Selecting the best possible die mixed set for a six position progressive

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Before I go any further, I want to say I'm not new to reloading, nor new to reloading handgun ammunition. I am new to revolver cartrdiges. I am also not looking for a set of a brand of dies in this post. I have a good bit of experience with the various popular die sets. What I'm looking to do is create an ideal die set from the various brands out there for reloading .38 special revolver cartridge, with a the specific types of boolit listed.

First, the guns:

S&W Model 10, military issue
S&W snubbie five shot, lightweight aluminum frame
Ruger SP101 snub

Second, the cartridge material and what I have on hand:

.38 special
.38 special brass, USA made, mixed
lead boolits cast from wheel weights using Lee 358-105-SWC or Lee 358-158-RF
Winchester WST or Hogdon Clays
Wolf or Magtech primers

Third, reloading stuff I already have on hand:

5 station progressive press
Standard set of Dillon .38/.357 "New Style" carbide pistol dies - includes size/deprime, seating die and crimp die.
Dillon powder measure, powder die & powder funnel

What I'm looking to do is load ideal cartridges from each gun using the materials I have on hand, selecting boolit weight to match the individual guns. I will build perhaps 100-400 cartridges for that revolver, then readjust for a different revolver and load the same amount. This is not a cartridge that will be loaded and shot a lot, but two of the guns are carry guns, so I'd like to make two loads for each: 1. one for economy of lead/powder and 2. One that closely duplicates the feel of a self defense +P round (for the snubbie carry guns) so theose that carry the snubbies will get the feel of what a self defense round feels like.

If there are some possible improvements on the setup, including additional dies or changing out a die with another manufacturer, I'd like to know about them. I'm not opposed to purchasing an additional die or set to improve upon the over all cartridge quality and/or the ease of press operation.

I'd like to hear the experience of others.

[Nueces]

I have found the following combination to satisfy me, and your description of what you want pretty much matches mine:

Sizer: Dillon Precision Carbide (does not over size the case)
Expander: Buffalo Arms custom (choice of main and top diameters, like the Lyman M-die)
Seater: Hornady New Dimension sliding sleeve (custom sleeves for fat boolits are easy lathe work)
Crimper: Redding Profile Crimp, Dillon Accu Crimp or Lee collet crimper

My cowboy 45 Colt rounds look like OEM.

[wv109323]

I don't think it is a matter of brand but of performance. First, is the Dillon powder funnel expanding the mouth of the case to the right diameter for your bullets. Or are your boolits being distorted when they are seated because the neck is undersized? The seating stem needs to match the bullet profile so that the bullet is seated straight into the case and not allowed to be seated "sideways". It is common to have the seating stem contact the SWC bullet along shoulder instead of the nose so the bullet can be seated straight. I think your equipment is good enough to make ammo to your expectations.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I have found the following combination to satisfy me, and your description of what you want pretty much matches mine:

Sizer: Dillon Precision Carbide (does not over size the case)
Expander: Buffalo Arms custom (choice of main and top diameters, like the Lyman M-die)
Seater: Hornady New Dimension sliding sleeve (custom sleeves for fat boolits are easy lathe work)
Crimper: Redding Profile Crimp, Dillon Accu Crimp or Lee collet crimper

My cowboy 45 Colt rounds look like OEM.

After doing some quick online research, something along what you're describing is along the lines I was thinking. I knew about the Redding Profile, but the Dillon Accu Crimp and Lee Collet Crimp for revolver cartridges is new to me, as is the Buffalo Arms Custom. Where are you dumping powder in your process and what method are you using?

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

WV, in red in the quote:


I don't think it is a matter of brand but of performance. Yes, performance improvements at the highest level is what I'm seeking. Not just good cartridges, but great ones, using lead boolits.

First, is the Dillon powder funnel expanding the mouth of the case to the right diameter for your bullets. Or are your boolits being distorted when they are seated because the neck is undersize? Haven't started loading these yet, but measurements can tell the tale for me ahead of time. But I'm new to the cartridge, so I'm in the research phase and am trying to start out close to top of the line than just "getting reloading."

