I am a new reloader and have loaded 45 ACP rounds on my Rock chucker press. I would like to make some 38 special loads for my J-frame since 38 factory loads are very pricey. I do like to shoot the little revolver a lot and would only use the reloads for range play.

I need dies and was thinking of the Lee 4 die set with the factory crimp. It is what I have for the 45 and they seem to work well. Any other dies I should consider?

I see the berrys bullets are cheeper than most the 125 grain flat points are on sale if I buy 1000. Any problems with using that bullet? here is a link .38 125 gr Flat Point - Berry's Manufacturing

Any help and advice would be great, Thanks!!!!

I had a problem with Lee dies but the problem was more with me than the dies. I didn't understand that they have some differences between RCBS and the others.

One thing Lee did well was with a factory crimp die. It puts very little downward force on the case and you can see exactly what you are getting.

I've used RCBS all along.

I have a model 36 that is comfortable to shoot with light loads and an airweight that isn't comfortable with anything. I put a Hogue Monogrip on it so maybe that will help. I got 957 fps average out of the 36 and they didn't smart until about the third shot. I haven't tried out the Monogrip yet.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Both the Lee dies and that bullet should be fine.

As a Lee user I think the Lee 38 Spl dies are a good choice, berry plated bullets are as good as any plated I have used. Check out Xtreme Plated bullets they are good quality, reasonably priced.

When you feel you get the reloading process down pat. Consider stepping up the a Turret Press. Lee of course, you'll be able to product a lot more ammo in a shorter time. Good luck be safe.

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Carpriver.

I have an assortment of Lee brand tooling. I like it all and have no complaints.

I second the notion of upgrading to the Lee turret press once you get some experience, etc. You won't regret it if you do.

Lee dies are the best in my opinion as they make great ammunition and are by far the quickest dies to set up.

My choice for target bullets in the .38 spl is a 158 gr, lead bullet, usually relatively soft alloy and a mild roll crimp of the case. If you are serious about target work, I like the 148 gr hollow base wadcutter, also of relatively soft lead.

If you have to use covered lead, the 125 gr plated Berry's are pretty good. I use a factory type crimp with those.

The soft lead bullet at target velocity would be my pick, but I'm pretty traditional.

My dies are all Lyman. I have the 3 die carbide standard set, plus a factory type crimp extra die I bought separately.

I agree with this and do the same but the Berrys plated will give you a little more versatility of loads but may not be AS accurate but most carefully loaded .38 Special ammo 125 grain & up will give good accuracy - but I'll have to agree with sticking with 158 grain as they seem to shoot most accurately in all .38/.357 guns I have owned.

I've used and like Berry's out of my 9mm. Out of my revolvers I typically load using Xtreme Copper plated bullets. If you don't mind plated versus jacketed, it'll save you a little money (if you don't shoot a lot it may not be enough to matter). The only problem I've had ever with them was trying to reload some 95 gr .380 for my little pocket gun. I had trouble getting a good crimp at first but got it in there and they shot as well as factory FMJ. Never had problems with their 9mm, .38, .44, or .45.

They do run out of stock but this is in stock right now:

38- 125 FP No Cannelure

You should be quite satisfied with the Lee 4-die set for .38 Spl. I use it for all of my .38 loads (and my .45s, .44 Mags, and soon my 9mm).

The only caveat I would mention is that if you're determined to stick with a single-stage press, using a 3-die set (combined seat and crimp) will save you an entire step, at the expense of some fiddling to set the die up. If you load only one bullet, then that's not an issue. If you bounce around some, then it becomes a pain in the neck.

But--I really think you'd enjoy a nice Lee turret press. A box of .38s loads in as little as 20 minutes.

On bullets--you should be happy with Berry's bullets. They're not bad. I would also suggest checking out Xtreme Plated. They've got lots of specials and deals, so it pays to check often. I'm waiting on an order to see if they have a post-Christmas or New Year's sale.

However, if you don't need to use a plated bullet, things get interesting. 158-grain LSWCs are even cheaper, and loaded with advantages. They're accurate and feed easily from speedloaders and strips. With a nice sharp shoulder (usually from cast bullets, over swaged), they punch incredibly neat holes in paper. And they're capable of great performance in any velocity that .38 Spl can deliver, from as low as 500-600 fps, all the way to the limit.

