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January 20, 2023
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It all seemed so simple. 450 Fuller sold me a nice 1886. Ian sold me. a bag of new 40-65 Starline brass. Old Cranky Yankee gave me 6 rounds of live ammo (which I’m going to shoot tomorrow, Tom) and a nice supply of spent brass with the actual headstamp! TXGunNut “sold” me – virtually gave away – a pound of Accurate 5744. Such friends!
Cast lead .339.bullets from Rimrock, Redding 2-die set and a #18 shellholder. Lee Universal Expander die. All laid out next to my old Rockchucker press.
I lube a couple of the spent, .33 headstamped cases and insert one in the shell holder. Uhhh..won’t fit. At all. Try all of them and none fit. Rim appears too thick and too wide for the shellholder.
Pull out a new Starline 40-65 case. Slips right in.
What? I don’t think I can make the Redding 18.work by using a Dremel.tool.on it.
This is a problem I’ve had before with a Redding shell holder- for 41 Colt brass. Undersized for a yellow Winchester box of 41 Long Colt and undersized for new Starline brass.
Suggestions? I think the 33 headstamped brass is Jamison but I could be wrong. Im not averse to getting another brand of shell holder, if that will solve the problem. I haven’t tried loading any 45-90.yet but those dies are Redding as well and the Redding shell holder specified for it is, naturally the #18..
Anyway, tomorrow I’ll launch the 86 on its new Texas shooting career with the 6 rounds and then assault Mike’s ears for the rest of the morning with my rice-powered Winchester 73 carbine 38/357..
The reloading bench can wait.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
March 15, 2020
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I received a Redding shell holder that did not have the rim groove machined into it. At first I couldn’t understand so I contacted Redding and they thought I was doing something wrong. I notified them of the missing groove and they promptly sent me another. I would suggest that you determine the shell holder is correct. Don
March 15, 2020
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I just checked my 33 and found the box says #18 but I am using #23. Don
September 19, 2014
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Zeb, A couple of points of interest. Some may apply, some may not. I use RCBS shell holders in my Rockchucker and the shell holder for the .45-70 family hold my .33’s fine. Most are formed from Remington .45-70 anyway, but I did have and still have a few Bertram brass that fit fine in the .45-70 shell holder.
Next, in the past I was given some cases by Jamison in .38-55. Found more than a few that would not go into the RCBS shell holder for the .38-55 (or .30 WCF/.32-40 family). Width of rim was too much on some, thickness of rim was too much on others. Figured the latter in particular was going to affect accuracy anyway, so the Jamison brass went away. That experience has led me to consider Jamison a last gasp supply for whatever. I would only use it if nothing else existed. Shell holders need some leeway in both dimensions, but not by enough to hold all Jamison brass in any given caliber, if you ask me.
Thus I would recommend sizing your .40-65 to .33 Win and not look back. You will likely get a few that wrinkle in the necks. If not too bad they work for a few shots. I use them for fun, not for silhouette shooting as I wish to have the best accuracy possible for that calling.
Cheers! Tim
November 7, 2015
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I wish I’d read this before I headed for the range today. I mostly have RCBS and Lee shell holders, will check to see if I have an extra. I like Redding dies very much, only have one Redding shell holder for the 35 “R” word, if my memory serves me correctly. (That would be a nice change!) I’m thinking the BB brass was a little out of tolerance. I have noticed a variance in the 45-70 cases I’ve loaded but will have to escape into the room where the magic happens after I knock out some of my treasurer duties…after my nap!
I almost choked when I paid $50 for that 5744 powder a few years ago, today it sounds like a bargain. The pound I’m using was $37 but that was 2017.
Mike
January 20, 2023
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An update. Gentlemen, thank you all for your helpful dope.
At the range this morning, a knowledgeable club member examined the headstamp of the 33WCF cartridges I was shooting and identified the brass as Bertram — pointing out the Kangaroo in logo.
The Bertram brass is too thick and wide for the Redding #18. However, the #18 easily accommodates new Starline 40-65 brass and Remington 45/70 cartridge from a fresh box of factory 405 grain Core Lokt ammo.it
Don says he’s using Redding’s #23 Shellholder to hold 33WCF cases, although it is listed for the 45 Colt and modifications thereof. I use RCBS dies to reload 45 Colt so I’ll see if it’s shellholder will hold the 33 Bertram brass.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
May 22, 2024
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Zeb, whenever there’s a 86 spitting 33wcf thread, im interested! Congrats on your recent acquisition from friends! Anxious see you get it on the road, so post some pics and results for us 33wcf admirers, Congrats!
January 20, 2023
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I am short of time this week but will do some photography and deliver some dope soon.
First order of business will be developing a practice load with the Rimrock cast lead on hand, assuming the barrel.is not too rough. I have a bore scope but i’d rather see what the barrel.actually does with live ammo. Friend Tom’s jacketed softnose hunting ammunition is pretty spicy for practice and feels like the medicine for a Brontosaurus – and a big one at that. I put all three of those into a coffee can size group at 50 yards but it was obvious the former owner and I have different eyes. I’ll need to dial the tang sight a bit as soon as I have enough ammo made up to see what’s what. I’m saving the last three rounds of Tom’s gift as a chronographed exemplar of a serious hunting load, except I’ll use the Hawk bullet 450 Fuller has already proved out with my rifle.
