Boring Sunday afternoon lets make somthin different 38spl

wheelgun28 · #1 04-10-2011, 05:13 PM

Well like I said in the title, its a boring Sunday afternoon, its kinda cold and damp out. So its time to load some bullets, I need some 38 spls, Ive got plenty of wadcutters and some plinker semis made already. So I want something with some whack close to P+ would be good. So I have Speer 158 lead swc hps and some rn also some Rainer 158 HP. So what to make Ive got Bullseye, Unique, 231, 2400, Red Dot, Green Dot, and SR 7625, no I dont have SR 4756

Maybe some 10 and 10.5 g of 2400? seems like that should have some whack...

Yes If I had some sr4756 id have made them already, the stores are closed, I checked, no I dont want to wait till they open ....

Any thoughts or pet loads

Ill start out shooting theses in a M28

Rule3 · #2 04-10-2011, 05:18 PM

Well it's not really afternoon anymore

I just made some medium load 357 Mag 158 gr LSWC.

I like 2400 so that's my vote.

vipermd · #3 04-10-2011, 05:39 PM

The first thing to do is check that your powder scale or dropper is CORRECT!!! 30+ yrs ago a scale that was incorrect left approx 7.5 gr of bullseye into a case, with 158 gr semi-wad. DON'T do this at home. The rounds were fired in S&W m19, 6". Bullets were hitting sideways,cases required a wooden dowel to remove, cleaning was NOT fun. The good news is that there was not a catastrophic failure. meters/scales are checked before each session. I do not know where pressures were but it was easy to forget to check on a boring sunday afternoon. Be Safe.

cjw3 · #4 04-10-2011, 07:03 PM

5.4/Unique with any 158 SWC is a favorite load of mine in .38 Special.

lebomm · #5 04-10-2011, 07:18 PM

As long as you're gonna shoot 'em in a Model 28, try 12.0 gr. 2400 under that 158 LSWC. This approximates the old .38-44 HV load of circa 1930 that inspired the .357 Magnum of 1935. Enjoy !

Larry

m1gunner · #6 04-10-2011, 09:55 PM

5 to 5.2 of Unique with lead 158 bullets should give you what you want.

Treeman · #7 04-10-2011, 10:08 PM

I've done the 10.5 0f 2400 and it shoots but 5gr of Unique does the same thing more economically.

tops · #8 04-10-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lebomm

As long as you're gonna shoot 'em in a Model 28, try 12.0 gr. 2400 under that 158 LSWC. This approximates the old .38-44 HV load of circa 1930 that inspired the .357 Magnum of 1935. Enjoy !

Larry

That does 1194 fps out of my 6 in. Python. I have shot a bucket load of them. Larry

brucev · #9 04-12-2011, 07:49 AM

Another vote for 5.0 gr. of Unique and a 158 gr. LSWC! When I first started reloading, I started with mild .38 Special loads. Reading an article by Skeeter Skelton in, I believe, Guns and Ammo, he stated that 5.0 gr. of Unique topped off by a 158 gr. LSWC in a .38 Special would give a very effective load that was somewhat more powerful that standard factory loads. He did not recommend using it in very lightly constructed revolvers. I have fired many 1,000's of these loads in a wide variety of .38/.357 chambered revolvers as well as a .38/.357 Marlin lever-action rifle. It is a very good basic load. It is not fancy. It is not exotic. It just simply works well in just about any kind of circumstance, weather, etc. If (and that's a big "if") I get the chance, later today I will be loading up another couple of hundred rounds of this load for use on Friday and Saturday when I maybe, possibly, hopefully will get to go overnight out into the woods for a little camping. Sincerely. bruce.

Jellybean · #10 04-13-2011, 06:28 AM

Interestingly, 5.0 gr. of Unique wasn't even the max load for a 158 LSWC in .38 spl. "standard loads" in Ideal/Lyman manual #39.

(It was 5.2)

brucev · #11 04-13-2011, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellybean

Interestingly, 5.0 gr. of Unique wasn't even the max load for a 158 LSWC in .38 spl. "standard loads" in Ideal/Lyman manual #39.

(It was 5.2)

Maximum in a reloading manual is one thing. Maximum in a particular revolver is another. Approach maximum listed loads in any reloading manual with due caution (voice of experience is now speaking) with particular attention to fired primers and extraction. Sticky extraction is a not good thing! That being said, if a particular listed maximum load shows no signs of problems in a particular revolver... and if you like the on target results... then it's time to have fun!

wheelgun28 · #12 04-13-2011, 08:27 PM

So Sunday came and went. I wound up making shotgun shells instead

But this week I make some of em all.

And thanks for bringing up the 38/44 load as I picked up s transitional a few weeks ago and wanted some "real" loads for the old girl

I also made some 5g of unique

Thanks!!