My guess would be almost identical, straight wall, not high pressure, definitely. These are light and easy to shoot. Ive saved all my .38 brass over the last couple of years for whenever I find time to get into reloading. The 919 case is tapered and therefore wider at the base than the .38 special is. 5, #2230, and #2460 are products of Accurate Arms Company Bullseye Handgun Powders Smokeless pistol powder Billions of rounds have been loaded with Bullseye since it was introduced in 1913. Only need cast when driving up to 1200 fps or so. As a young man, I came into a couple of cases of hand-me-down factory mid-range wadcutters. Load manuals often advise against downloading .38 Special jacketed loads to prevent squibs, especially the 110 and 125 grain bullets. I never really set my sights, in a manner of speaking, on the .38 cartridge like I did other rounds. Its just two lubed balls on top of each other with the top ball roll crimped just past the hemisphere. accuracy. 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. The average street punk today has more firepower than the Russian Army did in WWII and trying to re-load a revolver in a fire fight is the best way to commit suicide that I could ever think of. S&W M637-2 2" barrel Good thing I didn't go with the original powder charge I intended to use. Fifty yards of course is the preferred distance. Hornady 115-grain HAPs over 4.4 grains of Bullseye alongside 25-yard timed-fire target. Read my very long thread about "DR loads that don't suck". Content . The .327 Fed Mag is IT! looks like today. I shoot almost exclusively cast lead from my handguns. It seems to burn completely in the .38 and is not as critical as the faster powders like Bullseye. Ive tried full metal jacket and the Hornady Action Pistol (HAP) match hollow point in this load, and both ranged from good to great in my nines. WST is less dense than BE. Minnesota. .38 Special Montana Gold 125 FMJ Power Pistol 6.1 COL 1.417 Tested with a S&W-686-3, 6", ambient temperature about 32 degrees, no wind, target posted at 25 feet (hey, I'm testing handloads for use, not my long range bear killing skills, defensive only). I have 4 handguns that will shoot .38. I wanted a good carry gun that was light and reliable, so I decided that the .38 would fit and I just went with it. WST is a good powder for a very specialized load. IF YOU ARE USING SWAGED 158GR BULLETS 3.1 WILL WORK, IF USING HARD CAST 3.3 IS NEEDED. 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. 38 Special 125 gr XTP American Gunner Item #90324 | 25/Box The American Gunner line of ammunition is a collection of tried-and-true, versatile loads that are popular with shooters for their target shooting, hunting or self-defense needs. Click there and go to the load data lookup section . My hand ached for a week. Reduce by 10% to establish a starting charge weight. You are spot on about Trail Boss, that stuff is magical with cast reloads. Just shows the importance of trying/checking the feel of a gun and if possible, test firing it, before you buy it. Lucky me. As you move up in loads, you at least need the gas check on the bottom of the bullet to prevent gas melting the lead and fouling the barrel. Berry says load plated bullets to mid-range jacketed bullets of same profile and weight or equal to hard cast. A circa 1918 Colt gobbled them up, as did several other 1911s that can be particular about bullet profile. load is 4.4 grains for 38 special and 5.0 grains is a +P load. Power Pistol won't work for me. Wow I learned something vital from this topic. .38 J frame.) And for 99% of the actual real world needs of a citizen for self defense it will work just fine. Don't know of any bullets like that. Traditionally, the max SAAMI pressures were: 38 S&W 14,500 I have found that some powder coated bullets which are the same weight as lead, feel quite punchy out of the gun. Speer shows 3.9 to 4.5 grains for a double end lead wadcutter but I'm thinking that may be a little strong for a plated bullet. Does anyone have any data. Any pistol competitions yet? 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. I like the smell of Bullseye, dont mind wiping the handguns down after a range day, and the dark soot that accumulates on my support hand when shooting wheelguns in particular just reminds me to wash up. The instructors worked magic in many cases, but having a load like this to gradually work shooters onto full-strength loads would have been a great tool. Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 9 customer ratings. One cool load Im working on is two pellets of 000 Buck.. Bonus is that dont need magnum Primers for these reloads. AA#2 is about the same burn rate, but burns much cleaner with less smoke in my guns. Never ransom rested it, but held 10 ring off sandbags. Of course, these will be used in a revolver. Generally, I'm looking for a load that produces accuracy from approx. Even better, is get some 38 S&W brass. A revolver shooting .38 SPL only requires the power of your finger to make it fire and can thus be loaded with ammo that is extremely mild or hotter than hot. I have not loaded plated bullets in quite some time, since they are not useful for my accuracy needs. They are reliable accurate and deadly. What I learned after 50 years of shooting and reloading 38spl cases some where around 100 thousands rounds. Bullseye 3.2gr / 763fps --> 4.2gr / 892fps (max), Unique 4.3gr / 773fps --> 5.3gr / 944fps (max), 231 3.9gr / 733fps --> 4.8gr / 896pfs (max). Enter to win an FN FAL Rifle. Some people then claimed SAAMI raised the 357 Mag to 45,000. Ideal load in a 2 J Frame .38. .38 Special (Alliant Data) Warning! Unique was a sooty powder so Ive switched to W231. Its the only gun that has appreciated in value (as long as you ignore inflation). I'm looking for some recipes for 38 special for a 125 grain copper plated (like Berry's) flat point bullet using Unique, Bullseye, or W231. 5 are good choices. From my Hornady Third Edition manual 38 Special 158 Grain Lead Round Nose #3586 Win 231 3.0 Grains 650 FPS 4.4 Grains 850 FPS Now I will tell you from experience you do NOT want to load Lead Bullets Fast. *WAP is not best choice for .38 special, too slow and inconsistent. Not all guns are created equal. Most starting .357 reloading powder levels will fall in this .38 +P+ type reload, and the powder being used can be selected (faster or slower) based on barrel length. I dont miss lubing casescarbide is king! Home About Partners Contact. Through the heyday of bullseye shooting over the various match courses of fire, there was probably a Mount Rushmore-sized mountain of powder loaded and combusted 2.7 grains at a time. The floor does not apply for PPC, or the equivalent match for Action Pistol. 38 Special Loads for Bullseye by GerhardG Sun Jul 17, 2022 11:01 am Greetings, Looking for load suggestions for 38 special LSWC 158 grain SNS bullets, red coated based on the following powders; Bullseye, Unique, N310 and N320. Great gun with the best factory double action trigger Ive ever shot. Alliant Pistol/Revolver Load Data: Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data. Maybe its just me, but having that tiny bit of extra length and weight in the cylinder that I was never going to use just kinda bothered me. Most of these are at the upper end. I'm asking the above questions because I don't want to run too hot of a load, but wasn't sure if it was ok to drop down below 2.8 as far as 2.5. When I teach other people the basics of reloading, I teach them on the .38 SPL. Also some WSF. The only reason that my standard (everyday carry) self-defense handgun is not a .38 Special revolver is because I can conceal a semi-auto better (it isnt as fat as the cylinder on a revolver) and my semi-auto has 15 rounds of hard-hitting 180 grain bullets. It also shows that the loads were established using a 6" barrel, so regardless of what any published data shows, the chances of ever finding published data for the exact projectile and barrel length you are using, as well as the exact conditions you will be shooting in, would be nearly impossible. 4.2 gr. My Dad has advanced arthritis and could not longer easily work his auto loaders. The 158 gr cast plain base accuracy load was 4.0 gr 231 which gave 837 Fps and 15,900 psi. If there is only ONE load, it is MAX. of Bullseye, 148 gr lead DEWC and Federal 100 primers. Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue. it seems awful confusing, but with time you will be able to interpolate the published data into something that will give you good starting points to work up your loads. 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. I load these bullets to the edge of the shoulder and use anywhere from 3-4 grains of TB. 2, No. Required fields are marked *. 110gr JHP! 3.) My Lyman 49th has data for 125 gr JHP and 120 gr LRN. Power Pistols works well in short auto cartridges and higher pressure cartridges but no so well with a 158 grain bullets in 38 Special. Posted: 4/17/2014 10:53:09 AM EST. Insufficient crimping ) ARCHIVED. I can not be held responsible for. What are YOU shooting? Haven't tried it in the Colt Officer's Model Match yet. I havent shot too many full house Casull loads, but I get a huge grin when shooting my reduced loads of 7.5grs of Trail Boss under a Cast Performance 360gr WLFN. (For those who would. WAP, WMR, WSF, WSL, 760, 748, 231 and 540 are products of Winchester, Components Div. We look at three classics: one each in .45 ACP, .38 Special, and 9mm. I was just trying to get a general consensus of what other guys were using. There is a difference in the manufacturing process of swaged bullets. Something like the Ruger GP100 or S&W 686 yup, theyre the best caliber for those size revolvers. There are many fun uses for buckshot. Swaged bullets do not have the hardness of poured (cast) lead. The mention of a Lee Loader somewhere above took me back to the good-old days. Anyway, you are probably right that the revolver guys trend towards the older end of the spectrum, but I think some of the younger guys are starting to catch on to the magic of wheel guns. Maybe its just my age, but I may never shoot a 38 again after discovering the 32. But I think I was still loading the cases from that first box when I quit loading 18 years later! 