Special loads in Magnum cases..?

[Walkalong]

Do not down load mag. brass! If you want to shoot 38 sp or +P then load that brass up right.

If you don't like the results of say .38 sp or +P shot out of your mag. rated pistol buy a .38 tack driver.

Down loading mags. can be done, and is done by folks. BUT you can get squibs, hang fires or the can't hit anything double pop's. Which are like squib's that clear themselves.

When I was at my range last weekend there was a group of guy's having the above issues. Down loading .44, .357 and .50 BMG........

If they were having issues, they don't know how to load properly. There is no danger at all downloading .357 or .44 Mag brass to .38 or .44 Spl levels. There just isn't that much difference in case capacity. The only real issue to remember is not to use powders inappropriate for .38 and .44 Spl pressure levels.

 

[Eb1]

The chances of getting squibs with Trail Boss if loaded correctly are slim to none IMO, and you use Magnum brass. JMO.


+1 Walkalong

 

[zxcvbob]

If you use lead bullets, there's no issue at all. If you use jacketed bullets, you *can* load them too low and stick a bullet in the barrel.

Use moderately fast-burning powder for best results. Red Dot is really good at the low end. (Clays might be even better, but I don't know cuz I haven't tried that one)

 

[psyshack]

Walk it's not a matter of knowing what to do. It's a matter of,,, this is a mag and this ain't. We can do many thing's at our bench. But why down load a mag. Just load a sp round. Thats like pulling spark plug wires off a blown hemi motor. I want the big big syrup bucket piston's and forced air and fuel. But it's to much so let me pull a plug wire. ***

 

[OldStumps]

I haven't seen any issues and don't expect to. Anyone that spends a couple hundred or more on a press and won't spend $100 on a chronograph is reloading blind. I chrono every recipe I load and compare with previous. I know how fast a 250gr lead bullet comes out of my Raging Bull when shooting .45LC and therefore how fast I want that same bullet to come out of the Casull case and am loading down to that velocity. I think my chance for an undercharged round pretty nil. That really is the most important thing I've added to my reloading process as I've gotten back into it after fifteen years - get a chrono and use it.

 

[Eb1]

We can do many thing's at our bench. But why down load a mag. Just load a sp round. Thats like pulling spark plug wires off a blown hemi motor.

Apples to oranges.

 

[Walkalong]

Walk it's not a matter of knowing what to do. It's a matter of,,, this is a mag and this ain't. We can do many thing's at our bench. But why down load a mag. Just load a sp round. Thats like pulling spark plug wires off a blown hemi motor. I want the big big syrup bucket piston's and forced air and fuel. But it's to much so let me pull a plug wire. ***

Well that's fine. In your opinion it is a waste of time, and one should just choose a lesser caliber power wise. That is quite different than exclaiming how dangerous it is, which the main point you made, and which is what I disagreed with.

Me? I think it is just limiting yourself. Not everyone has a .44 Spl and a .44 Mag. Many of them would like to shoot tamer loads at times. There is absolutely no reason from a safety standpoint why they shouldn't.