I dont miss lubing casescarbide is king! 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. : 1.475" Powder: 6.0 gr 6.9 gr Vel. The 9mm produces about 35,000 psi, The big medicine was delivered by a 1911, but S&W K frames (favorites were Models 12 & 64) took care of everything else. WITH THE SWAGED BULLETS REDDING SELLS A PROFILE CRIMP DIE. In my time spent with the .38, I have come to greatly appreciate it for what it is and does. Thank you for the article. You will find plenty of Red Dot loads there. Josh Wayner is a Michigan native, active competitor, Grand Valley State University alumni, troublemaker, and fiction author. A Tyler T grip would have helped here, but is incompatible w/ factory grips. You need a .357 Magnum revolver if you want to try a 9MM cylinder. The 4.0 grain load is relatively mild recoil and was accurate. Thinking of using it in NRA Action pistol or PPC. I stopped handloading around 1985, so Im not certain how much technology has changed in that area, but in general it sounds like our experiences are similar. Powder coating. 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. Youre describing Remington Multiball ammunition (R357MB)- I used to carry that stuff decades ago. Thanks for your help. I reached an interesting number the other day. Don't worry too much about lead/coated/plated/jacketed. Enter 38 Special. 100 except where otherwise noted in "remarks" Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data. Case life is excellent, especially for mild loads. Also, too light loads don't allow the bullet to seal the gases causing problems. This load chugs downrange at 750 feet each second and functions standard recoil springs with no issue. But I would only be caught dead with one in my hands if I had to use one for self defense (pun intended). Bullseye Handgun Powders Smokeless pistol powder Billions of rounds have been loaded with Bullseye since it was introduced in 1913. A Forum dedicated to the sport of Bullseye shooting, Bullseye-L Forum::Ammunition Discussion, I'm looking for an accurate load using 125gr bullets. My grandkids think Im pulling their leg, when I tell them about the freedoms that NIMBYs took away. Use the lead bullet loads with the plated and you will be fine. 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). With all the loads available, you can surely find one within recoil tolerance. A gun on you always works better than the gun left at home. It is just a guide and the reason you should start under these charges and work up. Do not use anything but light loads and lead bullets in these older revolvers. Dec 18, 2011. Left to right:148 gr. in 158 weight berry's bullet 3.8 grains of bullseye with a taper crimp. That sounds. Using higher pressure loads will wear brass out faster and it will become brittle with time. 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. 7, No. A significant difference in speeds is usually noted. Your email address will not be published. May 15, 2012. kc2za said: Hi All, I have been loading .38 spl with 2.7 gr. Reduce by 10% to establish a starting charge weight. Even though the gun was chambered for .357 Magnum, I plinked and practiced with a lot of .38s over the years. Jacketed bullets are not legal for Distinguished Revolver. revolver, with a 3 barrel, and 4 6 oz. Here's what the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook says for cast 125g flatpoint for 38 in the powders you mentioned. A cold header, at their basic level, are multi ton power presses laying down on their side. My other son fired one shot and handed it back. 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. What are YOU shooting? So it is my gut feeling that Winchester found it to be touchy in smaller calibers like 38 special and 9mm Luger. want me to write up an article about 3d printed .38 special bullets that Ive been working? Only the Model 60 sometimes have factory installed grips that are not worthless. The other .38 Special is a 4 Colt Diamondback. WST for .38 special 125 gr plated bullets, Re: WST for .38 special 125 gr plated bullets. 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. ES 56 SD 24 PMC Eldorado Starfire +P 125 gr. 3.) At 25 you can get away with a lighter load. I agree, an airweight has snappy recoil. Times across steel plate racks and many of my standard drills with the 200-grain SWCs rival my best easy-shooting 9mm results. Min Charge Max Charge Optimal Charge Bullet Make Bullet Type Primer Notes; Hodgdon - 700-X: 125 gr. Ethan Johns is a military professional with worldwide experience in specialized units. The load is a great learning tool in .45 for beginner and experienced alike. hebyta BrianEnos.com The Pistol a Smith and Wesson model 27-2 The goal is two fold. 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! Zero 158 grain swaged SWC, Starline brass, Winchester or Federal primer, 2.8 grains of Bullseye, roll crimp. 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. (Note H110 & W296 are the same as of 2008 as is HP-38 & W231), (IMR 4227 is same as H-4227 if made in Australia), * Blackhorn 209 is a black powder substitute with smokeless like qualities. 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 just dont like practicing with it. But still nothing under 3.5". What I learned after 50 years of shooting and reloading 38spl cases some where around 100 thousands rounds. Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. 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. Unsurpassed for .45 ACP target loads. Hollow points are not. IMHO .38 special is just fine for self defense, but just not enough to crack engine blocks. I am aware of the plated bullet limitations on BE accuracy and am more interested in them for their "plinkability". One cool load Im working on is two pellets of 000 Buck. Berry says load plated bullets to mid-range jacketed bullets of same profile and weight or equal to hard cast. Do you folks think a start at 3.0 gr and work up from there with a 125 gr bullet would be a safe load. In fact, in the past I specifically sought out revolvers chambered in 38 SPL only, knowing I would never be putting a 357 Mag in it (I carried a 4 GP100 chambered in 38 SPL as a duty sidearm in the early 90s). Thx so it seems like for the long line I need to get some sagged bullets. 