900fps +/- 130gr 38 special short barrel load.

[serger]

I have some 38 130 gr HST jacketed wad cutters that
need to run over 800 fps for proper expansion.

Revolvers shooting them will be Centennials, 442-2,
640-1 in .357, and 37-2.

Hornady 6th Edition, Volume 1, page 747 loads for the
140 gr XTP-HP show Power Pistol at about 6 grains
in the upper 800 fps to low 900 fps range. I should
be in the low 900's because the HST is 10 gr lighter.

I want to use my 6 gr of Herco "go to load" I use for
everything else:

45 acp 230 gr RNL
40 S&W 180 gr LFP
9mm 124 gr LRN
38 spl 158 gr SWC

BUT.... The Herco won't burn clean enough and
the unburned powder would be un-acceptable.

Anyone load the HST's ?

 

[Nevada Ed]

Get some Unique powder or at least some w231for your loading test.

They worked for me with 125, 135 and 140gr JHP in my snubs.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

Check out the following, please.

There is a on target post from square pizza dated 4/2/2019 that ought to get you (the op) started in the right direction... There are a couple more in this forum about this specific bullet as well, but my tablet doesn't let me Search this site for some reason...?

Cheers!

 

[Rammer Jammer]

Those HST bullets are hollow points loaded like wadcutters, but they are not wadcutters.

Get some Unique or Power Pistol

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have some 38 130 gr HST jacketed wad cutters that
need to run over 800 fps for proper expansion.

Revolvers shooting them will be Centennials, 442-2,
640-1 in .357, and 37-2.

Hornady 6th Edition, Volume 1, page 747 loads for the
140 gr XTP-HP show Power Pistol at about 6 grains
in the upper 800 fps to low 900 fps range. I should
be in the low 900's because the HST is 10 gr lighter.

I want to use my 6 gr of Herco "go to load" I use for
everything else:

45 acp 230 gr RNL
40 S&W 180 gr LFP
9mm 124 gr LRN
38 spl 158 gr SWC

BUT.... The Herco won't burn clean enough and
the unburned powder would be un-acceptable.

Anyone load the HST's ?

You require more powder, not less when the bullet weight is lighter. I suggest you use 125gr bullet data for the 130gr bullet if you can't find 130gr bullet data.

 

[SquarePizza]

I am using 5.4gr Unique for my 130gr HST and they are working great. I used the speer loading data for 135gold dot short barrel.

My worry with the 130 HST is the long bearing surface, I was worried about it increasing pressure so I limited my loads to the 5.4gr. Honestly, it seems really mild and seems like it could be loaded to touch hotter.

On a side not, I have also made a mild 357mag load with 15.0gr of 4227 with the 130 HST and I really really like that in my 649. Its a mild shooter.

*edit* I also loaded my rounds to the crimping cannular and not like a wadcutter, figuring that it would make them easier to load via speed strip and also reduce pressure a bit.

 

[gwpercle]

5.8 grains of Unique = 925 fps
This is a +P and a maximum load .
Start at 5.2 grains and work up slowly in your gun.

My pet load in 38 special , in both J and K frame revolvers , is a
160 gr. cast lead wadcutter (Lyman #358432)
over 5.2 grains of Unique .

Gary

 

[STORMINORMAN]

I'm glad you have had good results...

I am using 5.4gr Unique for my 130gr HST and they are working great. I used the speer loading data for 135gold dot short barrel.

My worry with the 130 HST is the long bearing surface, I was worried about it increasing pressure so I limited my loads to the 5.4gr. Honestly, it seems really mild and seems like it could be loaded to touch hotter.

On a side not, I have also made a mild 357mag load with 15.0gr of 4227 with the 130 HST and I really really like that in my 649. Its a mild shooter.

*edit* I also loaded my rounds to the crimping cannular and not like a wadcutter, figuring that it would make them easier to load via speed strip and also reduce pressure a bit.

Just remember that from a bullet performance standpoint the purpose of that specific cannelure is to maintain a bond with the lead core for purposes of bullet integrity after expansion. Personally, I'm not sure I've ever seen any tests of these bullets vis-a-vis reloading COL. Doubt it would make a lot of difrerence, but... Just sayin'.

Cheers!

 

[Tim357]

BUT.... The Herco won't burn clean enough and
the unburned powder would be un-acceptable

Have you tried this load with this powder? How much unburned powder are you seeing? Why is it unacceptable?

 

[38SPL HV]

5.8 grains of Unique = 925 fps
This is a +P and a maximum load .
Start at 5.2 grains and work up slowly in your gun.

My pet load in 38 special , in both J and K frame revolvers , is a
160 gr. cast lead wadcutter (Lyman #358432)
over 5.2 grains of Unique .

Gary

Great load Gary, plenty of punch. I’m partial myself to the 358495 and 3.5 grs BE for a “full wadcutter” load.

 

[Collo Rosso]

I have some 38 130 gr HST jacketed wad cutters

Are these what your talking about? If so, please tell me where you got them. Federal told me they don't sell just the bullet.

 

[pete950]

Are these what your talking about? If so, please tell me where you got them. Federal told me they don't sell just the bullet.

