What Cartridge to Choose Based on Reloading

[DMW1116]

If one were to choose a cartridge with its primary purpose being entertainment and enjoyment in reloading, what would it be?

I’m leaning toward 45 Colt because it’s chambered in rifles and handguns and seems a little more of a reloader’s cartridge to get the most out of it. There are a wide range of bullet weights and it can use jacketed or cast bullets fairly easily.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

45 colt is a fine choice. And 44 mag too. 45 colt you have to watch how hot you load them. They have separate data for Ruger and Contender loads.

 

[Hondo 60]

44 mag/special
45 colt
38 special/357 mag.
45ACP

All of them can be loaded mild to wild.
I think those were my first choices.

 

[FROGO207]

The other obvious choice would be 357 MAG. many more bullet options, smaller more inexpensive bullet, less propellant, more readily available brass. Download to or use 38 SPL brass and double your fun. Hondo types faster than I.

 

[AK Hunter]

I wouldn’t believe it but I like reloading the 350 Legend. It loads just like a pistol round but it can take any .355 to .357 rounds. Loading it with cheap 9mm rounds make for cheap plinking rounds. Or you can load some heavy .357 rounds for hunting rounds.

 

[film495]

have you reloaded before? if not, I would suggest starting with .38 Special. it is straight wall pistol and easy, big enough to not be too clumsy, and it is a classic. It is also smaller and more margin for error than the larger cartrdiges. my take is start small, and work up to 45 Colt. I personally don't really like shooting handguns with too much umph to them, so - I prefer lighter plinking type rounds for target shooting.

 

[Airborne Falcon]

44 mag/special
45 colt
38 special/357 mag.
45ACP

All of them can be loaded mild to wild.
I think those were my first choices.

Those are definitely The Four with an emphasis-on 38/357 imho. Not my personal favorite cartridges but probably the most versatile, cheapest to reload and cast-for, uses less powder than the others and is super easy to reload even with a Lee hand loader. Technically, in a pinch, it is possible to reload with black powder and homemade primers and those two are always fun to plink-with.

 

[BigAlShooter]

I started off with 308 and still enjoy everything about reloading the 308. Cheap ammo/brass, cheap bullets, lots of options for powder and bullets. It is super accurate. Short action rifles and many guns - semi-auto and bolt. Light recoil and shoot out to 600 yards. What's not to love about reloading the 308?

 

[Charlie98]

That depends on your question… just for the fun of reloading, or coupled with shooting, too?

reloading AND shooting… .45 ACP. It’s fun and easy to load, I prefer semi autos over revolvers, and… someday… I’d love to have a longarm in .45ACP.

Just for the fun of reloading… any big bore straight-wall pistol or rifle cartridge… .41, .45 Colt, and .45-70 are my personal favorites.

Reloading bottleneck cartridges, while rewarding, isn’t as much fun… because of the necessary case trimming.

 

[AJC1]

If your high on skill and low on cash the 300bo is normally a very cool idea. You cast bullets cheap if you can scavenge range lead. 223 cases are easily available, and cheap when not savaged. You can launch 150s at a good speed or lob a 200+ bullet. It's easy on powder using mag pistol powders or very fast rifle. Someone has extra 30 caliber bullets for cheap you can use them. Very low recoil. Optional platform from ruger American to ar. You can use all small rifle primers and in a bad situation you could make low pressure loads with pistol primers. That exercise requires you know what your doing.

 

[Legionnaire]

For general entertainment, I think it's hard to beat the .357 Magnum. Good selection of bullets that are less expensive than their .44 and .45 counterparts. Load 'em mild to wild with Trail Boss, Unique, and 2400. Work in revolvers and in rifles/carbines. If I could only own one handgun, it would be a 4-inch revolver in .357 Mag. Let me reload for it and I can use it to plink, hunt, and for self defense.

For more specific fun, I might opt for one of the proven precision rifle cartridges, like the 6mm Creedmoor or the newer 6mm GT. Tuning precision ammo to reach "way out there" is a different kind of entertainment.

 

[Kaldor]

Some great answers here.

For me, if I had to choose a single cartridge? 357 mag. Can download it to be a pussy cat, or make it spicy for a handgun or a lever gun that nearly has the power of a 30-30

 

[joneb]

If one were to choose a cartridge with its primary purpose being entertainment and enjoyment in reloading, what would it be?

It would depend on what guns I can reload for, if I have a 38spl/357mag chambered firearm then that would be the logical choice to reload for. Maybe I'm not understanding your question, are you looking for a firearm to reload for?

 

[DMW1116]

I considered 300 BO and 357/38. If limited to a rifle platform 300 BO would be a top choice.

I’m currently having loads of fun trying all manner of 30-30 loads that supplies will allow.

I do reload already but I have only been doing it for about a year. I load 9mm, 223, 308, and 30-30.

