Which cartridge is your favorite to reload and why.

[JHTexas]

I would go with 45 Auto. A big part of it initially was the history behind the 1911 and the time frame I started shooting. I also love working on the 1911’s and only have them in 45 caliber. I keep eyeing one in 10mm but haven’t made the plunge.
So for now 45 Auto is my favorite and will probably always be.

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

I guess I’m lucky. My Grendel came out of build without any bias bullet weight wise. No erratic dispersal in mean group throughout 95 to 130grains. So I’m going with 6.5 Grendel. As for pistol cartridge it’s 40Smith. The G35 just takes everything and shoots it well.

 

[VoodooMountain]

I'm boring. My favorite is 308 simply bc it is so easy to load for, brass is cheap, and there are tons of options for combos.

2nd favorite is 223.

I probably enjoy building the reloading bench more than loading at it. Though I do love to work up new combos for accuracy loads.

I absolutely loathe loading pistol ammo.

 

[Lee Q. Loader]

Rifle: 6.5 Grendel, I've loaded the brass over 5 times and never had to trim. Trimming is the only step in reloading that I don't enjoy. Mine shoots 90 gr Varmageddon very well. Then I can switch to 120 SMK's or 120 ELDM's and also very accurate, but a very different POI.

Handgun: 44 Mag, it's just plain fun and fairly simple.

 

[JFrank]

I would have to go with my 6 BR-Ackley improved. A tiny cartridge that holds many long range world records. Easy to load and very rewarding.

 

[.45Coltguy]

.38 spl. Wait, .45 acp. Hold on a sec, .45 Colt. Uhmm, I guess I like 'em all! .45 Colt. There!

 

[GooseGestapo]

.32S&W Long! With out a doubt. But .32ACP and now, the .30 Super Carrry.
Why?
Mild shooting characteristics, especially the two .32’s.
Low component consumption. Typically 2-3gr of powder, 100gr of lead or less.
Brass lasts practically forever or till lost in the grass (especially the .32auto).

Till primer prices went insane, it was cheaper to load the .32’s than factory loaded .22lr.

 

[THEWELSHM]

Anything Magnum 500,44,41 & 357.

Thewelshm

 

[Jimster]

3 way tie. 45-70, 44-40 and 45acp. Oops, 4 way, 45 Colt. All blackpowder except 45acp and I use Bullseye for that. Guess I’m a traditionalist.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have reloading equipment and the associated firearms go something north of 30 different cartridges. So, the one I’m reloaded at the time is my favorite.

But, in the spirit of the thread, 38-45 Clerke would be my choice. “Guns and Ammo”
Magazine ran an article about the round in the mid-1970’s and I was intrigued. In the late 1980’s I crossed paths with the round again. I bought a 1911 barrel, forming dies and reloading dies for the cartridge.

I’ve been dabbling with the cartridge since. My first conversion was a Colt Mk IV Series 70. It works ok. My second 38-45 Clerk is a rebarreled current production Gold Cup. It handles the cartridge well.

 

[Big-bore-bob]

.44 magnum... I save the most money on this one and I love fireballs.

 

[riverats]

Long gun: It's a push between 7.62x51 NATO & 303 British.
Handgun is no different: 357 SIG & 400 Cor-Bon ... and if I ever get my hands on another set of 9x25 dies, that chambering will trump the aforementioned (Dillon has had my defective set for well over a year, with a replacement set perhaps an additional 30+ weeks away ).

Post Script: Never did explain my reasoning as to the whys behind those favorites … I’ve always had this fascination for/with (purported) obsolete or better yet, road-less traveled, bottle neck handgun cartridges & firearms - and the same for the 303 British (SMLEs) & the 7.62 NATO (M14s).

 

[Cowhide Cliff]

I guess I'd have to say 44-40. Maybe because I load more rounds of that than anything else.

 

[Random 8]

My favorite is boring old .38 Special. You could also include .357 target loads if I had more brass in that caliber, but was gifted a HUGE amount of .38, so that's what I shoot.

