New to reloading and I have a question.

[Bill In Texas]

This is my first post, as I'm new to reloading. My question is I've loaded 50 rounds of the Speer LSWCHP in once fired Winchester brass. I used 3.7 grains of Bullseye and CCI small pistol primers.

The Speer Manual #14 says for +p rounds the range is 3.5 to 3.9. I'll be shooting them out of a couple of j frame snubbies. What can I expect? I'm a little nervous.

I've loaded the Speer LRN with 3.1 grains of Bullseye and they shot ok. Are these going to be to hot? Thanks in advance for the wisdom!

These would be .38 special +p. I want to make sure that I gave y'all all the info and forgot the caliber. Thanks for pointing it out TjB101. Also, I forgot to mention these are 158 grain bullets. Thanks hdwhit!

An update to my post. Prior to loading the rounds in question, I loaded some Speer .38 special, 158 grain, LRN, with 3.1 grains of Bullseye, the minimum in the Speer manual. These shoot very well out of my j frames, a 637 and a 640. I've also loaded some with 3.5 grains of BE. I haven't been to the range to try them yet, or the rounds in question.

[Peak53]

That load might be a bit of a handful in a snubby, but perfectly safe. Only your hand will know for sure. Since you have these 50 loaded up, shoot 'em and check against your expectations for recoil and accuracy.

[TjB101]

Until you denoted +p I wasn't sure the caliber. 3.7gr sounds reasonable but would like a stout 357 to shoot them.

[arjay]

Should be ok.Since they are swaged you may get some leading and using them in a j frame may sting a bit

[llowry61]

You might consider working up loads starting at the minimums and work up 10 or 20% with each batch next time. You can load up 10 or 12 of each batch shoot em and find out which load the gun likes and what is fun to shoot. Safe and fun are 2 different things in small frame handguns. Good luck and glad you took the plunge into reloading. It is a great hobby and a lifelong learning process. Be sure to give us a report once you shoot them. Might have lucked into the perfect load.

[Bugkiller99]

I've loaded a 158 gr lswc with 3.5 gr of BE. Shot them in a K frame. Shot OK, but have found 3.3--3.4 gr work better in my pistol. My bullets were cast WW, not Speer.
As llowry61 suggested above, smaller batches with different powder loads will make is easier to find "the" load for your pistol.
Enjoy your new addiction!

[Mistered]

You didn't mention the weight of the bullet but if 158 grains 3.5 grains of Bullseye should be considered maximum. For 125 grain you can go to 3.7 -3.9 but stick with 3.5 with the 158 grain. I am currently loading 4.0 gr of 700X with some 124 gr LRN bullets and this is a nice load. Mostly I am trying to get rid of the last of a can of 700X as it meters terribly and has to be short weighed and topped off with a trickler.

[hdwhit]

Bill in Texas wrote:
My question is I've loaded 50 rounds of the Speer LSWCHP in once fired Winchester brass. I used 3.7 grains of Bullseye and CCI small pistol primers.

It is customary in a post such as this to include the caliber that you are loading for and the weight of the bullet as well as the weight of the powder. From the context, I assume you're talking about 38 Special with 158 grain bullets.

As you noted, the Speer manual you are relying upon shows a range of 3.5 to 3.9 grains, so 3.7 is within that range. For comparison, Hornady #8 shows 3.7 as maximum behind a 158 grain lead bullet.

But I want to point out that proper load development dictates that when a component is changed, the loader should retreat to the starting load and work up from there. In this case, you did not do that.

If you had worked up to 3.7 grains from a lower figure that was working fine, I would probably counsel you to go ahead and shoot these loads. But, since you're starting with 3.7 grains which is maximum for Hornady and mid-range for +p loads in Speer, my advice is to pull the bullets, salvage the components and re-start the process from the starting load.

[hdwhit]

Mistered wrote:
...if 158 grains 3.5 grains of Bullseye should be considered maximum.

Why?

The OP has posted that Speer #14 gives a range of 3.5 to 3.9. And Hornady #8 gives a maximum of 3.7.

Is yours just the voice of experience or are you basing it on a published source? You don't say which in your post. I'm not questioning your accumulated experience, but it is one thing to have Greybeard #1 saying 3.5 is the max and then maybe having Greybeard #2 saying 3.7 is the max and having to decide versus having Gerybeard #1 saying that the concensus of Lyman, Hornady and Hodgdon is that 3.5 is the max.

[fredj338]

Originally Posted by hdwhit

Why?

The OP has posted that Speer #14 gives a range of 3.5 to 3.9. And Hornady #8 gives a maximum of 3.7.

Is yours just the voice of experience or are you basing it on a published source? You don't say which in your post. I'm not questioning your accumulated experience, but it is one thing to have Greybeard #1 saying 3.5 is the max and then maybe having Greybeard #2 saying 3.7 is the max and having to decide versus having Gerybeard #1 saying that the concensus of Lyman, Hornady and Hodgdon is that 3.5 is the max.

Search 5 sources you will get 5 diff max charges. One does not prudently load any max charge without working it up.

[Pisgah]

Alliant recommends 3.9 gr. as a max with a 158 gr. LSWC. At 3.7, you should be safe -- but in a J-frame, you'll be woke up good!

[Nevada Ed]

In my old M49 steel J frame at 21 oz......................

3.4grs of Bullseye with that Speer 158gr LHP bullet at 1.48 oal
crossed my chrony at 670fps.
My full load did 752fps but was no where near my ...........

Green Dot, Unique or Blue Dot +P loads from 822 to 851fps.
948fps is possible, but why...?? !!

Factory loads in a 2" are from 780 to 850fps maybe.
Stay safe.