My question centers around choosing a cartridge first then firearms to go with it. With only that as a consideration 357/38 is hard to beat. Other questions have to be asked to make choosing easier.

How about one rifle and one handgun? How far are available ranges/shots? Hunting or only paper punching? How precise do you want to be? Is there a preferred firearm action like single action, lever, bolt, pump, revolver, semiauto, or single shot? Competition or just casual?

 

[cfullgraf]

If one were to choose a cartridge with its primary purpose being entertainment and enjoyment in reloading, what would it be?

It does not matter what cartridge, I enjoy reloading. I have dies and equipment to load something north of 30 different cartridges. I maybe actively shoot 4 or 5 of them at any one time but it shifts over time depending upon my mood. Since I reload, I can always replenish my supply with an enjoyable time in the reloading room.

That said, a good place to start is a cartridge that you enjoy shooting.

 

[Riomouse911]

.38 Spl. / .357 Mag. Lots of loads, lots of bullet and powder options, lots of uses, lots of gun models and styles, very easy and forgiving to load for, accurate…you can’t ask for much more.

Stay safe.

 

[WVGunman]

I reload at least half a dozen rounds, and CAN reload probably 4-5 more, but I settled on .44 Mag as my favorite a while ago.
1 - Big bullets, primers, and cases that are easy for me and my carpal tunnel to handle;
2 - It's hard to load it too hot. I generally load pipsqueak stuff for fun, and a double charge will still be contained.
3 - It can use almost any components. If Red Dot is all I can get, .44 Mag can use it just fine. I've also used Trail Boss, Bullseye, Blue Dot, and Unique. They were not all equally accurate--Trail Boss was surprisingly good--but I had no worries with any of them. That big case can take a bigger charge, so I can use powders that that don't meter well in smaller charges (I've found it hard to drop charges smaller than 4 grains of Red Dot consistently). It also doesn't share components with other super-popular rounds; large pistol primers were still available long after small pistol supplies were wiped out recently by people presumably loading 9mm. I know .45 ACP uses large pistol, just describing what I saw. LP primers were still available for longer. I've yet to see .44 bullets sold out anywhere.
4 - It is available in a broad array of guns: revolvers both single and double-action, lever guns, single-shots, even bolt-action and semi-auto carbines/pistols if you love spending money.
5 - A good selection of bullets is available, and a lot of other guys load/shoot it, so there's a good body of knowledge out there about it too.

I think #1 and #3 are the main advantages .44 Mag has on .357.

 

[BigBoreBubba]

+1 for 44 Mag. It’s a reloaders dream. Can be loaded from mild to wild with a nearly infinite bullet selection.

 

[Airborne Falcon]

WVGunman,

I get it, and I almost chose 44 mag for similar reasons. Plus, my Marlin 1894P and Blackhawk both love 44 mag.

But your post got-me-to thinking.

350 Legend (which uses 357 projectiles) is probably more versatile overall .... if you own a good rifle and BFR in 350 Legend.

Same could be said for 450 Bushmaster which uses any good .458 projectile and is more versatile provided you have a good rifle for it along with one of the new BFRs chambered for it.

And then there is 45-70, which also uses any good .458 (basically 45 ACP) projectile and is perhaps most versatile once again, provided you have a great rifle for it (like my Marlin 1895G) and an original BFR.

All three of those would apply by your metric, which I found interesting btw, with the exception of the overcharging issues mentioned in #3.

Anyways, what it all boils-down-to is which cartridge mentioned or touted in this thread is overall superior, from a utilitarian perspective, while offering the greatest number of viable options in terms of both long gun and handgun platforms.

Personal and home defense, ammo availability and various choices of projectiles, ease of reloading with perhaps the widest range of component options, low recoil, range and accuracy, mild to wild versatility, ability to take any game in North America, option to cast lead boolits, etc., etc., etc. ... none of the big three does them all perfectly but all three could make a case for being darn good. 45 Colt probably meets all criteria the closest and had the OP used the above critera then his predrawn conclusion of 45 Colt would have been almost impossible to debate.

But he didn't. His criteria was/is, "If one were to choose a cartridge with its primary purpose being entertainment and enjoyment in reloading, what would it be?"

As someone else already mentioned, that takes the platform issue out of the equation and leaves everything else to conjecture and opinion. It doesn't lend itself well to any of the actual hunting, personal defense, overall shooting and range enjoyability attributes of any cartridge .... it narrows it down to simply reloading.

I don't know what good that does. Reloading is all about the platforms one is reloading-for and working-up a load that works for a particular purpose ... accuracy, low recoil, deliverable energy on target, etc. But sticking strictly to the narrow window the OP lured us through, and on second thought, I think I have to agree with you WVGunman. The answer has to be either 45 Colt or 44 Mag based mostly upon your criteria.

