whats the hardest round you've loaded?

I haven’t had one. .380 is tiny, and my hands aren’t as nimble as they were 10 years ago. But I’ve only done .380 on the single stage. Firing up the 550 for it soon, that may change my outlook.

.224 bullets are tiny. But even loading several 100 at a sitting, on the Dillion isn’t a big deal. But I ream the inside pretty good when trimming.

The .338 and 7mmRM do take some pressure to resize, but I’m not loading those in large quantities so no big deal.

But I haven’t loaded .32 or .25 handgun, nor .177 rifle.

Give me another 10 years and I’ll get back to you.
 
44-40 is the hardest one I've loaded for. I had steel dies and seating and crimping in two steps is the only way to go. I had to have my uncle show me what I was doing wrong with mine.
I do wish I still had a 44-40 but not the one I had. Could never hit anything with it. It was a Jaeger import Colt clone. Made in Italy I think.
I don't have it anymore, I traded it in on my first Smith and Wesson. A brand spanking new Model 28 that I had to make payments on for what seemed like forever. I think it only cost like $300 something.
It was a few years ago.
 
I don't feel so inadequate after reading this. For me I struggled with .223 in my AR. I did not want to go with small based dies and the old saying of "you do not need small based dies if you adjust your dies correctly". I tried every which way and could not make it work. I borrowed a set of small based RCBS from a friend and all my issues "went away". For $45 I bought my way out of my frustration and never looked back. Other bottle necked cartridges in bolt action rifles have not given me any issues. I load 9mm and 45 Colt for pistol and no real issues there either.

-Jeff
 
Any cartridge is a pain if you have a defective die. Lol especially as a newbie. It was 308 win in my case. Nope. It’s not difficult. But then, WOW!!! I was extremely frustrated
 
I had trouble crushing cases with .22 Hornet. Luckily that was a single batch for someone else long ago.

I'd say far and away my most difficult cartridge has been .300 Blackout oddly enough. It's not the actual reloading process (although crimped primer pockets suck) but the load development that I had issues with. The OAL in several manuals wasn't even close, so I had to seat the bullets substantially deeper to get the bullets in the mags and the chambers. Getting all the guns to cycle was a constant chase, largely because my first gun worked with the carbine-length gas system I acquired it with. For whatever reason the other 3 gas guns I was set up for (with carbine-length gas also) refused to run with the same loads.

Then I had problems with my rounds going supersonic when they shouldn't have been. There were some othe bumps in the road too and it took a long time to get them all sorted out. Can't say I've had that experience with any other cartridge.
 
gwpercle said:
A site called Castboolits helped me get my act together and figure out the details ...
Which I did and even had a special custom mould made for proper cast 9mm bullets.
Click to expand...
That's dedication.

GeoDudeFlorida said:
On the other end of the spectrum, .30US (.30-40) is dead stupid easy to load. Fitting it to the magazine of a Krag is almost as easy. If anyone wants to find a cartridge easier to load than the .30-30, the .30US is it.
Click to expand...
Good to know. I have grampy's .30-40 and a set of dies. Just need to buy some 220-grain round nose bullets and find the time to put some rounds together. I'd love to take a deer or five with it.
 
7mm TCU was a learning experience. I tried forming brass by expanding the neck and then full length resizing. Half would go bang, the other half, not so much. My local gunsmith/friend told me that the headspace had to be perfect in the Contender that I was loading for. (I know not to end a sentence with a preposition, but I don't care). I found a solution by firing 223 in the pistol and the expanding the neck without full length resizing. No more FTF's.

Back in the early 80's I bought a Sporterized 06 Springfield chambered for 308 Norma. I had State Trooper and a Gunsmith looking for brass to no avail. I finally mentioned making some from 300 H&H. My GS had a H&H and gave me 2 boxes of brass. You had to set the shoulder, cut to length, anneal the neck and fireform. Easy peasy.:thumbup:
 
Last edited:
barnfrog said:
That's dedication.


Good to know. I have grampy's .30-40 and a set of dies. Just need to buy some 220-grain round nose bullets and find the time to put some rounds together. I'd love to take a deer or five with it.
Click to expand...
I’ve tried Ed Harris’ loading data, the oldest-to-newest Lyman’s (for me the 49th is new;)) and some online sources and have yet to find a load that didn’t work. Obviously I ignored the insanely overloaded suggestions. It’s a Krag, not a Howitzer. Let’s be realistic. And yes they will take deer out past .30-30 ranges very easily. I use a 173gr GC bullet from Quality Cast. My wife loves it in her Carbine.
 
