The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Just bought a rifle in 38 / 357, so now i need to get the gear to reload it.

I currently have a lee 4 hole turret press. which i use for 44mag and 45acp. I like the press and like what it does, But i'm wondering if there is any benefit in getting a new lee press, is there much point in me getting something like a lee pro 1000 or a loadmaster press, or should i just buy the gear for and stay with my 4 hole turret?

also, is there a preference of getting a particular die set? ie can you use 357mag dies to reload 38spl or vice versa and save me a little cash?

i will be going for lee dies. is there any need for the factory crimp die for either of the calibers (is for use in a henry U/L)

any advice is gratefully accepted

How many rounds a week are you shooting?

38 special will load 357 but not vice versa, well at least the crimp die won't.

The roll crimp is just fine for underlever ammunition no need for an extra crimp die.

i'll probably be shooting around 200 -300 a time. as thats what i've been doing in my 44. but that may not be every week, as i do alternate between rifles and i can't always shoot every week

ah ok, so if i go for 38 that saves me buying two sets of everything? and just requires a change of depth and crimp between the two? i only have 38spl at home at the min so i can't compare to 357 cases

excellent news, even cheaper then

I prefer using the separate factory crimp die in the Lee 4 die set as it (quoting from Lee) "allows you to separate the bullet seating from the crimping operation. It makes setup much easier and the die has the added feature of a carbide resizer that does a finishing sizing pass on the completed round. This final sizing guarantees that any case that passes through the die will freely and reliably chamber in any gun."

But horses for courses and others may be happier with the 3 die seat and combined seating/crimp die, to each his own

Again, if it was me, I'd go for 357 cases then you can load down to 38 special levels if you wish to.

Just remember to check the instructions for the 38 dies if using 357,

"Note: you may use the 38 Special die set to reload for the 357 Mag. You would have to back out the Powder Thru Expander Die, and the Bullet Seating and Crimping Die about 2 turns to compensate for the longer 357 case"

As for presses, the Lee Load Master is fine once it's set up but it can be a pain to do so. I have two of them, one for 300aac and the other for 44mag, neither press uses the onboard priming system, I feed them with full length sized and primed cases and they work a lot better.

I'd just stick with the turret for that amount.

As I said I find the roll crimp just fine, but I do seat and crimp in two operations.

357 case are 1/10" longer than 38 special. The 357 was developed with the 38 special case but the 357 case was used when the round was first commercially produced so that the more powerful 357 wouldn't chamber in weaker actioned 38 special only guns.

phaedra1106 wrote:I prefer using the separate factory crimp die in the Lee 4 die set

Again, if it was me, I'd go for 357 cases then you can load down to 38 special levels if you wish to.

As for presses, the Lee Load Master is fine once it's set up but it can be a pain to do so. I have two of them, one for 300aac and the other for 44mag, neither press uses the onboard priming system, I feed them with full length sized and primed cases and they work a lot better.

yeah, that sounds sensible, i do use the FCD for my 44mag in that way. and if i stick to a 4 hole press, its actually doing a job then, not a blank pull

only thing that worries me with using 357 mag cases for both is making sure which is which. but thinking about it, i do lighter loads on the 45acp and dont worry too much as to which is which as i mark the bottoms

yeah, maybe the loadmaster is too OTT

dromia wrote: I'd just stick with the turret for that amount.

As I said I find the roll crimp just fine, but I do seat and crimp in two operations.

357 case are 1/10" longer than 38 special. The 357 was developed with the 38 special case but the 357 case was used when the round was first commercially produced so that the more powerful 357 wouldn't chamber in weaker actioned 38 special only guns.

ok, point taken, maybe i should just got for dies etc

so do you use the singlular crimp die, or a 2nd bullet seating die just set to crimp?

I have a second/crimp seat die, there are usually plenty around usually gratis.

Try Saddler I'm sure there was one in some odds and sods dies I gave him recently.

am i being a bit of a tit here? is there any point in me reloading 38spl if i can just use 357 brass for both, and mark the cases differently?
or should i really be segregating them, and have the case trimmers etc for each? and maybe seperate dies for both to ease the tweak on setup.

i mean, some of the bullet weights even seem to cross over, like from what ive seen i can fire 160gr bullet from both (lyman 49th ed) just a varying amount of powder.

or should i be using a lighter bullet for 38 and a heavy for 357?

I use the same boolit for 38 special as 357 magnum. I use different cases 38 for 38 and 357 for 357 but different weights of powder.

bradaz11 wrote:am i being a bit of a tit here? is there any point in me reloading 38spl if i can just use 357 brass for both, and mark the cases differently?

You might find the first half of this thread useful...http://www.full-bore.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=17606

Personally I prefer .357 cases for all uses (.38spl only really has the advantage of been cheaper if you're using factory ammo)...partly for the reason in the link, but also because my rifle cycles .357 better, and can't see the point of positioning the bullet so far back when you don't have to...

...for my indoor gallery loads, I use .38spl data and just add .3 of a grn to make up for the extra volume.

I don't use many full power loads, but got some nickel plated brass for them so there's no confusion.