I did see them being sold on gun broker!

 

[Collo Rosso]

Thanks to a PM from a forum member I went on GB and found them. Bought 200 for 20 cents each delivered. That's not bad for a premium hollow point.
serger, what plug did you use to seat these? I'm thinking the wadcutter/flat nose plug worked fine. That's a big hollow point and you wouldn't want to deform it.
Now to figure out loads to get 800fps minimum, but not to fast. From what I saw with tests luckygunner did, to slow and they don't open or penetrate. To fast and they open to early and don't penetrate. If you hit it right they work great.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

Read the previous posts and just go to Square Pizza's earlier post: a lot of info.

As far as the LuckyGunner article is concerned, that was the factory ammo. Frankly I found it to be most positive in both 4" and snub barrels. One bullet with some unexpanded petals doesn't seem too serious to me...? Especially looking at the other ones!

I fire my reloads in a 442, a Model 19-3 & a 66-1 in both +P and at some lower 357 mag velocities with no problems. Not chrono'ed or tested into gell, but certainly no problems.

Cheers!

 

[bronco45]

I've chronoed the HST load in my Kimber 2" and they do 812 from that revolver in factory loading. Expand nicely and is an excellent first 6 up in a Snubby.

Hard to find, anyone know where I can order through the UPS or US Mail?

 

[Collo Rosso]

I've chronoed the HST load in my Kimber 2" and they do 812 from that revolver in factory loading. Expand nicely and is an excellent first 6 up in a Snubby.

Hard to find, anyone know where I can order through the UPS or US Mail?

I was ordering it from target sports USA for about 70 cents a round before shipping. It's been out of stock for a few weeks now.

 

[BE Mike]

I have some 38 130 gr HST jacketed wad cutters that
need to run over 800 fps for proper expansion.

Revolvers shooting them will be Centennials, 442-2,
640-1 in .357, and 37-2.

Hornady 6th Edition, Volume 1, page 747 loads for the
140 gr XTP-HP show Power Pistol at about 6 grains
in the upper 800 fps to low 900 fps range. I should
be in the low 900's because the HST is 10 gr lighter.

I want to use my 6 gr of Herco "go to load" I use for
everything else:

45 acp 230 gr RNL
40 S&W 180 gr LFP
9mm 124 gr LRN
38 spl 158 gr SWC

BUT.... The Herco won't burn clean enough and
the unburned powder would be un-acceptable.

Anyone load the HST's ?

I loaded up some .38 SPL loads with 6.4 grains of Alliant Powder Pistol under a 135 gr. Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel bullet. They chrono'ed right around 800 fps. out of my 2" S&W 642. That charge should put your 130 gr. bullet about the same or a little bit faster. One thing, that you might already know however, is that you can't count on hollow point pistol bullets to expand as advertised, even with the right velocity.

 

[sniper]

No data yet?

Looking at the dates on this post, most at least 3 years old. Is there no reliable data available yet? I respect and consider what the most experienced posters that have worked/are working with the bullet say, but it would be a dream come true for some major source or heaven forbid, even FEDERAL to publish data with some of the more common powders... Universal, Unique, AA #5, HP 38, Bullseye and more. And that with "reasonable" barrel lengths...let's say 1 3/4 to 6 inches.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I did a test with 38 loads with the 130 HST micro bullet in my M49
with eleven different powders.

It boiled down to two powders for best fps and accuracy, in my revolver, that matched a factory loading.

Your revolver might not like these powders, but it is what worked for me, in the 830fps area with a low ES and POA.

I dropped my maximum charge data and you will need to work up
to see what your chrony and revolver likes best.

I tried a 1.22" oal when first testing, that was not a bad load, for accuracy.
However I did do better with the Factory OAL of 1.18" with no crimp
as my best accuracy and low ES loads in my J frame, since the
deep seating of this bullet, was enough to prevent its movement on recoil.

Try either Red Dot at 3.8 grs or BE-86 at 4.6 grs at a OAL of 1.18" for a 800fps loading.

PS:
I consider this bullet with Unique powder at 884fps MAXIMUM
for a light J frame revolver, for accuracy and recover time.

Good shooting.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

Looking at the dates on this post, most at least 3 years old. Is there no reliable data available yet? I respect and consider what the most experienced posters that have worked/are working with the bullet say, but it would be a dream come true for some major source or heaven forbid, even FEDERAL to publish data with some of the more common powders... Universal, Unique, AA #5, HP 38, Bullseye and more. And that with "reasonable" barrel lengths...let's say 1 3/4 to 6 inches.

I have loaded them successfully with all those powders, plus a few more as well. In both 38 Special & 357 Magnum brass, for 2" & 4" applications. If you are waiting for some entity to "publish" load data for that specific bullet...?

Good luck!

Cheers!

P.S. Since it occupies (at an 1.18" OAL) just about the same volume of a 38 Special case as the heavier 148gr lead wadcutters, that should be a pretty good hint at where your starting loads should be... You just have to work them up. And 2.7gr of Bullseye will not get you to expansion velocity, either.