.38 Spl Load Suggestions

Vigo

Vigo

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I'm getting started in reloading the .38 spl. My plan is to create a mild, but reasonably accurate plinking/practice load. I have pretty much everything I need except for primers and powder.

I have the Lyman manual, but it does not list the bullet I will be using. I will be using 125 gr flat point solid nose rounds that are plated and have a cannelure. Some of the local indoor ranges don't like straight lead rounds, so I got a batch of plated bullets for there.

The guns I'll be using are a 4 inch model 10-5 and a USFA Single Action. Ideally, I'd like to have something reasonably accurate out to about 50 yards without a lot of recoil. The Lyman Manual rates Win 231 and Bullseye as tops for 38 spl. Is that true of practice loads as well? Any idea on a starting load to get launched with this bullet?

I'm especially fond of the Federal American Eagle rounds I've used in the past (230 gr round nose jacketed with what seems like a pretty mild powder load), if that gives any idea as to what I'm looking at loading.
 
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My two favorite .38 Special loads are a 148gr DEWC over 3.4gr W231 and a 158gr LSWC over 4.0gr W231. With your plated bullet you can safely use load data for lead bullets or low to middle data for jacketed bullets.

When using a 148gr HBWC I drop the charge to 3.2gr W231.

I'm using mostly CCI-500 primers with some WSP primers thrown in...
 
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Get a reloading manual, they are full of information.

You should get several, and consult the POWDER MANUFACTURERS WEB SITE.

Asking BLIND Internet loading info COULD BE DANGEROUS.

38 Specials with FIXED sights were regulated for shooting 158 grain bullets.
 
Moonman said:
Get a reloading manual, they are full of information.

You should get several, and consult the POWDER MANUFACTURERS WEB SITE.

Asking BLIND Internet loading info COULD BE DANGEROUS.

38 Specials with FIXED sights were regulated for shooting 158 grain bullets.
Click to expand...
OP said in his first post he has a Lyman manual.
Not trusting load data you get on a forum is always very good advice. I agree, always double check the data for yourself.
 
I use 4.0gr W231 and a 158gr Berrys bullet for my target .38spl load. Seems to work well and, as always, is a lot more accurate than I am.
 
dwpmusic said:
I use 4.0gr W231 and a 158gr Berrys bullet for my target .38spl load. Seems to work well and, as always, is a lot more accurate than I am.
Click to expand...

That sounds reasonable. It falls close to the low end of the range Lyman suggests for 125 Jacketed hollow point and within the middle of the range for a 125 gr lead round. This bullet is similar to a Berry's but has a cannelure added and is 125, which should help with seating and crimping.
 
231, BE, Unique, Red Dot are all good powders for 38 special loads. Right now with the powder shortages, you have to use what you have. 231 would be my preferred powder.
 
Alliant or AA

Alliant Unique or Accurate #5 are good powders for medium to medium heavy loads

UPDATE: I see that you are looking for target/plinking loads. Bullseye and Hodgdon Titegroup are very good for that purpose.
 
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I don't have a 4" but my two 6" like the 125 copper jacket at 945 to 990 fps with Red Dot, w231, Green Dot and Unique.

Any load that will get you close to 945 fps should work for you,
I have gone down to 860 and as high as 1210 with 38 brass in my L frame but the middle loads shoot the best and have light recoil for target work, with only small pistol primers.

Since you do not have powder or primers yet...........
You will need to see what you can find and then start testing some loads. If you do not have a chrony...just stay below +P load data at first and see what happens.

Copper is ok but lead is a lot easier on the wallet if you can find some 148 or 158 bullets with a fast powder with minimum grains for a target load.

Good luck.
 
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For 38 spl plinking loads I prefer a 158 gr cast RN bullet loaded to
about 750 fps in a 4" barrel, a little below most factory 158 gr loads.
The faster powders are best for this load and there are several good
choices and my favorite was the now long discontinued W452AA.
 