You might also consider a 148-grain wadcutter of various designs. Especially if you're an old-school .38 Spl fan. I frequently get where-did-you-get-those comments at the range.

125-grain RNFP's are slightly cheaper--$32/500 as opposed to $34. But frankly, the 148/158-grain WCs and SWCs are well worth the paltry $0.004/round.

Why not get the 357 mag die set. It will load 38 Spl just fine. That way if you ever get that caliber you don't have buy a 2nd set. I'd go with coated bullets 100% for any velocity under 1500 fps. Just use a lead hardness appropriate to the velocity. For small volume reloading the Lee single stage kit is great.

The only Lee 4 Die set (#90964) does both 38 Spcl & 357 Mag, but not 357 Maximum.

. . .

I like Lee's (4) die set too. One item some (including myself) have had with their FCD's is the carbide ring being too snug, sometimes, which isn't good when loading lead bullets.

I purchase a separate taper crimp die (Lyman) for use with plated bullets.

I prefer Xtreme's bullets over Berry's too. Their quality & uniformity is much better. Berry's has disappointed me on several occasions.

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Waiting for the break of day

Thanks for all the responses!!! I have a lot to learn.

I want with the RCBS single stage because I wanted to do precision rifle rounds. I cane across a good deal on 45acp dies and figured to give it a shot. I enjoyed the loading. The other day at the range I had a riot shooting the j frame. I have not been shooting it much since the 38 ammo is as expensive as 45. Once I figured the savings of loading 38 it was a no brainer.

I might get a faster press down the road, but will need the reloading saving to pay for the equipment I have bought in the last month. lol

I don't know that you'll ever really save money by reloading. Yes, the ammo you make will be much cheaper than factory stuff but once you factor in the equipment costs it may be more expensive to reload. On the other hand, it's a great hobby and very rewarding and well worth the expense of the equipment if you enjoy doing it.

For me 38 Special is pretty easy to reload. I'm using the Hornady die set where the seating and crimp is done on the same die. It's really easy to set up once you get the hang of it and so far the ammo I've turned out has been very accurate. I've also used Lee dies and they've been very good especially for the money.

Very true - and I have posted similar MANY times on MANY forums - get into reloading as an extension of your interest in shooting and NOT as a cost savings measure. The ability to tailor loads for particular uses is something you can never have by buying ammo. Also it sure was nice to have the components on hand when others were scrambling during the 'hard times'. Also it's nice to be able to 'knock out' a few hundred rounds in short order to go shooting and not have to chase around to buy ammo for an impromptu shooting session. However reloading is not for everybody and I have known more than a few who got into it and lost interest very quickly and sold their equipment. Either they were not really into shooting as much as they thought or simply were not 'wired' for the dedicated and procedural repetitiveness that reloading requires.

My experience was that I did ultimately save some money through reloading - not a great amount, but some. I did shoot a little more, but not so much more as to overcome the savings per round compared to buying ammo.

The biggest advantage was the ability to make very consistent, mild shooting rounds for targets and fun range sessions, as well as more conventional, .38 spl rounds for general practice. I also like the ability to make rounds with soft lead bullets that are easy on the bore.

With what I spent on factory ammo it wont take long for the equipment to pay for itself. I figure every box of 38 I load it is a savings of $12.5. But, I do view my time is free since it is a hobby.

The good rifle ammo I like to shoot is about $1 per round and I will be able to load the same round for about 31 cents.

The question is will my loading equipment collection grow like the gun collection, if so Im in trouble. lol

Bingo!

It's the "accessories" that run up the bill in the end.

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Waiting for the break of day

I found Berry's 125 gr FP were the most accurate out of my .38 with a 3" barrel. I also use a Rockchucker with RCBS dies. I do recommend a separate profile crimp die which is a little easier to adjust to provide a light crimp on plated bullets. I have also had good success with Missouri Bullet Co.'s 125 gr RN and 110 gr TC coated bullets for very light paper punching loads. I have loaded all of these with Bullseye, W231 and Tightgroup.