32 ACP, it is small, and the brass is thin and bulges and did I mention it is small. I made it work, but gave up on it and just do other cartrdiges now.
 
Captcurt said:
7mm TCU was a learning experience. I tried forming brass by expanding the neck and then full length resizing. Half would go bang, the other half, not so much. My local gunsmith/friend told me that the headspace had to be perfect in the Contender that I was loading for. (I know not to end a sentence with a preposition, but I don't care). I found a solution by firing 223 in the pistol and the expanding the neck without full length resizing. No more FTF's.

Back in the early 80's I bought a Sporterized 06 Springfield chambered for 308 Norma. I had State Trooper and a Gunsmith looking for brass to no avail. I finally mentioned making some from 300 H&H. My GS had a H&H and gave me 2 boxes of brass. You had to set the shoulder, cut to length, anneal the neck and fireform. Easy peasy.:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Oddly, the 7TCU was the very easiest wildcat I have ever done.. I have almost religiously fireformed wildcats without a projectile...just corn meal, and a wax plug!!
film495 said:
32 ACP, it is small, and the brass is thin and bulges and did I mention it is small. I made it work, but gave up on it and just do other cartrdiges now.
Click to expand...
The 32 S&W is even smaller... but having Manipulated 25ACP...I don't mind...Best Not to undertake if yer out of Celebrex tho!!!!
 
.380 but I've only reloaded straight walled handgun cartridges so far. .380 pissed me off so bad I traded my dies in with my Kimber Micro380 and I flat out refuse to shoot one. Foil thin little cases that about half the time crushed for me when seating bullets.
 
Is it fair to have purposely avoided the ones you know will suck. 357 sig, 22tcm, and 5.7 all got the stroll on past. I actually think 22tcm is really cool. My big challenge will be 7.7 because I'm afraid to damage my grandfather's gun.... probably be no big deal.
 
Bcwitt said:
556 w crimped primers has got to be the worst. Gotta be.
Click to expand...
Any crimped primer is a PITA
But... certainly not enough to stop!!! It's when you crush yer meat hooks instead of a Case that gets discouraging... First a Problem with the original "C" presses that went full stroke by simply releasing the handle!!! Yea, awhile ago!!!
 
AJC1 said:
Is it fair to have purposely avoided the ones you know will suck. 357 sig, 22tcm, and 5.7 all got the stroll on past. I actually think 22tcm is really cool. My big challenge will be 7.7 because I'm afraid to damage my grandfather's gun.... probably be no big deal.
Click to expand...
7.7 Jap is very loadable. I pull down 54r & load grain for grain. Makes quite a flash, yet suprisingly accurate.
 
racepres said:
Any crimped primer is a PITA
But... certainly not enough to stop!!! It's when you crush yer meat hooks instead of a Case that gets discouraging... First a Problem with the original "C" presses that went full stroke by simply releasing the handle!!! Yea, awhile ago!!!
Click to expand...
I have a magnet to hold my handle when raised, because verification of that really hurts wasn't required.
 
gwpercle said:
9mm Luger
After casting and reloading for many straight walled handgun cartridges for over 40 years ...
my Dad gives me my first 9mm Luger , a WWII era Walther P-38 and of course I'm going to reload for it ... that's what I do !
That stinking Teutonic Tapered Cased Cartridge , when used with cast bullets , gave me no end of trouble ... I actually said curse words at it and walked away 3 times .
A site called Castboolits helped me get my act together and figure out the details ...
Which I did and even had a special custom mould made for proper cast 9mm bullets .

I still say the 9mm Luger , especially with cast bullets , is a LIL STINKER !

Gary
Click to expand...
I got a 9mm Luger dies I bought thinking it was .30 Luger. Can’t wait to get into a reloading fit!
 
.300 Rook I bought dies, heads and cases but the loaded rounds look off center. (More of a bulge on one side none on the other)
 
Not a hard caliber to load it's self. But i could not pick up the bullets well as i was loading them. For 7.62x39 They were a new bullet from Accura out doors.
120 grain .308 ''platinum''. They look like nickle plated brass. I think they have a lube on them. Very slippery.
 
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