The seating stem needs to match the bullet profile so that the bullet is seated straight into the case and not allowed to be seated "sideways". It is common to have the seating stem contact the SWC bullet along shoulder instead of the nose so the bullet can be seated straight. I think your equipment is good enough to make ammo to your expectations. I agree these boolit shapes should be common enough seating shouldn't be an issue. I'm more concerned with swaging boolit diameter related to die expansion. But again, premium performance is the goal, but in the reloading of the cartridges and in the end result.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Dave You already have a set of Dillon Dies. Why not use them? I doubt you are going to see any significant improvement in your ammunition by mixing tooling when you don't need to, especially with this particular cartridge..

I sometimes do mix tooling but usually it is because I don't have what I need in one die set.

IE: I just started loading .303 British. I bought a Lee Neck Size set and a Lee FL size set as well as a Lee FCD. I figured that I could use the extra seating die for Roll Crimping Boolits.

I then saw a set of RCBS .303 dies on Ebay for $20 so I got those too. It was a good thing that I did buy those because the Lee Seating Dies for .303 don't roll crimp, and I didn't want to use the FCD to crimp Cast Boolits. I will use it to crimp jacketed hunting bullets.

So in the end I am using the RCBS Sizing Die to only neck size the cases, a Lee Rifle Charging Die to fill them. A Lee bullet seater to seat the boolits and the RCBS Seating die with the seating stem removed to Roll Crimp the cases as a final step. The Loading is done on my C&H444 on the front three stations.

The case prep is done on the Rockchucker.

On this cartridge I also DID NOT not use my Lyman Electronic Powder Dispenser. Instead I used my RCBS Powder measure with their new little Drop Tube that has a Powder Trickler built in. In conjunction with a small digital scale it proved to be just as fast or faster than the $300 electronic device.

I do several other cartridges the same basic way, where I use a Competition Bullet Seater and a regular Seating Die to crimp in a separate step.

On my Dillon 550 which is currently set up for loading .223's I have the Dillon powder die and Plain RCBS Seating die and a Lee Factory Crimp Die in the last station. I use the Lee die here simply because case length doesn't affect the crimp like it does when trying to Roll Crimp. I started out trying to Roll Crimp only to find I was having problems with consistent crimps. So I got a Lee die which fixed the problem.

I got over trying to have matched sets of tools about 50 years ago. I was determined to only buy Snap on Tools. Then I found out their pliers sucked and Craftsman pliers were great. Then I found out I liked Proto Screwdrivers, the list goes on.

No outfit makes the best reloading tools for every application. I feel you have to mix and match tooling as needed to produce the best ammo for your uses.

The Idea is to make great ammo. Not build a collection of all the same brand of tools.

Randy

[Nueces]

After doing some quick online research, something along what you're describing is along the lines I was thinking. I knew about the Redding Profile, but the Dillon Accu Crimp and Lee Collet Crimp for revolver cartridges is new to me, as is the Buffalo Arms Custom. Where are you dumping powder in your process and what method are you using?

I use a Dillon 550B, but in semi-progressive mode. The Dillon is loaded with the four dies I mentioned above. I don't like a powder measure on the press, so I do that separately. Loading 120 rounds for a cowboy match takes less than an hour and can be broken into several blocks. There are two press flows, stations 1 & 2, then stations 3 & 4. First, I deprime in an RCBS Partner press, before wet tumbling the brass.

For the first flow, I remove the brass shell plate pin from station three and position a loading block to the left of the press. My clean cases are in a bin above the completed round bin. I use an Inline Fabrication bright LED light in the center hole of the toolhead and have installed the UniqueTek toolhead clamp kit.

Flow 1 is as follows. Right hand loads new case in station 1 and throws the press handle; left hand indexes the shell plate and removes a sized, primed and expanded case from station 3 to the loading block as right hand goes for another case. When moving the press handle, I use my left index finger to flick the screw at the top of the primer slide to the rear, to "positivate" picking up a new primer. The flow finishes with primed cases in loading blocks. I get a good count this way and use finished case count to monitor primer quantity.

Now, I flashlight inspect each case (in the loading blocks) for clear flash holes and visible primer anvils. Then I throw powder charges using a Redding measure, followed by another flashlight inspection. Bullets then are snapped into the necks - The Buffalo expanders create a perfect square seat for them.

For flow 2 on the Dillon, I replace the station 3 pin and remove the pin at station 2. The loading block is placed to the left of the press. The left hand feeds bulleted cases into station 2 and indexes them to station 3 for seating. Right hand stays on the press handle. After station 4, the rounds fall into the collection bin.