I shoot a lot of plated and coated through my L and N frames. Much less ammo through our J frames. If you are going to shoot a lot with the J-frame then plated makes sense but what I consider a lot and what you might consider a lot could be two entirely different things.

In my opinion and I while we use J-frames (we have 3 of them) for carry, but when we go to the range we might fire 50 rounds on a good day maybe once a month vs. 500 rounds+ per month through our larger revolvers. I would recommend that you buy 100 bullets and experiment with powders/charges before committing to 1000 bullets.

Where I'm at now is going with light 110g JHP and light charges approx. 2.8g clays or TG for a soft shooting round. The Hornady JHP has a crimp ring which makes using a combination seating and crimp die much easier to use. Generally 3 pc pistol die sets come with a combination seat/crimp die.

Lee dies work, true, and on a progressive press it is nice to have a separate seating and crimp die but it is harder to use that kind of die with plated bullets that don't have a crimp ring. This would be what you would be doing if you get the Lee 4 pc set, you will seat only with the combo seat/crimp die and use the factory crimp die for the roll crimp. Again Lee dies work but for a little more money you can buy a lot more quality, this postulate applies to all of the tools we use to handload ammo.

I have three sets of 9mm and 38 special dies and use a mish mash combo of them but in my opinion RCBS and Hornady are the best quality for low cost dies. But it's like anything, some guys have competition dies that cost more than a rockchucker. On that subject, if your using a rock chucker press then consider either buying Hornady or RCBS dies or purchasing Hornady split lock rings because the ones that come with Lee (and Dillon) dies are not lockable and you will have to readjust your dies every time you remove them from the press. This is of course a PITA.

And yes the hobby of handloading has a way of getting out of control quickly so put the concept of saving money out of your head. Still your cost per round will drop by a lot however we tend to shoot more when the cost per round is low. In the three+ years I've been handloading I have purchased 5 presses, 4 powder scales, 4 powder measures and just a boat load of stuff and enough powder primers and bullets to last a while. Welcome to the addiction.

If you are used too Lee dies then I'd stick with that. Don't add confusion by switching brands as they are all a little different in ways. Reloaders tend to favor whatever brand they start with. That's OK. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Not my choice, but I started with something else.

One thing about revolver rounds: The dies will roll crimp rather than taper crimp. This is fine if the bullet has a crimp groove. If it doesn't have a crimp groove the roll crimp tends to deform the bullet. The Berry's plated bullets don't have a crimp groove. In my experience when you reload smooth bullets like that in revolver rounds it's best to treat them like they are for a semi-auto and taper crimp them. This would require you purchase a .38 taper crimp die separately, or pick another bullet.

Does that make sense?

I've shot a lot of the Berry's plated 125 gr. Never any issues from them. My only complaint is the ones I have found don't have a cannelure for crimping. I think you'd need a taper crimp die for the bullets with no grove. Standard 38/357 dies come equipped to do roll crimps. As for the lee dies, I have them in all my pistol calibers and they are just fine. No complaints from me on Lee pistol dies.

I like the 158 grain LSWC from Missouri Bullets for my .38 SPL range loads. They hit POA for me and have the benefit of using less powder.

All My Dies are LEE Brand & No Issues & have had some Sets for 20 Years,I have Loaded Berrys & Xtreme Plated Bullets But Prefer The Lead SWC 158 Grain Bullets (I Like The Way The Crimp is on The SWC Lead)

In the light weight revolvers ( airweights) I have found the 125 gr bullet , plated or cast on top of a load of titegroup powder (using current load data ) has been a very very nice load .
In using plated bullets , you can use the roll crimp die if you have to , just just a very very light crimp so you don't cut through the copper plating . Neck tension is what is holding the bullet in place so go easy with the expander die , just enough to " barely " start the bullet . Reloading is fun , go slow , learn well and enjoy .

.38/.357 dies. Use as is for .38 special. Get a spacing ring to put under the die when you want to load .357.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

9mm is so common and in such high production that it is cheap. I don't save much like that. The more expensive or 'odd' ammo like .357 or rifle ammo I definitely save money on. But as I said before. I reload on the cheap and don't buy everything that comes out.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I gotta disagree. Reloading WILL save you money, especially in .38 Special. Nearly $50 for 100 factory loads vs $13 for reloads is $370 in savings in the first 1000 rounds. That will pay for the cost of press, dies, calipers, and scale. Not to mention making you immune to the next ammo shortage, which is why I started (after Newtown when nothing was on the shelves).

