.38 Super velocity testing: Underwood 124 JHP vs Sig V-Crown 125 JHP

The 38 Super is one of my favorites. There are a couple of good articles out there on the best powders for it. My own experience has been that AA#7 works really well with very impressive velocities and no pressure problems. My carry load is a 124 gr. Gold Dot bullet over a dose of AA#7 that chronographs at 1444 fps in a 5" Government Model. This is in there with the 357SIG and better than a lot of factory .357 Mag 125 gr. factory loads that I've seen. Starline brass seems to be the strongest and that's what I use exclusively. This is in an unsupported barrel but I have fired many hundreds of these loads and never had an issue. 115 gr. bullets can generally be pushed over 1500 fps if you're so inclined. I don't shoot these all the time but this does show what this cartridge is capable of when properly loaded. It's a very impressive cartridge.
 
I don't need no 357 SIG

I like niche cartridges like the 38 Super :)

Converted my 9x19 DW Pointman PM-9 for 38 Super so now it does both with just a barrel/bushing change.

Added a few other upgrades to it too. :p

In my checks S-L 38SC brass holds the same amount of water as S-L 38 Super +P brass.

AA#7 seems to be a good choice in my testing also.

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- The PM-9 is designed to use fully supported barrels -
** Some load data shown is above normal published max. Use at your our risk! **
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I was making up some ammo for my Wilson Combat Super-Grade and my records contained a load for the Sig-Sauer 124 gr. V-Crown. Gun has a 5-inch supported 38 Super barrel.

Gun: Wilson Combat Super-Grade Accu-Comp DP
Bullet: Sierra 124 gr. JHP V-Crown
Powder: Hodgdon CFE 6.8 grs.
Primer: Winchester Small Rifle
Case: Starline .38 Super +P
OAL: 1.225 (.995 with Stoney Point)
Avg. Vel.: 1316 fps
ES: 29
SD: 8
Recoil Spring: 8 lbs. with Wilson Shok Buff

A7-A0-ADE5-2935-4-F26-84-CC-3-CC166-B2-F60-C.jpg
 
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I've loaded the Super for ages. For some years now, the only cases I've bought for reloading are the Starline .38 Super Comp, and a few .38TJ just to test. The Super Comp and .38 TJ, etc. cases have been durable, reliable and trouble free in my supers. A couple guns required a minor extractor adjustment to reliably handle all the different rims, but my Kimber Eclipse required no tuning/tweaking at all. In fact, with the appropriate barrel and magazines, the Eclipse reliably handles 9X19mm, .38 Super, Super Comp, 38TJ and 9X23 Win. brass.

Over the years, I've used several medium and slow powders to load the Super, to include the often recommended AA-7. AA-7 works well, but for the top loads, with least pressure signs, I've settled on AA-9. AA-9 approximates 2400 in burn rate. Pretty slow for loading the Super, but 124/125 grain bullets at 1450+ FPS and 147 grain at 1250+ FPS have been achieved in my 5" Colt, Kimber and STI Supers without any drama..

ETA: Chronographed results with Underwood and SIG .38 Super are very similar to what Borderboss reported above.
 

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Here are a couple of test loads from today. Accidently erased the string data from the chronograph. Luckily, I wrote the average velocity readings down while testing. No ES and SD readings - sorry!

Gun: STI Edge 38 Super.

Bullet: Sierra Sig Sauer V-Crown 125 gr. JHP
Powder: Winchester 231 5.5 grs.
Primer: CCI-500
Case: Starline .38 Super Comp (New)
OAL: 1.215 (.995 with Stoney Point)
Avg. Vel.: 1212 fps
Recoil Spring: Dawson tool-less guide rod, 13 lb. Recoil Spring and Buffer Pad.
Rounds: 10
Comments: Accuracy not tested.

Bullet: Sierra Sig Sauer V-Crown 125 gr. JHP
Powder: Winchester WSF 6.0 grs.
Primer: CCI-500
Case: Starline .38 Super Comp (New)
OAL: 1.215 (.995 with Stoney Point)
Avg. Vel.: 1247 fps
Recoil Spring: Dawson tool-less guide rod, 13 lb. Recoil Spring and Buffer Pad.
Rounds: 10
Comments: Accuracy not tested.

