What caliber gives you the most trouble reloading, and how did you overcome?

[dudel]

Taking a lead from Osteodocs current "hate reloading 9mm" thread, what caliber gives you the most fits and what tricks did you learn.

For me, 22 Hornet has been a tough battle. The case is so fragile, that I've gone back to single stage when loading it (seems appropriate since both guns I have in 22Hornet are single shot anyway - T/C and Handi).

If the brass tipped the least little bit, either sizing, dumping or seating, the case would crumple (and these are NOT cases you find lying around at the range, and ordering them new is iffy at best). The mouth also needed a generous chamfer when loading GC boolits. It's one area where boat tail J-words seem to save brass. Also the Hornady inline seater helps keep thing straight as the projectile heads for the case mouth. A Lyman M die also helped a lot with GC boolits. I also use the Lee collet sizing die to keep from overworking the brass (I just need to keep the T/C round separate from the Handi rounds).

After 22Hornet, everything else seems easy.

[DeanWinchester]

Casting for 7,62x54R (more than one rifle) and casting for 6,5mm Swede.
How did I overcome? I washed my hands of them and placed more focus on .308, 30/30 etc. that are more cast friendly.

I will fight with a cartridge only so long, then....I say So long!

[fatnhappy]

Since you stipulated reloading in the thread title I think I'll need to choose the .30-30. This is simply due to the nature of the beast. Since I find it necessary to crimp the necks on hunting ammo it the requires the brass be trimmed too frequently for my tastes. It not an overly onerous task but one I undertake with less exuberance than unclogging toilets. That's why I got rid of my hornet years ago.

[upnorthwis]

6.5MM Swede. If I use the Lyman lubrisizer the normal way, those long 140 grain boolits bend. Have to disassemble it and turn it into a pushthru sizer. Should probably just buy the Lee sizer since this gun will be around awhile.

[tja6435]

Taking a lead from Osteodocs current "hate reloading 9mm" thread, what caliber gives you the most fits and what tricks did you learn.

For me, 22 Hornet has been a tough battle. The case is so fragile, that I've gone back to single stage when loading it (seems appropriate since both guns I have in 22Hornet are single shot anyway - T/C and Handi).

If the brass tipped the least little bit, either sizing, dumping or seating, the case would crumple (and these are NOT cases you find lying around at the range, and ordering them new is iffy at best). The mouth also needed a generous chamfer when loading GC boolits. It's one area where boat tail J-words seem to save brass. Also the Hornady inline seater helps keep thing straight as the projectile heads for the case mouth.

After 22Hornet, everything else seems easy.

I was recently informed about the Lyman M die series of expanders. They step the neck out instead of belling and it allows the bullet (cast or otherwise) to be seated without scraping lead, copper, lube or coating while seating. I got one off Amazon for around $21 shipped and it has made a huge difference in getting checked and flat base bullets to seat in .223 reloads. Very glad I was given the info on the M dies. Now I have M dies in just about everything I do and plan on loading for

[mdi]

Good thread, but would it be possible to not only name a particular firearm, but explain the problem? "I had a problem with a 3.9mm Whitzip Magnum so I gave it to my brother-in-law" type answers/posts are nice to know, but why?

[dudel]

I was recently informed about the Lyman M die series of expanders. They step the neck out instead of belling and it allows the bullet (cast or otherwise) to be seated without scraping lead, copper, lube or coating while seating. I got one off Amazon for around $21 shipped and it has made a huge difference in getting checked and flat base bullets to seat in .223 reloads. Very glad I was given the info on the M dies. Now I have M dies in just about everything I do and plan on loading for

Thanks, I forgot to mention I did get an M die for the 22 Hornet. Helps a bunch.

[osteodoc08]

9mm, havent overcome it yet. Just too small. I'l load up several hundred at a time to keep from doing it all the time. Its not bad, perse, I just prefer others.

[Radarsonwheels]

So far 9mm makarov. I bought commercial hardcast in the commie 9mm size and it leaded my polish p64 walther copy like crazy after just 12 shots. Haven't licked it yet gonna try more powder first, then slug it if it still leads and see if I need to buy and beagle a mold for it along with some .362 dies or something.

It's also special because I trim 9mm luger brass 1mm and blow it out for the short fat 9x18 mak. After all the work it takes to make the ammo the pistol throws brass a country mile!

