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. There really is a recently developed technology that prevents leading, while eliminating messy lubricants. I'd rather shoot my .45 then. For 3 that actually doesnt kick too badly. YouTube has plenty of reloading channels or the Reloaders Network webpage has more info as well. Like Wobbly. I have the shrouded hammer version, the 638, and have been wary of training much with it because of its aluminum frame. 148-grain wadcutter brings accuracy that begs the shooter to test their limits. Hornady 115-grain HAPs over 4.4 grains of Bullseye alongside 25-yard timed-fire target. I here from quite a few that 3.5 gr of bullseye is a good load for 158 gr lead Bullets for bullseye shooting. Installed some wood boot grips, modified them with grooves at the bottom of each side panel, similar to those on Pach. Where many shooters quickly tire of even standard-pressure .38 in the little five-shooters, the wadcutter invites cylinder after cylinder of practice. I load it almost exclusively though with either a powder coated or plated 125 grn bullet. The pistol or revolver of good quality is vital. By in 158 weight berry's bullet 3.8 grains of bullseye with a taper crimp. Nickle cases look pretty but dont seem to take the number of resizings that plain brass cases do. Zero 158 grain swaged SWC, Starline brass, Winchester or Federal primer, 2.8 grains of Bullseye, roll crimp. RN, 160 gr. You can't rely on this because not all variables for YOUR cases and chamber and loading length, etc. is a good place to start. The Pistol a Smith and Wesson model 27-2 The goal is two fold. I dont see much conversation on these specifics but I think Its all about the size of the explosion in the chamber. It seems to burn completely in the .38 and is not as critical as the faster powders like Bullseye. Initially I shot them out of my Dads prized Smith & Wesson 686 and learned a great deal about double-action shooting and what a truly accurate handgun can do with a wadcutter. Id pay at least a dollar to see it. Ive played with several that I like, but the classic in 9mm is 4.4 grains driving a 115-grain jacketed bullet. Using higher pressure loads will wear brass out faster and it will become brittle with time. . Wife handled it with no problem, those 5 Super Vel had been in the gun probably over 5 years by then, she bought it to CARRY, not to shoot, if she needed to fire it to save her life it would be fine. There are so many new powders today, its hard to keep up. These are the bullets I bought: 158 gr from Roze dist. I haven't used any of those powders but I like faster powders in 38 Special like Titegroup and Clays. IT'S A COMBINATION TAPER AND ROLL CRIMP. I use 3.2 gr Bullseye to push a 125 gr cast along at 750 - 775 fps in the 38 SPL from 5 and 6" barreled revolvers. Easy to reload and it started my reloading experience. Would you like to react to this message? With the powders you listed I would try Bullseye, 231, and Unique in that order. Hmm. The fast powders, W231, HP38, Bullseye would go over pressure very quickly with any slight changes, in seating depth or primer change. Super cheap and easy to make and would likely be a very effective defense ammo against wildlife that might be a threat to me as the two balls will spread an inch or two from each other at close range. During my first half century on this planet, my caliber of choice for defense was 45 ACP- but for everything else it was always 38 SPL. I did 400 rounds in one afternoon on my Hornady progressive. Modern .38 spl std HP load is more than enough, dont over think it. I use 3 gr. I cannot begin to fathom shooting 20,000 rounds out of that revolver! My other son fired one shot and handed it back. That one Ill keep. 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. Recoil is subjective and I feel no difference between that and an 750-775 fps load. 