requires the brass be trimmed too frequently for my tastes. It not an overly onerous task but one I undertake with less exuberance than unclogging toilets. That's why I got rid of my hornet years ago.

[upnorthwis]

6.5MM Swede. If I use the Lyman lubrisizer the normal way, those long 140 grain boolits bend. Have to disassemble it and turn it into a pushthru sizer. Should probably just buy the Lee sizer since this gun will be around awhile.

[tja6435]

Taking a lead from Osteodocs current "hate reloading 9mm" thread, what caliber gives you the most fits and what tricks did you learn.

For me, 22 Hornet has been a tough battle. The case is so fragile, that I've gone back to single stage when loading it (seems appropriate since both guns I have in 22Hornet are single shot anyway - T/C and Handi).

If the brass tipped the least little bit, either sizing, dumping or seating, the case would crumple (and these are NOT cases you find lying around at the range, and ordering them new is iffy at best). The mouth also needed a generous chamfer when loading GC boolits. It's one area where boat tail J-words seem to save brass. Also the Hornady inline seater helps keep thing straight as the projectile heads for the case mouth.

After 22Hornet, everything else seems easy.

I was recently informed about the Lyman M die series of expanders. They step the neck out instead of belling and it allows the bullet (cast or otherwise) to be seated without scraping lead, copper, lube or coating while seating. I got one off Amazon for around $21 shipped and it has made a huge difference in getting checked and flat base bullets to seat in .223 reloads. Very glad I was given the info on the M dies. Now I have M dies in just about everything I do and plan on loading for

[mdi]

Good thread, but would it be possible to not only name a particular firearm, but explain the problem? "I had a problem with a 3.9mm Whitzip Magnum so I gave it to my brother-in-law" type answers/posts are nice to know, but why?

[dudel]

I was recently informed about the Lyman M die series of expanders. They step the neck out instead of belling and it allows the bullet (cast or otherwise) to be seated without scraping lead, copper, lube or coating while seating. I got one off Amazon for around $21 shipped and it has made a huge difference in getting checked and flat base bullets to seat in .223 reloads. Very glad I was given the info on the M dies. Now I have M dies in just about everything I do and plan on loading for

Thanks, I forgot to mention I did get an M die for the 22 Hornet. Helps a bunch.

[osteodoc08]

9mm, havent overcome it yet. Just too small. I'l load up several hundred at a time to keep from doing it all the time. Its not bad, perse, I just prefer others.

[Radarsonwheels]

So far 9mm makarov. I bought commercial hardcast in the commie 9mm size and it leaded my polish p64 walther copy like crazy after just 12 shots. Haven't licked it yet gonna try more powder first, then slug it if it still leads and see if I need to buy and beagle a mold for it along with some .362 dies or something.

It's also special because I trim 9mm luger brass 1mm and blow it out for the short fat 9x18 mak. After all the work it takes to make the ammo the pistol throws brass a country mile!

I only bother because it's such a great pocket pistol and cuts one ragged hole at ten yards. Factory brown and silver bear ammo used to be cheap, not so much any more. I want to be able to practice with it especially since the double action trigger is crazy long and stiff and the single action trigger is super light and crisp.

[Freeandcold]

357 sig. Those itty bitty necks are an issue. But, I learned a great deal (even after 25 years previous hand loading experience) about neck tension, crimping processes, component selection,... while working through the various issues.

[fredj338]

A toss up between the 357wsig & 44-40. Both are bottleneck, both need die tweaking to get best results. The 44-40 is probably a bit more PITA because of the thin cases. Pretty easy to crumple one if you don't get enough flare or slightly over crimp. Then again it has a crimp groove to keep the bullet form setting back, unlike the 357sig. I am sure the 38-40 falls into this too. Gees, 9mm is piece of a cake compared to those three!

[Mk42gunner]

I have two that I have had trouble with. The .25-20 WCF and the .43 Spanish.

On the .25-20 the trouble wasn't really with loading it, it was that I could not find brass so I had to neck down .32-20. The only .32-20 I could find was nickel plated Remington, and I lost somewhere around 10% while necking down, mostly due to creases that I didn't catch in time.

After it was necked down and trimmed I haven't had any problems, plus I picked up enough partial boxes at gun shows to give me a couple of hundred rounds. That should be enough since my rifle is a single shot.

With the .43 Spanish, using reformed .348 Win brass from Buffalo arms in Lee dies, I kept breaking Lee shellholders. The top would break out when I was pulling the case out of the resizing die. That and some of the cases still needed the shoulder pushed back a bit more, requiring another trip into the sizing die.

