No good deed goes unpunished

[Hodr]

A old friend I grew up with died alone up in the California Trinity alps as self sufficeint as he always wanted to be.  His nephew called and told me he would bring by Bill's bequest.  He drove in the other day, stayed for dinner, slept in the spare room and we started unloading the next day.  An old S&W 38 spl model 10(?) That I remembered, A 38 Lee loader kit I gave him about 1970 when he homesteaded in the mountains,  11+ 1000 rd boxes 158 grain lswc 38 slugs,  8 bottles hp38, 2 bottles alliant 2400, a contractors clean up bag full of polished PRIMED 38 brass, 3+ bricks small pistol primer, personal letter and a photo of 4 college students who are now either old men or dead.  Nephew said he wouldn't think of keeping any of it.  He had inherited Bill's land told me to call and come by anytime I wanted to hunt or fish.  Took him out to breakfast and got him to take $200 for gas as I live in Arizona.  The S&W seems to still be in good but well used condition and I have ordered a Fobus holster to carry it when I take my wincheter trapper (357 mag) out in the woods.  The letter had Bill's sense of humor.  He cussed me out for giving him something that made him work that hard over the years.  Here's my problem.  I haven't loaded since 1972.  I think I am going to use the hp38 for 38 spl loads in brass for both the S&W and my winchester as a common load for plinking/varmit.  I am going to load my old 357 nickel brass with the alliant 2400 for texas hog out of the rifle.  I want the 38 spl common load to be quiet as possible.  Any and all advice where to start and what recipe to try will be appreciated.  Against all good sense I am going to use a Lee loader one at a time with a brand new deadblow hammer.  I owe that to Bill. 
I would trade it all and a lot more to be kicked back with Bill drinking our home brew again,

blindhari

Absent Companions

[Dand]

You might want to start by reviewing the whole reloading process in a manual - such as a Lyman. I'm sure a Lyman manual would have reasonable loads for 2400 in the 357, maybe the HP 38 for the 38 Special too. Or go to the Hodgdon website for the HP38 powder and the Alliant site for the 2400.  If the powder is old and has been opened you might want to check it for deterioration - again check websites or a good manual for details. 

I started reloading with some Lee loaders but when I got my first revolver I quickly sought a press. I'd also get a powder scale - I never felt my dipped charges were as consistent as I'd like.  I see someone is offering a CH press for $50 on the reloading supplies classified forum.
Sounds like a darned fine friend.  Nephew sounds like a good man too.

[Hodr]

Four of us started UC Berkley together in 64.  I quit and got drafted in 66.  Bill was diabetic and 4f.  He signed up to speak at the "free speech" forum and was thrown off the podium when the radicals found out he supported the troops.  Rick went looking for him and found him just off campus badly beaten.  Concusion, ruptured spleen, and someone had taken thier time kicking him in the crotch.  Rick got him home and Bill was a couple of months getting back to normal.  Bill turned his back on most things and went to the trinities after reading up on homesteading.  He took along a Hopkin Allen underhammer replica in 38 caliber.  I went up to see him when I got out of the army.  Of all things, he helped me shed anger and depression.  Maybe the best thing I ever took up there was a wringer washing machine we used to make steam beer.  He was determined to make a living up there on his own and just as determined to never pay taxes again.  Making his own ammo was one of the things he did.  I am going to use what Bill left me his way, one slow shell at a time, without a tv in the background.  My major concern is what muzzle velocity/pressure I can go to without excess lead in the barrel of both pistol and rifle, or damage to lead slug going out the barrel.

blindhari

Bill  homesteader
Rick   Name on the wall
Larry  Name on the wall
blindhari  old usetowasit
 I'm going to make some coffe

Absent Companions

[Swampman]

http://www.reloadammo.com/38loads.htm

[Dand]

Quite a story there.  Sure strange how some of these "pacifists" can be so violent!  Well I think its pretty cool to make some ammo while you recall your old pal. I'd bet most of the ammo recipes that came with the tools should make moderate power safe loads - but you might want to check current load recommendations on the mfr's websites.

And careful on the crimping - that's a place to go for consistency. If you whack one round harder than the next, the crimps could be erratic. But I shot a fair number of 30-30, 30-06 and 41 mags loaded on Lee hand tools.  Even carried the components and 41 mag tool with me on a roving job I had on the Alaska Peninsula about 1978. Back when it was no big deal to have a can of powder and a couple trays of primers in my luggage. I'd load 5-10 rounds now and then just to have a few plinker rounds.

[Pumah25]

Blindhari,
It sounds as though you and your friends were well out of place near that college. Good for you. I read your story and though I never met any of you I felt as though I too missed your friends. Although I am a bit younger I too spend most of my good hours making home brew and shooting with my closest friends. Thank you for a story to remind me to appreciate these days. They will be over far too soon.

[Hodr]

I wish to thank those who replied.  My post was to have asked how to handload 38/357 and as I was just typing another entry I realised I was headed down a nostalgia lane Bill would have kept me from going.  I don't know how to lock this down or excise the irevelant.  If there is a moderator out there please help.

blindhari

Maybe he did help me keep fom going down that road

[kitchawan kid]

We all have been down some road or another at some time.   US51530810