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. Instead, Ive favored things like the K and L frame Smiths (5 screw pre-model 10 and 686 in my case) and Ruger revolvers for higher round count activities. Interesting. In a day you can make over 100,000 bullets. If I get to see him shoot those loads, it would be worth the price of a new keyboard! i had the same issues you did when i was trying to load for my DR revolver 14-3. to light of power had a soft recoil but ungodly bad accuracy. Insufficient crimping ) ARCHIVED. (Cowboy Action) 38 Special (Cowboy Action) 38-40 Win. I SEE THAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT USE THE AMMO FOR D/R. WST seems like such a good powder in .45 ACP that I thought I might try it. I can get away with using it as cast w/ alox. If you havent taken a look at what the .38 Special offers, youre selling yourself short. in a belt holster at 4:00. The majority of my shooting with .38 has taken place with soft lead bullets. Some medium fast powders would work with lighter weight bullets. Bullet seating depth is very forgiving. Your experience is definitely motivation for me to give my J-frame more range time! Does anyone have any luck with Jacked Bullets. I just got some clays which I heard was very clean burning compare to bullseye. For best accuracy in slow fire shooting, you may want to raise gun before every shot. LRNFP - your load, with a plated bullet should be Very Similar, or slightly slower and safer. Ok, will the bullet easily pass thru the cylinder throat, if so, you need the next larger size bullet dia. This gun now wears factory synthetic grips which are decent but could use more girth behind the trigger guard. Just an FYI. I may have to rethink my plan. I also find the LCR .357 enjoyable to shoot with all .38s and most .357s. .38 Special: What Ive Learned After 20,000 Rounds, Stacey Abrams Whopper: No one believes in eroding the Second Amendment, Scottsdale Home Owner Uses Shotgun to Stop Naked Home Invader Caught in His Childs Room [VIDEO], Liberty Ammunitions Innovative Personal Defense Rounds are Lighter, Go Faster, and Hit Harder. I have two editions of it from different years that have that data. With a charge of only 3.1 grains of Winchester 231 powder, velocities run around 750 to 800 fps with good accuracy and mild recoil. The 38 Special, practically snubnose 38 Specials, seem to do their best work with bullets right around the 155-160 grain range. Prefer to use the CT model 305 laser grips in lieu of S&W grips. You may find it will need to be faster for good 50 yd. Reloading .44 Spl. Please enable javascript before you are allowed to see this page. I do this for my .357s but this article is about .38 Special loads. 10. Jacketed bullets create a bit more wear on the rifling, but its better than trying to wire brush out a bunch of lead build up. And this is a guy who normally trusted nothing but a 45 acp. For me, the 32 H&R Mag is my 357 Mag, and the 32 S&W Long is my 38 SPL. Try. A gun on you always works better than the gun left at home. I only wish the brass was more available locally. Any clues for powder and starting loads???? Bullseye is the classic pistol powder and the backbone of many pet loads. That's usually +P power level in .38 Special. 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. 2, No. 38 Special 17,000 Jack it up a notch and go with .327 Federal Magnum. Anyone know where I can download a chart where all the powders burning rates (regardless of manufacturer) is listed. I don't know what bullets you have, but Berry's recommends per their website to use hard cast data for their plated bullets. Load cut these cards at five yards out of this Model 15. If you have the means, I highly recommend you trying one out. It is always higher when powder is next to primer. To many shooters, .45 ACP means 230-grain hardball at 830 fps. Its like a pellet gun with a little noise and smoke if using black powder. I think the 158 lrn is more accurate then the swc but that's just me. Regulator, SBSS #2255, Pawnee Station, Ro I & II. So . Paste as plain text instead, Many of these men had no real experience with the handgun, and we had but a few weeks to get them up to very high standards that most shooters will never reach. Really interested in getting the. I like Bullseye in the 38 Special, and it was a consistent performer with the 125 grain bullets. Shot many thousands of my bullseye powder reloads with it. These are hand loads.. load data was published in Lyman 50th edition.. 