New to reload,have 38/357 older reloading parts given to me

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There are several books out there. The Lee Modern Reloading ll book and ABC's of reloading are two good ones as well. There is a lot of data by the propellant and bullet manufacturers on line for free once you get started.
 
Antimony said:
Thats what im trying ti figure out, a good all around pistol powder for 38 and 357 that has some case volume to it, and its easy to use in a powder measure dispenser, ive read that some powders dont flow to good through some dispensers. the only thing about my dies is i dont have one that says crimper, so the only thing i can do is put a bullet in a case, and see what happens if i use the seater die and see if it crimps at all, i cant tell by looking down the inside of die what it would look like, maybe a small cone shape of some sort. I have 2 manuals i bought when i started shooting BP,
ABC of reloading by Rodney James (th edition
Lyman BP handbook
So you mean a Lyman reloading manual, ill look into that right now. Thanks
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ABCs of reloading should cover it well. No need to buy another book.
In straight wall, rimmed cartridges the seater die is usually a roll crimp die.
Stay away from the Alliant "dot" or IMR "X" powders if you're wanting to use a drum volumetric at 38 charge weights.
They are excellent powders. Just not consistent in my measure.
Adjusting your dies will be similar to other standard dies. But it looks like you de-prime on your flaring step. You will want to follow the de-prime instructions for your sizer. Then follow the flare instructions on the de-prime & flare step.
The seater adjustment should be the same.
 
Bfh_auto said:
Those dies will work great for you. I wouldn't worry about spending money on new ones.
Buy a Lyman manual with the money you would spend on dies. Then read the intro to reloading part. It will answer 99% of your questions in a clear, orderly fashion.

Cast bullets are cheap. Coated cast are cheap and save a lot of potential headache.
Universal makes a great combination 38/357 powder in my experience.
I've shot everything from 125-180 gr cast in 38 special with excellent results.
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Is 180 grain a little high for the 38 special, or just have more recoil
 
Bfh_auto said:
ABCs of reloading should cover it well. No need to buy another book.
In straight wall, rimmed cartridges the seater die is usually a roll crimp die.
Stay away from the Alliant "dot" or IMR "X" powders if you're wanting to use a drum volumetric at 38 charge weights.
They are excellent powders. Just not consistent in my measure.
Adjusting your dies will be similar to other standard dies. But it looks like you de-prime on your flaring step. You will want to follow the de-prime instructions for your sizer. Then follow the flare instructions on the de-prime & flare step.
The seater adjustment should be the same.
Click to expand...
Problem is i have no directions for the dies and cant find any info online, i will try a 38 case with a bullet and experiment with out powder in it, i ordered a bullet remover kinetic, i have a drum volumetric powder measure dropper,but the abc has a handgun reloading instructions, and i downloaded the Lee instructions from there website, so should be close maybe. after looking in the top part of the seater die there does appear to be sleeve installed of some sort, from the bottom it might be conical edge maybe
 
Antimony said:
Problem is i have no directions for the dies and cant find any info online, i will try a 38 case with a bullet and experiment with out powder in it, i ordered a bullet remover kinetic, i have a drum volumetric powder measure dropper,but the abc has a handgun reloading instructions, and i downloaded the Lee instructions from there website, so should be close maybe. after looking in the top part of the seater die there does appear to be sleeve installed of some sort, from the bottom it might be conical edge maybe
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Read the instructions for an RCBS or Lee die and make the necessary modifications to make out with for your dies. The overall concept is the same.
Every one who loads 38s has destroyed at least one case.
 
Sorry I can’t help on metering through a powder dispenser, I use volumetric dippers and a scale to get each load. It’s preferable for you to weigh each drop anyway, at least at first until you can eyeball a good vs bad drop. That’s my opinion not some rule carved in stone, by the way.
I suggest Unique, Universal, HP38 or whatever you can find in that class of powder. Just because it’s not Ideal doesn’t mean it won’t work.
 
