It doesnt appear like there is much of an advantage in using WST with lighter weight bullets. 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. The load you use will be up to your gun. load is 4.4 grains for 38 special and 5.0 grains is a +P load. I dont bother polishing my .38 brass because I just dont let it fall in the mud or dirt. June 13, 2016 in 9mm/38 Caliber. Shot placement is just as important if not more. 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. Unsurpassed for .45 ACP target loads. Unique was a sooty powder so Ive switched to W231. I carry 38 /357 every day have used them in real world shootings. Enough that the range Officer at my range recognized them because the muzzle blast made a distinctive cat whisker pattern at 8 and 10, and 2 and 4 o clock. : 13,300 16,800 Starting Powder: 6.0 gr Starting Velocity: 1,266 There are many fun uses for buckshot. Great to get the Mrs out there! head I use 3.2gr. Horrible 5-12" groups at 25 yds. Like both the .38 and the .44 spl. I don't have a chronograph, but have considered picking one up. What overal length of the cartridge? .38 Special (Using Hornady Bullets) reloading data with 353 loads. 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. These two can cover the entire performance spectrum up to .38+P. Like the author said, I consider it a garbage disposal round as you can load it with almost anything with good results. The jump straight to relatively hot GI hardball challenged many students, and failure to meet standards meant being dropped from the course. Min Charge Max Charge Optimal Charge Bullet Make Bullet Type Primer Notes; Hodgdon - 700-X: 125 gr. Maybe once a year I would reset everything to load up a few hundred .38 Spl for the wifes Detective Special, then right back to .357. The 357 magnum about 45,000 psi and the std 38 special about 17,000 psi. And if youre doing that [shooting 158 grain bullets at 1200 fps muzzle velocity] with a snub.let me know I wanna watch you shoot em. Content . You are being redirected - Shooters' Forum I bet you can find some nice shooting loads with Bullseye. 38 special load question - Bullseye Forum 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. Here is the dillema: The Lyman manual says starting load is 3.2 grains and MAX. And it isnt my first rodeo with a J-frame. My Ruger LCR .357 Magnum is pleasant to shoot even with full pressure loads. Thanks for the guidance and suggestions. My Dad has advanced arthritis and could not longer easily work his auto loaders. 2.) Ive been loading 158gr FMJ with Titegroup and the only problem Ive had is getting the seating depth right after the die locknut slipped. 41 Rem Mag 35,000 As an old bullseye guy I've stuck with Bullseye powder for almost 30yearsusing lead bullets. Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. I guess its out of production now- I havent seen it (or heard of it) in years. Depending on the drill, 200-grain .45s let shooter push faster or use available time to shoot better, with significantly less recoil than hardball. Reloading for it came next and it has since become my favorite pistol cartridge. We look at three classics: one each in .45 ACP, .38 Special, and 9mm. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 38 Special 125 gr XTP - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc revolver, with a 3 barrel, and 4 6 oz. One cool load Im working on is two pellets of 000 Buck. Go figure. Hornady Very versatile cartridge. A 158 SWCHP at 850-875 fps from a snub. Ive been looking for a reason to get into reloading, and am particularly intrigued by the extremely long case life of .38 Special. is limited to either the various Charter Arms models, or as a training/target load in a .44 magnum size handguns. Of course, these will be used in a revolver. We've got some great loads for 158 coated and plated semi wadcutters, and we're trying something new. While I wish I could carry a 5 .45 WITNESS with several 10 round mags, as a senior citizen, the S&W J frame is my user friendly alternate. (This is prevalent among most aftermarket designs- they are smallest in the longest, strongest finger area, and largest at the bottom pinkie area.). Is it considered safe to down load a cartridge that far under starting? Damn. These were one each in .45 ACP, .38 Special, and 9mm. 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. Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. I just got some clays which I heard was very clean burning compare to bullseye. . .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). The fast powders, W231, HP38, Bullseye would go over pressure very quickly with any slight changes, in seating depth or primer change. 9 and others like 2400 that are generally used for magnums). 