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. Smith & Wesson Model 27 .357 Magnum (because no 6-inch Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver was on hand). Berry says load plated bullets to mid-range jacketed bullets of same profile and weight or equal to hard cast. Just shows the importance of trying/checking the feel of a gun and if possible, test firing it, before you buy it. each bullet is different for oal due to a crimp groove on most. So it is my gut feeling that Winchester found it to be touchy in smaller calibers like 38 special and 9mm Luger. accuracy. An early Les Baer .45 knotted a group of the lead SWCs into a tight 1.3-inch group, while an M&P .45 did 1.25 inches. Great Cast Lead Bullet for IDPA. Winchesters 231 or WSL are also good powders for the .38 special. 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. Over 20,000 rounds, Ive found that theres rarely a wrong way to do .38 SPL. A Tyler T grip would have helped here, but is incompatible w/ factory grips. Bullseye or Titegroup cover 90% or more of my .38 Special loadings. Only if you see more than one load, is it less than maximum. And yes I appreciate them for a hunting gun because of their fine accuracy and find trigger pulls (older classic guns). Midway has it in stock. I keep it under my seat in case I get an unwanted intruder and I cant get to my IWB semi auto. The Speers do occasionally and the Magnus a little more. Also internet references 2009, Copyright. Just dont shoot a rabbit with this load if you want to be able to eat any of it. In my time spent with the .38, I have come to greatly appreciate it for what it is and does. Brass collection is easy since it doesnt eject. 32 S&W Long 15,000 This Cast Reloading Bullet feeds great in automatics and has excellent accuracy in both the 9mm and 38 Super. I just bought a Lyman mold 160 round nose with a crimp groove. There seems to be a dearth of information using WST powder for the 38 Spl cartridge. It's given me good results in the 2, 3 and 4 inch barreled. This pistol uses the .38 Special with a Remington wadcutter bullet seated flush with the case mouth. I found it to be a nice blend of accuracy, soft recoil, and sure functioning, with enough spice behind it to reliably topple steel targets. Ask your Dealer, or call Hodgdon), has a Cowboy Load section, (near the center fold), that lists data for about all SASS calibers. You need a .357 Magnum revolver if you want to try a 9MM cylinder. [ARCHIVED THREAD] - 5.0 gr unique with berry's 125gr = .38 Special squibs (solved ! Others Have reported some success but few have more than one or two loads. Ive saved all my .38 brass over the last couple of years for whenever I find time to get into reloading. The powder charges used for .38 are forgiving. 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. Bullseye is primarily associated with .38 and .45after all, it says right on the bottle: Great for .38 Special and .45 Auto target loads. But it is equally at home in high-velocity auto loads. I'd imagine I'm not the first person to use this load, but I have found it is a very sooty/smokey load. Great gun with the best factory double action trigger Ive ever shot. I would add that the firearm mentioned, a Model 27 S&W revolver is a very durable gun, intended for the hotter loading of .357 Magnum. Both have fed 100% in a variety of pistols and have shot very well. It would have been too hot. That blunt-ended bullet cut a clean hole all the way through whatever its modest velocity allowed it to penetrate. revolver, with a 3 barrel, and 4 6 oz. Posted March 19, 2015. Designed in 1898, the .38 Smith & Wesson Special cartridge went on . Congratulations on spelling loath right. . Allgoodhits Posts : 726 Join date : 2017-09-17 Location : Northern Virginia Like (Same issue found with a 12 oz. I can not be held responsible for. So I expect recoil would be substantial and not very target-ish. Shoots well in my K-38, 686, and a friend's K-38 at 50 yards in the Ransom rest. Reloading Data for .38 Special - Load Data - 1895Gunner. .38 Special (Alliant Data) Warning! It doesnt appear like there is much of an advantage in using WST with lighter weight bullets. I miss those days. Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 9 customer ratings. Any pistol competitions yet? 9 and others like 2400 that are generally used for magnums). I went from 2.7to 4.0 gr and nothing to speak of. 357 LCR in 3 inch variant. Have you all found different seat depths to work better than what's in the manual? 