5.) A little shopping around might do better, as would casting the lead bullets. Softer alloys of lead are just easier on the machinery. I found some data for 148 and 158 gr bullets but no published data on the 125s. .38 Special is a lot more comfortable in a service size revolver like my Model 10. Only the Model 60 sometimes have factory installed grips that are not worthless. 32 H&R Mag 21,000 Your link has been automatically embedded. Bought my small handed wife a 642. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Groups with these loads ranged from 1.25 inches to just under two inches at 25 yards across a handful of pistols. It's given me good results in the 2, 3 and 4 inch barreled. My personal loads for practice replicate my carry. Thanks to all for the info. WC, 158 gr. Your previous content has been restored. I dunno. Shot placement is just as important if not more. Between that, some other info on other forums, Winchester's data for a lead flat point, and numbers from loaddata.com, I think I have some to start with. The Speers do occasionally and the Magnus a little more. 01-10-2014, 06:49 PM #4. dverna. Display as a link instead, I think the 158 lrn is more accurate then the swc but that's just me. 110gr JHP! IMHO .38 special is just fine for self defense, but just not enough to crack engine blocks. Interestingly, I had pistols that would shoot one well and the other impressively, but have not yet had one pistol do magic with both. The jump straight to relatively hot GI hardball challenged many students, and failure to meet standards meant being dropped from the course. The pistol or revolver of good quality is vital. Note the dark band of lube on the 3 lead bullets. There is almost no recoil and the student can increase power level when they feel ready using the same gun. This 1911 halved its normal so-so accuracy with 200-grain Hornady C/T SWC, shooting this nice two-inch group. Easy to reload and it started my reloading experience. Some use powders dispersed in liquids, some use electrostatic guns to spray dry powder on their bullets. And this is a guy who normally trusted nothing but a 45 acp. (Same issue found with a 12 oz. A bullet with a copper gas check or copper plating is best for INDOOR ranges to keep lead vapors out of the air. The 36s greater weight makes it much easier to shoot than the 638. Especially if you reload. So . Loads for .38 S&W: This short, little cartridge has been around since the 1870's and was most common in the "break-top" models. At 25 you can get away with a lighter load. Most people have one general power level for their semi-autos due to the fact that the guns wont function with ammo thats not energetic enough to cycle the slide. The reason I love the .38 SPL so much is because its so elastic in function. [.38 Special] is a very versatile and useful round. Love my 642 for concealed carry, but have an SP101 (also a snubby) in .38 special (only) for use on the range. Most DNR (Do Not Reduce) loads are well over 900-fps. I was looking through the Lyman 49th edition reloading manual and see the bullets you are talking about. Normal, mild .38 loads work fine with lead bullets. 594/600 at the real distances of 24 rnds at 50 yds, 24 rnds at 25 yes, and 12 rnds at 7.5 yds. This would be for plinking for my wife's ~3" Rossi, so something light and fun to shoot would be great. The Charter Arms .44 models are potential CCWs, but are too light to properly handle the .44 spl. 38 special was also my first cartridge to reload, and one of my greatest loves for reloading to this day. When you could leave city limits and just about every dirt mound in sight, was a plinking range. I believe this particular bullet is meant for the 9mm,but drops at 358. Just look for a lead remover tool with bronze screens. All newly manufactured .38 Special revolvers must be proof tested to the same higher proof . Winchesters 231 or WSL are also good powders for the .38 special. If she had shot more, I would have probably bought another set of dies, to prevent the need for changing adjustments between the two. The least is usually supplied as a large cylindrical billet weighing several hundred pounds. How Do I Choose Good Self-Defense Ammo For My Handgun? Note: More and more test are conducted with all rounds fired with powder UP against the primer for each shot, or DOWN on the bullet for each shot, then gently bring to horizontal to shoot. I've been using the same powders forever. 