Winchesters 231 or WSL are also good powders for the .38 special. As I researched loads in the meantime, I kept seeing the same several popping up again and again in sources from as recent as yesterday to long out of print books from when air travel was a newfangled wonder. : 1,266 1,472 Press. WST is a good powder for a very specialized load. 4.0 gr. My use of the term adequate means that Hodgdon has produced a workable result for the .38 Special, .38 Special +P, and .357 Magnum that may be used for 125 grain weight bullets having velocity limitations. 110gr JHP! Ive also switched from lead to Berrys Preferred copper plated bullets. Going up to 3.9 Gr for +P. The mild recoil of the mid-range load is a perfect mate to the .38s that most shooters own these daysthe airweight J-Frame or equivalent. One cool load Im working on is two pellets of 000 Buck.. The cases are large enough that they can be easily manipulated by inexperienced hands and yet small enough to not require much force in the sizing stage. The other .38 Special is a 4 Colt Diamondback. This is an easy-shooting load that can cause some power-philes to tusk-tusk and comment. However recoil will be the limiting factor especially for the short line. Berry says load plated bullets to mid-range jacketed bullets of same profile and weight or equal to hard cast. Hodgdon gives starting load of 4.0 grains and 4.4 grains MAX. Most notably the lighter weight bullets. That isnt unique to Bullseye, but is certainly more pronounced with the relatively small charges required. Here's what the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook says for cast 125g flatpoint for 38 in the powders you mentioned. Im still new to reloading, having done 2500 38 spl with bullseye. My grandkids think Im pulling their leg, when I tell them about the freedoms that NIMBYs took away. Since it hit the market 103 years ago, it has been a staple for most handloaders and the backbone of most accuracy loads in the popular calibers. I use Bullseye powder but it's about the same burn rate. I use 2.8-3.0 grains of Bullseye or AA#2 with 158 gr. Have you all found different seat depths to work better than what's in the manual? I go with the cheap and easy shake and bake technique that requires only plastic Glad container with a lid, handful of black 6mm BBs and old toaster owen. Anything goes with bullets. Just an FYI. 125: 125: 130: 135: 140: 140: 146: 148: 158: 158: 158: 170 _____ Quick Links Home Load Data Bullet Points: BE SURE TO CHECK OUT & FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM FEED CONNECT WITH THE 1895GUNNER.COM COMMUNITY . The trigger has smoothed out over time. I can shoot this load at speeds I cant normally reach with .45. 357 Magnum 35,000 Posted March 2, 2013. I use 3 gr. 2 and No. I've been using the same powders forever. There is one good reason to use WST. It'll look funky, but it will shoot. YMMV. A chameleon depending on your loads and the barrel length or action its fired from. These bullets shot to point of aim in modern S&W snubbies, but the older M10-5 was regulated with 158 grain bullets and 125's shoot low. My Hornady book says for 158 gr L-SWC, Unique powder, CCI magnum primer the minimum listed (not sure if that's absolute minimum) is 4.3 and maximum is 4.7. I have several manuals and some say that this load is a low +p, some say it is not, but it is very accurate. Its the kind of load that will make you fall in love with the 1911 all over again! My best group was .9 inch out of a Model 15. A GI surplus 1911 that puts most loads into dinner-plate sized groups cut 3.8 inches with the classic recipewhich is probably the only time Ive gotten excited about an almost four-inch group! Any pistol competitions yet? @ Grumpy- I tried LOTS of grips on S&W revolvers. 125 gr plated or 125 gr lead RN. Currently using Titegroup, but started out with, and loaded many thousands of rounds, with Bullseye. I have tried several different grips before finding the one that worked for me. The .38 ammo is more common to find than the .44 ammo, so that is a big reason to reload the .44. Recoil is the good kind that reminds the shooter handguns are serious tools but without eliciting a flinch. YouTube has plenty of reloading channels or the Reloaders Network webpage has more info as well. So you only hang onto the primer boxes loosely? Please enable javascript before you are allowed to see this page. The Model 19 is fine with .38s but mildly uncomfortable with .357s. Not sure how that translates to Bullseye powder. 