I've had my press for a while now, but have hardly had a chance to use it. I'd like to load some .38sp and .357mag loads this week. I have plenty of brass for both. I have a few questions:
1) Are Winchester Small Pistol and CCI Small Pistol primers interchangeable? Some manuals call for CCI. Some call for Winchester. I have 4,000 CCI's.
2) Some manuals call for a Magnum primer for .357mag. Others call for a standard SP primer. I have 200 WSPMs. Hodgdon's load data on their website doesn't even specify. What should I use?
3) I bought 100 158gr JHP bullets a couple of years ago. They were bulk from the LGS. I cannot remember what they are. I think Remington, but I'm not sure. I usually use Hornady, but I'd like to load up some practice rounds with these bulk bullets rather than let them go to waste. Should I subtract the difference in bullet length between the bulk vs. a Hornady 158gr from the OAL that the manual calls for to determine the OAL? Is that a safe assumption? (ie. If the bulk bullets are 0.05" shorter than the Hornady, I should seat them so the cartridge OAL is 0.05" shorter than the manual calls for with the Hornady?)
4) The bulk bullets don't have a cannelure to crimp into. Normally I use a Redding taper crimp die after seating the bullet. What's the recommended method of crimping revolver rounds without a cannelure? My Lyman bullet seating die has the ability to crimp.
Components I have on hand:
Bulk 158gr JHPs (Remington I think) - 100
Hornady XTP JHP 158gr - 100
Hornady XTP JHP 125gr - 100
CCI 500 SP Primers - 4000
Winchester SPM Primers - 200
Alliant Unique Powder - 1LB
Hodgdon Titegroup Powder - 1LB
These were going to be my starting loads:
.38sp Practice
Bulk 158gr JHP
3.5gr Titegroup
CCI 500 SP Primer
1.455" COL
.38sp Target
Hornady XTP JHP 158gr
4.5gr Unique
CCI 500 SP Primer
1.450" COL
.357mag Target
Hornady XPT JHP 125gr
7.7gr Unique
CCI 500 SP Primer
1.590" COL
I'm a little unsure with the .357mag load. The Hornady 7th Ed manual doesn't list Unique Powder and the Alliant website doesn't list the Hornady bullet. Alliant says [STRIKE]7.7gr[/STRIKE] 9.6gr Unique with a Speer GDHP [STRIKE]158gr[/STRIKE] 125gr and [STRIKE]1.575"[/STRIKE] 1.580" COL.
Any advice or warnings would be appreciated. My gun is a S&W 327 Perf Ctr 8-shot 357mag.
1) Are Winchester Small Pistol and CCI Small Pistol primers interchangeable? Some manuals call for CCI. Some call for Winchester. I have 4,000 CCI's.
2) Some manuals call for a Magnum primer for .357mag. Others call for a standard SP primer. I have 200 WSPMs. Hodgdon's load data on their website doesn't even specify. What should I use?
3) I bought 100 158gr JHP bullets a couple of years ago. They were bulk from the LGS. I cannot remember what they are. I think Remington, but I'm not sure. I usually use Hornady, but I'd like to load up some practice rounds with these bulk bullets rather than let them go to waste. Should I subtract the difference in bullet length between the bulk vs. a Hornady 158gr from the OAL that the manual calls for to determine the OAL? Is that a safe assumption? (ie. If the bulk bullets are 0.05" shorter than the Hornady, I should seat them so the cartridge OAL is 0.05" shorter than the manual calls for with the Hornady?)
4) The bulk bullets don't have a cannelure to crimp into. Normally I use a Redding taper crimp die after seating the bullet. What's the recommended method of crimping revolver rounds without a cannelure? My Lyman bullet seating die has the ability to crimp.
Components I have on hand:
Bulk 158gr JHPs (Remington I think) - 100
Hornady XTP JHP 158gr - 100
Hornady XTP JHP 125gr - 100
CCI 500 SP Primers - 4000
Winchester SPM Primers - 200
Alliant Unique Powder - 1LB
Hodgdon Titegroup Powder - 1LB
These were going to be my starting loads:
.38sp Practice
Bulk 158gr JHP
3.5gr Titegroup
CCI 500 SP Primer
1.455" COL
.38sp Target
Hornady XTP JHP 158gr
4.5gr Unique
CCI 500 SP Primer
1.450" COL
.357mag Target
Hornady XPT JHP 125gr
7.7gr Unique
CCI 500 SP Primer
1.590" COL
I'm a little unsure with the .357mag load. The Hornady 7th Ed manual doesn't list Unique Powder and the Alliant website doesn't list the Hornady bullet. Alliant says [STRIKE]7.7gr[/STRIKE] 9.6gr Unique with a Speer GDHP [STRIKE]158gr[/STRIKE] 125gr and [STRIKE]1.575"[/STRIKE] 1.580" COL.
Any advice or warnings would be appreciated. My gun is a S&W 327 Perf Ctr 8-shot 357mag.
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