Got a few with 231 & Bullseye. Trying to iron out a load with some old Spear LSWC and either a Lyman 358156 or a 358477. Need some loads to qualify with for CCW in Missouri. 70 rounds each of revolver and semi. Got my semi taken care of. 45 ACP 200 gr SWC 5.0 gr Bullseye. No Magnums just specials. Bummer.

I have loaded several Thousand with 700X and CCI sp primers with good results

3.5gr of Bullseye under ANY 158-160gr LSWC and you need no other load! About 20+ years worth!

I have loaded a lot of 4.5 231 and a cast swc.

One of my favorite loads in .38 Special is a good 158 grain cast semi-wadcutter over 4.2 grains of WW231/HP38. I've found it to be very accurate with mild recoil. I just finished tumbling cases in preparation for loading another 1,000 rounds of this exact load!

For target shooting / plinkin', 3.0gr of Bullseye can't be beat.

Lymans 358477 is a 150 grn SWC. Its my go-to carry round in my 642. I load 5.4 grns of unique. I found it much more consistant then 231.

I like the 358477 as it matches my 148 grn WC target load as to impact with fixed sightes.

The same load works great in my model 64 also.

That's probably my most used .38 load with a 158 gr SWC but two other favorites are 6 grs of AA5 and 6.3 grs of HS6
BT

My Lyman Cast bullet reloading manual listed 4.9 gr. 231 for the most accurate load with a 158 gr RNFP cast bullet. I tried it, and it is. From my 6" 686 it will shoot 1.5" at 25 yards, and chrono's 906 fps. I have no leading, and it isn't uncomfortable to shoot. My bullets come from Robert Green at Stonewall bullet Co.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Hi guys. I'm new to this forum and just started reloading 38/357. I have several years experience with Win231/HP-38 and keep it on hand for 45ACP loads. Since I always have it around I naturally started loading 38's with it.

I keep hearing about these favorite loads of 4+ grains and I'm a little confused. Hodgdon's online load data suggests a starting load of 3.1gr and max. load of 3.7gr, both for 158gr LSWC with col of 1.475. The max. load for .357 mag with the same bullet is 5.0gr at 1.610 col.

Based on Hodgdon's data the .135" difference in col would suggest the same seated depth. So I have to ask are you guys really loading .38 Special cases with 158gr LSWC over 4.2 to 4.9 grains of W231/HP-38? I'm very interested because my first .38 loads (158gr LSWC ~3.4gr HP-38) were less than interesting. For reference I'm putting these through a 4" 686.

Not trying to start anything, I'm just really interested in a .38 load with a little more zing and if I can continue using Win231/HP-38 I'd be very happy.

Thanks,
Bob

I here ya.

I've had good results using 4.0 gr W231, WSP primers and cast 158 gr LSWC in my vintage snub nose .38's. I just loaded 300 rounds last night for a shooting session this weekend...

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"Shall not be infringed"

3.0 grains of Hodgdon Clays. Clean, accurate, soft-shooting. That can of powder goes a LONG way.

All the Best,
D. White

I14th edition WIN manual lists 4.7gr 231 under 158gr LSWC at 860fps, 17,100PSI. I get about 850fps measured from a 4" mod 66, which meets IDPA power factor. I have loaded over 100,000 of these in the last 30 years. It is actually a mild +P.
Proves multiple manuals are a good thing to have.

Yeah, that's EXACTLY what we use here too. We have both the Lyman 150 grain SWC and the LEE tumble-lube (although we generally press lube it) bullet that ends up weighing 162 grains with Mexican Wheelweights. But the 3.5 grains of Bullseye is our standard load, and of course, ANY primer we can get our hands on.

"3.5gr of Bullseye under ANY 158-160gr LSWC and you need no other load! About 20+ years worth!"
Same favorite load, same 20+ years, so accurate it's almost boring.

Hey guys thanks for a bit of info. Decades ago I tried 3.5 grs. BE and 4.2 grs. of 231 with good results. BE leaded and was a little hot. Didn't have a crony. I can scrub lead. 25 yard results. Tidbit.... I was using 1.0 grains of Kapok for a buffer. Really tightened up the group. Kapok stopped the leading also to a degree. Have a 686+ 3in, 19 4in, 66 6in, (2)686 6in, 36 3in, to qualify with. I would like to stick with something that I would carry so it's down to a 686+ 3in and the 36 3in. Have plenty of factory SD ammo to stoke them but want to qualify with some equivalents. Will not carry the 686+ with anything less than 357 mag, and the 36 with anything less than +P. Will load up some of your pet loads and try them this weekend.

Thanks again...

158 lswc cast. 4.5-5.0 unique. works well in every .38 i've owned.

3.5 grains of Bullseye seems to be the favorite for three of my cartridges: .38 Special with an RCBS 38-150; .45 ACP with a 200gr H&G 68 for bullseye; and 9mm with a 124 grain Lyman 358242. Makes it easy not to have to adjust the powder measure on my SDB!

Good afternoon
4 grains Unique... I have not yet shot it in a 38 revolver that did not shoot it well. Just be sure the bullet is at least throat diameter. I prefer .001+ over throat and cast soft-- 40-1 works nicely.

I was gonna say 3.6gr but I guess my scale could be off.

It's a +P load I put in a magnum case. Zilch recoil & POA @10yds out of both of my 6" wheelguns.

Thanks guys for the info. Range trip this morning.

Shot 10 rds each out of a 36-1 3" & a 686+ 3". 25 yards off the bags. Bullets were a swaged 158 gr. SWC probably a Speer that had been tumbled lubed and dated 1974. Got them from my Dad (deceased by 2 years). Have 4K of them left.

Best 231 was 4.5 gr. Started at 4.3 and ended
at 4.7.

BE best was 3.5gr. & 4.5 gr. with 4.5 gr. slightly edging. It is a +P load.

Scrubbing lead right now. Nothing like a little Kroil and a Tornado brush!

Just got done casting some 358477 to see how they work. I have some 358156 and will test them also. Mexican wheel weights

45 ACP... Tested some home cast 200 gr. (Lyman 452460) vs. 185 gr. Missouri Bullet Works. BE 5.0 gr. Missouri Bullet Works edged out the home cast by a little bit!

5.0 grns of unique with a 158 lswc. That was my standard for about 25 years, I then read a bunch of newer reloading manuals, wavered a bit. Loaded some 3.5 to 4 grns of unique loads for a while and now I am back to 5.0 grns.

Accurate, reliable and work great in my heavy duties.

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SWCA 1646

I use 3.3 grains of Titegroup and a CCI 500 primer. Its a good practice load for the 158 gr lead swc.

Let me share this, which I got out of American Rifleman, many years ago:

To get lead out of a stainless (and stainless ONLY) gun, you can remove it chemically by plugging the forcing cone with a stopper and filling the bore with a 50-50 mixture of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. It will bubble and foam and sometimes you might have to do it twice, but it works. When it quits bubbling, it's either done or you need to refill with fresh liquid. Then follow with a clean patch or two and you're done.

I've used this for years on my Redhawk.

Just finished making a box using 3.4 gr Titegroup over a 158 gr bullet

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John 3:17
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3.4 gr Titegroup and a 158 gr cast roundnose bullet gives
very good accuracy in several of my guns.

Been using 3.3 grs. of WST for a 158 SWC in my snub nose. Just a light target load that is fun to shoot. WST is very soft shooting.