Special loads in Magnum cases.

Nope. Do it all the time. Velocity may be just bit slower with the magnum cases due to larger case volume. I just load max 38 loads in a magnum case and have fun.

I do that with .357 so that I can use them as practice rounds in a snubnose. They're .38+P level, rather than break-your-wrist level. I label the box so I remember what's what.

Agree with posts above. I do it all the time with my .44 mag SBH. Keep your boxes labeled. Also use S&B brass-colored primers for my Unique powered plinking loads. Silver colored CCI magnum primers for my W296 loads.

I use 38 special brass for 38special power level loads and 357 magnum brass for magnum power level loads. Do the same with 44 special and 44 magnum. Got plenty of brass for everything. I just don't want to chance a mistake. If you have a limited amount of brass I can understand reduced loads in magnum cases especially if you never shoot magnum level loads

Using the appropriate length brass will avoid the problem of crud rings at the end of the shorter cases & associated dirty cylinder problems. I load most of my magnums with moderate loads - probably 75-80% of the time. My favorite load in my SBH is 9 or 10 gr Unique & a 240-250 gr LSWC - still a hot load, but not up to the magnum level. 357 load is 6.5 gr Unique & 158 gr LSWC. I can shoot them all day & not aggravate the arthritis in my wrists (and every other joint in my body ).

As above you can do it.

Don't have to clean up the fouling from shooting shorter cases either.

I do it all the time in my 357mag. I do bump the load up a .01gr when using the longer brass though.

Yep, use brass for the hot ones and nickel for the light ones. Stops any confusion.

Shot bullseye with my GP 100 for eons using .38 WC loads in .357 cases. No fuss. No bother. No lube gunk ring in the cylinders. Works exactly the same for .44 Special loads in Magnum cases.
Rumour has it that a lot of .357/.44 Mag lever actions don't feed well using the shorter cases either.

If you want 38 loads in 357 or 44 special in 44 mag brass. Just bump the lower caliber charges up by 10% to make up the difference in increased case size.

I load 44Mag cases with a 200g LRN, to 44Spl level. I give them to SWMBO to shoot in a 6.5" ported-barrel Taurus M44 .
She loves shooting them, and tells all her friends about shooting a 44 Mag.

I just smile, and keep quiet.....

Since I have some .38 only revolvers I don't. However, I have a 629 that I have only loaded mag cases to the appropriate spec. Lead for spl and JHP for mag is how I keep track.

I've been loading 38spl loads in 357 brass for a while. Reason mainly being that I have a lot more 357 brass available. So far its been working great for range practice. Been using a sharpie to mark the case heads so as to not get them mixed up with the real McCoys.

If that was what I had for brass then that would be what I would do also. I do however have about 1/2 a five GAL bucket of 38 SPL brass along with 10 38 SPL revolvers so reloading those is a must anyway. Our indoor range will not let you shoot reloads with the MAG cases because our backstop it soft plate steel and ammo is limited to lead bullets and 1000 FPS max and there is a possibility of mixing up the ammo by mistake. That is the only reason I have 44 SPL brass. If you are cleaning your revolvers with any frequency then the crud ring is a non issue IMHO.

I have 5, 44 Magnums and I have loaded from 123 gr. balls over a dusting of Bullseye to 310 gr, T-Rex Killers over hefty loads of WC820/2400, all in magnum brass. Doing it since 1988. Since I only have one 357 Magnum, I've only loaded light in magnum brass once or twice...

I load light loads in .357 brass. (.38 level) For me it just seems easier to deal with one brass size. I mark the cases with sharpies. Cool colors for light loads- (blue) Light, (green)light-medium., medium(orange), red (H110 loads)

"...bump the lower caliber charges up by 10%..." Absolutely not. Just use .38 or .44 Special data in the longer case.
"...My Rossi will cycle them fine..." Yeah. Think it depends on the rifle or maybe the brand. I see a lot of posts on forums about it. Dunno for sure. S'why it was declared a rumour.

Do it all the time here for the lever actions, i havent had any issues at all. Also have good luck just by loading the 38 cases a bit longer.

Sunray said:

"...bump the lower caliber charges up by 10%..." Absolutely not

Click to expand...

That's me. At my age I.m too chicken to risk messing up my eyesight. Might sometime try bumping up a little and try it in the Blackhawk.