Anyone still using .38 Special brass with the 358156 Lyman dual crimp groove and 2400 powder. I picked up a real nice Ruger Speed Six 38 Special , that I feel could handle these loads. And I have all the components

Cast Boolits Forum is your friend. I run a 38-44 load with the components you listed in my Kimber K6es and my Model 19 2.5". Very accurate, good recoil recovery and hits with authority.

Ol' Elmer did not design the 358156 . His design is the 358429 or 358439HP plain base . I'll tell you his load of 13.5grs of 2400 is nuclear . I use 12.5grs 2400 , Fed 100 primers & the 172gr 358429 . Out the 6.5" barrel of my pre 23 ODM I'm getting 1300fps + . Now days that is 357mag performance & pressure . Most of the time I use 12.5grs of 4227 , WSPM primer & 358429 bullet for 1175fps .

The following is from Elmer Keith's book " Sixgun Cartridges & Loads"
Chapter 11 ....Special Loads , 38/44 Special:
"Keith 160 gr. hollow point sized to .358" . Hercules#2400 powder.
Charge *13.5 grains with either Ideal (Lyman) catalog number of this bullet #358429 (170 gr.) or #358431 (160 gr.) . With both bullets I have used as much as 8 grains by weight of DuPont #80 the bullets being crimped in their crimp groove. Remington **.38/44 cases and primers . "

*Note ...modern testing has proven the 13.5 gr of #2400 is on the Maximum Line ... maybe a touch over that line ...and with today's #2400 powder that charge should be cut to 12.5 grains of #2400.
Elmer may have used old balloon head cases to work up his loads, he was known to "push the envelope" but with today's solid head cases ... work up slowly to 12.5 grains .

**Note ...38/44 cases are 38 special length , not 357 magnum cases . 38 Special +P cases can be used also .

Lyman design #358156 was designed by a man named Ray Thompson and was written about by Skeeter Skelton .
This bullet has a gas check which E.K. didn't see any need for ...
He insisted all his bullets be plain based .
I personally roll with Skeeter on gas checks in 357 magnum loads.

Gary

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Using the Lyman 358156 bullet crimped in the lower groove , loaded in a 38 special case using 13.5 grs of 2400 powder was Charles " Skeeter " Skeltons favorite load . It's a 357 load , for sure . Regards Paul

One of my favorite loads.

Years ago I decided to try EK's load using his bullet , Lyman 358429 (173gr) swc over 13.5 grs of 2400 loaded in a 38 special case . I fired them in my 6" model 28 HP . I had sticky extraction and wasn't pleased with the accuracy . I dropped back to 12 grs of 2400 , same bullet , same case and had no extraction problems and better accuracy . This was just my results , yours may vary . Regards Paul

Working up from 12 gr is prudent advice. For SD I was thinking of soft lead gas checked. Used to cast the Lee 310 gr .44 dead soft with a GC. It was amazing how much that combo mushroomed and retained most of its weight

When using 2400, I like 11.0 grs 2400 with the Lyman 358156 GC SWC. I prefer 6.0 grs Unique with same bullet. Both loads only for use in larger frame revolvers.

I have been using the 160 grain SWCHP cast by GT Bullets as well as its 175 grain Keith over 2400 in 38 brass. N frame only. Worked up from 12 grains until extraction was sticky then backed off. Velocity is 1250 fps+ out of a 4" and 1350+ out of a 6.5", with the 160. I need to chrono it from an 8-3/4" Magnum. Accuracy was great and leading insignificant. Not sure about case life yet but, I don't see it being any worse than 357 Magnum brass. These are my favorite loads.

Many years ago I use the little 38 special cases to load the +P+
heavy 38/44 type load for my .357 Magnum but don't any more.......

With all the kids that have 38 Specials and might barrow a box of ammo from me to go shooting..........
just 38 loads in the 38 cases for me, so they can stay safe........

but they did work and made for a fun day of shooting, back in the day.

I really like it, in a Rossi 92 lever gun.

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I've used up to 11.5 grains of 2400 with cast lead 158 grain bullets in K-Frame Smith & Wesson rolvers. Experimental chronograph testing, a modicum of shooting verification and on one occasion a deer was taken with this load.

It's not something I shoot in great quantities.

Chrono'd loads of 12.5 2400 with Ideal 357446, crimped in center groove, .38spl brass, fired in Ruger SP101, 3" bbl 1158 fps
Same load, S&W 686, 4" bbl. 1219 fps

Went out shooting today with loads ranging from 12.0 to 13.5 increments of .5 between loads, standard primers. None showed excessive pressure signs. My Speed Six and Old model BlackHawk shot beautifully at 12.0 gr of 2400, Thompson 358156, 38 Special brass. 12.5 wasn't bad either . Accuracy went away after 12.5 gr. but there was no high pressure signs up to 13.5, brass just fell out of the chambers. First time using Elmer Keith's 38/44 loads and couldn't be happier. Have had the mold forever , 8lb keg of 2400 and a whole lot of 38 Special brass. And luckily quit a few primers time to get busy and mass produce some rounds.

When I finally got a chrony I did some test on my 158 Lswc that were fired out of a 6" K frame.
I did not have any 2400 powder at the time but I did manage to get.....

Unique at 1014 fps and Blue Dot up to 1024 fps.

In my newer 686 I got BD in a 38 case to get up to 1122 but the lighter loads were a lot more accurate, that were under 1,000 fps.

in a 357 case, unique could get 1320f fps and no 2400 power around yet.
Later I did get some 2400 and got a 158XTP up to 1342 fps, back in 2014 with a 357 case.