Bullets are .357 for jacketed and .358 for lead in diameter. A cold header, at their basic level, are multi ton power presses laying down on their side. Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue. ES 56 SD 24 PMC Eldorado Starfire +P 125 gr. .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). 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. 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. The .44 spl. 5 are good choices. I reload a 3 CA Bulldog in .44 with 200 gr wadcutters, to recreate the Man Stopper loads of long ago. The best part about this is that not only do you never really lose your fired cases, but you they are always in great condition. 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 . I would say I completely disagree with you on ever even contemplating using a revolver for self defense unless you are a person that has never owned a gun and not likely ever to practice with it. Min Charge Max Charge Optimal Charge Bullet Make Bullet Type Primer Notes; Hodgdon - 700-X: 125 gr. So you only hang onto the primer boxes loosely? 2, No. I use 3 gr. There really is a recently developed technology that prevents leading, while eliminating messy lubricants. No benchrest, nothing but two shakey hands holding the pistol. 38 special , bullseye, and 125 grain lead rnfp Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting : The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and . Nitpicking is its own reward., I believe the correct spelling is loathe . You can always back off to the .32 S&W Long or .32 H&R Mag if you choose to. Ammunition is available everywhere handguns are legal. The covered blackstrap and extended length Compac design I reckon are major factors in reducing perceived recoil. 38 special was also my first cartridge to reload, and one of my greatest loves for reloading to this day. I load my 38 target ammo to 3.5 grainsand my self defense 38 to 3.8 grains, when using 158 grain bullets (and Bullseye). Hollow points are not. 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. Upload or insert images from URL. Generally, I'm looking for a load that produces accuracy from approx. Hmm. 357 Magnum 35,000 VihtaVuori Oy Company, reloading booklet (1995) Numerous magazine articles on reloading special calibers and personal loads where noted. Here's what the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook says for cast 125g flatpoint for 38 in the powders you mentioned. Although the .357 cylinders are the same length so they can be timed to a 642. Im not recommending that you carry the Bullseye load, but dont feel as if you are going to tactical purgatory for enjoying this load, either. In the 1950s, 60s. Most notably the lighter weight bullets. Magnum 44 S&W Special 45 Colt 45 Auto 45 G.A.P 9mm Luger 9x18mm Makarov 32 S&W Long (Cowboy Action) 32-20 Win. My M60 came w/ factory banana grips- open back, long enough for pinkie rest but too small in girth behind the trigger guard. 358430 (195 grain) round nose bullet that was used in the old 200 grain police loads as there is always interest in these. One cool load Im working on is two pellets of 000 Buck. 5.) I started loading .38s with a Lyman nut cracker and a home made measure for Bullseye over 65 years ago. Allgoodhits Posts : 726 Join date : 2017-09-17 Location : Northern Virginia Like HAVE FUN JP. Dont take this the wrong way; Im guessing the average age of .38 spl fans is about my age (70). 9 mm, .40 sw, 45 acp, .44 mag. We look at three classics: one each in .45 ACP, .38 Special, and 9mm. At belly button range, very nasty load. in a belt holster at 4:00. And I still think a 158 at 600 beats hell out of a 22 magnum of any stripe. 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. I carry my M642 extensively, but I only shoot it occasionally because it is a snappy little b!tch with standard loads. 3.7gr WST with Zero 158 SWC did the job for me. The reason I love the .38 SPL so much is because its so elastic in function. He has taught and been responsible for numerous advanced skills and weapons courses within multiple organizations. Great gun with the best factory double action trigger Ive ever shot. This Cast Reloading Bullet feeds great in automatics and has excellent accuracy in both the 9mm and 38 Super. I bet you can find some nice shooting loads with Bullseye. I don't know what bullets you have, but Berry's recommends per their website to use hard cast data for their plated bullets. A little shopping around might do better, as would casting the lead bullets. Paste as plain text instead, Ive loaded some wadcutters to the point of being flush with the case mouth and big lead bullets almost to the front of the cylinder. I don't have a chronograph, but have considered picking one up. You will be, essentially, making 38 Short Colt. 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. 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. My hand ached for a week. I tried 10 shots of each: 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7. BTW, I wish I had any one of those three revolvers today. defensive ammo. A bullet with a copper gas check or copper plating is best for INDOOR ranges to keep lead vapors out of the air. Choosing a bullet Does anyone have experience with loading WST for 125 gr plates bullets or a place to start the research/testing? I load my own, 130 gr RNFP using Win 231 powder a little over the mid point in the published load data. Normal 38 spell loads for as long as I can remember were never loaded less than 800FPS and I have loaded for revolvers and autos such as my S&W mod 52 that only shoots flush wadcutters. Im a big fan of .32 revolvers, I do think they are a superior choice for carrying and shooting than .38 is, but that doesnt mean I think .38 or .357 sucks, I just dont think theyre the best choices for a small frame revolver. I really enjoy Trail Boss and use it extensively for plain lead and plated bullets. I have experimented with both of Hornadys 200-grain semiwadcutters in this load: the more button-nosed SWC and the longer Combat/Target (C/T) version. JHP (now discontinued) 5 rounds . 