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Thread: Using mixed Headstamp 38/357

  1. #21
    Boolit Master wistlepig1's Avatar
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    One more for the NO. If you are a one holer them Yes!

    “A liberal’s paradise would be a place where everybody has guaranteed employment, free comprehensive healthcare, free education, free food, free housing, free clothing, free utilities, and only law enforcement has guns. And believe it or not, such a place does indeed already exist: It's called Prison."

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  2. #22
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Kawriverrat View Post
    Can anyone here factually state they have noticed an appreciable difference while shooting brass with mixed headstamp in 38/357 at 25 yards or less ?
    All my thousands of 38/357 are from practical every manufacturer. I'll even mix nickle cases in if I'm just grabbing and loading. Paper targets can't seem to tell the difference.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Kawriverrat View Post
    Can anyone here factually state they have noticed an appreciable difference while shooting brass with mixed headstamp in 38/357 at 25 yards or less ?
    All my thousands of 38/357 are from practical every manufacturer. I'll even mix nickle cases in if I'm just grabbing and loading. Paper targets can't seem to tell the difference.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    Most of my 38 special loads are 125 grain loads for out of my snubbys. at 20 yards or less not a huge issue to mix.

  5. #25
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    I owned a Ransom Rest some years back and did a lot of testing with the .38 and .357 @ 50yds. If you have a good accurate bullet/load combination, mixed cases will add about an inch to a 50 yd group size. If you just threw something together that goes bang it doesn't matter. What I WILL tell you is that when shooting high accuracy games such as bullseye or silhouette you want all the confidence in your load and equipment.
    "Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyrannies.” Aristotle

  6. #26
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    This is slightly off topic, but I sort all brass by Headstamp...even 9mm pistol brass.
    I can't say I would see a difference at the target if I didn't sort, as I know I'm not that good of a shot.

    I load most ammo on a turret press, I found it advantageous to load only one brand of brass at a time as I can better "feel" a problem case during the loading and can reject it. When I load batches of mixed HS, each brand can have it's own feel, when seating a primer, sizing the case, seating the boolit...and then I am unable to differentiate the different "feels" to be able to reject the problem case. This is also the reason why I have never chose to use a progressive press.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
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  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    I wouldn't know what to do if all of my head stamps matched. LOL I don't trim either. On 38 special I just load 'em and shoot 'em until they wear out - which takes quite a few reloadings.

  8. #28
    Boolit Bub Andyd's Avatar
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    I have competed in ISSF pistol matches for some time and I noticed that with a roll crimp the different case length leads to heavier crimping and vertical stringing. A roll crimp will alleviate things. I always found case length and crimping issues more deteriorating to accuracy than simple case volume.

    I used to shoot in the low to mid 90% at 25m on the ISSF pistol target with a S&W M14-2.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master Forrest r's Avatar
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    just another opinion:

    Mixed head stamps ='s different case volumes and more importantly, different neck tensions on the bullet. Couple that with different #'s of times fired/work hardening of the cases or same # of firings and differences in neck tension from the work hardening of the different alloys in the cases.

    Everyone seems to be bringing up wc bullets. Here's some that I cast/use/shoot in the 38spl's & 357's.
    [IMG][/IMG]

    Was testing plinking loads @ 50ft with a 686 using mixed 357 brass and the small wc pictured on the left, the h&g #41 110gr button nosed wc. The brass was a mix of anything and everything along with once fired brass to brass that was like wet noodles it had been used that much. You know that I use them until they split thing. Anyway kept getting groups that looked like these, didn't matter the load/powder/crimp.
    [IMG][/IMG]

    Had enough and went thru and tossed 90%+ of the beat to death brass I was using and ordered 2000 new pieces of starline 357 brass. The 686 went back to shooting bugholes with the new brass. I'm actually still testing loads for the 357 (dragging my feet) using the new brass. Did the same thing with the 38spl brass I had used for ever. Went from junk groups like the 1's pictured above to bugholes. The targets pictured below are what I call bugholes
    [IMG][/IMG]

    Decades ago camp perry sold ammo cans full of their brass that was used in the different matches. They used to have a 38spl/wcc brass that was of excellent quality. Picked up 20,000 of them and would use/process 1000 of them a year to use for match loads. Process ='s trim, uniform the primer pockets and flash hole. This brass was thick so everything was sized to .357". Shot tons of the h&g #50's and the lyman 358311's in those cases with ww452 back then. At the end of the year the 1000 pieces of brass would go into the range/plinking pile and another 1000 pieces would get processed.

    I still shoot a lot of 38spl/357's. The 38spl/ppc revolver still gets a workout.
    [IMG][/IMG]

    Most of the 357's I reload go into the dw's with trigger jobs, custom 1 in 10 twist bbl's, heavy bbl shrouds and muzzle breaks. These 357's eat full house loads like candy.
    [IMG][/IMG]

    At 25yds and closer, it depends on the bullet and how many times the cases have been reloaded. As others have already stated you'll loose around 1" @ 50yds using mixed brass when using a looooonnnnngggggg bodied bullet in a short case. Put a short bodied bullet in a long case (357) and the differences in accuracy shows up a lot quicker.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kawriverrat View Post
    I thought about that & when shooting mixed batches of brass I trim them all to length. I "might" be able to see a difference shooting off the bench regarding accuracy. I guess I was just wondering if any one hear has done or is aware of any testing of this?
    This is exactly what I do trim them all to length. Frankly I do thus with turdy turdy as well

    That's practice ammo I am speaking about not competition or hunting ammo for those I take much care in developing and strive for consistency.

  11. #31
    Boolit Bub Eutectic45's Avatar
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    For tin can plinking no problem, mixed commercial brass will do for most shooting. Avoid +P brass and military (year dated) they are thicker and harder. For best accuracy use single headstamp.
    Wadcutter brass is not magic it is the same as good commercial brass of the same make.

  12. #32
    Boolit Buddy Low Budget Shooter's Avatar
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    I sure do appreciate all this good info.
    I'm not sure where all the money is that I've "saved" by casting and reloading!

  13. #33
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I separate all of my calibers by brass make. I doubt that it matters much for most of my handgun shooting, but it appeals to my craving for consistency and order. Those traits can be lacking in other life elements--so when I can arrange it so easily, I indulge myself. In 9mm Luger and in 38 S&W, there is considerable dimensional and weight variance between brass makes. It makes sense with those calibers, and can make a tangible difference (chambering issues, mostly).
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  14. #34
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by 9.3X62AL View Post
    I doubt that it matters much for most of my handgun shooting, but it appeals to my craving for consistency and order. Those traits can be lacking in other life elements--so when I can arrange it so easily, I indulge myself.
    I got a good chuckle out of this. Only because I find it to be so true with my own life.... Jeff

  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy Low Budget Shooter's Avatar
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    Yup, me, too!
    I'm not sure where all the money is that I've "saved" by casting and reloading!

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy
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    At 25 yds and less anything resembling a a bullet will work and that goes for cases as well. 50 and up is another animal!
    Distinguished, Master,2600 club, President 100 badge holder.

  17. #37
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kawriverrat View Post
    I got a good chuckle out of this. Only because I find it to be so true with my own life.... Jeff
    Ha. I too can relate to this.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check