38 Special 17,000 I simply took mixed brass and ran em through the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP press with the bare minimum preparation. of Bullseye, 148 gr lead DEWC and Federal 100 primers. It seems to burn completely in the .38 and is not as critical as the faster powders like Bullseye. Not as easy to find brass these days as it is not the most popular round anymore. All three of those powders have published load data for that weight bullet in .38 Special. That for just a nice shooting load one cant beat 148gr wad-cutter for pure fun. I was just trying to get a general consensus of what other guys were using. We've got some great loads for 158 coated and plated semi wadcutters, and we're trying something new. COPYRIGHT 2021, THETRUTHABOUTGUNS.COM. No sh!t. Just shows the importance of trying/checking the feel of a gun and if possible, test firing it, before you buy it. Larry Gibson "Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing." Nikola Tesla 01-30-2020, 01:43 PM #9 Mr_Flintstone Boolit Buddy Join Date Jan 2020 Location (Patrick Sweeney photo) September 15, 2021 By Michelle Hamilton, Field Editor. Home About Partners Contact. Not all guns are created equal. 5 are good choices. The Speers do occasionally and the Magnus a little more. I wish Id had a commercial version of this load in my ammo allocation when we were tasked with getting classes of students up to special operations standards with the issue custom 1911s. Choosing a bullet Modern .38 spl std HP load is more than enough, dont over think it. So I expect recoil would be substantial and not very target-ish. .38 Special +P (Alliant Reloaders Guide) Warning! I probably shoot more 38s than everything else put together but a Dillon 750 makes loading a lot faster. The majority of my shooting with .38 has taken place with soft lead bullets. Recoil in that gun is less than most 45 ACP 1911s I have shot, and its still got around 500-600ft lbs of energy which is more than enough for feral hogs around the ranch back home. Too early Are you sure? Main issue is that the .44 spl. I dont see much conversation on these specifics but I think Its all about the size of the explosion in the chamber. I don't completely understand the physics behind it. And this is a guy who normally trusted nothing but a 45 acp. (bullseyeforum.net). RN, 158 gr. In my area, Bullseye is one of the first powders to disappear from shelves, lasting about a heartbeat longer than an econo bulk box of .22 Long Rifle ammunition. It is a very versatile and useful round. Like Wobbly. .38 Special (Using Hornady Bullets) reloading data with 353 loads. If you have a lightweight .38 or older gun, you may want to start with 10% less than max amounts listed above, and work up to the full loads. (Note: These are near maximum loads (in some cases ARE MAXIMUM), you should use 10%. Wow I learned something vital from this topic. This. I once rented a Ruger LCR in .38 Special. To many shooters, .45 ACP means 230-grain hardball at 830 fps. I soon traded off a Colt Frontier Scout .22 LR for an S&W Model 15 and happily chased all manner of small game and landfill targets with my stash of wadcutters. For 3 that actually doesnt kick too badly. You will find plenty of Red Dot loads there. But its also worth considering that its pushing the same size and weight projectile at the same velocity as the standard Army revolver load during the Civil War. Bullets are .357 for jacketed and .358 for lead in diameter. That sounds. Bullseye is the classic pistol powder and the backbone of many pet loads. ( customer reviews) $ 10.69 - $ 246.00. Only if you see more than one load, is it less than maximum. I have often thought about reloading .357 brass to .38 special velocities to get around that, but have just never decided to actually do it. Don't know of any bullets like that. Haven't tried it in the Colt Officer's Model Match yet. Not in that order. Heck, 38s in a J frame arent fun- theres no way a 327 Mag isnt worse. Ive been reloading and shooting for over 40 years and love revolvers but 90% of the time my carry gun is a Sig 365 with a 12 round mag and a spare. 2) Ammo that would work in the Air Force's Air Crewman Colt's and Smith and Wesson revolvers that had weak alloy cylinders. What are YOU shooting? 3.) Also, too light loads don't allow the bullet to seal the gases causing problems. And Vihtavouris N320 and N321 fall in this range for burning times. 