I picked some hollow points up at the last gun show and have been trying to figure out a good powder and load that would give expansion with manageable recoil they will b used in a mod 10 and mod 36 any help would be much appreciated

I like 5.5 to 5.7 grains of Unique with the 158 grain slug. This load is getting into the +P range.

That would be a good load, maybe shouldn't start start with that load, work up to it.

I've used the 5.5 grn of unique load before in my mod 10-10 its a very good duty load but a lil bit stiff on recoil out of a j frame because this load will b used by more than just myself I'm trying to find a good compromise that will give good penetration and hopefully some expansion without +p recoil

I did extensive work on replicating the FBI load a few years back. The powder i found that gave the highest velocity, is very accurate and produces relatively low pressures compared to other suitable powder is HS-6. Don't forget to use magnum primers when you use HS-6.

Here is the results:
4" M686 ---- 2" M640
927.0 -- AV --- 888.9
955.1 --- H --- 897.1
905.4 --- L --- 876.6
49.7 ---- ES --- 20.5
20.7 ---- SD ---- 7.9
17.0 ---- AD ---- 5.9

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

My Alliant data shows 5.4grs of Unique with a 158gr Jhp with 16,100 cup..............and in my Snub nose J frame 5.2grs of Unique is all that I can handle firing all five shots of Lswhp with a velosity of 850 fps.

The old stand by, 3.5grs. Bullseye. BULLETPROOF! (No pun intended.)

Jacketed, plated or lead? What bullet weight?

Don't really feel there are any .38 spl loads that develop "unmanageable" recoil except in perhaps very light air weight revolvers. Shouldn't be any in your steel frame 10 and 36.

Depending upon bullet type and weight will determine if you can drive them fast enough for the cartridge. Generally one needs a muzzle velocity of around 1,000 fps to get good expansion in standard JHP's, some specialty JHP's with wide hollows can be effective to as low as 800 like the Speer 135gr short barrel bullets or the Remingotn .38 golden sabers. You will get the best velocities from medium burn rate handgun powders like W231 on the faster side to HS6 on the slower side. Powders that fill this area are ones like Unique, AA5, Universal, Power Pistol, Herco.

in the .38 spl typical JHP's should be 140gr or LESS to obtain adequate velocity that will ensure expansion and that will require +P pressures. This is the reason Speer no longer lists loads for 158gr JHP's in their manuals, not that the bullet will not shoot and make holes in paper targets accurately but because of the marginal velocity one can obtain from a .38 spl at any SAAMI pressure.

Softer lead bullets of the 158gr LSWCHP variety will expand at .38 spl velocities of 750 to 900 fps. using data that develops those velocities with lead bullets. I use 4.5 to 4.7grs of W231 OR 5.0 to 5.2grs of Unique to push 158gr LSWCHP's at 890 fps + from a 4" barrel and 790 fps and a little more depending upon firearm out of a 2" barrel.

110gr and 125gr JHP's can be driven to the high 900's to 1,200 fps level and will work fine in .38's. With 125gr JHP's I usually load with 6.0gr of Unique.

The title says 158 gr SWCHP.

The standard 4" +P 158 LswcHP load is around 890 fps which is the old FBI load and it will mushroom most of the time.............. this same load in a 2" snub nose depending on mod and maker will get from 790fps to 840fps on the average.
It has been proven that the Federal and Winchester bullets do not expand well at these lower velositys and even the dead soft Remington bullets can fail to open up.
Most loads have a high and a low velosity from 20fps to as much as 60 fps depending on the loads......... Just because one bullet mushrooms does not mean the next one will.
This is one reason the FBI went to the 9mm then the 10mm,to get better bullet energys, expansion and penetration for its officers...................
since many times the bullet has to go through multiple layers of heavy clothing befor it reashes the body of a person, something many don't think about.

His question was a fair one. I picked up a box of Hornady #4431s at the OGCA and was surprized at the contents. Since box was labeled 44 CAL. 240 GR. .430 SWC/HP, I would never have guessed that they were lead SWC/HPs! Not even cast, but swaged. Load data is a precise science-better to be specific.

The guys at Ramshot sent over a recipe for 38spl +P that dupes the "FBI load" using Silhouette and the Speer LSWCHP in a Starline +P case.

For 357, 12.5gr of 2400 is not a bad place to start. Might be a bit "soft" but better safe than sorry.

I have a NOE mold that make s180gr WFNGC-HP and drops them at 165gr. 12.5gr of 2400 works fantastic an is still supersonic at 15yards.

Into a water filled milk jugs, the expansion is just silly...

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with a medium crimp won me first place in my class 2 years in a row shooting 90 round combat matches. It shot really great in my 686-6 AFS and really really great in my 14 heavy barrel. If I shot the 14 in a combat match when I moved back to the 50 yard line I would turn the rear sight down 7 clicks and aim at the goozle on the target and they would consistantly hit the 10 ring and 30-40% of them would punch the X ring.

This is a picture of a target I shot in Pensacola way back around 2001 out at the Police Academy rang behind the dump west of town.


This is a picture of the last match I shot in. But the bullets I shot this target with were HBWC and the same 2.7 grains of Clays and the same medium crimp. That's a 100 round target. 50 shots right handed and 50 shots left handed from the 7,15,25,50,25

Thanks for all your help guys sorry it took me so long 2 respond on here they r lead and I ended up goin with 3.5 grns of bullseye testing it out it does what I need 2 and it doesn't recoil at all which is perfect bcc these rounds are for my 92 yr old grandmother

Your 92 year old grandmother might be better off with some pepper spray.........................

Don't under est the elderly. My dad is 91 and can handle his 38 snub.
But I load his with Wadcutters.

Pete

HERE is what I carry in my snub 38spl!


Soon to be these. Gonna work up some loads after hunting season is over. Should be interesting!

Pete..;
No disrespect intended............
If you can squeeze them,use them...........

Just that our family seiniors are not able to do this.