Planning on getting a reloading kit, ingot pan, and bullet mold for a .38/.357 and .410 shotgun. Am I better off going used, or new? What's the best brand name/model that offers all the basic features without charging an arm and a leg? I've heard that tire balancing weights are a bad idea if you want accuracy, and to buy only pure lead and mix it with…something till you get the right hardness. In a .357 is that really gonna matter since 100 yards is more or less your max accurate range? Is it worth getting a few different casts for different grains, or just getting 158g and keeping things consistent? What does 128 offer over 158?
I'm looking for a handgun round that can be paired to a lever action that in said lever action, would be strong enough to take down an elk within 200 yards. I'd be willing to get handloads going for it, if it meant giving it that needed power ; provided it wouldn't destroy the rifle. I've read that a .41 magnum revolver is cast from the same frames as .44mags, which means they have more metal to the frame. This should make them really able to withstand some particularly hot loads, but do lever actions work the same? I'd like to be able to 'dial it down' with some much lighter loads as well for smaller game and varmint. What's a good round that fits this bill?
>ywn own a revolver carbine chambered in 357 supermag, firing 38sp/357mag/maxi rounds with custom loads to get the most optimal setup on any game
>ywn pair this with your 357 supermag revolver in 5" barrel for maximum balance of carry-ability and accuracy
Same rant as above, but in 445 supermag.
Still researching 414 supermag, but likely the same rant.
Honestly, the 357 supermag sounds on paper exactly what I'd want/need. I smaller profile for getting long distance shots accurately, and with more than enough power and weight to put down anything in my neck of the woods.
the jump in revolver size of a 357 magnum to a 357 maxi/supermag is negligible (probably why they kept blowing up), whereas going from a 44 mag to a casull is a very noticeable upgrade, and not something that comes in a shorter barrell. The other big issue is that your "small" alternative is a 45 colt, which is neither cheap to fire, nor particularly reasonable to shoot at small game like rabbits. in a custom loading scenario, I'd probably just upgrade to a 460, since I've read those fire 44 russian loads, which seems to be much lighter. Haven't looked much into 44 super variants, as a 44 with a 300 grain bullet custom loaded to up the heat can do some real damage, just not necessarily accurately past 100 yards. I think Hicock called that load "a poor man's 45-70", but I think he said the same for his 45 colt loads as well in a different video.
I agree with you on pretty much all of this. My intention was to to be ablet to theoretically load anything on hand into either of my guns. I felt going over 44 mag was counter intuitive to my scenario of mostly varmint hunting, while ocassionally getting a deer or elk. I don't like the idea of having 3-4 guns to cover my weaknesses, and always feeling like the gun I'm currently traveling with, isn't the ideal one for what I intend on killing. Just earlier I ran out hearing dogs barking near my coop, only to find out my 357 lever action that I had been practicing with wasn't needed for a dog dispatch, but I did have a ground squirrel come out near my house that I would have popped if I had my air rifle or 22lr…hell, even in 38sp, but I didn't feel like going deaf over a squirrel shooting 357. I changed out my ammo to 38sp, and put an ammo sleeve on the stock with some 357 just in case, but my point is I'd prefer my "ideal" setup to cover all my weaknesses.
I found out taurus makes a variant of their judge called the raging judge, which fires 454/410/45c. If they ever put that revolver carbine into action with that setup, I'd think you couldn't ask for a better setup for my sort of living (I'd probably go just normal judge on the revolver).
Anyways, you're right but not necessarily correct in saying how others should or should not prefer their weapons. I think having two guns that you know how to handle well beats having 3 or 4 you have to adjust to each time.