Many people ask where I find data for my reloads from. I use several sources:
- Speer Reloading Manual #14
- Personal Test Data
- Data from Powder and Bullet Manufactures
- M.D. Smith’s Reloading Pages
I haven’t written much about reloading and wanted to point out my resources and why I use these resources. The Speer Book was a gift and my only book that I still have. It has the recommend heights and sizing information for the basics and what should be the right load for your gun. But my personal test data and testing has proven that those numbers can and probably should be tweaked on a per weapon basis. *note: going outside the recommend range can cause failure and potential injury or death. Reloading in itself is inherently dangerous and as always safety precautions are a must. A great part of hand-loading and reloading your own ammo is being able to get that perfect load for your weapon.
When searching out new load information I have found that MD Smiths Reloading Data is right on. One thing I really like about the site is it is straight simple and easy to follow. If you are looking for a 30-30 rifle round you click on “30-30 rifle” and the information is right there. There is no guessing or forms to fill out, no registration, no hoops to jump through – a straight forward easy to use website.
Where do you find reloading data?
Reloader’s know there is never an end of the “wanted list”. I have sat around a bucket many hours chatting with my brother sorting bullet casings about halfway through to only realize that we each had been using the wrong bucket – BB Jr. is putting 9mm in the same bucket I’ve been putting 40 S&W. What a waste of time when we could have been shooting!
Valentines day brought the answer. As a gift from our mom BB Jr. and I got the shell sorter!
Shell Sorter - Image from ShellSorter.com
The Shell Shorter touts itself as a”product designed to reduce the time spent sorting brass by caliber”. We also got the aluminum .380 ACP shell plate to separate 380 from 9mm. If you buy the shell plate you also get free shipping which offsets the cost of the plate, Buy Here.
BB Jr. or I have not been able to test it out. It gets rave reviews on the forums and in the Tactical Journal magazine from IDPA where my mom found the ordering information. Who knew she even read it?
Bullet Momma asked me to do this review because she was so ecstatic about how nice the Shell Shorter people were. She said that she ordered the Sorter Tuesday before Valentines with instructions that it had to be delivered before V’Day. She said within minutes of her order Jeff Harder had a tracking number and confirmed it would would be delivered in time. Apparently it was delivered a day early and her shopping experience was such that she responded with her own review in her circle’s.
So… Anytime somebody takes great care of Bullet Mama they deserve a positive plug. If your in the market for Time Saving reloading gear the Bullet Sorter gets the Bullet Boy seal of A+ Customer Service Approval.
A couple weeks back I got an e-mail about reloading dies and equipment for the Ruger SP101. Since I don’t sell equipment I referred him to Brian Enos, a Dillion Precision Guru, but that didn’t stop my curiosity from doing individual checking.
According to a Shooting Times Article, here, the cartridge is based on the popular .32-caliber of days gone by.
The new .327 Federal Magnum offers muzzle energy twice that of .38 Special +P loads, and velocities comparable to a 125-grain .357 Magnum, with 20 percent less recoil in its hottest version. Designed specifically for use in lightweight small-frame revolvers, the .327 Federal Magnum allows a six-round cylinder compared to five-round capacity for similar-sized .38 Special and .357 Magnum guns, with the added benefit of chambering .32 S&W, .32 Special, and .32 H&R Magnum loads as well.
Because of the price and the weight of Rugers SP101 I doubt it will make up much ground on the .380 Ruger LCP or the Kel-Tec P3AT. The weight of the SP101 is weighted at about 28 oz. and the Ruger weights in at a cool 9.4 oz. The energy behind the bullets is vastly different as well as the prices but the MSRP is about $200 different. I can probably guess that the .327 will fall into another failed .32 days-gone-by category.
I also learned on page 42 of the December 2008 Blue Press that Charter Arms is now making a .327 Magnum.
