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Easiest Caliber to Reload

frankcastle13frankcastle13 Member Posts: 1,182 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited September 2005 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
What in you opinion is the easiest caliber to reload? Hardest?
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Comments

  • danski26danski26 Member Posts: 284 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Any straight wall case is relatively easy to reload. A bit harder when you get into wildcat rounds that you start forming, anealing, trimming, necking up/down......ect

    0311 semper fi
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  • bperdue21bperdue21 Member Posts: 1,457 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    i think the 222 is the easiest to reload. pretty much just fill the case all the way up with 3031 and put the bullet in. the hardest to reload for me so far has been a 300 SAUM. I crush the cases in them alot.

    I'm not an expert, but i did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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  • GaBobGaBob Member Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My easiest is the .44 Mag. The hardest is .32ACP because the semi rims are not consistant and some will not go into shellholder. ( I forgot the .45 Auto Rims which I stopped reloading because the cases would pull thru top on shell holder. I replaced several shell holders before giving up. This was many years ago with Herter's shellholders)

    Keep Your Powder Dry
    NRA Life Member
    The only criminal class that is native to the United States is congress.
    MARK TWAIN
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  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by GaBob
    My easiest is the .44 Mag. The hardest is .32ACP because the semi rims are not consistant and some will not go into shellholder. ( I forgot the .45 Auto Rims which I stopped reloading because the cases would pull thru top on shell holder. I replaced several shell holders before giving up. This was many years ago with Herter's shellholders)

    Keep Your Powder Dry
    NRA Life Member
    The only criminal class that is native to the United States is congress.
    MARK TWAIN


    Agree with bob, thats what I started with, then 30-06, 308, 22-250.

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    NRA Life Endowment Member

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  • PJPJ Member Posts: 1,556 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    38 Special or 357.
    Pete

    "Be kind to your neighbor, he knows where you live"
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  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    11mm Mauser. Why? I don't size the cases. Reprime, fill with blackpowder to almost full, and seat the bullet. Hardest? I dunno why but I have had ungodly difficulties with 6.5 Carcano.

    "...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf
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  • SnellstromSnellstrom Member Posts: 1,085 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I started with the 30/06 and 22/250, then went to the 300 Weatherby Mag all of which were very easy to reload as would be a hundred other cartridges, I then stepped to the 30/30 which has a crimp which is not always necessary on some of the others, I considered any "crimp" case a little harder to reload but only because of the extra steps in setting the dies up to get the seating and crimp to work right/ together.
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  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I always thought the .223 was easiest to reload. Easier than the .222 because it seemed to me to take compressed loads easier. That being said the .222 was about next in line for easyness.

    The hardest shells I ever reloaded was with a friend of mines 7mm- TCU. Very delicate operation they were,...We ruined a few shells going through the batch.

    We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>
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  • dcso3009dcso3009 Member Posts: 2,350 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My vote is for either 308 win or 30-06. You can use almost anything in these calibers. Powder and bullet combinations are almost endless.
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  • deadeye46deadeye46 Member Posts: 550 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    i think easiest is 22-250rem and 308 and the most contrary is the 17rem,it's hard feeding those little bullets
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    they are all easy to load for,..all you need are good components and a good manual. I have not run across a caliber I can't make sing,..and some of them are over 100yrs old. Handloading is the only way to fly.[;)]

    why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
    Got Balistics?
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  • Colonel PlinkColonel Plink Member Posts: 16,460
    edited November -1
    I'm telling on myself here, but I used to consider the 9mm a regular bee-yotch to reload until my father kindly asked me to stop trying to crimp cases for a semi-automatic handgun. From that moment, I always asked his advice on a particular round. This accomplishes a couple of things. First, I always get real good advice. Secondly, I get to spend more time with my father, doing something we both love.

    "When the going gets weird, the Weird turn pro"
    Hunter S. Thompson"
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  • chunkstylechunkstyle Member Posts: 2,463 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Don't know about easiest, but 7.62x25 is a real pain in the butt.

