good reload set up

[Sawbuck]

This will be my first full year in SASS. I have shoot at a few events but have used factory amo. I shoot 38's for pistols and a sweet 1860 Henry(Uberti) 45lc for a rifle. Whet I am loking for is some help in choosing a powdwer and bullets. I think I will be competing in the Duelist catagory. Thanks.

[Dubious Don #56333]

My pick is Trailboss. RNFP bullets all around. (My pick is 200/250gr in 45LC and 158gr in 38. Trailboss is a bulky powder specifically designed by Hodgdon for large capacity cases in applications that do not demand high velocity. Out of the rifle my TB 45LC loads 200gr@800fps and 250gr@750fps. Revolver 38's 158gr@750fps. Any lead bullet manufacturer will work.

 

This powder is bulky enough that it almost fills the case and double charges/squib sharges are VERY obvious. It is also the least position and temperature sensitive powder I've used. Buy in 8lb caddys, way cheaper than the single cans.

 

Here's a link to IMR's load data website.

 

http://www.imrpowder.com/basic-manual-inquiry.html

[Marauder SASS #13056]

For the 38, the most common bullet is the 125 grain. Several different powders work well.

 

I like Clays pretty well, but have had good luck with AA #2, VV320, and Trail Boss. Most faster powders will work very well. Just make sure your loader gives a consistent load. My loader didn't like titegroup and was only fair with Red Dot.

 

The 45 is a little different in that you need a little more pressure to seal the chamber. Many use 200 grain bullets, but some have to use 250 grain to make sure the chamber is sealed well enough to avoid most blow back. Clays and Trail Boss work well with the 45 Colt. But there are many other powders that others can tell more about.

[Marauder SASS #13056]

Don, are you sure about 8 pound bottles??? :D

 

They only send me 5 pound bottles that are the same size as the bottle for 8 pounds of Clays.

[Black Tooth Zach]

+1 on the Trail Boss for smokeless powder.

It's what I use, so it must be good for you (ha ha, just a little tongue in cheek).

Seriously, I like it for the following reasons:

-Double charges are so obvious with it that it just seems safer.

-It fills up the case so well that it is easy to tell if a case has not been charged - squib prevention.

-It is more accurate to dip/drop. Volumetric measuring is more accurate with a lower density/higher volume powder. If you are off a little by volume, the weight difference is not going to be as much as it would be with a denser powder.

-It is a 'clean' enough powder - pistols aren't too dirty after a match.

[Frenchy Cannuck]

I use TrailBoss and 158gr RNFP bullets for my 38spl. Great results!

[Charlie MacNeil, SASS #48580]

I load Win 231 and 125 grain truncated cone bullets for .38. I've used either Win 231 or Trail Boss, with 200 grain RNFP bullets for .45 Colt. Make sure you put a good crimp on the .45's and you shouldn't have much in the way of blowback issues...

 

Now I use full case loads of APP in all of my .45's for cowboy...

[Seamus McGillicuddy]

Goex & you won't sweat the overcharging issue.

 

Seamus

[Curley Cole, SASS #56849]

I am an old tymer. I have been loading the same load for many years. I use Bullseye and a 158gr rnfp. (Bearcreek)

if interested in my load data, drop me a emule or pm.

 

curley

[Buck D. Law, SASS #62183]

I use Titegroup, but I'll be the first to tell you that if it suddenly became unavailble, I'd have no problem using a number of other powders including Clays, Unique, Trail Boss, etc, etc, etc.

 

There's hardly any difference in the cost of using one powder vs. another shooting equivalent loads. If you'd like, shoot me a PM with your email address and I'll send you an Excel file that you just fill in some information for different powders and it'll do the cost calculations. As it is, it has data for .38's shooting a 125 grain bullet and .45's shooting a 200 grain bullet comparing Trail Boss, Titegroup and Clays.

 

The biggest danger of reloaded ammo is too much powder or too little powder. Based upon what I learned when I did the spreadsheet, I'd recommend Trail Boss for a person beginning to reload. It's fluffy and fills the case higher, so it is easier to see that you have powder in the cartridge. It also makes it near impossible to double charge. The powder cost of the three powders I compared shook out like this for .38's:

 

Clays - $0.48/C

Titegroup - $0.59/C

Trail Boss - $0.73/C

 

Some might look a this and say: Trail Boss is expensive, it's 52% more expensive than Clays. Another way of looking at it is: Trail Boss will only cost you a nickel a stage more. It's time to take out a second mortgage.

[Grizzly Dave]

I use Win 231 and 130 gr RNFPs for my 38s.

[Chickahominy Charlie]

I like Buck's answer. I, too, use Titegroup and am very pleased with it. A very little bit goes a long way. I get over 2000 rounds from a pound when loading .38's.

 

However, if that was unavailable, I've used several different powders to include Win231, Silouette, IMR 7625, Unique, and probably a couple of others. Each has a pro and a con. I've never used Trail Boss, so I can't comment.

 

I'm in full agreement with Buck on "the biggest danger of reloaded ammo is too much powder" (kaboom!) "or too little powder" (squib!). Some powders, because they fill almost the entire case, help keep you from double (or worse) charging while showing you that there's powder in there to keep the too little problem at bay. All I can say is that you need to take every precaution and use due diligence to insure that you don't "mess this part up."

 

I've not reloaded 45LC's (lots of .38's when you load for more than one shooter) but Titegroup works for that caliber as well.

 

I guess the bottom line is that you get to try some different stuff and find something YOU like. That's part of the fun!....no, really....it IS fun......

 

Good Luck!

 

Chick

[Hoosier Bandit]

I really enjoy reading these kind of threads. I learn so much from you guys. Im still working on a reloader and componets.