Yeah, I'm retired and value reliable ammo much more than quantity or speed of loading.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Randy,

In red in the quote:


Dave You already have a set of Dillon Dies. Why not use them? I probably will try them initially if measurements of the powder through expander and other items indicate I'll get what I'm looking for. I quite using a single brand years ago, but it's also been a few years since I added a new pistol caliber, so I wanted to sharpen my mind and become aware of what's out there to improve the cartridge and take a critical eye look at what I've got to make this cartridge before I started. Gets the rust off.

I doubt you are going to see any significant improvement in your ammunition by mixing tooling when you don't need to, especially with this particular cartridge. I honestly don't know. Revolvers have never been my thing, hence why the first time. I'm reloading for the wife and a friend, not myself. So quality, accurate and reliable cartridges are important.

I sometimes do mix tooling but usually it is because I don't have what I need in one die set. I have minimized my overall number of calibers in the past few years and have decided to only have firearms with mostly standard cartridges. But the ones I load, I have gone to optimizing the setup to provide the best results possible. I've gotten to the "only accurate guns are interesting" stage of life.

I got over trying to have matched sets of tools about 50 years ago. I was determined to only buy Snap on Tools. Then I found out their pliers sucked and Craftsman pliers were great. Then I found out I liked Proto Screwdrivers, the list goes on. Got that t shirt as well, hence my mixing die sets and brands.

No outfit makes the best reloading tools for every application. I feel you have to mix and match tooling as needed to produce the best ammo for your uses. Which is why I tend to want to double think the stuff I have.

The Idea is to make great ammo. Not build a collection of all the same brand of tools. I'm with you there 110%.

Randy

[quasi]

6 position press? I thought you had a RCBS Pro 2000.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

6 position press? I thought you had a RCBS Pro 2000.

OP corrected. I posted what I would like to have, instead of what I have.:/

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Randy, follow up response after going through the setup process with the Dillon set and boolits cast from a Lee 358-105-SWC six cavity mold:


Dave You already have a set of Dillon Dies. Why not use them? I doubt you are going to see any significant improvement in your ammunition by mixing tooling when you don't need to, especially with this particular cartridge.. After doing setup, this is what I'm finding: The Dillon sizing die is very clunky to me with the big spring for pushing the primer off of the decapping pin. Not sure how it'll feel in progressive mode, but right now it feels rough as a cob.
The powder funnel expander tip is not ideal. The shape of the expansion tip tends to make the boolits I'm using tilt a bit when I'm seating them, so I end up with a cockeyed seated boolit. So far, adjustment of the expansion has not improved this aspect. I've went but up and down from what I considered ideal and still no joy. First time I've ever wanted an M-die expansion plug configuration.

The seating die has things I like and don't like. I like it has two inserts to match various dies and those inserts have four different ends for different boolits. Makes it easier to find one without having to make one that fits your boolit. That said, there's enough boolits out there no manufacturer could cover them all and one could easily have custom inserts made. I don't like there is no seating depth knob. Screwing the die in and out with the clip is kinda annoying, but that's something you don't have to do all the time, so tolerable. I'm wondering though if a tigher inner dimension for the interior of the seating die would result in a straighter seated boolit or not.

The crimp die has the same annoying clip on the end and I'd prefer a knob again. On the plus side, different custom inserts could be made for it for different crimps configurations fairly easily with a lathe I think. I don't particular care for the accu-crimp Dillon offers and would prefer a traditional roll crimp I think. Jury is still out on that one. I'm getting in a Lee 4 die set and an old RCBS steel set to try out their crimps and see what seems to work best for this boolit.

So the bottom line for me is I've already reached a point I'm not happy with the Dillon set and am trying out dies and solutions from other manufacturers, including looking at a custom powder funnel.

I could just accept this Dillon set as is and try it out, but I don't want to just accept what one manufacturer offers if it doesn't fit what I had in mind when I started. I want cartridges that are as perfect as I can get and how I envisioned them in my mind after a good bit of reading and research.
I want cartridges with cast lead boolits that are slightly over groove diameter and lubed with a premium lube. I want those boolits to be seated straight. I want those boolits to be crimped without swaging them down with a crimp that is rolled neatly into the crimp groove so it will insert smoothly into a cylinder or feed smoothly in a lever action if necessary. I want cases that fit in all revolvers used in and are a pleasure to look at, shoot and are accurate.

