Am I the only one who gets a warm fuzzy sensation whenever I load a particular cartridge or two?

I've loaded everything from the hornet clan up to the .458s but there are a couple of cartridges that just really make me happy to load them.

Does anyone else have a favorite? Yeah, I know the whole idea is silly as the process is pretty much the same regardless of the cartridge...but I can't help the feeling.

Maybe I really am crazy? I'll tell you mine if you'll tell me yours...and why.

OK, Pecos, I'll bite....

.270 Winchester! (and 470 NE--while I had one!)

Good Hunting,

308 Norma

It shoots EVERYTHING to the same point of impact/aim...one and the same babeeeee!!!

It's not very common so factory loads will be very expensive so it's economical to reload.

Many seem to have reasons to go against it but I often wonder if they've ever tried it???

Reed

mine is a 6.5 Ingram 15" pistol because I dream about killing more groundshogs with it during reloading.. 85 gr Sierra with 3031 does the job.. out to 240 yards longest shot so far

Well, I have always liked loading for the .308 Winchester, as it was the first caliber I loaded and being that I have so much experience with it...

reloader-1

6.5x55 Swede

30 Herrett
357 Max

fireball

32-40 and 357 Max.

graycg

Every stinking one of them! I luv 'em all!

7-08, this caliber is perfectly suited to or beyond adaquate for most of my hunting and gets used most so when I load for it memories of past hunts and dreams of future hunts allways come to mind.

308 Win was the first - almost any combination works well. Next the good old 270 Win. Now I'm liking the 7mm-08.

The big cartridges are fun to load (if you don't think about the price of components). Dumping in 110 grains of powder and seating the 500 grain bullets is quite a rush!

.222 Remington is about as warm and fuzzy as it gets for me. 6mmBR is starting to get a little warm also.

Rem. 222

308 Win and 45-70

Well, being as .30 Carbine was my first...

However, as of late I find that loading this other caliber is stirring in me "those" certain very special feelings. Not that the extra weight those military cases carry, or having to ream out all those primer pockets has anything to do with it in anyway .

It's just, that, there's this cute little caliber that I came across a few months ago. The firearm was so lonely, and the former boyfriend hadn't paid any attention to it in such a long time. In addition, the fact that he only wanted to see that this little firebrand went to a good home!

Soooo... it's like this, I'm finding my little caliber to be damned expensive and almost impossible to locate. Boxer primed cases are all but nonexistent at any cost!

That�s right, some how I'm now head over heals hopelessly involved converting 9mm Largo cases into my new flame, 9mm Steyr!

This infatuation is all consuming!
(My wife thinks I need a lengthy stay at a good facility.)

For me it is the 45-70 with blackpowder. It is quite a challenge to get the most out of these as powder compression plays a critical role. Just a bit too much or too little and the groups open up.

I spent all last summer experimenting with different load variables in my Sharps. The groups kept expanding, tightening up, expanding again, etc. until I hit on just the right combination. One of the best highs I've ever had shooting was when I finally got a three-shot 1" group at 100 yds. with irons. Sure glad one of my buddies was with to witness it or the others back home would never have believed it.

The 270 Win.
Just fill it up with 4831, and put a bullet on top.

Pecos,

My 375/404. I only load for it once a year, and each time I do that I get what Walter calls that far away look of Africa in my eyes.

I only load the Barnes X 300 grain bullet in it, and the Barnes Super Solid.

It has served me so well during several hunts, and have shot everything from duikers to elephants.

Pecos45,

.444 Marlin
.45 ACP

.308 Winchester and .38-40 WCF.

.45-70 and 10.75x68

.44 Mag, it's so easy and versatile.

The two that warm my heart are the .450 3-1/4" with BP and 320 gr paper patch, and its nitro ballistic twin the .375 2-1/2" Flanged with 270 gr Hornady RNs. I hear the sound of red deer in the morning...

300 Winchester... it's my first and only so far! 6.5/06 is soon to follow!

Jigger,

I'm right there with you. 300WinMag is my only experience to date. I've had great success with stuff ranging from 125 to 220 grains.

I'll soon start playing with 22 Hornet and 30-06 for my father in law as well. If they are anything near as easy to reload accurately I'll be very pleased.

I Love Em All but at the moment the one I'm really having fun with is 425gr HCGC for a 1886 Win.

Ok Pecos whats yours??

I enjoy loading my home brewed bullets in my 35 and for some reason those little 223's make me feel all giddy too..

My 300RUM. I just love dumping all that powder down its throat. You can only imagine what it will do to the next deer it hits.

