Speer .358 Lead velocities

38SPL HV

38SPL HV

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Your experiences with this bullet and velocities?

I run into leading with 6.0 grs Power Pistol and the Speer 158 gr SWC (Alliant data with same components). I "clean" it out with a dozen 38 Spl +Ps 125 gr SJHP so not really a big issue.

I typically use hard cast and will go back to them in the future.

Really like Power Pistol and velocities and consistency obtained with this powder in heavy 38 Spl. Loads.
 
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I have tried them in the past. They are soft, swaged lead, and not designed to be fired at high velocity. Loaded to about 750 fps, they shot clean in my guns. Playing around with swaged lead bullets in my .44's, I have found rubbing a little Bore Butter (a popular black powder lube) on them before loading allows higher velocities without leading.

Larry
 
Yeah, too much velocity for the soft bullet. Slow her down a bit and you will get great accuracy and minimal leading.

BTW, "cleaning" the lead out with a high velocity jacketed bullet is not the best way to remove lead. You may just be ironing it into the grooves and could even raise the pressure to undesirable levels, depending on the level of leading. Try a few strands of copper chore boy wrapped around a brass brush + elbow grease or a Lewis Lead Remover.
 
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In 357 I used them with light charges of Clays or Trail Boss, maybe 800 fps or so. All the swaged bullets seem to lead above that unless you go to liquid alox or paste wax as a second lube.
 
I use Hornady swaged 158gr. SWCHPs for my FBI load. I roll the projectiles in liquid alox squirted on a piece of paper and let it dry before loading.
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I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.
 
I use the Speer #4628 LswcHP in my 38 revolvers for medium to +P loadings. I do not load it in my 357's.

I use the Silver State, Xtreme, HSM or other harder lead wc for the higher fps loadings.

No problems so far.
 
I have some Speer swaged bullets and even at 800fps they lead up my 586. Keep close to 750 and you'll get great results.
 
Yeah, without addl lube of some kind, i would hesitate to go much beyond 900fps.
 
The Speer Reloading Manual #14 in the Cowboy Action section , recommends a starting load of 4.8 gr. (850 fps) to a max. load of 5.4 gr. (950 fps)with Power Pistol and this bullet. The soft swaged lead bullet is probably too soft with the 6.0 grain loading @ 1037 fps.
Drop back to 5.4 grs. and see how it performs @ 950 fps.
Gary
 
gwpercle said:
The Speer Reloading Manual #14 in the Cowboy Action section , recommends a max. load of 5.4 gr. (950 fps)with Power Pistol and this bullet.
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I don't have a Speer manual, but my latest Hornady manual has a max of 5.2 grains of Power Pistol (850 fps). I'm running 5.5 grains with my Alox treated swaged 158gr lead and THAT's hot-rodding. 6.0 grains with a swaged bullet scares me.
And my wife says that I'm not easily scared.

_______________________
I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.
 
Tex1001 said:
I don't have a Speer manual, but my latest Hornady manual has a max of 5.2 grains of Power Pistol (850 fps). I'm running 5.5 grains with my Alox treated swaged 158gr lead and THAT's hot-rodding. 6.0 grains with a swaged bullet scares me.
And my wife says that I'm not easily scared.

_______________________
I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.
Click to expand...

In the Speer #14 under 38 special +P , 6.0 grains of Power Pistol is listed as the Maximum load with those 158 lead bullets @ 1037 fps ..... seems "warm" to me too. They may not blow up a +P rated revolver but the leading left in the barrel with those soft slugs is what would worry me.

Speer tested it so it should be OK ...but they also published the infamous Speer #8 and I used that data for years !
I check data with three or four other published sources and if any one looks out of line I go with the conservative data.
Gary
 
Speer also has 357 Mag load data for the same bullet at about the same velocity but using Unique.

I've used cast bullets before with Power Pistol and absolutely no leading.
 
Both the Speer....

Both the Speer HBWC and the SWC are swaged. The HBWC is only for low velocities because of the vulnerability of the 'skirt' to separating from the front of the bullet. The Speer SWC is a little tougher and can be pushed faster than the HBWC, but not much because of the soft lead. I've shot thousands of both of these bullets at under 800 fps and have had NO leading problems. The dry lube that is applied at the factory does a good job. The same goes for Hornady and any swaged bullet.
 
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