Favorite Airweight 38 Practice Load

cabezaverde

cabezaverde

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I just bought a 642, and while it has not arrived yet, I am gathering info.

Anyone have a favorite practice load for theirs - preferably one using cast bullets?
 
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My two favorites for my Model 38 airweight are the same as my favorites for every other .38 I own and are the standard loads of 2.8 grains of bullseye under a 148 grain wadcutter and 3.5 grains of Bullseye under a 158 grain semi-wadcutter.
 
I am currently using a 148 gr dbl ended W/C seated with the first band showing. Sprue up and 3.5 Bullseye. That is an excellent practice load. It ought to be just fine for small game and not bad for SD.

FWIW
Dale53
 
My two airweights are both de-horned 37's and I carry one of them a
lot and shoot either very little. When I do I shoot them with the same
158 gr standard pressure plinking loads that I shoot in all my 38's and
N frame 357's. I want my airweights to outlast me and they aren't much fun to shoot anyway with any 158 gr load and magna grips. I
don't believe that you have to practice extensively with any one gun
to be able to hit a large target at typical defensive distances as long
as you are shooting something on a regular basis. I'm sure others
will disagree.
 
Two of my favorite .38 Special rounds are:
3.4gr W231/HP-38 under a 148gr DEWC
4.0gr W231/HP-38 under a 158gr LSWC
 
The 158 gr SWC over 4 gr of 231 is also one of my favorite practice loads for all my .38 and .357 revolvers. Last year I bought a box of 500 158 gr lead RN bullets that was almost a steal price wise . Remembered using them some yrs back and although they don't cut nice clean hole in targets like the others, they too are very accurate with the same powder charge.:)
 
Last edited:
I'll join the chorus ...

I have a 637 Airweight. Love it. I feed it 158 gr. cast semiwadcutters over Bullseye or W231. Any of the cited loads should work for you.
Recoil is manageable with moderate loads but can be vicious if you get a wild hair and load for bear.
Just not worth it, though: strain the gun just to punch holes in paper and steel? Not worth it.
I wish someone made a mould that cast semi-wadcutter hollowpoint, with gas check, that weighed 140 grs. when cast of pure lead. I think this would be a good self-defense bullet in short barrels.
 
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