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. Some people then claimed SAAMI raised the 357 Mag to 45,000. Re: 38 special loads by GrumpyOldMan 11/10/2013, 4:23 pm IIRC, the NRA Action Pistol power floor is a "factor" of 125, which requires a full 1,000 fps for 125-gr bullets. Alliant listed 3.6 gr Bullseye as maximum (15000 psi) in 38 Special and 3.8 as max in 38 Special PLUS P (17000 psi) with 158 LSWC bullets. I am using this load in some .38 specials. I have tested both brass and nickel-plated cases using mild loadings and have not yet worn out a case. You will be, essentially, making 38 Short Colt. Components add up to far less than even generic grade factory ammo. I checked out Alliant's website-no data for flat point with the powders I have, but data for Gold Dot HPs for Bullseye and Unique. Most notably the lighter weight bullets. Choosing a bullet The .44 spl. You have never indicated what barrel length or brand or frame size you may be using these in. The .38 with careful selection of components can be the cats as* for almost any shooter. I prefer the slower burning Unique, and I also use it for .357 magnum, just more of it. )Lastly, the .38 SPL has a very large following and materials can be had readily. Fast burning and consistent Economical and accurate Principal Purpose: Handgun loads Remarks: America's best known pistol powder. would also bridge the gap that the .38 versus .357 have in defensive loads. 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. Load with 38 S&W data. In a nutshell & I mean very short version. Oh, I practice with it. Bullseye is the classic pistol powder and the backbone of many pet loads. I love a nice, full-size .357 Magnum on the range because it is so easy to train new shooters on. Nitpicking is its own reward., I believe the correct spelling is loathe . 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. "Berry's Superior Plated Bullets are the finest bonded copper-jacketed bullets available today.." ?. The key to those rounds, in spite of their paltry muzzle velocity of something like 825 feet per second out of a snubbie, is their diameter and mass: they will make significant diameter holes and penetrate respectably in attackers. Were all familiar with the old adage, Never bring a knife to a gunfight. And while we should, The active shooter is a relatively new phenomenon in the grand scheme of things. want me to write up an article about 3d printed .38 special bullets that Ive been working? Home About Partners Contact. I meant to say NRA. Yeah, my wifes last gun, with +P it actually HURTS! I'm seating to what's in my loading manual. Very little recoil, and grouped acceptably out to 15 yards or so. Good thing I didn't go with the original powder charge I intended to use. Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue. Here's what the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook says for cast 125g flatpoint for 38 in the powders you mentioned. head I use 3.2gr. The Bullseye powder pushed five into two inches flat for another 1911 that is typically a four-inch gun. .38 will take care of nearly any critter that needs dispatching feral cats, raccoon, armadillo, even wait for it. defensive ammo. Unsurpassed for .45 ACP target loads. 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. Just look for a lead remover tool with bronze screens. Most modern revolvers chambered for .38 SPL are rated to +P, so there is room for error, but care must still be taken. I have read some posts online from people who claim that it makes no difference whether the bullets are swaged or cast; and they can be loaded to the same velocity, but the swaged bullets will lead up a barrel faster because the lead is softer. TITEGROUP AND 125GR 38 SPECIAL LOAD DATA Ammunition-Gunsmithing Reloading Forum Register Notices Consider Becoming A Supporting Member Click HERE For The Benefits Reloading All Reloading Topics Go Here Thread Tools Display Modes # 1 01-24-2016, 05:38 AM RONALD HENSLEY Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Waynesville NC Posts: 114 Likes: 12 The cowboy loads would be good choices as listed, since these ARE reduced loads for that sport, where usually just hitting a metal plate to make a sound is all that is required of the round. I will start ouy at the minimum velocity then. I buy 158 SWCHP all the time.my main bullet. Case life is excellent, especially for mild loads. IIRC, the NRA Action Pistol power floor