Seating depth

[Mr_Flintstone]

I have some 115 gr cast bullets, I really don’t know the brand, but I’d like to load them in .32 S&W Long. Lyman’s CBH #3 has data for a Lyman 311008. Does anyone know the seating depth on the 311008 so I can load my bullets to the same depth. I know I could just seat to the groove, and that would probably be OK, but the case is so small on the .38 S&W Long that I worry about pushing the pressure too high, and I doubt that I’d ever see any pressure signs with this cartridge.

[dondiego]

Seat them to fit in your cylinder nicely and make sure they function after all 6 are fired. The gun tells you these things.

[Mk42gunner]

Been a while since I looked in CBH#3, but it should have a recommended OAL along with the load data. I would seat your 115 grainers to that length, or at least close to it.

Robert

[Sam Sackett]

I agree with dondiego. Load them to the length required to fit your gun's chamber. Watch your taper crimp and crimp no more than required to let the cartridge spin freely when seated in the chamber. Start at the bottom of the reloading chart as far as the powder charge. As long as the bullet profile and weight are similar to the bullet in the reloading manual, your pressures should be similar. If you find that you need to load a lot shorter, then you will be seeing higher chamber pressures. Back off the powder charge a bit more than the min on the chart.

Sam Sackett

[uscra112]

Ought to ask...what revolver are you shooting these loads in? Old, weak models,controlling pressure will be crucial. New strong ones not so much.

Use a slower powder like Unique or Herco if you can find some. Very fast powders generate more peak pressure for a given M.V. than slower ones do.

FWIW I've got old notes that say I once loaded 2.6 grains of Unique with the 3118 seated to an OAL of 1.220, but that was a subsonic load for a rifle..

Never have understood why the 3118 has no crimp groove. Is it because it was designed for single-shot rifles?

[Wayne Smith]

Ought to ask...what revolver are you shooting these loads in? Old, weak models,controlling pressure will be crucial. New strong ones not so much.

Use a slower powder like Unique or Herco if you can find some. Very fast powders generate more peak pressure for a given M.V. than slower ones do.

FWIW I've got old notes that say I once loaded 2.6 grains of Unique with the 3118 seated to an OAL of 1.220, but that was a subsonic load for a rifle..

Never have understood why the 3118 has no crimp groove. Is it because it was designed for single-shot rifles?

It was designed to fit on top of a full case of BP - no need to crimp to keep it in place. Same issue with the original 44-40 boolits. Just enough squeeze to keep it from moving forward.