I tried different sizing lubes with limited success, but after going through three or four shellholders I was pretty close to giving up on the caliber.

Then one day I was in a gun shop a thousand miles from home, (I was on leave) and found an RCBS shell holder. I thought what the heck, and bought it. Problem solved, it has lasted for several years.

Robert

[HATCH]

22 hornet or 22 TCM was the hardest.

22 hornet because the jacketed bullet would rip the case some (got a fix for that).

22 TCM because the OAL measurement was all over the place. I measured factory loaded ammo and it was all over the place as well so I didn't worry too much.

I load both of these on a 550 and what I did is have a company make a pistol style powder die for both calibers.
it slightly flares the mouth of the case and makes it easier to load the bullets.
Once I did that my problems on the 22 tcm went away.

Yes I did chamfer the mouth of the case.

[jonp]

357 mag. Why? It was the very first reload for me and i had no one to ask questions. I learned everything from a Lymans and trial.

[bangerjim]

Still have problems in spades with the S&W SD9VE.........hate it with a passion.

Very finicky on length & sizing. I can load them just fine! I play synth and my manual dexterity is excellent. The darn things are just a PITA. Chambering and firing are another story.

They either will not chamber completely or will not cycle properly. Factory FMJ's shoot fine.

But the accuracy of this little piece of work is like shooting at the side of a barn. Total garbage. Boolits (even factory FMJ's) pretty much land where they want out just only 25 feet. Rarely shoot it anymore. Will probably trade it in on a long gun and sell off all the 9 casting/loading stuff I have + 3K of brass on here.

Love my 40 XD-M! And just got a 45ACP 1911.

banger

[mpmarty]

9mm and I quit trying. 9mm is worthless ***. 10mm rocks!!!

[Smoke4320]

7.62 x 54R..
real brass is fairly hard to find, bore sizes run the gambit of 311 all the way to 317
makes mold/bullet selection much slimmer
have one m38 that will shoot factory 198 grn or handloaded Hornady 174 grn in less than 2" at 200 yds
but can't get a cast bullet in 2.5" at 50 yds .. tried many loads different powders, seating depths, different dia's ect ect

[dabsond]

6.5 carcano. Magic missile tumbles and jacketed bullets show signs of high pressure.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I couldn't get any 22 cast in any 223 or 22-250 to shoot accurately. I also have never had good luck with gas checks in any caliber.

[Charley]

.375 Winchester in a Marlin 375. Still working on it. I've tried almost everything that has ever been mentioned about combination here, from Marlinowners, and just about everywhere else. Will continue to work on it.

[lonewelder]

44-40 even when seating and crimping in two stages I still lose a case sometimes.

[Bullshop]

The 14 Johnes
Sell it at the S&S forum on CB

[wistlepig1]

Taking a lead from Osteodocs current "hate reloading 9mm" thread, what caliber gives you the most fits and what tricks did you learn.

For me, 22 Hornet has been a tough battle. The case is so fragile, that I've gone back to single stage when loading it (seems appropriate since both guns I have in 22Hornet are single shot anyway - T/C and Handi).

If the brass tipped the least little bit, either sizing, dumping or seating, the case would crumple (and these are NOT cases you find lying around at the range, and ordering them new is iffy at best). The mouth also needed a generous chamfer when loading GC boolits. It's one area where boat tail J-words seem to save brass. Also the Hornady inline seater helps keep thing straight as the projectile heads for the case mouth. A Lyman M die also helped a lot with GC boolits. I also use the Lee collet sizing die to keep from overworking the brass (I just need to keep the T/C round separate from the Handi rounds).

After 22Hornet, everything else seems easy.
Amen on the Hornet, I to have had all the above problems. Don't you just love the LiL jewel?!?

[Harter66]

As of today something that is almost a 280AI but short to the shoulder and long necked ,and fat necked. I don't know how to thicken the necks maybe 338 06'? The HPX 06' leaves the id at 296 to go w/a leade that would be happy at 286-7 and a 277x284 bore . Mean while it is key holeing w/a 27-130 so its on to a slightly fatter paper patch .

The 2nd runner up is an 03A3 I have run loads and boolits and bullets and loads from 1 end to the other. Nothing seems to work. Last weekend I found something that actually may work. 9yrs I've had it ,9 yrs.

[Brett Ross]

7.62x25, I think my issues are more gun related. Bore and chamber dimensions in my Polish Tok are not cast friendly.

