Trimming .357 mag brass

[callgood]

After handloading automatic pistol for about a year, I'm ready to start on .38/.357. I measured and sorted 500 cases while I watched LSU/Alabama on the tube last Saturday- :banghead:

Most were 1.2765, 1.277 and a couple of groups longer. A few less than 1.2765 I may trim down for .38. The manual lists 1.280 as the trim length, but only a handful were that long to begin with. (Before measuring, I sized, uniformed the flash hole and uniformed the primer pocket).

I was going to trim to 1.277, but last night all the ones that were 1.277 are now 1.2765! Thermal change? I'm using a Wilson Sinclair trimmer, so I can pretty well hit whatever length I want to. I'll be loading 158 gr Gold Dots and, if David Long makes them soon, 158 grain (or so) Precision Bullets. Which brings up my questions:
1: will a 1.2765 trim work well in .357? Can't list the exact load, but my experience has been best groups are maybe a step or 2 down from max.
2: will a Lee FCD with its roll crimp work on a lead non-cannelure bullet? If he makes the Precision Bullets, Long's existing .38 product indicates to use a taper crimp. I think I read the Lee FCD will produce a cannelure if there is none. Is that correct? If I cant get them I'll probably go Rainier or lead wadcutters- haven't decided at this point.

Thanks for reading..........

 

[Jim Watson]

Exact length does not matter much, getting them all the same for uniform crimp is the idea. 1.2765" is fine. (Are you really trying to trim to half a thou?)

If I were going to shoot a coated uncannelured bullet, I'd use a taper crimp so as not to cut through the coating with a roll crimp. Which is what Precision used to do before they went to their present lineup.

I have not had good results with Ranier plated bullets, especially in revolvers. I load either the Bear Creek coated which has a crimp groove, it is just a bulk cast bullet coated instead of lubed; or conventional cast, swaged (wadcutter), or jacketed.

 

[callgood]

Right, Jim. Uniformity is what I'm after. I do much of my brass prep in the den 20 minutes here, hour there, while I'm watching the news or perhaps a college game. I averaged measuring 40 cases per quarter last Saturday during commercials and the ever increasing "reviews" of close plays (they have to limit those IMO). Did about 50 during halftime. One thing I noticed, and which added a lot of time to the operation was that after measuring a case, if I rotated it 45 degrees or so and measured it again I might get a .0005" difference. These were Starline cases. Very few were uniformly even across the mouth. The lengths I mentioned were the SHORTEST length I measured a case at. I'm using the Wilson to take off the high spots.

Thanks for the tip on Bear Creek. I've never used Rainier, 'tho the reloader at the range uses them when she reloads for customers if they request it. I'll check out Bear Creek. Cullman (Zero) isn't too far from here, but I never seem to get up that way. Their remanufactured ammo does great in my Ruger.

 

[The Bushmaster]

callgood...Load-em Shoot-em. Just make sure that the crimp is good and even on all rounds. If you load them a little heavy they will stretch a little and make you feel better...