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Reduced Power .380 Loads
The Range Squirrel
I spent some time today developing some reduced power loads for my wife who is recoil sensitive. I do it in Ladder Load fashion, but I’m going down the ladder to the point of malfunction instead of the usual upward direction.
I must say at the outset that what I am doing is not in keeping with best practices, it is possible with reduced power loads, though unlikely with the downward ladder method, to create a squib load that lodges a bullet in the barrel. Firing another shot would be catastrophic. You have been advised.
I owned a Marlin 60 since 1987, but never really got ‘into’ guns until 2011 when I bought my first 9mm pistol. That was soon followed by a .380 and a 12 guage pump, and I was all in. I had done some 20 guage reloading growing up, and threw myself into 9mm and .223 reloading in 2017, .380 in 2019, 7.62×39 in 2020 and my first revolver in 45 Colt in 2022. It is so satisfying to go to the range and string together ever improving groups with ammo I loaded myself; it doesn’t hurt that I’m a little OCD about technical things, the tangible/visible rewards are really gratifying.
I have a nagging but as yet unattained ‘want’ for a .358 Yeti unloader, it just looks like a really cool caliber. My next learning curve, space permitting, is casting and coating.