I like simple, and I like effective. The good ol' 38 fits this philosophy to a T.

It eats most any load within parameters with reasonable accuracy. It eats easy metering ball powders with reasonable accuracy. The bullet crimp groove dictates my COL. Brass sizes easily and seems to last nearly forever. There are a wide range of suitable bullet shapes and sizes if I feel the need to experiment.

I load some pretty interesting rifle cartridges, they can be fun and frustrating at the same time, but it's hard not to enjoy a session of .38 assembly.

 

[ms6852]

I'm with WestKentucky - oddball and "new to me" cartridges. My favorite was my 7mm IHMSA for a while, then my .41 Magnum, and now my favorite is probably my .45/110 Sharps. If I get myself a .38-55 Winchester one of these days, it will probably become my favorite - for a while anyway.

The 45/110 or 45 2 7/8 is a bruiser for me. I shot it a couple of times and saved me a trip to the doctor. It knocked my kidney stones lose. About 3 months ago I got bit by the bug to buy a 38-55. I found a couple of them at a gun show but walked away, they were emotionally priced...just to darn high for used rifles. Might as well buy new from Taylors and Company.

 

[41 Mag]

Well I'm a lot like "cfullgraf" in the amout I load for. Honestly though I don't really enjoy it, as much as it's just a necessity thing. Kinda like fixin breakfast or supper, a means of feeding tha stable.

I'm not going to say that I haven't purchased factory ammo, but for most calibers it has only been to just try something new or to harvest the cases.

That said, I really like to UNLOAD the 10mm, 45acp, and 454 rounds I load, as well as have me some 25-06AI, 7mm STW, and the occasional Contender 223AI, and 30-30AI.

 

[.308 Norma]

The 45/110 or 45 2 7/8 is a bruiser for me. I shot it a couple of times and saved me a trip to the doctor. It knocked my kidney stones lose.

LOL!
Yep, I agree with you - my 45/110 (2 7/8" case) is a very good example of a gun I'd rather load for than shoot! And that's in spite of the fact that my 45/110 is a Shilou-Sharps and weighs better than 12lbs. That brass "recoil pad" on the butt stock doesn't help much either.
My Shilou-Sharps was my 25th wedding anniversary gift from my wife (27 years ago) though. So, I guess I'll just keep on loading for it, and after donning my PAST recoil pad, shooting it. Besides, all 4 of our grandsons really get a "kick" out of shooting grandpa's "Quigley" rifle.

 

[orionengnr]

I got into handloading with .45acp.
Still my most loaded round, but many others are close behind.

 

[EMC45]

.32S&W Long! With out a doubt. But .32ACP and now, the .30 Super Carrry.
Why?
Mild shooting characteristics, especially the two .32’s.
Low component consumption. Typically 2-3gr of powder, 100gr of lead or less.
Brass lasts practically forever or till lost in the grass (especially the .32auto).

Till primer prices went insane, it was cheaper to load the .32’s than factory loaded .22lr.

Agreed. Casting 98gr. bullets shooting over Bullseye with S&B primers is cheap.

 

[tactikel]

.38 Spl. It is so easy to load. And components are readily available.

 

[entropy]

.38 Spl. is easiest to load, but I load a lot more .45 ACP, and it's almost as easy....

 

[PWC]

39 Spl...lo recoil, accurate, easy to QC each step. Bullet is right sized for my fingers. My phone has 1/4" icons, I have 1/2" fingers.

 

[GW Staar]

.45ACP, .308 (7.62LC as pictured below)....but most is 9mm with my grandkids....don't shoot a much as i once did....

 

[N555]

Probably 30-30 because it's turned out to be way more capable than I ever thought with ftx bullets and slower powders.

 

[conan32120]

So many picking .45acp and at one time it was one of mine as well, that is till that dark cloud of small pistol primered brass made its appearance. I'm a range brass scrounge and I just grab and go, I never find those damn things till I try to put an LPP in them.