Pigirondan
Member
Do any of you use Bullseye for your .38 Special 158 grain SWC handloads? If so, your thoughts?
Bullseye and the 158 grain SWC
- Thread starter Pigirondan
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tbury
Member
I have used bullseye for years with 158 gr LSWC. Many people use 2.7 gr but 3.5 gr is my favorite load. Very accurate load in my 6-6.5" barrel revolvers. I use titegroup in my .45acp revolvers and I am sure it would work as well but why mess with a long time standard.
JohnnieB
US Veteran
I have a dedicated Lee Turret plate full of dies with an auto-disk powder measure set up for 3.5gr of Bullseye behind 158gr LSWC (18BHN - tumbled with ALOX) because my 4" M15-3 loves the combination and the rest of my collection that will shoot .38spl ammo, either likes it a lot or at least tolerates it well.
I'm not into competitive shooting, so I'm not looking for the maximum velocity, accuracy or consistency, in fact I'm just an old curmudgeon that likes to put lead downrange and hit what I'm aiming at occasionally.
Basically, it is my reloading equivalency for buying bulk ammo for plinking, but at a much lower price and if I do my part, always in stock.
John
I'm not into competitive shooting, so I'm not looking for the maximum velocity, accuracy or consistency, in fact I'm just an old curmudgeon that likes to put lead downrange and hit what I'm aiming at occasionally.
Basically, it is my reloading equivalency for buying bulk ammo for plinking, but at a much lower price and if I do my part, always in stock.
John
OP
Pigirondan
Member
Model 10 and Model 15. I have a lot of Bullseye powder and I want a Bullseye go-to load.
Hammerless-12
Member
Yep, 3.5 gr of Bullseye, topped off with the 158 gr works very good in my revolvers. Ive been useing that load for years. Another good note is that is the load my wife shoots as well. Very accurate and pleasent to shoot. Enjoy.
OP
Pigirondan
Member
With regards to the 158 grain SWC, is 3.5 grains of Bullseye analogous to 5.0 grains of Unique?
billd13
Member
Since 1980 3.0 grains in a 38 Spl case or 3.5 grains in a 357 case. Been great in a model 14 or 66, and 686 6" and 586 4". Very mild and very accurate.
Skip Sackett
US Veteran
3.5gr of Bullseye is THE load for 158gr LSWC! I have used it in competition for a couple of decades now!
FrankD45
Absent Comrade
If you want to try something completely different, try 3.5 gr of Bullseye under a 158gr LCSWC
Seriously good load in all of my revolvers.
FrankD
Seriously good load in all of my revolvers.
FrankD
From the Speer manual it is pretty close with a 6" barrel using their bullet and a CCI primer.
3.5 Bullseye yields 814 fps and 4.7 of Unique yields 815 fps
Of course all this changes with any variation of components, test conditions etc.
ray45
Member
Don't double charge with bullseye. Weird things tend to happen.
Don't under -charge with bullseye. Weird things tend to happen.
Don't under -charge with bullseye. Weird things tend to happen.
acl864
Member
Yet another vote for 3.5 gr. Bullseye with a 158 gr. LSWC. It's been a standard load for generations... with good reason.
ScottJ
Member
To add a twist to this thread how might the prevailing load suggestion work with a gas-check boolit if I cheaped out and left the check off?
I have a Lyman 358156 (and my first ever box of checks showed up today) I plan to push hard over WW296 for the .357s but am toying with the idea of light loaded and checkless for .38.
I have a Lyman 358156 (and my first ever box of checks showed up today) I plan to push hard over WW296 for the .357s but am toying with the idea of light loaded and checkless for .38.
I have never loaded a round with Bullseye. I was afraid of a double charge, when i started reloading. I used Unique for years to load my general loads. I think I may have missed out on something, as Bullseye users are very loyal. One thing I always thought was that a home caster who scrounged his lead, and loaded with Bullseye, and primers bought in bulk is shooting cheap and well.
Skip Sackett
US Veteran
Exactly!
Some folks worry about double charges. If your process is good and you are consistent, it is a very unlikely thing.
That being said, it still is possible. I'll tell you the powder that scares me concerning the possibility of a multiple charge going unnoticed, Titegroup. I think you could quadruple a 3.5gr charge of it and still get a bullet in the case!
Good process will eliminate a lot of trouble.
FWIW
acl864
Member
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cush
Member
I can't add anything that hasn't been said already. The only two loads I use for .38 Special are 3.5gr. Bullseye and 4.5gr. Unique under a 158gr. LSWC. The Bullseye load gets loaded much, much more simply because it meters better than Unique.