Bfh_auto said:
Read the instructions for an RCBS or Lee die and make the necessary modifications to make out with for your dies. The overall concept is the same.
Every one who loads 38s has destroyed at least one case.
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I saved all my cases that ive shot from new, so i have about 300-400 38, and 200 357, years ago my son took me to the gun shop and stopped me in front of the case and told me to choose 1. But from all the shooting, i have never kept track of my loads, bullets, grouping ect, i figured if i could put 6 rounds in the black at 20 yards, im good. Which is no problem for me. so inever compared anything since my revolver is for home defense and protection if im out running around, kinda long barrel maybe, 4 inch, but i also have my wifes LCP muddy girl .380 my son bought her for her birthday, and i have a kydex ITWB holster for it
 
When seating a bullet start with a brass in the press and the ram raised to the top. Screw the center of the seater all the way up or remove it. Turn the body down onto the brass until it touches it and back 1/2 turn. Lock body there for now. Drop ram and insert a bullet in the previously expanded neck and raise into the body. Turn the seater stem down until it touches. Lower the ram some and turn down the seater stem a turn raise the ram to stop, lower it and check seating. Do this as many times as it takes to get your bullet seated where you want it. Then unscrew the seater 2 turns. Unlock the die body and slowly turn it in until the desired crimp is achieved. Put the round back up into the die and turn the seating stem in until it stops. Lock the die body there. The next time you do this with a bullet in a flared case you will seat and crimp in one operation. A brass need to be the same length to get a reasonably consistant crimp or they need to be trimmed.
 
FROGO207 said:
When seating a bullet start with a brass in the press and the ram raised to the top. Screw the center of the seater all the way up or remove it. Turn the body down onto the brass until it touches it and back 1/2 turn. Lock body there for now. Drop ram and insert a bullet in the previously expanded neck and raise into the body. Turn the seater stem down until it touches. Lower the ram some and turn down the seater stem a turn raise the ram to stop, lower it and check seating. Do this as many times as it takes to get your bullet seated where you want it. Then unscrew the seater 2 turns. Unlock the die body and slowly turn it in until the desired crimp is achieved. Put the round back up into the die and turn the seating stem in until it stops. Lock the die body there. The next time you do this with a bullet in a flared case you will seat and crimp in one operation. A brass need to be the same length to get a reasonably consistant crimp or they need to be trimmed.
Click to expand...
Well dang Frog! If that wasn’t the best description of finding the seat n crimp sweet spot yet I haven’t heard it.

Do what he said. :)
 
FROGO207 said:
When seating a bullet start with a brass in the press and the ram raised to the top. Screw the center of the seater all the way up or remove it. Turn the body down onto the brass until it touches it and back 1/2 turn. Lock body there for now. Drop ram and insert a bullet in the previously expanded neck and raise into the body. Turn the seater stem down until it touches. Lower the ram some and turn down the seater stem a turn raise the ram to stop, lower it and check seating. Do this as many times as it takes to get your bullet seated where you want it. Then unscrew the seater 2 turns. Unlock the die body and slowly turn it in until the desired crimp is achieved. Put the round back up into the die and turn the seating stem in until it stops. Lock the die body there. The next time you do this with a bullet in a flared case you will seat and crimp in one operation. A brass need to be the same length to get a reasonably consistant crimp or they need to be trimmed.
Click to expand...

Thanks, ill start going through my brass and check aol with my dial caliper first,i bought all the brass new, so hopefully there close and i put them back in the original case they came in. so they should match. I also got a case trimmer in the box.
 
Antimony, that press and those dies will still work well for years to come. I haven't a mold for the .358" yet though I do load for a 38Spl and do cast lead for the 380 and 45acp, so if I were in the position to cast .358" bullets I would be more than happy to pay forward a few hundred to get you started, I have done it before with .356" and .452" castings as members were good enough to help me get started too. I have been meaning to get a 358-158 SWC mold to load with for a long while but other things keep coming first.

Good Luck and welcome to the forum!
 
kmw1954 said:
Antimony, that press and those dies will still work well for years to come. I haven't a mold for the .358" yet though I do load for a 38Spl and do cast lead for the 380 and 45acp, so if I were in the position to cast .358" bullets I would be more than happy to pay forward a few hundred to get you started, I have done it before with .356" and .452" castings as members were good enough to help me get started too. I have been meaning to get a 358-158 SWC mold to load with for a long while but other things keep coming first.

