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Hey guys, this thread peaked my curiosity, so I retrieved all the reloading stuff a bud gave me a few years ago and I got a few questions to ask...

1 shelf life of opened powders ??? Ive got 5 cans that have been used out of, but were capped tight, any concerns ??? also, a couple of em are in coffee cans and although the writing was legible, I cant be 100% sure if the brand is really correct...

2 bullets... are the .38/.357 the same diameter ??? .44/.45 ??? Ive got a decent supply of .38 & .357 brass, but would rather load the .357 and a few hundred .44 bullets but only .45 vehicles...

3 without a tool, how do I measure the 'best performance' of my loads ??? grouping at diff range ???

4 Anyone know the manufacturer of 'Bonanza' brand press ??? all the rest of the stuff is RCBS, I'm gonna check their site in detail in the next couple days... any info is appreciated, the rest o my questions will be answered hopefully in studying the mechanics of reloading from suppliers sources...

thanks guys...FReegards...

So long as the propellants were kept air tight, dry and in a cool place, they "should" be fine. I'd be very, very careful about not being able to read the writing on the coffee cans!

.38/.357 projectiles are the same diameter - .357" ...unless they're lead, and then they're .358". The rule with lead projectiles is that lead is (almost) always .001 larger in diameter than copper jacketed projectiles.

As for .44 and .45 projectiles... it depends. :-)

44 Special - Lead Round Ball = .433"
44 Special - Lead Semi Wadcutter = .430"
44 Special - Copper Jacketed = .429"
44 Magnum - Lead Round ball = .433"
44 Magnum - Copper Jacketed = .429"
45 Auto Rim - Lead Round Ball = .454"
45 Auto Rim - Lead Semi Wadcutter = .452"
45 Auto Rim - Copper Jacketed = .451"
45 ACP - Lead Semi Wadcutter = .452"
45 ACP - Copper Jacketed = .451"
45 Colt - Same as 45 ACP

I "think" Bonanza IS the brand itself. If I remember correctly (and if I don't, then somebody please correct me!) they made a "coaxial" press which had the potential of producing VERY concentric ammo. Also, it was very strong and could be used for swaging operations. Does yours have two rams instead of one? If so, then you've probably got a coaxial press.

"Best Performance" is very subjective and is certain to start something akin to a religious war here! :-) Do a Google search for an article titled "Pressures and the Handloader" by Jack O'Conner. It will keep you from blowing yourself up even though most of us don't have labs full of test rifles equipped with piezo-electric pressure transducers and chronographs. If you can't find it, I'll scan it out of a book here that I have it in.

If you want, I'll send you my personal favorite .45ACP handload. It's from the bottom of the charts in the Winchester reloading guide, and is very mild. According to their data, it's pushing around 870FPS and is very accurate from my Colt Series 80.

Let me know buddy! :-)

I'd recommend you dispose of the stuff in coffee cans and replace it.

It's not worth the risk to your firearms or your health to be 'pretty sure' about powder.

As far as .45 ACP loads go, you can't really go wrong with Bullseye as far as I'm concerned. It's also perfectly good to use in .44 spl and magnum.

That RCBS press you have should last you a lifetime. I'm still using the single stage one I bought a decade ago and it works just fine.

Hey guys, this thread peaked my curiosity, so I retrieved all the reloading stuff a bud gave me a few years ago and I got a few questions to ask...

1 shelf life of opened powders ??? Ive got 5 cans that have been used out of, but were capped tight, any concerns ??? also, a couple of em are in coffee cans and although the writing was legible, I cant be 100% sure if the brand is really correct...

2 bullets... are the .38/.357 the same diameter ??? .44/.45 ??? Ive got a decent supply of .38 & .357 brass, but would rather load the .357 and a few hundred .44 bullets but only .45 vehicles...

3 without a tool, how do I measure the 'best performance' of my loads ??? grouping at diff range ???

4 Anyone know the manufacturer of 'Bonanza' brand press ??? all the rest of the stuff is RCBS, I'm gonna check their site in detail in the next couple days... any info is appreciated, the rest o my questions will be answered hopefully in studying the mechanics of reloading from suppliers sources...

thanks guys...FReegards...

I'll too in my $0.02.
Shelf life of opened powders should be a long time. That is if it's in it's original container, and has either not much of an odor, or an ether odor, it's more than likely ok. Humidity and temperature flucuations are the enemies of gunpowder. I just loaded up some .38 S&W reloads last night with some 20 year old Bullseye, and it shot fine.
As for the powder in coffee cans...I'd toss it. Just throw it in your garden. It makes great fertilizer. It's not worth blowing up a good firearm, or losing a body part because you "thought" it was the right powder.
.38 Special & .357 Magnum both use .358 diameter bullets. .44 Special or .44 Magnum use either .429 or .430 diameter bullets. .45 ACP and .45 Colt use .452 diameter bullets.
Figuring out performance without a chronograph is pretty much a function of just shooting different loadings at different distances and comparing groupings and points of impact. Always remember of course, when working up loads, start at the minimum published charge levels then slowly increasing the load towards the maximum published charge. Remember too, that you will probably get your best results closer to the minimum levels than the maximum levels.
Sorry, but I don't have any information about Bonanza. I am a dedicated Lee and RCBS guy. I know they work, and the price is right.