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. This wire is then fed into a machine called a cold header. For those folks shooting a lot of lead bullets, invest in a Lewis lead remover. Unsurpassed for .45 ACP target loads. Unlike the author, I did *not* keep records, I cant even imagine how many rounds I loaded, almost 100% .357 magnum, since that was all I shot. Nice thing about reloading is that loads can be tailored for the gun that you are shooting. When I finally took the plunge and started handloading (FIRST SHOTS WITH HANDLOADING: How Hard Can It Be? I load rounds for my wife to shoot @ Win 231 4.0 to 4.3 gr. I use Bullseye powder but it's about the same burn rate. A longer case, with have a tighter crimp them a shorter one, what will lead to variations in pressure, and accuracy. It is less of an issue on a progressive press, but still requires attention. But, with jacketed bullets that doesn't seen to be working. Current J frame factory grips have similar features and are made of a stiffer compound. The stuff you learn shooting 20,000 reloads (on top of thousands of rounds of factory ammo) can be pretty interesting and I feel that Ive got a very good picture of what the .38 Special. Great article & thread!!! I load it almost exclusively though with either a powder coated or plated 125 grn bullet. * (Note: These are near maximum loads (in some cases ARE MAXIMUM), you should use 10%. Oh, I practice with it. On 7/4/2018 at 11:57 AM, Bill Sahlberg said: There is nothing more accurate at PPC than 148 gr8 HBWC (lead) using 2.8 gr of 231 and a tight crimp with Starline 38 Special brass & a Federal Small pistol primer. Ive long since changed to a press, but that Lee Loader in its cardboard box is still in a storage box for obsolescent reloading gear. Totally agree. I miss those days. I will start ouy at the minimum velocity then. 2.7 GR WST IS TOO LIGHT FOR THE 50 YD LINE. 110gr JHP! Hence I carry a semi-auto pistol chambered in .40 S&W. In fact, Hornady's handloading manual includes .357-inch bullets in the load data for the .38 Super, specifically 125-grain and 140-grain XTP bullets, along with .355-inch bullets, and their one remaining .356-inch bullet, the 125-grain HAP. I, like Spartacus, find the SAAMI recommendations an interesting spec for comparative purposes. I don't have a chronograph, but have considered picking one up. Last I looked still available at Brownells. 4.0 gr. Use the lead bullet loads with the plated and you will be fine. Be careful about published sources (and doubly so about internet sources), regarding maximum loads for the 38 special. And if youre doing that with a snub.let me know I wanna watch you shoot em. But for plinking, they'd be fine. 6.) I don't completely understand the physics behind it. Using higher pressure loads will wear brass out faster and it will become brittle with time. Winchester only published load for WST in 38 special using lead bullets if you look at the data for the 158 data the start load goes from 3.3 Gr and a max load of 3.7 Gr. The upside of the grainage is that the small charges mean more loaded rounds per pound of powderhelpful since Bullseye can take a while to reacquire once the container is empty. ES 27 SD 12 Independence 130 grain FMJ round nose MV 892 fps ME 230 ft./lbs. September 2015 S.W.A.T. 6.) 125 gr plated or 125 gr lead RN. The .38 Special is the most popular of all centerfire revolver cartridges. Too early Are you sure? I think you will find since the .38 special is headspaced on the rim your case length is very important to achieve your best accuracy. May 15, 2012. kc2za said: Hi All, I have been loading .38 spl with 2.7 gr. I realized that I had hit a very special count for a very special cartridge: 20,000 rounds of .38 Special. I have done it with 38 special and 44 Mag, only to have a lead coated bore that looked like a rusty old drain pipe. I've been reading about this. I buy 158 SWCHP all the time.my main bullet. (See note on Powders below or read all about various Powders.). 2 and No. Reloading for it came next and it has since become my favorite pistol cartridge. Soft shooting. Bullseye 3.2gr / 763fps --> 4.2gr / 892fps (max) Unique 4.3gr / 773fps --> 5.3gr / 944fps (max) 231 3.9gr / 733fps --> 4.8gr / 896pfs (max) These are out of a 5.5 inch barrel Edited June 25, 2016 by jschweg Dr. Phil Classifieds 712 I had ammo for some friends as low as 600 fps. Also compared a S&W 638 to the S&W 36. Good shootin! And it isnt my first rodeo with a J-frame. You can post now and register later. Enter 38 Special. Many people tend to poo-poo .38 Special (standard pressure) for self-defense as being somehow underpowered. Both are excellent fight stoppers. As anyone learns quickly, first thing that needs to be done is to replace the small factory S&W grips (I use Hogue) so you can hold onto the gun. What overal length of the cartridge? If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 3.7gr WST with Zero 158 SWC did the job for me. Where many shooters quickly tire of even standard-pressure .38 in the little five-shooters, the wadcutter invites cylinder after cylinder of practice. 358430 (195 grain) round nose bullet that was used in the old 200 grain police loads as there is always interest in these.
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38 special 125 grain load data bullseye
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