I really enjoy seeing pictures of members’ S&W Heavy Duty and Outdoorsman 38-44 revolvers. Please share what reloads you enjoy shooting in them.

I shoot very mundane medium power loads. I don't see any point in beating up a nice old gun that would be difficult to get parts for.

In my youth, I would follow the writings of Skeeter Skelton, Elmer Keith and one of two others. SS wrote of a load for the HD that used the Lyman 358156, 38 Special brass and 2400 powder. I loaded a bunch of it and used it in my L frames for competition. When I got a HD, I resurrected the load and it can be a one holer from my revolver.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

I've had an Outdoorsman a long time but use only standard pressure cast bullet loads, usually the H&G #51 160 gr. cast SWC and 4.3 grs. of 231 or 3.5 grs. Bullseye. Accurate loads with mild recoil, particularly in such a heavy revolver. I'm way past noise, muzzle flash, and hard kicking loads.

Ashamed to say that I have both and have not shot them. Should I do so it will be a cast SWC and about 3.1 of BE.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

A 160 grain cast wadcutter , Lyman #358432 or NOE #360-160-WC ,
over 5.2 grs. Unique . This would be considered a +P 38 special load but perfectly fine in the 38-44 HD .
It is also a very accurate load and shoots to my revolvers fixed sights with a 6 o'clock hold .
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

Bought a 4" 1952 vintage HD a couple of years ago and just got around to reloading some .38-44 loads for it...

Started out with a Lyman/Thompson 358156 w/gas check with 6.0 grains of Unique. Have not clocked it but it is an accurate load.

Looked on LoadData.com and they have loads using AAC-9 and 2400 that run up into the 1200s with the same bullet. That is where I'll be going next.

Also have a mold from MP that makes the same bullet and has solid and HP pins. Bought another aluminum 6-cavity mold that is a solid nose and has a plain base.

Whatever load I come up with will also be used in a 1952 Pre-27 and probably a 60-10 3". 1200 fps from a 4" should be able to handle anything I run into....

Bob

I have 2 Outdoorsman and 1 HD and have found 158 g. LSWC over 5.0 g. Unique to have just the right amount of punch and accuracy. It's in +P range without pushing into Super-Vel territory. Get's your attention but easy on the big old guns and wrists.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

Same loads I would fire in any other .38 Special revolver. My HD happens to have its chambers lengthened for .357, and I have fired a small number of .357 rounds through it. Totally pointless to fire hot loads if my only targets are made of paper.

I clocked the 358156 GC 161 grs with 6.0 grs Unique at 1,023 FPS out of my Ruger 4 5/8 inch Blackhawk. Your four inch should do about the same. Very accurate load. They’re crimped in lower crimp groove

Pre 23 ODM for hot Ly 358429 Fed 100 primer , 12.5grs 2400 , lighter 7.0grs SR4756 or 12.5grs 4227 with WSPM primer , 358156 with 13.5grs 2400 or 8.0grs SR4756 .

The 358156 bullet design is the one I have cast /shot the most of . I had Tom @ Accurate Molds make it w/o the gas check . I liked it so much I now have 2 / 4 cavity molds . It's about time to cast some more . For years I used that bullet in a 38 special case crimped in the lower crimp groove loaded over 5.5 grs of IMR 7625 powder . It's one " sweet load " . I never owned a HD . I shot them out of a model 28 , 6" barrel . Regards, Paul

...a nice 38 Spl +P for your valuable S&W Heavy Duty is a 158 gr SWC over 5.6 grs Power Pistol. Gets 950 FPS from my 4 5/8 inch Blackhawk...you’ll pickup additional fps with your shorter Heavy Duty 38 Spl cylinder. This load is very accurate with low SDs and ESs.

Enjoy and be safe out there

My load is 200gn with bullseye 4.1gn for 850-ish f/s on model 20 and 23

Cheers

That’s a heavy bullet, I load the 200 gr in 38 Spl with 2.7 grs BE

My 5" HD spits out a Saeco #382, 160 LFP over 5.7gr HS-5 at 880 fps using a WSP Mag primer. If I use 4.0gr of W452 it only goes 840 fps.