Gotta be 357 Max cause it seems so efficient and the 45-70 cause I love to watch the 9 mm/40S&W folks at the range freak out when they see that cartridge fall into the chamber.

Funny it is not the most powerful Contender round, but sure does get the persons on the line next to you to looking.

Course then the good old 30 Herrett 10" has everyone for three positions on either side of you flinching after a few shots . . . behind this one is the ONLY place to be!

LouisB

Oh yeah that 150 grain lead bullet in the 06 has to be there some place close to the top.

Pecos45,
My favorite has to be the .30-06. It was my first real hunting rifle and one '06 or another have traveled a lot of different places together. Do you have trouble controlling the memories that come to mind? I do. Have a good one.

32 H&R Magnum.
No powder measure (Lee.7cc scoop to the top),
no crimp,no gas checks,no recoil, no grief. Lots of fun, lots of bullets to the pound,lots of hits.

I second Alaska bushman with 308 and 45-70 close third is 40 S&W. I am really close to saying every stinking one of 'em like someone else did too.

.348 Win.Got no idea why,but I just love it.

Can I have more than 1? Good. I pick the 223, 7-08, 308 and 358. Seems like no matter what I stuff in them, they just love it

Oh yeah, and don't forget the 30-06, and 7 RMag, and 350 RMag, and the 38 Spl/357 and 44 Mag and 45 Colt and....about a dozen others.

Ooooohhhh, I'm getting all warm/tingly just thinking about them Think I'll go down to the gun room and hug them all. Hmmmm, I think someone needs some serious professional help

R-WEST

I started reloading Rifle cartridges 40 years ago when I was 15. My first reloads were 30/06's with Nosler Partitions! Pretty sophisticated if I might say so myself for a 15 year old! I had a good adviser. Over the years I am sure I have reloaded more than 100,000 cartridges! To this day I have never loaded a pistol cartridge or a shotgun shell! I am just having to much fun with my Rifles!
My all time favorite cartridge still has to be the 222 Remington! It was my second cartridge to reload and I am sure I have done load development and loaded for 10 different 222 Rifles. This is in additon to the four 222's I now own! I have yet to find a load with this cartridge that was what I consider "inaccurate"! The little 222 is just a joy to load brass lasts forever, cases do not stretch quickly at all, the primer pockets remain uniformly tight through many, many loadings (sensible loadings). High quality brass is easily obtainable (Norma, Federal, Lapua and others).
It is so rewarding to shoot this caliber with its small powder charge (economical), superb accuracy and excellent performance in the field. Yep the 222 is my favorite cartridge to reload closely followed by the 22 BR, 6mm BR and 17 MachIV.
Long live the "Deuce"!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I just really like to handload cartridges. I don't load that many at a time and whatever one I am doing get's me pumped up. I try to be meticulus but I don't consider perfect handloads to be the primary factor in accuracy. Perfect rifles will shoot many loads well.

Over the decades the 30/06 has been the easiest to handload for me. I have made up very light cast bullet loads all the way to near magnums. The 30/06 has to be my favorite. I have spent my whole rifle life with it. Some new cartridge has come along but it's too late for me to give up on the 06. It's just too good.

[ 02-26-2003, 20:46: Message edited by: Savage99 ]

I get the warm and fuzzies over any caliber whose cases don't require trimming or anealing at the time. Honestly, 270 Win, 30-06, 6mm Rem. and 7mm BR are all pretty cool.

I've never thought about paticular favorites, but if I think about what I've been loading the most, and playing with the most...

In pistol, the 480 Ruger is my favorite. When I started loading for it, there was little published data available, so I had to do all the work myself. I really enjoyed trying various combo's instead of having pre-concived notions what what would work, and just fine tuning. I found it to be an easy round to make shoot very accurately with all the bullets I tested. I still come up with a new combo now and then, and also have some std loads to fall back on.

In rifle, the 350 Rigby has been my favorite. It is another round with little to no data, though 358 Norma data is almost interchangable. Forming brass from 375 H&H is a chore, and time consuming, but in a way I enjoy it. I was able to work up a good hunting load with little effort off the bat, and now am trying some other combos as well.

I like 9x19mm, becuase I buy RP primed brass and throw them away when I am done.

I hate the 257 Roberts Ackley Improved, because I have to chamfer the mouth inside and out, do the flash hole, prime, load and fire form, clean the neck with steel wool, clean the primer pocket, clean it again with a pocket uniformer, excuse me... I am going to take a nap.

Loading 45/70 rounds I started with these first and there really a breeze despite the extra flairing step !!