110gr JHP! Accurate's No. In a 1909 vintage Smith & Wesson target .38, the 2.7-grain load cut a nearly one-inch cluster, showing that classics go well together. As for the load ya the 158gr will probably take a little more, but your gun will tell you how much more.. A circa 1918 Colt gobbled them up, as did several other 1911s that can be particular about bullet profile. There are many fun uses for buckshot. I have some W231 that I use for my .38 super. The pistol or revolver of good quality is vital. In several of the guns, the old standby couldnt quite duplicate the level of precision they exhibit with current production wadcutters from Black Hills or Winchester, but in each case, the load shot close to or right on the sights and nearly held the X ring. I estimate that the price for each of the three loads runs between $7 and $8 per box of 50. I guess its out of production now- I havent seen it (or heard of it) in years. Read my very long thread about "DR loads that don't suck". He has taught and been responsible for numerous advanced skills and weapons courses within multiple organizations. Do not use anything but light loads and lead bullets in these older revolvers. I load these bullets to the edge of the shoulder and use anywhere from 3-4 grains of TB. Does anyone have any luck with Jacked Bullets. .38 brass isnt as common as 9, .40, or .45 brass at the range, but of all the revolver brass you can find its the most plentiful. These types of guns are not as strong as more modern solid frame revolvers. I bought a Ruger Alaskan in 454 Casull last year ahead of a hunt up in Wyoming. L6: 1.550 inch = 39.37 mm Barrel Length : 2.0 inch = 50.8 mm Powder : Hodgdon HP38 Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge, incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge. It is less of an issue on a progressive press, but still requires attention. RN, 160 gr. This Cast Reloading Bullet feeds great in automatics and has excellent accuracy in both the 9mm and 38 Super. I found the plated wadcutters to have NO accuracy. Red Dot work fine for most 38 Special loads. If there is a search function for these forums (didn't see one) I'd be happy to use that too Go to the Alliant website and find the data for Unique and Bullseye. SASS# 85224. IF YOU ARE USING SWAGED 158GR BULLETS 3.1 WILL WORK, IF USING HARD CAST 3.3 IS NEEDED. Coming in 30 grains lighter and 80 fps slower than hardball, as well as being lead rather than jacketed, the 200/4.6 SWC is amazingly soft. My point being is I used the resources I have, looked elsewhere (The High Road, The Firing Line), and wanted to try here. I'm new to reloading, starting off with a single stage Lee press reloading .38 special and .357 magnum with Lee's 4 die carbide set. The 919 case is tapered and therefore wider at the base than the .38 special is. Unlike many other guns Ive owned and carried, this little snubby really cant be modified much beyond factory configuration. Most modern revolvers chambered for .38 SPL are rated to +P, so there is room for error, but care must still be taken. It would seem that a 125 grain GDHP is of the same weight and would have a similar profile to what you want to use. Soft shooting. Just want to state for the record, that with one of the more heavy duty Corbin presses it is possible to easily swage some hard cast bullets. This represents a great start, and if thats all you do, youll still be far better off than the majority of the population. But for plinking, they'd be fine. I reload a 3 CA Bulldog in .44 with 200 gr wadcutters, to recreate the Man Stopper loads of long ago. I only wish the brass was more available locally. 38 Special +P 18,500 Biggest problem I had was the lubricating cases for sizing and then cleaning them afterwards, I guess grit was somehow scratching the cases after getting stuck in the lube. 9mm 125 grain RN Lead Hard Cast Bullet. Power Pistol won't work for me. 32 S&W Long 15,000 I may have to rethink my plan. 4.2 gr. The covered blackstrap and extended length Compac design I reckon are major factors in reducing perceived recoil. Your experience is definitely motivation for me to give my J-frame more range time! These have a good profile- longer at the top where the middle finger rides, and shorter where the pinkie rests. I found some data for 148 and 158 gr bullets but no published data on the 125s. No benchrest, nothing but two shakey hands holding the pistol. Just depends on what kinds of loads you plan to shoot. The load is a great learning tool in .45 for beginner and experienced alike. Of course, these will be used in a revolver. At 25 you can get away with a lighter load. My experience has always been with bullseye powder. After making a healthy pile of brass with this load, I am unlikely to ever be without a few boxes of it on standby. It's given me good results in the 2, 3 and 4 inch