38 special was also my first cartridge to reload, and one of my greatest loves for reloading to this day. JHP, 158 gr. Not sure how that translates to Bullseye powder. The quality of the loads equals a bargain. He has taught and been responsible for numerous advanced skills and weapons courses within multiple organizations. 38 special is a great cartridge. head I use 3.2gr. The plated bullets feed nicely through my bullet feeder. 2.9 of Clays is soft enough and dead accurate at 50yds. This. 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. Ive also switched from lead to Berrys Preferred copper plated bullets. While I do have a GP100 in .357 magnum, I dont like shooting .38 special ammo out of it, because cleaning powder residue out of the longer chambers is a real bitch. At one time or another, I also owned and shot a M38 Bodyguard (nka the 638), a M37 Chiefs Special (now the 637), a M60 (which is a tad heavier but no more user-friendly), and a couple of others. Try. Therefore, .38 Special +P ammo can be as much as 17.5 percent hotter than standard .38 Special. A 158 SWCHP at 850-875 fps from a snub. 2.7 gr. I SEE THAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT USE THE AMMO FOR D/R. 38 special , bullseye, and 125 grain lead rnfp Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting : The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and . I went from 2.7to 4.0 gr and nothing to speak of. Bonus is the CT #305 grips are both large enough to be actually useful, and can use the laser, or turn it off if you dont need the laser. . My more serious RN is the 358311 that drops @150 gr. 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. There are so many new powders today, its hard to keep up. Paste as plain text instead, Best and most realistic article about the .38 special ive found. The covered blackstrap and extended length Compac design I reckon are major factors in reducing perceived recoil. Never got around to trying the T grips. In one or two strokes, the bullet is formed ready for dip lubing. I don't have a chronograph, but have considered picking one up. I first started reloading 40+ years ago at a Lee Loader in .38 Special for a brand new Smith & Wesson Model 66 I had just purchased. I haven't used any of those powders but I like faster powders in 38 Special like Titegroup and Clays. I fired 3 Remington 125 SJHP 357s from a 340 and thought i had nerve damage in my hand. http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/Powder.aspx?powderid=1, I also have the Berry's 125gr plated flat point bullet and I am trying to find a min and max load with unique powder. IT'S A COMBINATION TAPER AND ROLL CRIMP. Thanks for the start load Power Pistol will run lower pressures for the same velocity than W-W 231. Going up to 3.9 Gr for +P. 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. Dont get me wrong: I think the Smith and Wesson Model 642 Airweight revolver is an outstanding self-defense (concealed carry) revolver and you wont feel/care about how snappy/unpleasant the recoil may be in a real self-defense event. Jack it up a notch and go with .327 Federal Magnum. The swaged bullets are soft enough that they expand even at mild velocities where a JHP or hard cast cant. .38 Special +P (Alliant Reloaders Guide) Warning! I have the shrouded hammer version, the 638, and have been wary of training much with it because of its aluminum frame. Easiest way is casting lines and a sprue mark on nose or base. are you loading .38 special brass, or .357 magnum brass? You may find it will need to be faster for good 50 yd. I have a long way to go before I'm ready to compete, but enjoy plinking and hand loading. The design of this modern revolver makes the SW guns seem archaic. Here is the dillema: The Lyman manual says starting load is 3.2 grains and MAX. 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. 2.7 GR WST IS TOO LIGHT FOR THE 50 YD LINE. HAVE FUN JP. I use CCI Snake shot for two and Buffalo Bore short Barrel 130 gr. However recoil will be the limiting factor especially for the short line. Shoot cast and coated bullets and you can go much higher in load and velocity. Most notably the lighter weight bullets. 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. In the 1950s, 60s. ), I very much wanted to start with some tried-and-true Bullseye loads, but it took an epic scavenger hunt across many months to find a canister of the elusive classic. It'll look funky, but it will shoot. Good thing I didn't go with the original powder charge I intended to use. Nickle cases look pretty but dont seem to take the number of resizings that plain brass cases do. 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. Winchesters 231 or WSL are also good powders for the .38 special. Many reloading manuals also list an estimated pressure with a given load. I miss those days. These types of guns are not as strong as more modern solid frame revolvers. The 357 magnum about 45,000 psi and the std 38 special about 17,000 psi. For me, the 32 H&R Mag is my 357 Mag, and the 32 S&W Long is my 38 SPL. 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. Your link has been automatically embedded. .38 will take care of nearly any critter that needs dispatching feral cats, raccoon, armadillo, even wait for it. is limited to either the various Charter Arms models, or as a training/target load in a .44 magnum size handguns. No. Therefore, the conventional wisdom is that they must be loaded to a lower velocity. When I say that theres rarely a wrong way to do it, I really mean it. Recoil was so nasty that I quit after five shots and saved the rest of the box for my 6 Model 19 .357. RN, 160 gr. Starting being near 3gr - ish. 5 are good choices. I load it almost exclusively though with either a powder coated or plated 125 grn bullet. 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. Also some WSF. My son asked if I wanted him to help, then fired one shot and handed it back. 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. If you, I took the vow not to buy any more AR-15s a couple of years ago. 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. VV N320, N330 and N340 are products of VihtaVouri Oy Company Bullseye is the best powder I have found for 38 special. 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. Not in that order. A handgunner using .38 Specials is set for targets, plinking and small game while .357 Mag.