|
|
04-30-2012, 08:58 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Posts: 29
Likes: 1
Liked 4 Times in 2 Posts
|
|
38 special and Unique
Is there a good load for 148gr DEWC and Unique for the 38 special. Target shooting at 25 yrds. Thanks
|
04-30-2012, 09:25 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Posts: 6,874
Likes: 7,481
Liked 8,135 Times in 3,678 Posts
|
|
The load I have found to be accurate in my Model 64 38 spcl. is 4.4 or 4.5 grs Unique with a bevel base wadcutter. This has a muzzel velocity of about 875 fps. Bevel base bullets are best under 1000 fps so don't try to drive them too fast.
gary
|
04-30-2012, 10:26 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sandy Utah
Posts: 8,746
Likes: 1,590
Liked 8,902 Times in 3,550 Posts
|
|
If you insist on Unique then something in the 4.2-4.5 gr. range will do well. The downside is Unique doesn't meter well, particularly in small charges.
You will do better with Bullseye, Red Dot, 231/HP-38, WSF, Universal Clays, etc.
__________________
Gunsmithing since 1961
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
05-01-2012, 04:04 AM
|
|
Moderator SWCA Member Absent Comrade
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Northeast PA, USA
Posts: 8,877
Likes: 1,029
Liked 5,070 Times in 2,660 Posts
|
|
Sorry but I don't use Unique but if you decide to change powders W231/HP-38 is very accurate in the .38 Special especially with 148gr WC bullets. I charge between 3.2gr to 3.4gr W231 under a 148gr DEWC. Unique is a slower powder and will not burn well at the lower charge weights and pressures normal in a .38 Special Wadcutter load.
__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437
|
05-01-2012, 07:54 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The Great State of Texas
Posts: 5,057
Likes: 524
Liked 1,909 Times in 788 Posts
|
|
For light .38's, I use 231 or Bullseye.
__________________
Centennial Every Day
Last edited by photoman; 05-01-2012 at 10:31 PM.
|
05-01-2012, 08:16 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Littleton, Colorado, USA
Posts: 1,780
Likes: 4,367
Liked 1,054 Times in 506 Posts
|
|
I have had very good results with 3.2-3.3 grains of Unique under the 148 gr DBWC.
OTOH, I hand-weigh each and every charge. You might find this to be tedious.
Although the heavier charges listed above are just fine, I have never found an advantage to them.
__________________
and what his trumpet saith
|
05-01-2012, 11:14 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Soda Springs, Idaho
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Liked 39 Times in 6 Posts
|
|
Don't forget WST, its almost exactly the same as 231, meters well & burns clean, I use lots of it.
Dick
|
05-01-2012, 11:52 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Pawnee, Oklahoma
Posts: 286
Likes: 16,836
Liked 621 Times in 139 Posts
|
|
Shot a lot of PPC in the early 70's with 3.5grs of Unique and a 148gr 'home cast'. (The PD's old Star reloader was set to throw that weight so all the 'team' shot the same load.)
|
05-01-2012, 12:35 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Posts: 29
Likes: 1
Liked 4 Times in 2 Posts
|
|
I do a lot of skeet shooting so I have Universal, Unique, HS6,and 700X on my bench. I was going to pick up some W231 to try but until then which of what I have would work best? Just getting back into shooting my S&W's again and all I use to shoot was light Bullseye loads.
|
05-02-2012, 03:02 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 727
Likes: 1
Liked 133 Times in 93 Posts
|
|
Quote:
I have Universal, Unique, HS6,and 700X on my bench. I was going to pick up some W231 to try but until then which of what I have would work best? Just getting back into shooting my S&W's again and all I use to shoot was light Bullseye loads.
|
HS6 is a bit slow for anything but heavy loads but any of the other 3 will work fine for standard pressure target loads. Data is plentiful, just follow the book or on line data.
|
05-02-2012, 03:34 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Indiana
Posts: 6,628
Likes: 3,725
Liked 7,231 Times in 3,014 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by sixshot
Don't forget WST, its almost exactly the same as 231, meters well & burns clean, I use lots of it.
Dick
|
WST is actually a replacement for W452AA and is quite different than W231 and it's twin HP38. I have both W452AA
and WST and while both are primarily shotgun powders they
are usefull in standard velocity handgun loads. But.... for 38sp
loads if Winchester intended WST to be an improvement over
W452AA they should have tried a lot harder.
|
05-04-2012, 12:47 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Morgan County Alabama -
Posts: 440
Likes: 156
Liked 134 Times in 58 Posts
|
|
My 148-gr DEWC load for overall shooting is 4.8-gr of Unique and a Federal 100 primer. Maybe a bit much for gentle target shooting but it makes a very clean burning and effective small game hunting load, as well as a very good SD load. And it's pretty accurate for target as well.
|
|
Posting Rules
|
|
|
|
|