 

[black mamba]

After reloading for over 40 years, I would say 44 magnum is my favorite to reload. Like gunman said, the larger size makes reloading easier. I am also a handgun hunter, so prefer the larger, more powerful cartridge. With 45 Colt you run into less consistent throat sizes which make accuracy problematic, and the sooo large case makes loading more expensive and difficult to achieve good case fill. But if I were just starting out now, and did not plan to hunt with a handgun, I'd go with a good 5-6 inch 357 mag revolver. A huge selection of components and firearms, cheaper to load than the larger .44, and more data than you could use in a lifetime. Reloading semi-autos has the problem of recovering spent brass, and some ranges won't even let you pick them up (when you can find them!). A revolver is definitely the way to go.

 

[DMW1116]

How about limiting things to a cartridge for moderate range (300 yard max) target shooting with possible deer or hog hunting applications? If it’s a handgun cartridge, range can be cut to 100 yards.

With these considerations 300 BO and 44 magnum look quite promising, as does 7.62 x 39.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

That's a loaded question... No pun intended. Well, maybe just a little.

Just for pure enjoyment of reloading, I would use the following criteria
1) Brass should be available, and should last a long time
2) There should be a wide variety of bullet sizes, shapes, and types
3) There should be a ton of reloading data available for lots of powder
4) It should be something that I shoot regularly
5) It should be something that I can shoot in both handguns and long guns.

For me that list shouts .38 Special. You can still get brass even in this ultimate shortage and it lasts almost forever if you treat it right, there is a virtually endless variety of bullet types and sizes available from 90 to over 200 grains, you can use nearly any handgun powder that has ever been made including black powder, pyrodex, and 777, I can shoot it in anything from a .38 Special snub nose to a .357 Magnum lever action, and a pound of Bullseye or Titegroup will let you load for several years unless you crank out several hundred a day.

I could say almost the same thing about .45 Colt, but it takes more powder, and I think the variety of bullets is a little less.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

If one were to choose a cartridge with its primary purpose being entertainment and enjoyment in reloading, what would it be?

I’m leaning toward 45 Colt because it’s chambered in rifles and handguns and seems a little more of a reloader’s cartridge to get the most out of it. There are a wide range of bullet weights and it can use jacketed or cast bullets fairly easily.

This might sound a little strange but there's a lot of logic behind it: .30-30 WCF.

1st and 2nd Gen Contender frames are not that expensive now that newer, better designs are popular. I've seen good condition, very nice 1st Gen frames with grips and accessories in the $200 range on AA and GB.
The 10" .30-30 barrel is probably the most common and least sought after of the original Contender barrels. I've seen like-new 10" barrels for under $150 - even on ePrey!
Talking about a round that can go mild-to-wild, you've got the full range of .308"-.310" copper, lead, plated, jacketed, frangible, and "other" projectiles out there, ranging from 80gr. to 220gr., a bottle-necked case that headspaces on the rim, a 120-year-old design that started at the end of the black powder era and has been loaded with every kind of smokeless powder since Bullseye was new... "Flexible" is the .30-30's middle name (actually it's George but... I digress ) And it naturally pairs with other guns - BFR, carbine, rifle - lever, bolt, single-shot, double-barrel, drilling, pump action... I think the only action I have not seen for a .30WCF is semi-auto. IIRC, the US in Cuba and the French in The Great War had .30US Colt "Potato Digger" belt-fed squad automatic rifles but the .30WCF got skipped when the 1903 30 caliber round replaced the "Krag". I could be wrong.

It is more fun than should be legal to go out shooting with buddies and haul out a rifle-cartridge pistol (loaded down to .32 Long velocities or up to full hunting loads! ) and proceed to put little holes in paper without breaking a wrist.

 

[gwpercle]

My choice would be 38 Special / 357 Magnum .
One of the easier calibers to load accurate ammo for . Loads go from powder puff Target Wadcutter to Deer / Hog Hunting loads.
A quick glance at just Lyman's bullet mould chart shows over 60 bullet moulds ... I think I have about 30 moulds myself .
I see bullet weights from as light as 75 grains to as heavy as 200 grains and every bullet profile you can imagine WC , SWC , RF , RN , truncated cone , sharp pencil pointed ... I'm sure there are others too !
Tons of proven data in many manuals , for many bullets and many powders ...

I'm thinking , through my life's experience , the 38 Special / 357 Magnum combo has to be the most versatile , most satisfying and the most fun to reload and also to shoot .

I'll be honest ... after a while a 250 gr. bullet , reguardless of the velocity , gets to beating you up ... the 45 Colt is restricted to about 200 gr. bullets and you still have that big case to deal with ....No , the 38 Special / 357 Magnum is my pick !
Gary

 

[reddog81]

I considered 300 BO and 357/38. If limited to a rifle platform 300 BO would be a top choice.

300 BO is a great round for reloading. Easy to find brass and bullets. Also a wide range of load data. If you're shooting out hundreds of yards there are much better options but for the 100 range it works just fine.