Maybe you want to experiment with a cartridge you have had for awhile...maybe there is one you have always wanted to work with. What's on your list?

I have an original Martini Cadet in .310 but I'm not using original brass. It's too expensive. I'm using 32-20 brass and it's interesting. The R-P brass is turned down on the rim and works perfectly. Starline 32-20 brass is being reduced from the headstamp end of the rim. If the "Starline approach" works without primer seating issues it will be far easier than turning down the rims. Of course, I want to sort the military iron sights out with the loads. It's an interesting project and the Martinis are too cool.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have a FA in 500 Wyoming Express that I want to find a good bullet mould for. Something in the 440 gr range that is plain based and WFN. The goal there is to have a reduced load for fun and a heavier load.

Then there's the new acquisition of an 03A3. I want to get it sorted with a 168 gr match grade bullet that hits correctly with the sights at distance.

Then there's the Ruger Maximum and what I decide to do with it. After playing with Jeremy and Cannon's Max Linebaughs, the 500 is calling to me (siren's call?). I don't have to live on the heavy side of that cartridge but I like the idea of reduced pressure loads in the heat for general shooting and the occasional heavy load to blow out the cobwebs. I like shooting big bullets.

Oh...and I want to play with my FA in 17HMR more. It's so accurate! Beats many of my rifles. Wild.

Then I'm getting into the 32s more...and the new to me 38 Super...and the list goes on.

What's on your list?

Tops on the list is 357 Magnum, have a 2 1/2" 19 that it would be nice to have a decent field load for, something rather stout that will not hurt the K-frame, maybe a 158 gr SWC at 1000 to 1100 fps out of the short bbl. Also have a 357 barrel for the Contender that would be fun to have barn-burner load for, just because, and maybe fun to try for deer hunting. Next on the list is 32 wcf, have an old Colt Police Positive Special and would like a nice plinking and small game load that will shoot accurately and to point of aim at 25 yards for the fixed sights.

You mentioned the 2.5" 19. That's still on my list. And I'm going to be spending a lot of time this year with Bullseye WC loads in my K38.

Your projects are always interesting Brian.

might be shorter!

I have only recently shot the following with no real work on load development:
.256 Newton
.35 Newton
7mm Ackley Magnum
5.6x35R

Have not yet fired these:
.375 Express
9.3x57R

Haven't even built these yet:
.303 Epps
.35-303--hopefully also as an Epps cartridge
.35 Winchester

There's others which need to be returned to...
.308 which shoots equally well out of Miss Melodie's Ruger American and my GunSite Scout
.257 Roberts (tried one load and was under-whelmed)
7x57 I have two and would like to find loads which shoot well in both
.222 Remington

That's off the top of my head. There's always something what needs doing.

Took me a long time to find that snubbie and it was worth the wait, I intend to wear it out. If I can work up a decent load, might even try taking a deer with it sometime. It has already taken squirrels, but have not found much other game while out yet.

Just found a set of Pach. Grips for the Colt which fit my hands much better than the originals. So far it has shown good promise in the accuracy dept, am hoping with better grips and some tailored loads, it will be a good field companion. Even with it's 5" bbl, it is a trim little piece to carry.

The Contender bbl so far has been a problem that has not done well with any loads tried, which has mostly been 38s, so hoping some mags will do better.

Hoot always has the coolest stuff to play with.

For some reason I got interested in .357 Herrett. I know I've got some formed brass around here somewhere, just have to find it.

For a long time I've been interested in .41 Mag. I have a theory I wanted to prove and that is that the .41 Mag is a fairly new invention and doesn't have any legacy manufacturing to hold it back. In other words there is no reason a .41 Mag would have chamber dimensions, throat dimensions or bore dimensions that were holdovers from older cartridges, so it should be more accurate. But then maybe the manufacturers just have poor attention to detail. The other thing that occurs to me is that the .41 Mag is close to .44 Mag but the guns chambered for it should be stronger. A S&W N-frame that is on the edge of heavy wear due to .44 Mag loads should be happier when chambered in .41 Mag. Especially something like the scandium version of the model 57. (I think it is ambiguous to refer to it as the model 357.) And this cartridge offers a high velocity option in the Freedom Arms 97. On the other hand I don't quite see the point to a .41 Mag in a bigger gun such as the Ruger Blackhawk or Redhawk, or Freedom Arms 83. They handle .44 Mag and hot loads in .45 Colt so well that one of those guns in .41 Mag is not achieving the potential of the platform. Unfortunately a S&W or Freedom Arms in .41 mag is pretty pricy just to play with to prove a theory.

My list is pretty short right now.

I have a .338 RCM that will fill about any need I could have in a big game rifle and I would like to work up some heavy bullet loads for it using the 270 grain A-Frame as well as a flat shooting high velocity load using 185 grain bullets.

I just got a couple of Contender carbine barrels that I need to work with. One is a 23" .30-30 and I am hoping to find a good load with the 150 Nosler Ballistic Tip. The other barrel is a .17-223 that I need to form cases for and hope to find a good 20-25 grain bullet load with it.

I also have a TC Encore .223 with 1/12 twist barrel and am working up a 40 grain load with it.

Dean

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I would still be tempted to find a reamer to cut the rim recess slightly deeper to accommodate Starline brass. You only need .010" or less. It will still shoot original .310 ammo if you ever found any but will also accept the Starline brass.

Would need to find a .310 reamer and someone to do it with my brass. Would be so nice to just use cutback Starline brass.

Any ideas who to talk to?

The Colt is a nice project. Curious to hear how that turns out.

