Reloading 38 Special LWC

Hello,

I've been reloading and shooting my 1911's on my Dillon 650 with no issue. I just purchased a S&W Model 14 to have some fun with. I plan on reloading full wadcutter ammo. Just got a set of 3 Redding dies for 38. My question is if I should be using a different bullet seating and crimp die - the seater stem that came with the set is for seating round nose bullets. Is there a die I should get to reload full wadcutters? Reloading full wadcutters is new to me. 

thanks,

Dave

I've been using Lee dies with a seating stem for round nose bullets for years.  It reloads full wad cutter and SWC just fine. If the stem on your dies has a flat edge around the circumference of the bottom, then it should work fine.

Dave,

I simply took the round nose seating stem (I don't load round nose bullets) and filled it with J.B. Weld so that it was flat.   Works fine.

Don

Thanks for the input guys, it sounds like something I don't need to worry too much about.

Dave, I'm on the same journey as you are. The seating stem that comes with Dillon dies works just fine - I'm not sure about the Redding, but you can simply take your seating die apart, take the stem and put it against the face of the bullet. If it makes full contact with the edges of the bullet, you are fine.

My other concern was the expander, since I load Remington bullets which are .360 at the base, the original Dillon expander doesn't work very well (although I managed to adjust it so that it expands the case enough for me to just start the bullet) - but the suggestion came to contact a person named Steve Bathje who can make a custom expander. He said he's going to make a batch of then I a few weeks, so send him an email if you also plan to use Remington bullets, his address is sbathje@yahoo.com

I use the roll crimp to .372 at the very edge of the case, to mimic the factory Remington .38 Special WC ammo, which is the most accurate I've ever shot. And I seat the bullets *almost* flush with the case edge but so that just a hair of the lead is still visible. 

Hope this helps.

Hi Dave,
 Last time I bought a Redding 38 special 3 die set it didn't come with a seating die for WC's.  I called Reding and asked if they made one and they sent one out free of charge.  Maybe worth a phone call to see if they still do this.

BTW nice shooting last night even while being rushed in CF SF.  You are well on your way to making Master!

Virgil

Thanks for the advice Javaduke. And Virgil, I didn't even think about calling Redding, good idea - and thanks! I had my fair share of chokes last night, but I'm happy with my 96 CF SF and my 288 rim - those are both personal high scores for me:)