glen ring wrote:Tim

I have some 180 grain silhouette bullets I'll give you to load for Judy , if you want.I think they are Sierra and some Nosler TMJ.

I appreciate the offer Glen. We used Sil-TMJs until I ran out, but the 205g FNGC boolits we have seem to work best on Rams of anything we've tried to date.

Thanks much,

- Tim

Cedestech.
I keep pretty good track of my expenses for reloading ammo. I shoot quite a lot of 357 with cast or coated bullets. On average, my powder cost is 2 ½ cents per round, my primer cost is 3 cents per round and my bullet cost is 14 cents per round. So, total before brass cost is 19.5 cents per round. That’s using a 7 grain average for a powder charge. So, depending on how you look at brass cost----I buy Starline new for about 16 cents per piece. I see neck splits starting after five reloads---but if you use 357 brass, you have the option to trim it back---I set the brass with cracked necks aside and after I get a can full, I trim them to 38 length and use them some more.

ywltzucanrknrl wrote:Cedestech.
I see neck splits starting after five reloads---but if you use 357 brass, you have the option to trim it back---I set the brass with cracked necks aside and after I get a can full, I trim them to 38 length and use them some more.

I literally haven't seen a single split case or separated head yet.... at least 10 reloads.... using all Federal brass. Have 500+ cases and have been trying to rotate them. I am shooting 11-1200 fps with 125gr round so the pressure is low. No growth. I am considering buying new brass and retiring this lot before I start to see failures.

Just bought the wife 3 more bricks of CCI 22mag 40gr TMJ, $150 brick after tax. That is .30 a round, even if I go get new brass I'll be under that.

We loaded 32-20and 25-20 with cast bullets and figured we were shooting cheaper than we could with our 22lr ammo.

We loaded 3 grains of a fast burning powder for 25 bucks a pound ( 7000 grains ) , 1000 primers for 30 bucks and then The bullet I cast was from hundreds of pounds of alloy I have bummed and saved through the years.
I think I was shooting for about a nickel a round..if my math was correct and I didn't count the initial cost of the brass. Very cheap shooting.
I got tired of casting and started using XTP bullets.

.357 brass seems to last forever, 32-20 only 8 or 10 reloads.