Maybe that sounds cantankerous, I don't know, but it's what I want and what I'm determined to get. No more mediocrity for me. Only accurate guns are interesting to me the older I get.

I sometimes do mix tooling but usually it is because I don't have what I need in one die set. Which is what I'm quickly running into with this Dillon set.

IE: I just started loading .303 British. I bought a Lee Neck Size set and a Lee FL size set as well as a Lee FCD. I figured that I could use the extra seating die for Roll Crimping Boolits. You could, but I can assure you that if you apply a light crimp with the Lee FCD on the .303 lead boolits, you'll be happy with the results. I certainly was. Those collet crimp dies are the stuff if one uses a light hand and crimps only to the pressures of the cartridge they are making.

I then saw a set of RCBS .303 dies on Ebay for $20 so I got those too. It was a good thing that I did buy those because the Lee Seating Dies for .303 don't roll crimp, and I didn't want to use the FCD to crimp Cast Boolits. I will use it to crimp jacketed hunting bullets. I suggest trying the FCD for the cast boolits using a light crimp. The rifle FCD's do not have the carbide sizing ring and do a fine job if one uses a light hand. Very controllable crimp on those.

So in the end I am using the RCBS Sizing Die to only neck size the cases, a Lee Rifle Charging Die to fill them. A Lee bullet seater to seat the boolits and the RCBS Seating die with the seating stem removed to Roll Crimp the cases as a final step. The Loading is done on my C&H444 on the front three stations. Is the 444 an inline progressive of sorts? Got a pic? I'd like to see it.

The case prep is done on the Rockchucker. RC does a good job of that. Replaced mine with a Lee Classic Cast single stage due to the engineering improvements over the RC after a 3 month side by side on the bench comparison. Lee was cleaner, had the same leverage advantage and the handle was adjustable for length making it more ergonomic.

On this cartridge I also DID NOT not use my Lyman Electronic Powder Dispenser. Instead I used my RCBS Powder measure with their new little Drop Tube that has a Powder Trickler built in. In conjunction with a small digital scale it proved to be just as fast or faster than the $300 electronic device. I've never been big on those electronic scales. Probably due to my past career as an electronics engineering tech/technical support engineer. Electronics usually fail at the worst possible moment.

I do several other cartridges the same basic way, where I use a Competition Bullet Seater and a regular Seating Die to crimp in a separate step. Are these pistol cartridges?

On my Dillon 550 which is currently set up for loading .223's I have the Dillon powder die and Plain RCBS Seating die and a Lee Factory Crimp Die in the last station. I use the Lee die here simply because case length doesn't affect the crimp like it does when trying to Roll Crimp. I started out trying to Roll Crimp only to find I was having problems with consistent crimps. So I got a Lee die which fixed the problem. See? You suggest one thing to me, but you're doing just like I'm looking at doing. No one die brand has it all.

I got over trying to have matched sets of tools about 50 years ago. I was determined to only buy Snap on Tools. Then I found out their pliers sucked and Craftsman pliers were great. Then I found out I liked Proto Screwdrivers, the list goes on. I'm a tool tramp. I'll use anything from anyone that gets reasonably decent reviews and I can afford that does the job I need to do. Restored an aluminum bass boat using HF tools. Worked great for the application.

No outfit makes the best reloading tools for every application. I feel you have to mix and match tooling as needed to produce the best ammo for your uses. I agree

The Idea is to make great ammo. Not build a collection of all the same brand of tools. Besides, the Christmas tree looks better with lots of different colors.

Randy

[Char-Gar]

I have a six station Redding turret press permanently set up for the 38 Special round. While everybody has their own ideas of how to do things, this is what I do.

I deprime and reprime off the press with hand tools.

1. An older RCBS steel resizing die. I prefer these to the carbide as they size brass less.
2. An RCBS expanding die that contains a long special expander (.3585) to load full wadcutters in wadcutter brass. These are no longer available.
3. A Lyman 310 expander in a thread adaper with an expanding plug of .358. I have a .357 plug if I want to use it.
4. A Lyman seater with a flat nose and round nose plug that interchange.
5. An RCBS taper crimp die
6. An RCBS seater with the plug removed to use as a roll crimper.