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. 750-850fps. Last I looked still available at Brownells. Home About Partners Contact. Classic loads are economical. A handgunner using .38 Specials is set for targets, plinking and small game while .357 Mag. Ive been shooting them for 50 years. Two years into my second century a Colt MK IV Series 80 LTWT Commander 45 ACP still delivers the big medicine, but I have become enthralled with a new wheel gun- a Charter Arms Professional 32 H&R Magnum. (Same issue found with a 12 oz. Wes, SASS Wire rules prohibit posting specific load data on the forum, but it can be passed along via private message or email. Installed some wood boot grips, modified them with grooves at the bottom of each side panel, similar to those on Pach. Has anyone loaded 38 special with these compoments? 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. I dont miss lubing casescarbide is king! 3 gr of WST in a 38 spl case with 125 gr plated bullet is a very light load. Minnesota. I agree with your .38 Special assessment points for the very same reasons. Clear editor. Pasted as rich text. (Patrick Sweeney photo) September 15, 2021 By Michelle Hamilton, Field Editor. Jack it up a notch and go with .327 Federal Magnum. I use Bullseye powder but it's about the same burn rate. DISTINGUISHED LOADS SUCK - Distinguished Revolver loads that don't suck? The .38 Special is the most popular of all centerfire revolver cartridges. Ok, will the bullet easily pass thru the cylinder throat, if so, you need the next larger size bullet dia. Nothing, they dont need any. NULLI SECUNDUS. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For me, the 32 H&R Mag is my 357 Mag, and the 32 S&W Long is my 38 SPL. Hornady WAP, WMR, WSF, WSL, 760, 748, 231 and 540 are products of Winchester, Components Div. The 4.0 grain load is relatively mild recoil and was accurate. I found the plated wadcutters to have NO accuracy. Bullseye 3.2gr / 763fps --> 4.2gr / 892fps (max), Unique 4.3gr / 773fps --> 5.3gr / 944fps (max), 231 3.9gr / 733fps --> 4.8gr / 896pfs (max). They are low because of swaged bullets. If you can follow simple instructions, you can safely load this cartridge. My personal loads for practice replicate my carry. They have a large selection about the hard cast loads from 90 to 170 gains. 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. 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. This gun now wears factory synthetic grips which are decent but could use more girth behind the trigger guard. swatmag.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Agree Problem with the J frame S&W is the grips. I'm seating to what's in my loading manual. 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. What I have found most remarkable is how well some pistols that typically fling wide groups have clustered the semiwadcutters. Reduce by 10% to establish a starting charge weight. each bullet is different for oal due to a crimp groove on most. 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. .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. No offense sir but those charges look low for Unique. Josh Wayner is a Michigan native, active competitor, Grand Valley State University alumni, troublemaker, and fiction author. Good point Len. Robert Frost. I like Bullseye in the 38 Special, and it was a consistent performer with the 125 grain bullets. * All PLUS P loads for guns designed for it (20,000 PSI), (Cowboy loads shot in 7 1/2 bbl.revolver no need to reduce), ALL THESE LOADS ARE PLUS P, SPECIAL HOT 21,000 PSI. Thanks very much to LarryinTX for that! There seems to be a dearth of information using WST powder for the 38 Spl cartridge. Yeah no. Load manuals often advise against downloading .38 Special jacketed loads to prevent squibs, especially the 110 and 125 grain bullets. I keep thinking about trading it for a Model 27 or, maybe, one of the new Pythons for extra weight. May 15, 2012. kc2za said: Hi All, I have been loading .38 spl with 2.7 gr. I don't completely understand the physics behind it. For those who have issues using auto pistils, due ti arthritis or other medical issues with the hands an LCR or 642 is a great choice. 110gr JHP! Notes: primer: CCI 500; case: Speer; NOTE: All loads are maximum. You can fit 7.1gr of powder under the 125gn JHP bullet? 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. Stylish But Serious: Kimber Super Carry Pro, Survival Savvy: Gearing Up for the Next Level, Force Multiplier: Knife and Gun Integration. Hehe, back before Nick skimmed down. I have found that if you go down too low in charge you will have some ignition issues occasionally. I agree, an airweight has snappy recoil. I have a long way to go before I'm ready to compete, but enjoy plinking and hand loading. The cartridge offers a great deal of zest and has thousands of possible load combinations. That one Ill keep. Really interested in getting the. Components add up to far less than even generic grade factory ammo. But for plinking, they'd be fine. of Bullseye with Lee's 125gr RN mold in a 38 special with so-so accuracy. My Reloading Manual for .38 Special has plenty of data for 125 gr JHP, and 125 gr JFP for Scot Powders/Vhitavuori, but nothing for Unique/W231/Bullseye. 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. more weight than the similar size CA .44 Bulldog, were available, a lot more people would also like the .44 spl. Good thing I didn't go with the original powder charge I intended to use. 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. If youre recoil averse (and dont have a disability of some kind), its because you havent shot it enough. There is one good reason to use WST. I'm not looking to blow up my old model 10. This wire is then fed into a machine called a cold header. 