Constant back and forth between the .530 and .535 patched round ball in the Great Plains. Then there's the patch thickness variable. I can come away from a session feeling completely content or toatally frustrated. Then start all over.

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NM.

I prefer the .41 Special sort of loads from the Blackhawk. Not certain why.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

shot a bunch of different jacketed bullets and some cast. I want to narrow down to one load for all the .44 Mags. I've got to admit that is a pretty boring project.

After this I'm going back to the .327 Federal Single-Seven. I also want to find the ultimate .45 ACP carry (factory) load for the Jovino 25-1.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

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nt

At this point I'm working with cast. These work great in my Winchester but my Handi Rifle is having problems so I'm going to shoot some jacketed bullets to see how they do.

I want a fun plinking load for both that is hotter than cowboy load and a hotter but not barn burner for the Blackhawk.

I have a Freedom Arms Model 97 with a 6 inch barrel and I can tell you from personal experience that it's quite the handful with full house .41 Mag loads. Shooting handloads of 210 grain cast moving around 1000 feet per second, it's a delightful toy. One chambered in the new .41 Special would be perfect.

I also have a Redhawk in .41 Mag. Much, much more pleasant to shoot with the full house loads. The extra metal may be unnecessary from a strength perspective, but it sure helps dampen recoil.

I discovered fairly recently that my "addiction" is really cartridges. Yep, I love the platforms where they might be found; I revel in 'this lever vs. that lever' or 'this bolt vs. that bolt' comparisons (first hand mostly, not 'net feuds) but what draws me most is the cartridges. The '06 is a wonderful cartridge and probably about the only one a fella would ever need for mid to semi-large game. Hell, I have four and I just don't shoot them. There just isn't anything left to be discovered there (maybe?). The odd-ball and the obsolete provide a couple of attractions. One is rediscovering what they were all about when they hit the streets, e.g. .256 and .35 Newton. Another attraction is to get something up and working again that's been gone for decades, e.g. 9.3x57R. There is also the appeal of being absolutely certain you're the only one in the woods with one of these!

I agree that it would be relatively stout.

I remember not long ago where Sundles was wanting to use a FA97 in .45Colt as a wilderness backup gun because he could use heavy bullet Ruger-only loads in it. Put heavy loaded 300+ grain .45Colt loads in the thing and then see if it generates some recoil. I'm not sure I would want to shoot one very much.

On the other hand- I did some searching for comparison but couldn't find reliable data- the blued Ruger blackhawk 4 5/8" barrel in .45Colt is relatively light partly because of the big holes drilled in it and partly because of its alloy grip frame. Even though it is much larger it might be close to the weight of the FA97 and the Ruger is easy enough to handle with full heavy bullet loads.

But then I know little girls that like recoil.

Yes it will recoil, little bugger can get down right nasty with stout loads, awesome trail/woods bum around handgun but for range work a Blackhawk or M83 is much more pleasant though nothing beats a 7 1/2" Redhawk, very mild recoil with heavy loads.

As for the short Blackhawk vs M97.....I could do a range session with a 4 5/8" Blackhawk without thinking about recoil but with the M97 it was a concern after a few rounds. I think it was mainly due to the smaller grips especially at the top just below the hammer, that area that would dig into your hand with stout loads.

I took my first deer using the 5 1/2" M97 in 41 Magnum hunting with Jim Taylor. Jim even used my hunt picture for his article on the Freedom M97 in Gun Week.

Gunner

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https://www.instagram.com/41gunner/
41 Mags rule, Baers rock!

Or maybe I'm disremembering things (again).

My load is the RCBS .45-270 SAA bullet over a middling load of Unique. About 900 fps and will do about all I need with the .45 short of the 2400/H110 loads.

Yeah I need to get started forming cases. We have a season for prairie dogs now and it opens back up in June.

I seem to remember someone loading commercial ammo for the Redhawk with a fairly long nose bullet in .44Mag, something that wouldn't fit in any other gun.

But I've also read that you can put "Ruger-only" .45 Colt loads in the FA97 and those can be fairly long. If those will fit then just about any .41Mag should fit.

The FA97 models that I've felt do seem to have fairly small grips.

I was doing a little looking to try to correlate the recoil difference between .41Mag and .44Mag. The .41Mag seems most popular with 210-220 grain bullets, while the .44Mag is popular with 240 grain bullets. Not much difference in recoil there. On the low end I found .41 bullets in 170 grains and .44 bullets in 180 and 220 grains. I suppose if you wanted a big bore with low recoil you could load 180 grain bullets in .44 mag. I went on to search for performance ammo from BuffaloBore and found that in the common bullet weight ranges there is very little difference in ballistics between .41 and .44. The .44 just offers the option to use significantly heavier bullets.

Yes it is, way longer than a 97, a little longer than everything else as well. Redhawk is the King when it comes to long nose hunting bullets. A Tru Shot 265 LN barely fits in a 83 cylinder, tab too long for the 97 but in the Redhawk you can crimp the 265 in the front grease groove and still have room.

With a 97 you have to careful on bullet selection and test fit before loading a whole batch of ammo, same for the 83 with long nose bullets.

Gunner

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https://www.instagram.com/41gunner/
41 Mags rule, Baers rock!

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Apparently haven't misplaced that brain cell just yet.

Waded through a pile of holsters yesterday and found one for my RH so it'll be coming with me in two weeks! Can't wait!

Try them.

and get a small kick out of knowing I am the only one in the woods with a given piece or cartridge. It is fun to come across someone in the woods and they say, 'what in the world is that?' Of course, I have a long ways to go before exhausting all the possibilities of the '06 as well.