    "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
    ~Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here

    "Our enemies...never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
    ~President George W. Bush
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  • PinheadPinhead Member Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    As stated, any straight walled case is easy to load. The hardest to load in my experience is the .44/40 because of its thin walls but it too is not bad if you just slow down and take your time and not try to manhandle it. I have loaded the .45 Auto rimmed for about 35 years now and have yet to have a case head pull through the shell holder. I bought a shell holder for the .45 auto rimmed when I bought my .45 auto dies. I use the same dies for both the .45 ACP and .45 Auto Rimmed and don't even change the die settings. I only need to switch the shell holders to either the one for .45 acp or the one for the .45 auto rimmed. Everthing but the rims are the same.
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  • D.S.COLED.S.COLE Member Posts: 611 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I reload a lot of different calibers both for myself and for customers.
    My simplest to do is for my .308 Win.
    Size it ,prime it , fill it up to the rim with H 380 powder , seat the Speer 130 gr HP and its ready.
    no measuring ,weighing or nothing else.
    The max load for this bullet/powder combo is heavily compressed ,so by just pouring the case full and wiping it off level there is no way to overload it.
    My 98 rebarrel 308 will put 3 of these in one ragged hole at 100 yds. Go figure.

    <BR>
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  • lawdog44lawdog44 Member Posts: 10 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    easy 3006 the hardest by far for myself the .22 hornet
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  • Ray BRay B Member Posts: 11,822
    edited November -1
    For me they're all easy to reload if all that is involved is running the case through the sizer, priming, powdering, bullet seated; but if you want a higher level of performance then refinements to the process are needed in better levels of accuracy, additional steps and equipment that make the process more involved and "harder". But the process is more involved regardless as to which cartridge is involved.
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  • RCrosbyRCrosby Member Posts: 3,808 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Have to say the .44 Mag. has been my easiest, only because it seems that anytime I put a good bullet in front a reasonable powder the many .44's I've had and have seem to shoot well.
    Most difficult for me was the .38-40 UNTIL I discovered the Lee Factory Crimp die. I swear by them now for any thin walled case prone to buckling. Ref: the Hornet, I was plagued for a long time with old 1940's W-W brass and an '06 mentality that didn't fully appreciate the smallness of the case and therefore the impact of seemingly minor variations. I followed Meacham's advice on H-Lil Gun for the Hornet and married to a 40 grain V-Max it's bench rest accurate, fast, and low pressured.
    Rob

    Rob
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  • GaBobGaBob Member Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rcrosby,
    I reload thousands of Hornets and K-Hornets each year. You might want to try a case full of AA1680 and small pistol primers with that 40 gr V-max. By case full I mean 13.5 to 14.0 grs to fill case to base of bullet. I normally use the 37 gr James Calhoon bullet but sometimes the 40 gr.V-max. My Browning standard Hornet will shoot this load into 1.75 inch at 200 yards on a still day. I also had problems with W-W brass so I now use Remington.

    Keep Your Powder Dry
    NRA Life Member
    The only criminal class that is native to the United States is congress.
    MARK TWAIN
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  • Grunt2Grunt2 Member Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    45 ACP....

    "No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.
    - Ronald Reagan
    Retired LEO
    Combat Vet VN
    D.A.V Life Member
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  • 2BGood2BGood Member Posts: 119 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Adding my two cents,,,,,for me its the 44 mag,,,,loaded light for plinking or heavy either way works.
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  • nyforesternyforester Member Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Easy - 44 Magnum
    Hard - 22 Hornet

    a1peteshooting.jpg
    Abort Cuomo
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  • tatercatstatercats Member Posts: 711 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    easiest-45acp, 38 special, 357 mag, 30-06, 223, 243, 30-30


    you think 22 hornet is hard? i think it is easy-i love reloading hornet. what part do you think is difficult?

    tater
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  • superblastsuperblast Member Posts: 2 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The easy ones are 7mm or larger. The hardest is the 17 bumble bee..!!
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  • easygo6easygo6 Member Posts: 1,465 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think getting a good crimp on handgun calibers can be vexing for some. I would start with loads from the 30-06 family of cartidges.
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  • gunzforevergunzforever Member Posts: 619 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    .308 is the best to reload
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  • Idaho Elk HuntrIdaho Elk Huntr Member Posts: 20 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I only reload rifle and the 17 calibers are the hardest for me. The bullets are so small and I have a size 19 ring finger.
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