[JeffinNZ]

To this day I still can't get my .310 Cadet to shoot with smokeless. I have tried a myriad of powders, two different correct sized projectiles, alloys, that lot. I now shoot it with a duplex load of H4227 under a compressed charge of Swiss 3Fg black powder. Shoots so clean the bore is shiney after each shot and accuracy is great.

[MT Gianni]

Since you stipulated reloading in the thread title I think I'll need to choose the .30-30. This is simply due to the nature of the beast. Since I find it necessary to crimp the necks on hunting ammo it the requires the brass be trimmed too frequently for my tastes. It not an overly onerous task but one I undertake with less exuberance than unclogging toilets. That's why I got rid of my hornet years ago.

Try the RCBS X dies for trimming solutions. I have not needed to trim a 30-30 case since buying them.

[dubber123]

.22 Hornet. I had a really joyous time seating the boolits straight in the thin necks, and after finally fighting my way through and making rounds I felt good about, it rewarded me with 6" patterns at 50 yds. It's been WAY back burnered. 9mm wasn't much fun until I figured out the bores on all of mine are looser than my loosest .38 Spl. Fat boolits fixed most of my issues with that one.

[Doc1]

I don't like reloading any of the smaller calibers, to include .223. I "can" and do do it from time to time, but find wrestling the tiny cases and components to be much more of a PITA than larger calibers. Of course that's a different subject than accuracy, but it's admittedly less enjoyable working up loads when you don't enjoy working with the basic materials!

Best regards
Doc

[Digital Dan]

Don't understand why so many here have trouble with the Hornet.

Reload everything I shoot except for a .380 auto and rimfires. Never found any of the rest to be difficult in any particular fashion and I shoot quite an array of cartridges.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Positively the .44-40! Those thin cases wrinkle easily if they aren't expanded quite enough for the new boolit, and crimping must be gently!

[mannyCA]

22 hornet. No matter how carefully you neck size and chamfer I still get the occasional bulged neck when seating. Very irritating to say the least.

[texassako]

It has to be 7.35 Carcano with cast bullets. Did you know they cut those chambers super tight like they were going to be target shooting? You can't fit much more than a .300" bullet in the neck before it will not chamber and bores run .300-302". I had to make a .300" mandrel for my Lyman neck turning tool, turn the necks to fit a .302" bullet, make a custom expander to expand that neck, hone out sizing dies for my custom mold from Accurate. All the Carcano haters are now shaking their heads "Why?!", but the one with a scope will shoot sub MOA after all that.

[Garyshome]

9mm, I just kept at it and worked all the pain out of it.

[CplOswald74]

After long study I have decided to not cast for 9mm,any variation of 30 cal. or 375, so that leaves me with casting for .452 or larger. Have not had any issue's loading or casting for calibers .45-.729.

[Artful]

I will fight with a cartridge only so long, then....I say So long!

I did the same with 256 win mag - forming the cases - a PITA - getting cast to shoot with it - PITA

[Artful]

.375 Winchester in a Marlin 375. Still working on it. I've tried almost everything that has ever been mentioned about combination here, from Marlinowners, and just about everywhere else. Will continue to work on it.

Which rifling do you have?

[Artful]

Still have problems in spades with the S&W SD9VE.........
But the accuracy of this little piece of work is like shooting at the side of a barn. Total garbage. Boolits (even factory FMJ's) pretty much land where they want out just only 25 feet. Rarely shoot it anymore.

banger
Do you still have the factory trigger spring or did you upgrade with an APEX?

[.22-10-45]

I've never had much trouble with the Hornet..shooting mainly cast now in mine. But the most frustrating rifle/caliber I have ever encountered was trying to load for an 1895 Winchester-Lee straight-pull sporting rifle (6mm Lee-Navy). The twist is a quick 1-71/2"..the chamber is LONG!.. 100gr. Ideal 245498 seated with only gas-check in case mouth..bullet still doesn't reach rifling. And the chamber throat is .001" SMALLER than groove dia.! No matter how tight I sized neck, the bullets were being pushed back into case when bolt was closed. I finally had to size entire bullet to groove dia. & size first driving band .001" under BORE dia. The annealed gas-checks did spring back .001" so I was hoping this would at least seal bore..but I wasn't expecting much in accuracy dept. That fast twist had me worried..cast up batch of hard Lino..as well as my usual moderate-hard range-lead-WW mix. Lube was Luman Super Moly. Found some cast bullet loads in an old Ideal manual from the 1930's..IMR 4227 was listed..so this is what I first tried. I set up at 50yd. on account of the sights..German silver front blade & buckhorn open rear. working up charges gradually..at 10grs. 3/4" groups were right on top of front sight & centered for windage. Next I tried IMR TrailBoss..again working carefully..suprisingly 10grs also gave 3/4" groups to P.O.A. The 4227 loads..no matter how heavy always left case necks sooty..with TrailBoss..even the light start loads left necks clean. Muzzle blast was greater with 4227. I tried it out to 100yds & got 1 1/4" groups. I never did get around to shooting the hard bullets..the softer ones gave no leading whatsoever. Sure learned alot with this old rifle.