Good Luck and welcome to the forum!
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Thank you, a member has sent me a few to start with what i was basiclly looking for,i found one small company with pretty good choices but wont reinstall the order page until Feb 1st to get caught up, and of course i would be in line, but i need powder also, so i will continue to look, i have another co that sells bullets and said they would ship now but will call them to see whats in stock, and how long, but of course, since i am still searching for powder no hurry, the person that sent me some i will try the press and dies out and sacrafice a couple 38 brass to test them.
 
Antimony said:
since i am still searching for powder no hurry, the person that sent me some i will try the press and dies out and sacrafice a couple 38 brass to test them.
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Not a sacrifice, I always produce a few "dummy" rounds of every new combination I make. No primer, no powder. This way I can get my bullet set to the correct depth with the right amount of crimp. Then mark them and save them for future use.
 
Antimony said:
Question,i think i will sart with trying the 38 special as soon as i can find powder, but i need bullets, so i was wondering if a bullet with bhn of 9 would be ok for the first loads
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For 38 Special, I use wheel weights or approx~ 9BHN, so ya, by my standards 9 works great

so what would be a good size of cast bullet, .358, or .359
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The standard is .358", but .359 should work too.
If you have both, try 'em.
See which one is cleaner, more accurate etc.

And finally - welcome to thr.
Lotsa good folks here always willing to help.
 
Antimony said:
Thank you, a member has sent me a few to start with what i was basiclly looking for,i found one small company with pretty good choices but wont reinstall the order page until Feb 1st to get caught up, and of course i would be in line, but i need powder also, so i will continue to look, i have another co that sells bullets and said they would ship now but will call them to see whats in stock, and how long, but of course, since i am still searching for powder no hurry, the person that sent me some i will try the press and dies out and sacrafice a couple 38 brass to test them.
Click to expand...

Where are you located. I may have a little powder and some 38 special brass (have to look to be sure on the brass). I don't mind helping a new reloader if I can and if you are close enough to avoid shipping the powder.
 
docbrown said:
Where are you located. I may have a little powder and some 38 special brass (have to look to be sure on the brass). I don't mind helping a new reloader if I can and if you are close enough to avoid shipping the powder.
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I am in Az and from the looks of where you at the drive would be 3 times the hazmat fee LOL
 
kmw1954 said:
Not a sacrifice, I always produce a few "dummy" rounds of every new combination I make. No primer, no powder. This way I can get my bullet set to the correct depth with the right amount of crimp. Then mark them and save them for future use.
Click to expand...
——
Yup. They’re handy for checking and resetting seating dies and if you fill the primer pocket with silica gel they make fairly good APD’s.
 
Welcome Aboard !

Antimony said:
Texan went out of business years ago, and cant find any info on web, so will probably buy some better dies that say .357 also, since these dies only say .38 special, the sizing die only says .38 sizer. Probably stay with .358, ill buy some, load and shoot them and see how they do.
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• Newer Dies does not always equal Better Dies. Don't fall for that BS. More often than not, older dies have much better steel and coatings.
• The only difference between 357M and 38Spcl is about 1/8" of die adjustment. They both use the exact same dies.
• If your dies are marked only "38", then both 38Spcl and 357 Mag are 38's.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
rfwobbly said:
Welcome Aboard !


• Newer Dies does not always equal Better Dies. Don't fall for that BS. More often than not, older dies have much better steel and coatings.
• The only difference between 357M and 38Spcl is about 1/8" of die adjustment. They both use the exact same dies.
• If your dies are marked only "38", then both 38Spcl and 357 Mag are 38's.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
---
But that's not all! As a special bonus, .38Special dies will also work for reloading .38 Long Colt with the SAME 1/8" adjustment (but in the opposite direction, shorter, not longer)! That's THREE cartridges reloaded with ONE die set!
And, with just another turn of the screw, you can upgrade to the .357 Remington Maximum - or .357 Max - cartridge (max case length 1.605") absolutely FREE! That's FOUR cartridges with ONE die set just by turning a nut!

Call now! ;)
 
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