38 special is a great cartridge. With the powders you listed I would try Bullseye, 231, and Unique in that order. Modern .38 spl std HP load is more than enough, dont over think it. Times across steel plate racks and many of my standard drills with the 200-grain SWCs rival my best easy-shooting 9mm results. I believe this particular bullet is meant for the 9mm,but drops at 358. WST seems like such a good powder in .45 ACP that I thought I might try it. Lucky me. And.those Hornady 158 HPs are easy to reload but I have never had one open up in a varmint of any sort. Where many shooters quickly tire of even standard-pressure .38 in the little five-shooters, the wadcutter invites cylinder after cylinder of practice. 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. Hodgdon gives starting load of 4.0 grains and 4.4 grains MAX. 6.) Your previous content has been restored. These grips seem quite comfortable and afford a pinkie finger rest for improved control albeit with a certain loss of concealability. hebyta My more serious RN is the 358311 that drops @150 gr. Interesting. is limited to either the various Charter Arms models, or as a training/target load in a .44 magnum size handguns. VV N320, N330 and N340 are products of VihtaVouri Oy Company *WAP is not best choice for .38 special, too slow and inconsistent. Regulator, SBSS #2255, Pawnee Station, Ro I & II. This is an easy-shooting load that can cause some power-philes to tusk-tusk and comment. 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. YouTube has plenty of reloading channels or the Reloaders Network webpage has more info as well. As a young man, I came into a couple of cases of hand-me-down factory mid-range wadcutters. It is also one of the most pleasurable loads a shooter can touch off. Youd just be risking ALOT firing it in a .38 framed revolver. No. The Charter Arms .44 models are potential CCWs, but are too light to properly handle the .44 spl. If she had shot more, I would have probably bought another set of dies, to prevent the need for changing adjustments between the two. A longer case, with have a tighter crimp them a shorter one, what will lead to variations in pressure, and accuracy. Unlike many other guns Ive owned and carried, this little snubby really cant be modified much beyond factory configuration. I only wish the brass was more available locally. 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. Don't worry too much about lead/coated/plated/jacketed. I guess its out of production now- I havent seen it (or heard of it) in years. I am way shy of 70 years old and I love me some .38 Special. How Do I Choose Good Self-Defense Ammo For My Handgun? I have tested both brass and nickel-plated cases using mild loadings and have not yet worn out a case. Soft shooting. Most DNR (Do Not Reduce) loads are well over 900-fps. 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 think the 158 lrn is more accurate then the swc but that's just me. Great Cast Lead Bullet for IDPA. 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. This post was originally published in 2018. This load tends to clock about 670 feet-per-second (fps) give or take 20, depending on the exact brand of wadcutter and the revolver its fired in. The pistol or revolver of good quality is vital. Load it like Trail Boss. 7, No. Im also impressed by the apparent durability of your Airweight J-frame. The SP101 is far more comfortable to shoot but not so much fun to carry. You have entered an incorrect email address! Just got back into reloading 38 special again after a long hiatus with no revolver, and was instantly reminded of what a joy it is to reload. Sorry I can't be of more help, but I use 158 grain coated RNFP and don't use any of those powders that you list. September 2015 S.W.A.T. I thought about trying 2.5 gr. Even though the gun was chambered for .357 Magnum, I plinked and practiced with a lot of .38s over the years. Not as easy to find brass these days as it is not the most popular round anymore. Yes, I had no issues with the 38 SPL, but the 32 is just more FUN- especially when I get seven shots of it in a revolver the size of J frame! .38 Special (Alliant Data) Warning! SWC+GC, would also bridge the gap that the .38 versus .357 have in defensive loads. I bought him as a gift a 642 with the black rubber grips, a few speedloaders w/big knob tops, and Hornady 125 grain FTX loads. Congratulations on spelling loath right. These were one each in .45 ACP, .38 Special, and 9mm. Honestly, plated bullets won't give you the level of accuracy needed for bullseye competition, even at 25 yards. 2) Ammo that would work in the Air Force's Air Crewman Colt's and Smith and Wesson revolvers that had weak alloy cylinders. Don't know of any bullets like that. So if you find a "lead" load it is also a plated load. 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. Haven't tried it in the Colt Officer's Model Match yet. Here is the dillema: The Lyman manual says starting load is 3.2 grains and MAX. I do this for my .357s but this article is about .38 Special loads. I was hoping I could use this combo to make use of available components. 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. Ive also switched from lead to Berrys Preferred copper plated bullets. This 1911 halved its normal so-so accuracy with 200-grain Hornady C/T SWC, shooting this nice two-inch group. Compac for my little finger to wrap around under the butt. I recently bought trail boss and it runs fine out of my 14-3. Recoil is mild enough that for many years it was the golden choice for the next introductory step for young or new shooters after rimfire. . June 13, 2016 in 9mm/38 Caliber. Case life is excellent, especially for mild loads. 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.

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