Good times ahead!
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
May 22, 2024
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Good plan, quality not quantity! Waiting!
November 7, 2015
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I’m wondering if some of the dimensional variances we’ve been talking about lately are due to the lack of SAAMI specs for some of the early cartridges we enjoy. I seem to recall folks having consistency issues with Bertram brass but I know at one time they made some of the best brass available and were not afraid to make it for older cartridges. I agree the reloads seemed more appropriate for hunting than paper punching, I hope the .33 can be tamed for casual paper punching.
Mike
February 17, 2022
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Bill, Those loads were a gift to me and do very well out of my 33 deluxe. They will print about 2.5 ” at 50 yards. Like I said they are a good hunting load. I had the paper with the load info for them but currently it’s MIA, my brain can’t keep tract of all my stuff lately.
I am not a reloader so i am finding it interesting about the rim dimensions on the case I sent to you. As we are all aware the rim thickness is what sets the head space on these glorious old gals. One would think that if they where to think the bolt would not close, unless the locking bars are worn. Like I said earlier, they function fine in my deluxe, haven’t shot any of my other 33’s with them, so it is the only test case. But clearly they functioned well in yours too. I am sure you will figure it out soon enough.
And while we’re hear talking 33’s, thought that M64lvr would like this one. It’s one of my favorites. sorry I don’t have pics of my other 33’s
May 22, 2024
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oldcrankyyankee said
Bill, Those loads were a gift to me and do very well out of my 33 deluxe. They will print about 2.5 ” at 50 yards. Like I said they are a good hunting load. I had the paper with the load info for them but currently it’s MIA, my brain can’t keep tract of all my stuff lately.
I am not a reloader so i am finding it interesting about the rim dimensions on the case I sent to you. As we are all aware the rim thickness is what sets the head space on these glorious old gals. One would think that if they where to think the bolt would not close, unless the locking bars are worn. Like I said earlier, they function fine in my deluxe, haven’t shot any of my other 33’s with them, so it is the only test case. But clearly they functioned well in yours too. I am sure you will figure it out soon enough.
And while we’re hear talking 33’s, thought that M64lvr would like this one. It’s one of my favorites. sorry I don’t have pics of my other 33’s
Yes Sir, love it, its about perfect picture of my idea of what I’d want in an 33wcf Mod 86. Especially that wood, its amazing, Climbing Lyman too! Takedown also, Thank you, Thats a Rifle make a man feel good even when he sits on a log to rest from a long hard gameless hunt, then can’t wait for tomorrow!
September 19, 2014
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Got to agree with above comments! I am also a shooter and lover of the .33 Win. My shooting rifle is a deluxe takedown, half mag, beautiful wood. But the side of the receiver was drilled and tapped for a receiver sight which is why its a shooter. No pics. Tim
January 20, 2023
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oldcrankyyankee said
Bill, Those loads were a gift to me and do very well out of my 33 deluxe. They will print about 2.5 ” at 50 yards. Like I said they are a good hunting load. I had the paper with the load info for them but currently it’s MIA, my brain can’t keep tract of all my stuff lately.
I am not a reloader so i am finding it interesting about the rim dimensions on the case I sent to you. As we are all aware the rim thickness is what sets the head space on these glorious old gals. One would think that if they where to think the bolt would not close, unless the locking bars are worn. Like I said earlier, they function fine in my deluxe, haven’t shot any of my other 33’s with them, so it is the only test case. But clearly they functioned well in yours too. I am sure you will figure it out soon enough.
And while we’re hear talking 33’s, thought that M64lvr would like this one. It’s one of my favorites. sorry I don’t have pics of my other 33’s
Tom, we’ve got houseguests for the week and my life is not my own until Monday. But the 3 rounds of your ammunition all.grouped well for me at 50 yards. Those were the first three rounds I ever fired out of this rifle, using Ridge”s tang sight settings, so I didn’t manage 2.5″, although I would have made a killing shot on even one of our small Central Texas Whitetails. The point of impact withe the existing sight settings was the 8 ring around 10 o’clock. Knowing that you’ve found the load a good hunting load, I want to chronograph the remaining three and use the resulting velocity as a target to achieve with necessarily different (and still available).bullets,likely the 200 grain Hawks Ridge has had such good results with.
Right now I’m playing host and driving people around. As soon as I’m released from duty I’m going to dig my 45 Colt dies from the upstairs rubble and try the RCBS shellholder on the Bertram cases.. I suspect that will solve the problem and let me reload all of the brass you gave me with a practice load based on the 200 grain gas checked lead and a mild dose of 5744.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
May 22, 2024
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TGIF, college football tomorrow, over two weeks of catchup work done along with mowing two yards, babysitting, headed E. Tenn Sunday evening for 2-3 days squirrel hunting + fox squirrels there, range trips with couple buddies soon after reconfirm zero of my 270Win & few rounds thru my Mod 64 & 94, maybe hit woods here later week with 22lr in hand, gray squirrels & deer scouting- go together, and hopefully Zeb have successfull reports & pics of a another good ole 33wcf! Love this time of year, God is Good! Jump in where ye can and hang on!
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