For those duplicating "The Load" who has the lead HP's?

I have lots of regular 158 LSWC bullets

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Still Running Against the Wind

I've been useing the Speer 158 LSWC-HP's buy em in the 500 pack for $38.00. You want to keep these at .38 Special velocities, they lead badly above 850fps or so. I have not done any expansion tests. Also Hornady makes em as well.

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Stay safe people!

Not a SWC, but this one works for me.

Don

I don't know where you would find suitable lead HP bullets for "The Load". I do seem to remember that the phrase "The Load" was coined by Jessie at Tennessee Valley Bullets, he doesn't offer a HP bullet but does make excellent bullets for sale.

If you can wait until about October I'll send you some of these to try:
360160 Double Crimp Groove Gas Checked SWC Group Buy is Here. - Cast Boolits

I'm going try casting these pretty soft, around 8 or 9 bhn and use a gas check. Hoping for around 1000 fps out a 38 snubby with some good expansion.

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Andy

Rimrock has them, they are 5 brinell and have a gascheck so no leading. I think I read where these are the bullets that Buffalo uses in their loads.

Zero also has swaged 158 LSWCHP's.

The Speer & Hornady LSWCHP make a good substitute. The Speer seems a bit softer & more likely to expand @ lower vel. For practice, doesn't get any better than 158grLSWC.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Nobody sells a hard cast Lead HP? I use mostly lead bullets from Missouri Bullet. I might call them to see if they can run any. Any hard cast lead HP would be fine.

ALC684,

Thank you for the offer but not a big deal, I was just going to experiment with them. I have jacketed HP, XTP's and Gold Dots. Just messing around, plus the lead is cheaper.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Not really much point in a hard cast LHP, it won't expand?

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

+1 - The whole reason for Elmer casting his bullets hard was for penetration.

Larry

I would try Montana Bullet Works. Before I started casting my own bullets I used them alot. I think that when I get around to getting a mould for my 158 HP's instead of using my standard wheel weights I will be going with some softer lead. If you cast your bullets too hard, then you will just get a HP that won't flatten out very well. Remember that most hard cast bullets are for hunting, not self defense. If you want a hunting load, stick with hard cast SWC's.

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Vaya con Dios

Question about 'The Load'.

I've seen 'The Load' mentioned in several .38 Cal. threads. Okay, I know it's a soft lead hollow point, but is there any specific powder charge/primer/case that makes up 'The Load'?

Or is it just a reference to 'The Load' in MY gun?

Thanks,

Murphy2000

Yes, you are right, it would need to be soft. Brain cramping.

I am thinking I can get some Berry's plated HP. They are soft lead inside. Shooting out of a 2" barrel I am hard pressed to get them over 1200 FPS.
The only problem is the heavy crimp which will cut into the thin plating, but again out of a 2" snub I doubt that would matter.???

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Still Running Against the Wind

Look here in the notable threads. It is essentially maxing out a 38 special to magnum power.

A brutal 38 +P+ in a alloy frame gun


Notable Thread Index

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Still Running Against the Wind

Thanks, yes they have them, Not cheap though. I don't know what I was thinking?, yes they need to be soft.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Right here. These guys make the bullets for Buffalo Bore. You can get the soft lead 3-5 brineal hardness SWCHP w/GC. Even at a sedate 750 to 800fps they will expand, and since they come with the gas check, you don't have to worry over leading at higher velocities.

Rim Rock Bullets, Premium Cast Lead Bullets

Where and who makes them???

Thank you Sir! Bookmarked the page.

That certainly is a soft bullet. I have fired the BB 38+P ammo out of a alloy J frame and it is brutal.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I make them, in my basement.

Don

Well, that could be the reason I couldn't find them on a commercial caster's site.....

"The Load" is the the Max Load for SR-4756 and a 158 gr. LSWC as listed in the old Speer #8 Manual. It has been the subject of MANY heated discussions on this and other reloading forums. I hesitate to post even that sketchy info as I'm afraid somebody may want to argue about it... again.

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Andy

I have that manual also and it is a stiff load!

I tried the Speer 158gr LSWC/HP bullets but didn't like the results. I do however like the 158gr LSWC/HP bullets made by Hornady. They make a good FBI Load duplicate @~900 fps.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Elmer's "hard" was 16 to 1 less than wheel weights and harder than pure.

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Front sight and squeeze

If you mix pure lead & clip ww 50/50, you'll get a decent alloy that will expand around 860-900fps. The issue w/ ww is the antimony, it cause the HP walls to be brittle & blow the nose off on impact. Pure lead & tin makle the best LHP, very ductil, the HP wall sbend isntead of break. This works well to 1200fps+ w/ the right HP design.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

As already mentioned "The Load"is a +P+ level dose of 4756 pushing a 158SWC from a 38 spl.The other oft mentioned item is "the FBI Load".... which is a 158 grain lead hollowpoint doing 800fps-950fps depending upon barrel length...(usually +P but technically doable at standard pressure back when factories actually loaded standard pressure rounds to near max standard pressure). FWIW, 5 grains of Unique and a Speer 158 swaged HP does that from my Charter Undercover.

MidwayUSA has the Speer 158gr LSWC-HP bullets here:

Speer Bullets 38 Caliber (358 Diameter) 158 Grain Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point Box of 500 - MidwayUSA

I use them primarily in .38 Special, although I'm sure they'd work well in moderate .357 Magnum loadings.

Pushing these Speer and/or Hornady soft lead (without gas checks)at higher velocities will not cause problems with leading?

I guess out of a 2" barrel there is not much to lead up.

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Still Running Against the Wind

If the bullet fits, you can run soft lead, dry lubed, @ 900fps & not have issues. Push the along @ magnum vel & things go bad fast.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I save the lead bullets for slow loads.

If the load is even warm, I go with a JHP.

There NOTHING WRONG with a 158 grain JHP.
...and it doesn't leave the gun a complete mess.

Jacketed bullets in bulk are relatively cheap, and very available.
If you aren't getting expansion with "the load" anyway, I wonder why anybody would bother with the mess and expense of trying to duplicate it. By the time you have gotten the alloy hard enough to avoid leading, you've used enough expensive metal that you might has well have bought jacketed bullets.

You probably will get little expansion either from the bulk jacketed bullets at .38 Special velocities. But, who cares? The .38 Special has been doing what .38 Special does - and doing it quite well I might add - for more than century. Who is to argue?

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WWSSD?
What would Skeeter do?

I've been buying Zero brand swaged bullets from Roze Distributers and have been very happy with both their LSWHPs and their HBWCs. They had been out of stock on most of their bullets for a while now but I just ordered 1,000 SWCHPs ($81) and 1,000 HBWC ($75) with shipping included. I also like their jacked bullets a lot, but they're currently out of stock on those.

To make your own try 20 or 30 to one ratio lead/tin and this mold

Mp-molds

Tried some Speer 158 lswc hp.s over the past couple of weeks. From a clean 638 barrel and at about 800 fps, leading was very minimal and easy clean up. Speer has modified their coating, and it is a good dry lube, not the old sticky mess. Mixing lead and jacketed created a hard to clean mess.

5.5 grains of V V-N350 or 5.5 grains Power pistol under Speer's 158 lswhp gets about 800 fps from 638 and shoots to the sights, without 357 mag pressures.

S&W makes 357 mag j frames for 357 mag loads.

For those not wanting to depend on expansion in their practice loads, Cast Performance makes very good 160 grain FNPB, with large front meplat.