barreled. And if youre doing that with a snub.let me know I wanna watch you shoot em. A handgunner using .38 Specials is set for targets, plinking and small game while .357 Mag. The Speer #8 lists a max of 7.5 grs Unique with a 125 gr Jacketed SP This would be for plinking for my wife's ~3" Rossi, so something light and fun to shoot would be great.All three of those powders have published load data for that weight bullet in .38 Special.All three of those powders have published load data for that weight bullet in .38 . Notes: Bbl Length: 5.6; primer: Fed. If all you practice with is the easy comfortable stuff, its not really practice. Great article & thread!!! Ideal load in a 2 J Frame .38. The range (understandably) insisted you shoot their ammunition and the mildest they had was 158 grain LRN standard pressure. [ARCHIVED THREAD] - 5.0 gr unique with berry's 125gr = .38 Special squibs (solved ! I used to reload .38s and .357s with 158 grain LSWC bullets over 4.3 and 6.5 grains of Unique. How does WST compare to Bullseye powder? When you say "not working" can you be more specific? Ive been looking for a reason to get into reloading, and am particularly intrigued by the extremely long case life of .38 Special. There have been guns Ive bought for the caliber, but the .38 wasnt one of those. The 158 gr cast plain base accuracy load was 4.0 gr 231 which gave 837 Fps and 15,900 psi. Fast burning and consistent Economical and accurate Principal Purpose: Handgun loads Remarks: America's best known pistol powder. Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. Have not confirmed the difference with a chronograph. They have a large selection about the hard cast loads from 90 to 170 gains. Notes: primer: CCI 500; case: Speer; NOTE: All loads are maximum. I can get away with using it as cast w/ alox. I bet you can find some nice shooting loads with Bullseye. 5 are good choices. Hornady 115-grain HAPs over 4.4 grains of Bullseye alongside 25-yard timed-fire target. rattlesnake of a revolver made me bleed. The jump straight to relatively hot GI hardball challenged many students, and failure to meet standards meant being dropped from the course. BrianEnos.com Dec 18, 2011. I dont bother polishing my .38 brass because I just dont let it fall in the mud or dirt. Youd just be risking ALOT firing it in a .38 framed revolver. Enter 38 Special. I load it almost exclusively though with either a powder coated or plated 125 grn bullet. Like both the .38 and the .44 spl. Ive probably picked up 300 cases of .38 the past few months and will continue to grab them as I see them, but whats nice is I can shoot more and put that money towards brass for .32 or .45 Colt, stuff that I never see at the range. This load is in the general velocity bracket with most generic or bulk box 115-grain loads and zings over my chronograph at 1,125 to 1,140 fps from a Glock 17, depending on bullet style. But I think I was still loading the cases from that first box when I quit loading 18 years later! I fired 3 Remington 125 SJHP 357s from a 340 and thought i had nerve damage in my hand. Ammunition is available everywhere handguns are legal. Plated bullets are to be loaded as lead bullets. I did start out fawning over all of the tactical gear, but once I had that covered my tastes matured I think to love the wood and steel guns. I load my own, 130 gr RNFP using Win 231 powder a little over the mid point in the published load data. .38 will take care of nearly any critter that needs dispatching feral cats, raccoon, armadillo, even wait for it. is a good place to start. I agree, an airweight has snappy recoil. Main fame for the .38 is now the J frame size revolvers, as a CCW gun. You may end up with one "not" clearing the barrel. AA#2 is about the same burn rate, but burns much cleaner with less smoke in my guns. The Lyman is handy for sizing or priming while youre watching a movie. Load it using wadcutter specs, and seat the bullet flush, like a wadcutter. Also compared a S&W 638 to the S&W 36. But this piece isnt about the gun, but rather the cartridge. We look at three classics: one each in .45 ACP, .38 Special, and 9mm. Ive been shooting them for 50 years. Clays, Universal, HP38, HS6 and H4895 are products of Hodgdon Powders. Ask your Dealer, or call Hodgdon), has a Cowboy Load section, (near the center fold), that lists data for about all SASS calibers. This too is useful information. I prefer the slower burning Unique, and I also use it for .357 magnum, just more of it. At belly button range, very nasty load. For me, the 32 H&R Mag is my 357 Mag, and the 32 S&W Long is my 38 SPL.
