January 4, 2009
so it was just a hunk-o-lead... that's what a wad cutter is to me.. just a flat cylinder of lead that just punches a hole in a piece of paper..
So .. did you wear a poncho STEVE ???
Ever practice with wax loads.. my dad used to shoot his Python in the basement . wax loads were just a primer, no powder and a 3/8" plug of wax in the cartridge.. only for him to practice his draw and fire... cool..
When I first got out of the service.. a couple of us discharged gun nuts used to go out to the country.. we had a spot that was a country dump... we used to shoot whatever was there.. but one time we tied M-80's to a dead tree and would shoot them with whatever we had.. mostly .22Lr.. if you hit it dead center.. BOOM.... hahaha ... also cool..
Hmm.. never taught THAT one to my kids...
W
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
It was a hollow base wadcutter. When it was reversed (with the hollow end as the front of the bullet) it was the most gaping, huge hollwpoint you ever saw. I even put some crosscuts on the leading edge of the open base of the bullet (remember dum-dum bullets?). It probably was in reality just a big chunk of flying lead, but I had visions of this 148 grain, massive hollowpoint being the "great equalizer". It was probably pretty unstable, I know it lost accuracy over 25 yards, but it created what looked like a nuclear explosion on melons, water jugs, etc.
AH, youth!
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
January 4, 2009
hahahahaha you said it.. I still love hitting a filled water jug at 50 feet with a 44 mag HP.. yeah baby..
we used to shoot at "monkey balls" in trees.. forgot the name of them.. they are green and about the size of a soft ball. and they look like a brain.. all wrinkly like.. they grow on trees and there is a hard nut in the exact center...we used to shoot them with our 30-06's... and if you hit it not dead center just a chunk would fly off... but hit it dead center and just like your H2O melon.. huge explosion... one day I had brought some mil surplus rounds I had gotten at a gun show.. that had red tips..( tracer) and orange tips.. no one knew what orange was.. until I hit one not dead center .. and it started on fire.... incendiary rounds... hahahaha we stopped doing that so we wouldn't burn the woods down...
like you said.. ahh.. youth..
LOL.
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I made another road trip last night, this time to Cabela's in Hamburg, PA. Bought an RCBS turret press kit, 38,357M,357SMAG die set, shell holder, HP38 powder, 38CAL 158GRNNFP Bullets (cast lead), some 38CAL Brass but they didn't have any small pistol primers. I did get a Handloading DVD by RCBS also. Guess I'm ready to reload once I get the primers.
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May 17, 2009
Dusty Trail said:
Nice!
I've talked to several people lately who say that primers are what is pacing the availability of ammo overall. That even the ammo manufactureres can't get enough of 'em.
Put up some pics when ou get your bench set up. I'm still “thinking of reloading” myself….
I seem to have a good supply of primers at the Golden Trigger in Emmaus, PA. I just bought 2 packs (100 each) of Federal 100 Small Pistol primers. Under $5.00 each pack. They would sell a brick for about $ 41.00. Don't know if that's a good price or not.
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November 17, 2008
What is a good price is relative, but 4 months ago primers went for $30 a 1000. 2 years ago they went for about $24 a thousand. I hope I don't have to pay $41 a thousand, but right now there aren't any to be had in my area. The bad part is even before the price insanity started, everyone in my area got out of the reloading supply business. I either have to order from somewhere and pay the haz-mat and shipping fees or drive for almost two hours to pick the stuff up.
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
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March 2, 2008
Charger Fan said:
Dusty Trail said:
I'm still “thinking of reloading” myself….
Me too…just hafta figure out where to do it, in my currently ”elbow room challenged” home.
I'm going to have to clear some space in the garage (which does not actually house a vehicle anymore) so I can get set up. Not so great in the winter, but I have some heaters and I have successfully refinished furniture out there in the winter. I guess I can get enough done spring/summer/fall to keep me going through the winter.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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January 24, 2009
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May 17, 2009
Supermagfan said:
Jaggman,
I know you just got a 445, don't know if you have a 357SM. Make sure to watch your recipes on those as they normally call for rifle primers and not pistol primers.
SMF
Thanks SMF,
I'm studting the Speer Manual (yikes it's 2:17 am) and I see the "*" about magnum primers next to certain powders. However the 445 cartridge is not listed, not that I'm reloading any right now. I bought Federal No. 100 small pistol primers for 38 Special / 357 Mag. They okay?
Ed
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May 17, 2009
Well to be honest I ran it by SMF and he suggested that I seat them deeper, so I did but only to a COAL of 1.455" as the Speer manual shows that figure. I didn't want to have too much space from the bullet to the barrel. Maybe that's not a problem.
I'll load up a few more for the weekend.
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