Easiest Cartridge?

[Head-Space]

Ahhhhhhhh c'mon --

Rimmed, straight-wall cartridge that headspaces on the rim, bullet with a cannalure. Pistol round in a carbide die. No lube, no caliper, no taper crimp for headspacing. So that means 38 Spl. .357 Mag. 44 Spl. 44 Mag. 45 Colt.

I read this list and wonder if some of you have ever loaded an "easy" caliber?

[kraigwy]

Thinking back I realize that not All easy cartridges are easy, two examples are the 38 and 30-30.

38s for revolvers YES, 38s for Semis not so easy. In loading for my Model 52 Smith, the bullet has to be flush, no lead at all sticking out of the case, yet for accuracy they cant stick below the mouth. The crimp on these suckers are tricky.

The second example being the 30-30. When used in Winchesters, Marlins, 'n such, they head space on the rim. When loaded in single shot pistols, such as the TC or Encore, they need to head space on the shoulder.

When accuracy is the goal, "easiest" goes out the window.

[zxcvbob]

I agree with Sevens. .38 Special is the easiest, .30 Carbine is the hardest.

[howlnmad]

Out of the 11 or so calibers I load for, I'd say I have to jump on the 38/357 wagon. So little prep work and such a variety of powders available and bullet combinations.

howlnmad

[RWJOHN]

Hi everyone. Been lurking around and finally joined the forum. Great information here. I only load for 38/357, 45 colt, and 7mm RM. I cut my teeth on 38 Special and find it a very forgiving round, especially out of a .357. I have a few more dies for calibers I don't have and I'm itching to try them. Is that a good excuse to buy a new gun? hehe

Peace

RJ

[Jim243]

I read this list and wonder if some of you have ever loaded an "easy" caliber?

Yes I have, 45 ACP. If it got any easier the darn bullet would jump into the case for you.

Jim

[howlnmad]

RWJOHN,
Welcome to the addiction. And yes, if you have dies for a caliber you don't load for, that's a perfectly acceptable reason to buy a new/new to you gun.

howlnmad

[BigJakeJ1s]

Lightly to moderately loaded 45 colt is really easy. The big components (brass, bullets and primers) are easy to handle. The wide case mouth is easy to see into to inspect powder level. Headspacing on the rim makes the crimp much less critical.

Andy

[Sevens]

I'll add some more "ammo" to why .38 Special is hard to beat for being "easy."

Components!

.38 Special brass is easy to find and easy to get. Folks have been shooting this for so long, there's tons of it available. Yeah, no more plentiful than 9mm or .40 S&W maybe -- but .38 Special brass never gets chucked to the weeds and it never gets beat to a pulp. No worn rims or dented up brass from ejection ports. Gets dumped from cylinder to collector, never left to die in the mud, rocks, grass, weeds or lofted in to creek by a pistol. and this low-pressure round is VERY easy on brass. Just as easy as .45 but without the violent shucking in and out of the chamber and shuffled through mag feed lips, seized by extractors and knocked in to orbit by ejectors. 20 or 30 loads from a case? Typical!

.357/.358" projectiles are offered by just about anyone/everyone who makes bullets. Cast lead or jacketed, plated, too. Moly if that's your taste. from ultra light 95 grains or so to super heavy, 200 grains and up for special applications. All of these are out there. Full wadcutter, semi-wadcutter, old style round nose, truncated cone, JHP, LSWC-HP, FMJ, gas checked, even shot cartridges -- you name it, it can be found to load in to a .38 Special.

Powder and load data -- probably 20 different powders (more?) can be used in .38 Special in a pinch. And load data has been published almost since the earth cooled. Handloaders have been loading .38 Special since the first tools hit the market. In the first 50 years of handloading, it would have to be the most popular handgun round to put together at a load bench.

All of this in what most agree is an inherently accurate chambering. Launched from the classic S&W K-frame revolver with a 4 or 6-barrel and it's low recoil, accurate, fun and easy to shoot, and easy to shoot well.

What could be easier than .38 Special, no matter how you ask the question?