As for the Lee dies, I'm a pretty new reloader. Only load .38
And 9MM. And i use the Lee 4 die sets. Never an issue. I like the crimp die.

Brass is the most valuable part, which is why we like to reload.
Bullets range from about 8 cents to 30 cents or more primers are a few cents. Powder is a few cents.

Aside from this are equipment costs but hopefully nothing will have to be replaced.

Then there are some expendable items like case lube, etc.

When I was working I'd go buy a couple of boxes of ammmo, target and jhp type, nyclads if I wanted or anything. It was available and fairly cheap.

Being on disability income, I wouldn't be able to afford to shoot much.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Hello;
Lots of good advice here! I wish I'd had something like the forums when I started loading. A can of powder, box of primers, 100 Speer bullets, a hammer, my Brother-in-Law's Lyman single digit reloading manual and his Lee Classic loader.

IMNHO, No manufacturer makes "bad" dies. They will all work, and make great ammo!
Carbide dies are a goodness!
Before I got my Lee FCD, about 20 % of my rounds would not chamber due to overcrimping. The FCD reduced that to about 5%.
Since I learned (again) to adjust my seat/crimp die, they now "plunk" like a Bullfrog off a hollow log! YMMV.

If your J frame is the 357 Magnum flavor, per an article in a recent HANDLOADER magazine, XTP bullets need about 850 fps to expand, which level may not be attainable with a 2" or shorter barrel, and recoil may be in the GRIM area, which does little for (my) accuracy. In that case, you may be happier with a full Wadcutter, or Semiwadcutter at lower velocities.
OTOH, you may like that sort of thing! More POWER to you!

There is no wrong way (except unsafely) to enjoy any hobby!

Even if you spent $1200 on a dillon 650, shoot enough & you are way ahead in $$$, even if you only shoot 9mm. $1200 is only about 5500rds of decent factory ammo. So you would amortize your press setup in about 2yrs of shooting 500 a month. Just about every calibers reloads for 50% less than factory. Yeah, i dont save money reloading??

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Lots of good advice here. Saving money? Handloading doesn't save me money - just allows me to shoot a lot more! Same thing, I guess. The Lee 4-die set in 38/357 is a good one. I prefer to seat and crimp two separate stages and the Lee set allows you to do that. As for Berry's... fun stuff but make sure to follow load data for lead bullets (not jacketed) and, as with any other load, start low before working up. I heard a while back that Berry's was going to publish loads but I haven't followed up on that. My experience with Berry's is, for the most part, average accuracy but on at least one load horrible accuracy. To be fair, one load resulted in extremely good accuracy. So experiment a bit with them. Good luck!

The savings ranges from around 50% to 70% across the cartridges I load for, according to my spreadsheets. I account for gas, taxes, everything.

Unfortunately, this means I shoot 50-70% more. Which is what I believe poster Mistered was getting at. None of us really reduce our shooting budget--we just burn more powder.

What he's pointing out, I believe, is that some people get into reloading with unrealistic expectations. They read about some guy mentioning ammo costs him "4 cents a round" and fail to realize the dude's terrible at practical math. The guy's casting his own bullets from wheelweights he scavenged by driving around 4 hours a week to local garages, and using a passel of 250k primers he bought in 1976.

So yeah, you can "save" some pretty brutal money doing this. But ammo doesn't become free, and it takes time and effort, plus even more time and effort to develop the skills necessary to do it easily and well. You've got to enjoy reloading by itself, and work from there.

My shooting has barely increased since I started reloading. 1500 rounds a year, max. I have made enough in the last three years to keep me shooting for the next several years at my rate. And I just keep making more. I reload to save money and to be immune from the next shortage.

After Newtown, I persuaded my wife to go shooting with me (finally!). We couldn't find any ammo in the stores for .38 or even 9MM. We ended up
Shooting a few boxes of premium carry ammo at paper. +P carry ammo isn't the best to get a nervous new shooter going. Never again!