The other day I finally got to do some reloading of .38 Special loads for my Smiths!
The equipment was RCBS but I think all the single stage units are similar and just as easy to use. The stages were preset to really good tolerances and the operation went flawless!
WHat really suprised me was the miniscule amount of Powder used to get the 158 grain bullets moving at around 700-725 fps!
WHen I compare Smokeless powder volumes to black Powder Volumes, WOW! The amounts were about 60% if not less the amount of Black Powder needed to propell a Lead Ball of similar caliber!
I realize Smokeless is weighed by weight and BP is by volume but you get so many more reloads per pound in Smokeless than you get in BP! The actual processes of the reload are very similar. With BP the Cylinder is the case and with smokeless the primer is the "Cap". Otherwise they relate closely to eachother.
Man I can'r get over the tiny amount of WST that it took toload to spec's though!!!
I anticipate that since these were new, unprimed cases, that i can get at least 15 reloads per case, making Smokeless reloading even cheaper! The cases may even hold up to twice the number of uses too!
I think I am going to like this Smokeless stuff as much as I like the Black Powder stuff! Still basically the same process but even cheaper!
I forgot to mention the bullets used, they are Oregon Trail LCSWC's a hard alloy bullet supposed to be very resistant to leading! I am sure familliar with leading due to the soft BP Balls I use. These could be very intresting considering the ratio of silver in them! Wearwolves and Vampires beware also!
BPDave
The equipment was RCBS but I think all the single stage units are similar and just as easy to use. The stages were preset to really good tolerances and the operation went flawless!
WHat really suprised me was the miniscule amount of Powder used to get the 158 grain bullets moving at around 700-725 fps!
WHen I compare Smokeless powder volumes to black Powder Volumes, WOW! The amounts were about 60% if not less the amount of Black Powder needed to propell a Lead Ball of similar caliber!
I realize Smokeless is weighed by weight and BP is by volume but you get so many more reloads per pound in Smokeless than you get in BP! The actual processes of the reload are very similar. With BP the Cylinder is the case and with smokeless the primer is the "Cap". Otherwise they relate closely to eachother.
Man I can'r get over the tiny amount of WST that it took toload to spec's though!!!
I anticipate that since these were new, unprimed cases, that i can get at least 15 reloads per case, making Smokeless reloading even cheaper! The cases may even hold up to twice the number of uses too!
I think I am going to like this Smokeless stuff as much as I like the Black Powder stuff! Still basically the same process but even cheaper!
I forgot to mention the bullets used, they are Oregon Trail LCSWC's a hard alloy bullet supposed to be very resistant to leading! I am sure familliar with leading due to the soft BP Balls I use. These could be very intresting considering the ratio of silver in them! Wearwolves and Vampires beware also!
BPDave