10,870. Recoil is subjective and I feel no difference between that and an 750-775 fps load. 10 for a full cylinder. Some people then claimed SAAMI raised the 357 Mag to 45,000. I too must be older than my years (35), as I love reloading .38SPL and have a S&W 442, S&W 36, and my most recent acquisition is a S&W 19-5 that is an absolute joy to shoot. But I think I was still loading the cases from that first box when I quit loading 18 years later! And Vihtavouris N320 and N321 fall in this range for burning times. 38 Special Pet Loads - 24hourcampfire Hodgdons Clays, International, Universal and HP38 are good choices. You gotta try the S&W M342 Airlight TI. Tim: The Lyman 49th edition lists the accuracy loads for their cast bullets. Use data for weight. If you havent taken a look at what the .38 Special offers, youre selling yourself short. Youd just be risking ALOT firing it in a .38 framed revolver. 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. Loath and Loathe are different words that mean different things. So you only hang onto the primer boxes loosely? Some medium fast powders would work with lighter weight bullets. That being the case, I truly NEED as much ammunition as possible and the ability to defeat soft barriers such as auto windshields, sheet metal, drywall, doors, etc. Therefore, the conventional wisdom is that they must be loaded to a lower velocity. The 4.0 grain load is relatively mild recoil and was accurate. Thank you for the article. Currently using Titegroup, but started out with, and loaded many thousands of rounds, with Bullseye. You will be, essentially, making 38 Short Colt. My Lyman 49th has data for 125 gr JHP and 120 gr LRN. These are hand loads.. load data was published in Lyman 50th edition.. You may find it will need to be faster for good 50 yd. The 38 Special, practically snubnose 38 Specials, seem to do their best work with bullets right around the 155-160 grain range. But you guys need to practice more. Zero 158 grain swaged SWC, Starline brass, Winchester or Federal primer, 2.8 grains of Bullseye, roll crimp. At belly button range, very nasty load. In half a dozen different sixguns, it ranged from accurate to spectacular. JHP, (WC= WadCutter, SWC= Semi-WadCutter, HP= Hollow Point, RN= Round Nose), (JHP= Jacketed Hollow Point and if GC indicated, means Gas Check at bottom of lead bullet). This represents a great start, and if thats all you do, youll still be far better off than the majority of the population. Extremely light loads for 38 Special revolver - The Firearms Forum Some use powders dispersed in liquids, some use electrostatic guns to spray dry powder on their bullets. Softer alloys of lead are just easier on the machinery. That blunt-ended bullet cut a clean hole all the way through whatever its modest velocity allowed it to penetrate. I just bought a Lyman mold 160 round nose with a crimp groove. Boolit Grand Master. My son asked if I wanted him to help, then fired one shot and handed it back. 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. 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. 7.8 gr Blue Dot 1,170 fps 1.43" Fed 100 Alliant Suggested starting load: 7.0 gr Pressure: 15,700 4.5 gr Bullseye 1,085 fps 1.43" Fed 100 Alliant Suggested starting load: 4.1 gr Pressure: 14,900 So . Soft shooting. are you loading .38 special brass, or .357 magnum brass? I'm planning to use Alliant's Unique powder to reload with 125 grain flat point jacketed bullets from Berry's and Winchester small pistol primers. Shoot cast and coated bullets and you can go much higher in load and velocity. Generally, I'm looking for a load that produces accuracy from approx. When I teach other people the basics of reloading, I teach them on the .38 SPL. I still think highly of the LCR but would shoot only 148 grain wadcutters in .38 Special or .32 H&R Magnums in the .327 Magnum model. 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. These grips seem quite comfortable and afford a pinkie finger rest for improved control albeit with a certain loss of concealability. I don't know what bullets you have, but Berry's recommends per their website to use hard cast data for their plated bullets. Nitpicking is its own reward., I believe the correct spelling is loathe . CorBon Self Defense, 38 Special, 125 Grain, Jacketed Hollow Point, +P, 20 Round Box 38125 Even at hot .44 mag velocities my Super Redhawk has shiny bore with zero leading. In a nutshell & I mean very short version. 38 special , bullseye, and 125 grain lead rnfp - The Firing Line Beginners to shooting can use a full size revolver or their carry gun with light to mild loads to become confident and familiar with marksmanship and trigger control. Dont take this the wrong way; Im guessing the average age of .38 spl fans is about my age (70).