This set up allow me to load any kind of bullet (cast, swaged or jacketed) in any kind of case, with any kind of crimp. I don't do progressive presses.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Char-Gar, in red in the quote:


I have a six station Redding turret press permanently set up for the 38 Special round. While everybody has their own ideas of how to do things, this is what I do.

I deprime and reprime off the press with hand tools.

1. An older RCBS steel resizing die. I prefer these to the carbide as they size brass less. I have a RCBS steel die set on the way to me right now and I know how to lube brass.

2. An RCBS expanding die that contains a long special expander (.3585) to load full wadcutters in wadcutter brass. These are no longer available. I've heard of these and they're desireable, but like a Unicorn. Often talked about, but seldom seen unless you're lucky or find one in a pile of old dies. Maybe I'll get lucky and this set will have one or I can have one made, though I'm not sure I'll be loading true wadcutters for this pistol.

3. A Lyman 310 expander in a thread adaper with an expanding plug of .358. I have a .357 plug if I want to use it. I plan on, if at all possible, duplicating the .358 lyman expanding plug with a custom Dillon powder funnel if at all possible. If not, I'll likely buy a Mr. Bulletfeeder expander.

4. A Lyman seater with a flat nose and round nose plug that interchange. This Dillon die has a good number of plugs, but I'm not sure if it's ideal or not. I'm going to look at both the Lee I've got coming in and the older RCBS seater I have coming in for substitutes.

5. An RCBS taper crimp die Okay, what do you crimp with this or better yet, why/what/how/what purpose do you have this taper crimp die for?

6. An RCBS seater with the plug removed to use as a roll crimper. I'm planning on using the seater/crimp die that's coming in with this steel set to use as a roll crimper in the same manner.

This set up allow me to load any kind of bullet (cast, swaged or jacketed) in any kind of case, with any kind of crimp. I don't do progressive presses.

Pretty versatile setup. I'm not a big fan of manual advance turrets where the turret head lacks adequate support, but the six heads certainly are handy. Hence why I want a 6 station progressive.

[Char-Gar]

Dave...Just a couple of answers to your questions and a response or two;

1. I have used this Redding turret for 15 years now and the turret has more than adequate support for any handgun round and most rifle rounds. I can say that is not an issue with this press.

2. I keep the taper crimp die because from time to time, I want to crimp the side of a bullet where there is no crimp groove.

3. Here is a pic of several RCBS expanding plugs and the special long plug is in the group. I would bet you can spot which one it is. It is most helpful with the long HB wadcutters for it is easy to damage the HB skirt horsing it down into an unexpanded case.

4. One of the advantages of wadcutter brass is the uniform tension it gives on the longer wadcutter bullets. Most factory expanders don't reach far enough even for solid base wadcutters. Also in the picture is an RCBS .357 expander (old) that I modified for a deeper reach to use with solid base wadcutters. One the left is the older .357 expander, the the current .356 for jacketed bullets, then an older .357 I modified for deeper reach into the case with the long special .3585 on the right.

Thrown in for good measure is a pic of three Lyman 38 Special expanders. One is the larger M type and two 310 expanders on the left. Note on the 310 expanders, Lyman seems to have different ideas at different times about what an expander should look like. I suspect it more to do with cost of production than any difference in performance.

I am something of a 38 Special nut and go to lengths most casual user do not. I hold the opinion that the 38 Special is the most versatile sixgun round on the planet and will do 95% of what we want handguns to do with the proper load. I have been quite infatuated with it for over 50 years now.

You are to be commended for hunting up an older steel sizing die. It will produce a case with a bottle neck which is then expanded to the proper size. Carbide dies size the case way to much down toward the web. The net result is a round that is looser than necessary in the charge hole and that is not the best set up for accuracy. I have about a half dozen of the older sizing dies of various makes, some going back to the 30's. I also size 38 Specials in the old Lyman Shell Resizer using my arbor press for muscle. It producees a sized case identical to the ones done with an older steel press mounted die. In truth, I use a variety of old hand tools to birth 38 Specials as well as my Redding.

[Char-Gar]

Dave, over the years, I have loaded the 38 Special with many different powders, but I always come back to Bulleye for best overall results. My loads have become rather standardized and are as follows.

1. For defense, small game and just fun shooting, I load the full wadcutter over 3.5/Bulleye
2. For pre-war Smith M&Ps and practice in alloy frame sixguns, I drop the powder charge to 3.2 grains.