[M-Tecs]

204 Ruger. Got a smoken' deal on a rifle about six months ago. Having a heck of a time finding brass and bullets at a reasonable price. No brass or bullets is a big problem. Never had issues with the Hornet or 44/40. Hated loading 17 Rem. Powder would bridge in the neck. Sold the rifle so no more issues.

[runfiverun]

the 375449 solved my marlin 375's issues right quick, I just push it pretty hard and it goes right along.

the 9 WAS a problem but I got JT to make a mold I designed for it, now it's just a powder sipping miniature 45 acp.
the 223 with cast was surprisingly easy, I just let my ocd take over and all was good.

the 38-40 was the only case that ever gave me much grief until I realized the die maker and my revolver maker had different ideas about where the shoulder needed to be.

pushing my 308 to 2400 fps was a bit of trouble until I figured a few things out.
I think I could go further along but I have hit a super nice accuracy node and don't wanna give it up.

maybe the 351 win will provide some major grief. [shrug]

[oger]

357 Sig with cast bullets, irritating at best.

[guncheese]

9mm for any gun grrr....
that tiny tapered case grrr....
lead shaving,boolit squeezin little peices of grr.....
on the brighter side
i recently started seating and crimping in one step and got it dialed in perfect
so its all good for now
for now grrr....

[runfiverun]

did you know that HM-2 makes a 9m mold?
it turns the 9 into a mini 45 acp it feeds and hits the target too.

[L Ross]

Unless I missed it I am shocked that no one mentioned the 38-55. I have always wanted to love the 38-55 and it has always disappointed me. I know why, it is the way the chambers are cut in comparison to the groove diameters. I have had a Hi-Wall, a Hepburn, and last a Marlin 1893 made in 1899. They are all just marginally useful with cast bullets. The all would have shot best with a .382" bullet, but none of them would chamber one. Usually you could force in a loaded round with a .380" bullet. Loaded with a soft alloy and shot with black they were only okay. The Hi-Wall and Hepburn shot pretty well with a breech seated tapered bullet with either black or 4227, but fixed ammo was pretty lame 4" to 5" at 100yards. I no longer own one.

Duke

[.22-10-45]

In my original Winchester High-Wall..groove dia. is .379. With Win. brass I had to ream/polish case necks to allow chambering a .380" dia. bullet. The thinner Starling brass makes this a little easier. But remember, this was a black powder designed ctg. Winchester loaded it with a nominal .375 dia. bullet & depended upon the kick of the black to upset into grooves..this allowed for repeat shots without problems from fouling buildup. The target shooters of the day knew all this & breech seated a bullet with at least 1 or more bands groove dia. or larger for match accuracy.

[Shiloh]

9mm.

Most 9mm commercial molds drop to small. Commercial cast boolits are usually .356. It is a rare 9mm bore that measures .355. Most are .356 or even more. It took .358 sized boolits to begin to group. 4.1 gr. under a LEE .358 125 gr FP works very well. Work up slowly as this boo lit seats deeper than most 9mm cast slugs.

Shiloh

[rintinglen]

My two biggest problems loading were the 9mm (surprise, surprise) and the 44-40. The 9 mm taught me the importance of proper boolit fit. Bigger boolits worked better. The 44-40 was terrible for bulging cases when crimped--hardly a score of rounds went through the dies without one or more being bulged to the point of uselessness. The 44-40 became a no-brainer once I learned to size and crimp in separate operations and to use a Lee FCD. There are those who will tell you the FCD is no darned good and they wouldn't have one if it came free for the asking. I say otherwise. For bottle necked and straight sided cases, they are the berries.

[armednfree]

32-20, pita

[Newtire]

32-20, pitaHi armednfree. .32-20 is no problem if you use only Starline brass and a Lyman M-die expander. Lyman 311316 boolit and 14.0 gr. AA 1680 or thereabouts. Gotta be a good strong gun.