IMG-6531.jpg
 
You want Super 38 V-Crown ballistics? Been loading that bullet for years now. Here ya go (no silly race guns allowed):

.38 Super Comp
Sierra 125 VCHP
10.0 gr Accurate #7
SL nickel brass
CCI 500 SPP
OAL 1.255"
Dan Wesson Guardian (4.25" bbl)
1311 fps, SD 9
15 Yard 5-group 1.25"

H4cldgil.jpg


159JnhYl.jpg


.38 SuperComp
Sierra 125 VCHP
7.0 gr Longshot
SL nickel brass
CCI 550 SPPM
OAL 1.240"
Dan Wesson Vigil CCO (4.25" bbl)
1229 fps, SD 7
10 Yard 5-group 0.75"

.38 Super
Sierra 125 VCHP
9.0 gr Blue Dot
SL nickel brass
CCI 500 SPP
OAL 1.255"
Dan Wesson Vigil CCO (4.25" bbl)
1289 fps, SD 4
15 Yard 5-group 1.25"

.38 Super
Sierra 125 VCHP
Factory
Tisas 1911 Stakeout (5.0" bbl)
1273 fps, SD 8
10 Yard 5-group 0.625"

6Jp5VI8h.jpg
 
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Thanks to all for this really great thread, which contains a ton of valuable 38 Super info for a newbie 38 Super reloader! Amazing to finally stumble across all this unexpectedly in the Ammo forum!;)

Cheers!

P.S. The new eventual "home" for ammo derived from this info will be fired from a TISAS 1911A1 Stakeout in 9mm/38 Super: can't wait to see how they perform with those 125gr Sierra/SIG jhps that are so conveniently mentioned!
 
Well... I guess I'll start posting again! I didn't think anyone was interested. I'll try not to use data from silly race guns too!
 
Excellent data…personally, I run a minimum of ten shot strings, makes extremes (ES/SD) more meaningful. Never owned a 38 Super…great cartridge but woefully under appreciated
 
Here are a few loads checked for velocity today. All strings are ten-shots, 6 feet from the chronograph.

Gun: STI Edge 38 Super 5-inch bbl.

Bullet: Sierra Sig Sauer V-Crown 125 gr. JHP
Powder: VihtaVuori 3N37 7.1 grs.
Primer: Winchester Small Rifle
Case: Starline .38 Super
OAL: 1.215
Avg. Vel.: 1259
ES: 23
SD: 6
Recoil Spring: Dawson tool-less guide rod, 13 lb. Recoil Spring and Buffer Pad.

Same load in Super Comp brass.

Bullet: Sierra Sig Sauer V-Crown 125 gr. JHP
Powder: VihtaVuori 3N37 7.1 grs.
Primer: Winchester Small Rifle
Case: Starline .38 Super Comp
OAL: 1.215 (.995 with Stoney Point)
Avg. Vel.: 1249
ES: 66
SD: 18
Recoil Spring: Dawson tool-less guide rod, 13 lb. Recoil Spring and Buffer Pad.


Gun: Wilson Accu-Comp DP .38 Super

Bullet: Sierra Sig Sauer V-Crown 125 gr. JHP
Powder: VihtaVuori 3N37 7.1 grs.
Primer: Winchester Small Rifle
Case: Starline .38 Super
OAL: 1.215
Avg. Vel.: 1268 fps
ES: 25
SD: 7
Recoil Spring: 8 lbs. Wilson Shok Buff

This last load for fully supported ramped barrels only!

Bullet: Sierra Sig Sauer V-Crown 124 gr. JHP
Powder: VihtaVuori 3N37 7.9 grs.
Primer: Federal Small Rifle
Case: Starline .38 Super
OAL: 1.225 (.995 with Stoney Point)
Avg. Vel.: 1359 fps
ES: 31
SD: 9
Recoil Spring: 8 lbs. Wilson Shok Buff
 
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Appreciate your hard work with your tests! I don’t understand why I never purchased a 38 Super; particularly, being a reloader. It’s such an excellent cartridge…it should had been selected in lieu of 9mm for LE/US Military purposes…but the NATO commonality bs stuff enters into that equation.

Thank you again
 
I picked up some Sierra Sig Sauer V-Crown 147 gr. JHPs from Midway - thought I'd post my initial results here. Since there is no .38 Super load data for this bullet in the latest Sierra Reloading Manual, I used a similar load I developed with the Winchester 147 gr. JHP (which has similar bearing surface and length). I'm trying to stay within the velocity range I think the bullet was designed for, they fed great and were pretty accurate. I haven't had a chance to chronograph this load so I've included the Winchester 147 gr. JHP load too.

Bullet: Sierra Sig Sauer V-Crown 147 gr. JHP
Powder: Hodgdon CFE 5.1 grs.
Primer: CCI-500
Case: Starline .38 Super Comp
OAL: 1.255
Recoil Spring: 12 lbs. with Wilson Shok Buff

Bullet: Winchester 147 gr. JHP
Powder: Hodgdon CFE 5.15 grs.
Primer: Winchester Small Pistol
Case: Sig Sauer .38 Super +P
OAL: 1.260
Recoil Spring: 12 lbs. with Wilson Shok Buff
Avg. Vel.: 1069.51 fps
ES: 30.56
SD: 10.86

Ten shots at 30 feet with the Sierra bullet.

IMG_6847.jpg
 
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