Any decent 150 to 160 grain cast bullet with work with these charges. It doesn't matter if they are WC, SWC or RN. I do like the old RN for plinking and fun shooting.

I would have to do some counting, but I think I have at least a dozen sixguns in 38 Special. They either Colt or Smith and Wesson, no Rugers.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Char-gar,

It's obvious you know the .38 special round well. Would you go back and take a look at the cartridges I'm trying to reload in the original post and the powders I have on hand? Note: I also have Titegroup, WST as well as the powders listed above. I already have the two Lee 6 ganger molds for the boolits listed.

I'd like to get your input on loads/powder from the ones I have on hand (all 8 pound jugs I think) and the two molds I already have on hand. I'm wanting one mild practice load for the lightweight snub revolver and a heavy round using the heavier boolit for a stout round to similate the wife's self defense plus p load.

I think the two boolits I listed were suggested to me back when I started this project, before my Father came to live out his final years with me and his care took up much of my time. I'm not opposed to ordering another mold, but prefer aluminum molds of large capacity, as my health is not what it once was and I have limited time to cast, so I need to make as much as I can.

If you're not opposed, I'd also like to confer with you on the best way to load these cartridges from a die type and setup type perspective. I have a single stage and a progressive, but load handgun cartridges progressively and am very much a mix and matcher on die sets.

The objective is good cartridges when I'm done. Look, handle/load and shoot good in the firearms listed. At one time I planned on shooting these in a 686, but a Mexican criminal gang ruined that plan when they broke in my home 6 years ago and stole that revolver. Now I just have my Dad's Model 10 and my wife's carry snubby, a double action only, enclosed hammer aluminum frame S&W.

I may pick up a Ruger SP101 with a slightly longer barrel in the future, but do not have any .357 brass, so I'll likely use .38 special brass for practice and clean the chamber good afterwards.

[Char-Gar]

Dave, I will be happy to help anyway I can. But I am a hopeless old fudd and have never used any of the four powders you list. I like fast powders like Bulleye and 231 for use in short barreled revolvers to get a good burn. These fast powders also do well in longer barrels as do medium powders like Unique and AA5. You can compare the burning rates of the powders you have to these and see where you are.

I have never seem much purpose to light weight bullets in this round, so have stuck with 150 to 160 grain bullets with some used of the heavier 170 grain Keith and even a 230 grain heavy bowling pin bullet. In a big heavy frame sixgun the Keith bullet over 11 grains of 2400 is a real burner, but keep these out of medium or small frame revolvers and alloy frames for sure.

I consider 150 to 160 grain bullets in the 850 fps range to be a standard top end load. Drop the velocity back to 750 fps for practice in alloy frame and older sixguns. Whatever puts you in these areas and gives good accuracy is what you need.

I don't use (if I can help it) Lee molds, so I can't comment on molds you have. They may be great or not, I just don't know. I have two dozen or molds for this caliber by Saeco, Lyman, Accurate, NEI, Hensley and Gibbs and Belding and Mull. Bullet designs I like are;

Lyman 358311 RN or any other similar bullet.
H&G full wadcutter or any similar bullet.
Cramer No. 12 or any similar SWC bullet.

There are lots and lots of excellent bullet designs out there. The 38 Special has been around a very long time and it no longer holds any secrets. It is not finicky or tricky to load. There are many combinations of bullets and powders that will bring pleasure to you. Like a good dog, the 38 Special just seem to want to please it's owner.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Char-Gar, in red in the quote:


Dave, I will be happy to help anyway I can. But I am a hopeless old fudd and have never used any of the four powders you list. I like fast powders like Bulleye and 231 for use in short barreled revolvers to get a good burn. These fast powders also do well in longer barrels as do medium powders like Unique and AA5. You can compare the burning rates of the powders you have to these and see where you are. The burn rate chart and knowing what you use will get me there. I use these newer powders because there is less soot to clean up in general and they seem to meter very well. I'm not looking for ultimate accuracy, but very good accuracy. The WST delivers unbelievably good accuracy with an H&G 68 flat base in my 1911's. Mild or hot loads and is very clean, ridiculously so. Reduces cleaning time greatly.

