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Pistol Caliber Rifle Loads
  • Hi Guys,
    Since the pistol caliber rifle class had the most entries of the three classes we shot in the Inaugural Long Range Side Match, let's use this area to discuss loads and loading for our pistol caliber rifles. Maybe you loaded up something special for 100 yards or, maybe you used your Main Match loads, let's discuss them here!
  • That sounds like a decent load for that cartridge. I have some experience with Power Pistol, but not in Cowboy loads. I worked up some .30-Carbine loads with copper plated, 110 grain round nose bullets and had great success. Have you ever chronographed that load? Is that your main match load, or did you whip up something special for the long range side match? I just shot my main match loads for the pistol caliber rifle side match. 8.0 grains of Unique with a 200 grain, round nose flat point, Laser Cast bullet in mixed brass, that works it's way into being cowboy loads by cracking at the mouth as full power .44 Mag stuff, then being trimmed .035 shorter to get rid of the cracks. I call it Shorty-4-Mag!

    Doc
  • We will use our std SASS loads for the LR.
    .38 Special is 4.0gn Unique w/158gn rnfp Bear Creek moly coated.
    .44'mag' is 6.5gn Unique w/240gn rnfp Bear Creek moly coated.
    LG

    Hav'n you along, is like lose'n 2 good men
  • Those sound like fine main match loads, and ones that are fully capable of shooting at a hundred yards. Have you ever chronographed those? You got to love the Bear Creek moly coated bullets. The price is right and the performance is top notch! I shoot those through my 38-55 in the lighter loadings and, I just love them. By the way, did you notice that you needed to raise the rear sight any more than just one notch to make solid hits at 100 yards?

    Doc
  • The .44s run about 840fps out of my Rugers and about 1220fps out of my 24" Marlin.
    Never ck'd them with the carbine.
    Not a clue what the 38's run.
    Never had an issue with Barb's 38s put'n down 'knock-downs'.
    LG
    Hav'n you along, is like lose'n 2 good men
  • BTW-1 notch 'up' at the most.
    I usually just aim at the top of the target.
    LG
    Hav'n you along, is like lose'n 2 good men
  • I'd guess that Ima's loads are right in that same general neighborhood, if not a tad bit faster. I added one notch of rear sight elevation for the 100 yarders. Center of mass hold for me.

    Doc
  • I had been having a high primer problem for some time now. Only in my .44s and not at all in Montana Jewel's .357s. Lumpy had mentioned, at some point over the last two years, that he figured that it was high time to clean the primer pockets. I tried my damndest to avoid doing that and went ahead and loaded all 500 rounds one more time. What was I hoping for? Some kind of miracle? Well, I guess I don't have to tell you that I ended up with some high primers again. Nothing that won't feed or function mind you, just the kind that drag in the revolvers, making it difficult to shoot Gunfighter style, where you have to cock a balky revolver in one hand! At our January match, I shot up all but one round of my ammo, so the time to load up the 500, once again, was upon me. A couple of years back, I got a really good deal on a Lee, Universal Decapping Die and thought "MAYBE I'LL PUT THAT LITTLE RASCAL TO GOOD USE". I ran all of my brass through this die then used one of my screw driver bits from a Gunsmithing Screwdriver Set to clean all of the primer pockets. The screwdriver bit actually fit the pocket better than my little primer pocket tool ( I can't remember the make but it looks like a screwdriver bit) and did a much nicer job. By the time I was done with all 500 pieces, I had quite the pile of nasty black residue. You should have heard some of the cuss words I was uttering as I performed this tedious and unwelcome task. I may have called Lumpy a name or two as well. I then proceeded to load all 500, as I normally would, on my Dillon Square Deal B loader. Guess what? Not one single high primer in the whole batch!!!
    I bet I can get away with two or three loadings before I need to do this again but I will definitely do it again! I take back almost all of the names I called you Lumpy and stand, once again, in the shadow of your knowledge. I hope all of you are well.

    Humbly
    Doc
  • THX(I think :)) )
    This should really get you go'n--I never clean the primer pockets of my 'blasting and SASS' ammo. :O :O
    One of the many things I like about the Dillon 550. Is the leverage of the press's arm, even more so with the roller handle.
    Any way you could make a extension for the arm on your SDB?
    LG
    Hav'n you along, is like lose'n 2 good men

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