I only bother because it's such a great pocket pistol and cuts one ragged hole at ten yards. Factory brown and silver bear ammo used to be cheap, not so much any more. I want to be able to practice with it especially since the double action trigger is crazy long and stiff and the single action trigger is super light and crisp.

[Freeandcold]

357 sig. Those itty bitty necks are an issue. But, I learned a great deal (even after 25 years previous hand loading experience) about neck tension, crimping processes, component selection,... while working through the various issues.

[fredj338]

A toss up between the 357wsig & 44-40. Both are bottleneck, both need die tweaking to get best results. The 44-40 is probably a bit more PITA because of the thin cases. Pretty easy to crumple one if you don't get enough flare or slightly over crimp. Then again it has a crimp groove to keep the bullet form setting back, unlike the 357sig. I am sure the 38-40 falls into this too. Gees, 9mm is piece of a cake compared to those three!

[Mk42gunner]

I have two that I have had trouble with. The .25-20 WCF and the .43 Spanish.

On the .25-20 the trouble wasn't really with loading it, it was that I could not find brass so I had to neck down .32-20. The only .32-20 I could find was nickel plated Remington, and I lost somewhere around 10% while necking down, mostly due to creases that I didn't catch in time.

After it was necked down and trimmed I haven't had any problems, plus I picked up enough partial boxes at gun shows to give me a couple of hundred rounds. That should be enough since my rifle is a single shot.

With the .43 Spanish, using reformed .348 Win brass from Buffalo arms in Lee dies, I kept breaking Lee shellholders. The top would break out when I was pulling the case out of the resizing die. That and some of the cases still needed the shoulder pushed back a bit more, requiring another trip into the sizing die.

I tried different sizing lubes with limited success, but after going through three or four shellholders I was pretty close to giving up on the caliber.

Then one day I was in a gun shop a thousand miles from home, (I was on leave) and found an RCBS shell holder. I thought what the heck, and bought it. Problem solved, it has lasted for several years.

Robert

[HATCH]

22 hornet or 22 TCM was the hardest.

22 hornet because the jacketed bullet would rip the case some (got a fix for that).

22 TCM because the OAL measurement was all over the place. I measured factory loaded ammo and it was all over the place as well so I didn't worry too much.

I load both of these on a 550 and what I did is have a company make a pistol style powder die for both calibers.
it slightly flares the mouth of the case and makes it easier to load the bullets.
Once I did that my problems on the 22 tcm went away.

Yes I did chamfer the mouth of the case.

[jonp]

357 mag. Why? It was the very first reload for me and i had no one to ask questions. I learned everything from a Lymans and trial.

[bangerjim]

Still have problems in spades with the S&W SD9VE.........hate it with a passion.

Very finicky on length & sizing. I can load them just fine! I play synth and my manual dexterity is excellent. The darn things are just a PITA. Chambering and firing are another story.

They either will not chamber completely or will not cycle properly. Factory FMJ's shoot fine.

But the accuracy of this little piece of work is like shooting at the side of a barn. Total garbage. Boolits (even factory FMJ's) pretty much land where they want out just only 25 feet. Rarely shoot it anymore. Will probably trade it in on a long gun and sell off all the 9 casting/loading stuff I have + 3K of brass on here.

Love my 40 XD-M! And just got a 45ACP 1911.

banger

[mpmarty]

9mm and I quit trying. 9mm is worthless ***. 10mm rocks!!!

[Smoke4320]

7.62 x 54R..
real brass is fairly hard to find, bore sizes run the gambit of 311 all the way to 317
makes mold/bullet selection much slimmer
have one m38 that will shoot factory 198 grn or handloaded Hornady 174 grn in less than 2" at 200 yds
but can't get a cast bullet in 2.5" at 50 yds .. tried many loads different powders, seating depths, different dia's ect ect

[dabsond]

6.5 carcano. Magic missile tumbles and jacketed bullets show signs of high pressure.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I couldn't get any 22 cast in any 223 or 22-250 to shoot accurately. I also have never had good luck with gas checks in any caliber.

[Charley]

.375 Winchester in a Marlin 375. Still working on it. I've tried almost everything that has ever been mentioned about combination here, from Marlinowners, and just about everywhere else. Will continue to work on it.