is a "factor" of 125, which requires a full 1,000 fps for 125-gr bullets. These two can cover the entire performance spectrum up to .38+P. Caveat: I have decided that I want to be prepared for threat scenarios that include stopping a terrorist or spree-killer (the odds of which I fully recognize is statistically zero). Thanks for the start load Power Pistol will run lower pressures for the same velocity than W-W 231. Rookie, back in the day when I was reloading I went through a 3 round butt L. Horton special model 24, a 4 24 and a 4 624. Softer alloys of lead are just easier on the machinery. Nice thing about reloading is that loads can be tailored for the gun that you are shooting. I use CCI Snake shot for two and Buffalo Bore short Barrel 130 gr. I shoot a Glock 21, and had a great time shooting some poly coated 230 grain round noses today. Red Dot work fine for most 38 Special loads. It will then fit in your 38 Special gun. I started loading .38s with a Lyman nut cracker and a home made measure for Bullseye over 65 years ago. The proof pressure MAP specified by SAAMI is 29,500 psi for both rounds. LOL. Lord only knows how many cartridge cases I hammered with a plastic mallet into that Lee, it had to be thousands. Even at hot .44 mag velocities my Super Redhawk has shiny bore with zero leading. .38 J frame.) Shoot cast and coated bullets and you can go much higher in load and velocity. rattlesnake of a revolver made me bleed. IIRC, I used 4.5 gr of Bullseye under a 125 gr lead bullet for a light plinker, and 5.6 gr of Bullseye under a 148 gr wadcutter (~815 fps, 4" bbl, probably around 750 fps out of a snub). If you, I took the vow not to buy any more AR-15s a couple of years ago. 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. These were one each in .45 ACP, .38 Special, and 9mm. One cool load Im working on is two pellets of 000 Buck. In the 1950s, 60s. Hornady . IMHO .38 special is just fine for self defense, but just not enough to crack engine blocks. JHP (now discontinued) 5 rounds . Hodgdons Clays, International, Universal and HP38 are good choices. https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t2221-distinguished-revolver-loads-that-don-t-suck?highlight=distinguished+++%2Bloads, Load question on Penn Bullets for Distinguished load. This. Reducing consumables (and therefore cost) that much more is definitely appealing to me. 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. Hornady also has load data for the 110-grain .357 XTP for the lower-pressure .38 Automatic. And.those Hornady 158 HPs are easy to reload but I have never had one open up in a varmint of any sort. In one or two strokes, the bullet is formed ready for dip lubing. The least is usually supplied as a large cylindrical billet weighing several hundred pounds. Winchester's 231 or WSL are also good powders for the .38 special. Or does the CMP make the rules for DR, and the NRA admins it? Your email address will not be published. I have 100% confidence in my ability to shoot quickly, accurately, and comfortably with the 32, and I also have confidence that, if needed, my 32 H&R loads from Buffalo Bore and DoubleTap are quite capable of doing the job they are asked to do. Think that if a .44 spl. Using bullets from Hornady HP-XTP, Hornady HP-XTP or FP-XTP, Hornady FP-Cowboy, Hornady HBWC, Hornady SWC-HP, SWC or LRN. You may end up with one "not" clearing the barrel. Normal, mild .38 loads work fine with lead bullets. Bullets are .357 for jacketed and .358 for lead in diameter. Its hard to find those swaged SWCs and hollow point bullets anyone; it seems everyone is only interested in hard cast for velocity and penetration. You can always back off to the .32 S&W Long or .32 H&R Mag if you choose to. Enter 38 Special. I burned up about 300 of them before giving up. Your previous content has been restored. The .38 Special remains very popular for personal protection and Michelle Hamilton shares her thoughts on the top loads for concealed carry, like this 158-grain SWCHP FBI Load, based on her testing. Is it more bulky? RN, 158 gr. But I would only be caught dead with one in my hands if I had to use one for self defense (pun intended). Unlike many other guns Ive owned and carried, this little snubby really cant be modified much beyond factory configuration. He loves this gun and keeps it in reach 24/7.