Liberty1776
02-26-2019, 12:00 AM
So far these Cowboy Action reduced loads are working fine for me:
.44 Mag in an 1894 Marlin lever action:
- 200 grain LEE PRECISION 429-200-Rf 6 Cavity Round Nose, Flat Point Bullet Mold
- 3 parts pure lead, 1 part wheel weight
- Powder coat with Harbor Freight Red
shake in a plastic tub for a couple of minutes
spread out on a steel mesh tray
bake for 15 minutes at 275 degrees in a $15 Walmart toaster oven per Elvis Ammo's YouTube recommendation
- Size using .430 Lee push-through sizer
- Spray-lube empty cases using a mixture of
1 oz lanolin ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DV2QODQ/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) to
12 oz Iso-Heet 99% isopropyl alcohol ( https://www.walmart.com/ip/ISO-HEET-28202-Premium-Fuel-Line-Antifreeze-Water-Remover-Injector-Cleaner/16879747 )
Put lanolin mixture in a pump spray bottle and put brass in a shallow cardboard box.
Spritz a very small amount on the brass. 2-3 pumps. The alcohol evaporates, leaving a thin film of lanolin. Very easy resizing.
- 6 grains Trail Boss
- Seat to the crimping groove in the bullet (Lee Factory Crimp on final stage -- guarantees a clean fit)
- Dillon RL 550C press
- Vibrate tumble in corncob with a teaspoon of Flitz Tumbler Media Additive or a capful of NuFinish car polish ( https://www.harborfreight.com/nu-finish-car-polish-97634.html )
- Vibration tumbling removes the lube, polishes the brass and coats it with an anti-corrosion wax. Stays shiny.
236896
They cycle well and shoot easily. Not fast -- 975 fps.
.38 SPL for the Ruger New Vaquero Bisley 5-1/2" barrel revolver:
- LEE PRECISION 358-125-Rf 6 Cavity Round Nose, Flat Point Bullet
- 3 parts lead, 1 part wheelweight
- Powder coated with Harbor Freight red
- Baked for 15 minutes at 275 degrees in Walmart toaster oven per Elvis Ammo's YouTube recommendation
- Sized with Lee .358" push-through sizer
- 3 grains Trail Boss
- Seated to crimping groove (Lee Factory Crimp on final stage -- guarantees a clean fit)
- Dillon RL 550C press
- Vibrate tumble in corncob with a teaspoon of Flitz Tumbler Media Additive or a capful of NuFinish car polish ( https://www.harborfreight.com/nu-finish-car-polish-97634.html )
- Vibration tumbling polishes the brass and coats it with an anti-corrosion wax. Stays shiny.
Have not chronoed the fps. Slow and low recoil. Hits the cowboy target.
Bonus 12ga Shotgun load on an ancient MEC reloader:
12ga low-power shotgun load for Stoeger 20" Double Barrel Internal Hammer Coach Gun:
2-3/4" Winchester red tapered plastic AA Hulls
7/8 oz of 7-1/2 shot (MEC 30278 charge bar) (Pro tip: my local gun range sells 7-1/2 shot for only $38/25lbs!)
13.6 grains Clays powder (#25 MEC powder bushing)
Claybusters CB0178-12 wads
Federal 209 primers (I've got hundreds from 30 years ago. They still work.)
Cost per round:
$0.083 shot
$0.018 Claybuster wad
$0.056 Clays powder
$0 Primers (while I have them)
$0.157 per round. Not bad. Add $0.05 if I need to buy primers eventually
Mild recoil even for women -- a pleasure to shoot -- and knocks down the steel target. And I really enjoy reloading shotgun shells on the old MEC. Very satisfying. And they work. It's why we go to all this trouble.
.44 Mag in an 1894 Marlin lever action:
- 200 grain LEE PRECISION 429-200-Rf 6 Cavity Round Nose, Flat Point Bullet Mold
- 3 parts pure lead, 1 part wheel weight
- Powder coat with Harbor Freight Red
shake in a plastic tub for a couple of minutes
spread out on a steel mesh tray
bake for 15 minutes at 275 degrees in a $15 Walmart toaster oven per Elvis Ammo's YouTube recommendation
- Size using .430 Lee push-through sizer
- Spray-lube empty cases using a mixture of
1 oz lanolin ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DV2QODQ/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) to
12 oz Iso-Heet 99% isopropyl alcohol ( https://www.walmart.com/ip/ISO-HEET-28202-Premium-Fuel-Line-Antifreeze-Water-Remover-Injector-Cleaner/16879747 )
Put lanolin mixture in a pump spray bottle and put brass in a shallow cardboard box.
Spritz a very small amount on the brass. 2-3 pumps. The alcohol evaporates, leaving a thin film of lanolin. Very easy resizing.
- 6 grains Trail Boss
- Seat to the crimping groove in the bullet (Lee Factory Crimp on final stage -- guarantees a clean fit)
- Dillon RL 550C press
- Vibrate tumble in corncob with a teaspoon of Flitz Tumbler Media Additive or a capful of NuFinish car polish ( https://www.harborfreight.com/nu-finish-car-polish-97634.html )
- Vibration tumbling removes the lube, polishes the brass and coats it with an anti-corrosion wax. Stays shiny.
236896
They cycle well and shoot easily. Not fast -- 975 fps.
.38 SPL for the Ruger New Vaquero Bisley 5-1/2" barrel revolver:
- LEE PRECISION 358-125-Rf 6 Cavity Round Nose, Flat Point Bullet
- 3 parts lead, 1 part wheelweight
- Powder coated with Harbor Freight red
- Baked for 15 minutes at 275 degrees in Walmart toaster oven per Elvis Ammo's YouTube recommendation
- Sized with Lee .358" push-through sizer
- 3 grains Trail Boss
- Seated to crimping groove (Lee Factory Crimp on final stage -- guarantees a clean fit)
- Dillon RL 550C press
- Vibrate tumble in corncob with a teaspoon of Flitz Tumbler Media Additive or a capful of NuFinish car polish ( https://www.harborfreight.com/nu-finish-car-polish-97634.html )
- Vibration tumbling polishes the brass and coats it with an anti-corrosion wax. Stays shiny.
Have not chronoed the fps. Slow and low recoil. Hits the cowboy target.
Bonus 12ga Shotgun load on an ancient MEC reloader:
12ga low-power shotgun load for Stoeger 20" Double Barrel Internal Hammer Coach Gun:
2-3/4" Winchester red tapered plastic AA Hulls
7/8 oz of 7-1/2 shot (MEC 30278 charge bar) (Pro tip: my local gun range sells 7-1/2 shot for only $38/25lbs!)
13.6 grains Clays powder (#25 MEC powder bushing)
Claybusters CB0178-12 wads
Federal 209 primers (I've got hundreds from 30 years ago. They still work.)
Cost per round:
$0.083 shot
$0.018 Claybuster wad
$0.056 Clays powder
$0 Primers (while I have them)
$0.157 per round. Not bad. Add $0.05 if I need to buy primers eventually
Mild recoil even for women -- a pleasure to shoot -- and knocks down the steel target. And I really enjoy reloading shotgun shells on the old MEC. Very satisfying. And they work. It's why we go to all this trouble.