I have never seem much purpose to light weight bullets in this round, so have stuck with 150 to 160 grain bullets with some used of the heavier 170 grain Keith and even a 230 grain heavy bowling pin bullet. In a big heavy frame sixgun the Keith bullet over 11 grains of 2400 is a real burner, but keep these out of medium or small frame revolvers and alloy frames for sure. I am using the light weight round to conserve on lead and for no other reason. I originally bought it for a .380 ACP boolit and it is very lead conserving and surprisingly very accurate in the little Ruger LCP I shoot it in.

I consider 150 to 160 grain bullets in the 850 fps range to be a standard top end load. Drop the velocity back to 750 fps for practice in alloy frame and older sixguns. Whatever puts you in these areas and gives good accuracy is what you need. That was about what I was thinking.

I don't use (if I can help it) Lee molds, so I can't comment on molds you have. They may be great or not, I just don't know. I have two dozen or molds for this caliber by Saeco, Lyman, Accurate, NEI, Hensley and Gibbs and Belding and Mull. I've had good luck with the Lee 6 gangers and I'm very light handed, so I don't tend to destroy lightweight tooling. I like NEI aluminums as well. Mostly for the size of the mold I can have and the weight. A multi gang mold weighs about the same or less than an iron or brass mold. Easier on my arthritic wrists. But I started out with a Lee mold and that may be the difference. Simple comfort level.


Bullet designs I like are;

Lyman 358311 RN or any other similar bullet.
H&G full wadcutter or any similar bullet.
Cramer No. 12 or any similar SWC bullet.

I'll have to look at these. I think I can get a custom aluminum or a Lee copy of some of them. Depends on my success with the molds I have. I have a round nose boolit someone gave me a bunch of to try as well.

There are lots and lots of excellent bullet designs out there. The 38 Special has been around a very long time and it no longer holds any secrets. It is not finicky or tricky to load. There are many combinations of bullets and powders that will bring pleasure to you. Like a good dog, the 38 Special just seem to want to please it's owner. ​That's encouraging to hear. A lot like a 1911 pistol and it's boolits. Though I have yet to best the H&G #68 in my 1911 pistols.

[Alvarez Kelly]

SO? How is the pursuit of the perfect .38 Special load going?

[Green Frog]

I have a Star Progressive set up for production of bullseye and plinking target loads... HBWCs over minimal amounts of Bulleseye™ powder. I can change just the seating stem and the powder slide and load warmer but still relatively mild SWC rounds. If I want to go hardcore with some really hot 38 loads I'm more likely to batch load them on a single stage or turret press with step-by-step monitoring of each round as it is loaded.

Froggie

[GoodOlBoy]

ok kinda to mix it up a little because my process is "odd" but!

#1 sizing - I use a lee carbide sizing die in a old RCBS single stage press.
#2 I prime with a lee hand prime tool
#3 every other piece of the reloading pie is done with a lee classic loader
#4 for the bullet - I use 158gr SWC or RNFP cast lead.

powder and primer varies by what I have on hand. But tends to be HP38, trail boss, or unique with standard small pistol primers.

GoodOlBoy

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

SO? How is the pursuit of the perfect .38 Special load going?
Pretty good, I've been slowed a bit by my business doing good, but I have smelted a bunch of wheel weights and have those in ingots ready to cast.

I have to cast a good variety of .358 sized boolits from the molds I have that I can use in this application, plus several others. Once that's done, it's on to lube sizing.

I've been sitting on the fence about traditional versuses the newer powder coating for .45ACP and .38 special. In addition to that, I've got to bring my single lube sizer (A Ballisti-cast) up to snuff for sizing in pistol bullets. I originally had the Mk VI and a Star, but decided to sell the Star and reduce inventory. This put me in a bit of a bind, as I don't have the complete setups for lube sizing pistol boolits in my Ballisti-cast Mk VI. I'm working on getting the wheels now and a tube for one of the calibers. Once that's done, I can traditionally lube size.

But I may decide to go powder coat and sell the Mk VI. But I have to think on this a bit, since I'm not sure about powder coat and rifle boolits.

As far as reloading .38 special, I have two die setups I'm going to try: 1. A mixed die set of RCBS and Dillon Dies with a M-die type powder funnel in the Dillon powder measure. 2. A Lee 4-die set that I'm going to order and install a M-die type plug for improved powder through function.

The long term plan is to do some experiments with both die sets and see what I learn about such things as swaging down of boolits, etc. Accuracy, seating and so on.

So slow out the gate, but should be quite interesting long term.