Because specific powders are so hard to find currently you will want to have a list of suitable powders. One more to add to that list of suitable powders is Vihtavouri 3N37. It's what I'm using and one benefit of this powder is that it's near perfectly suitable to 38 special and 9mm ammunitions. Because of that suitability it produces velocities high on the chart without exceeding the pressures specified for the caliber. Another plus is that it meters perfectly in my cheap Lee Perfect Powder Measures. Downside is that Vihtavouri powders are rather pricey but powder in the hand is better than no powder at all. Another downside is that currently loading data coverage is a bit "thin". From the burn rate and it's use in 9mm 3N37 should be a fantastic powder for 357 Magnum loads but finding data for that particular application is a bit difficult. Good news is that it has been tested specifically with 125 grain Rainier plated flat points and will also work perfectly with Extreme bullets 125 grain flat points if you add 0.012 inch to the overall length. BTW, that is the difference in length I measured between the Extreme and Rainier plated 125 grain bullets.

Now for one powder to AVOID[ in 38 special in spite of it being listed in the Lyman 49th. That is IMR SR7625, which is my go to choice for 40 and 45 ACP range loads. Unfortunately as I discovered SR7625 is EXTREMELY position sensitive in the larger 38 special case. Point the barrel down prior to firing resulted in a velocity of only 400 fps. Pointing the barrel up prior to firing resulted in a 700 fps velocity. Yeah, that's correct, there was a 300 fps swing in produced velocity depending on how the gun was pointed prior to firing. I was lucky I didn't squib the barrel on my model 67.
 
By the way......

I mentioned Bullseye and Titegroup before. One thing that is good about these is that it only takes a few grains to make a plinking/target load which is very economical. HOWEVER, some people don't like it because the powder barely covers the bottom of the case and it's easy for a double charge to happen. A double charge of fast burning powder will thoroughly wreck a gun.
 
Serves the shooter right if he's so careless as to not check his powder load before seating the bullet.
 
ChuckS1 said:
Serves the shooter right if he's so careless as to not check his powder load before seating the bullet.
Click to expand...

Chuck, you really need to take Karma into consideration when thinking about making a statement like this. Because I've always been told that there are just two types of reloaders, those who have learned from their mistake and those who have yet to learn from their mistake. Tempt Karma like this and it's an invitation for Karma to give you a mistake to learn from.
 
Most of my 38s are loaded for just general plinking/target shooting/fun shooting. I cast my bullets - for a 148 gr LWC, I like the old stand by load of 2.7 gr of Bullseye. I also like the 150 gr LRN from a Lee Mold over 3.4 gr. of Bullseye. They shoot very well out of my 5"pre 10 and 5 1/2" New Vaquero. As mentioned . .. it doesn't take much BE in the case so check and double check to make sure you don't double charge. I load on a 4 hole Lee turret press and use a Lee Perfect Powder Measure attached to the Lee expander/powder through die. It works great and I'm very impressed with the accuracy of the powder measure with the BE. But . . . while I'm very careful and do things in an orderly / anal manner . . . I still check random loads for consistent wts. I started out reloading with BE and I have kept using it as it works well in my 38s and 9mm. I've never loaded anything but lead . . . I just prefer to cast my own.
 
scooter123 said:
Chuck, you really need to take Karma into consideration when thinking about making a statement like this. Because I've always been told that there are just two types of reloaders, those who have learned from their mistake and those who have yet to learn from their mistake. Tempt Karma like this and it's an invitation for Karma to give you a mistake to learn from.
Click to expand...

Well said scooter. I am very very very careful and I never say never.
 
Old hands, artherites and bursites (age 74) so I load a comfortable round for both my .38 and .45 ACP. Just got done this morning with 500 rds of .38 Spl. Loaded 158 grain LSWC over 3.1 grains of bullseye. I've been using this a couple of years and find it very comfortabe and accurate to 25yds. Just my thought!

Mick
 
Hay, if the bullet clears the barrel, it's all good !!

Nothing wrong with light loads.

In my m49 snub I have had the 110jhp down to 629fps, a 125gr lead down to 483fps, the 135gr speer down to 568fps and the 158gr LRN down to 505 fps...........

but don't try this at home....... it just happened and all bullets cleared the barrel. There IS a REASON why they have a starting or minimum load !!

Safe shooting.
 
I like 2.8 grains of Bullseye under a Hornady 148 grain hollow based wadcutter.
 
2.8 grs. Bullseye behind a 158 gr. LSWC works well in my S&W Model 10-8 w/4" HB. Anything from 2.8 to 3.2 grs. should make for a nice target load. My shooting is mostly at 10 & 15 yards nowadays and the 2.8 gr. load cleans the X out of my targets on a good day!
 
I'm using Xtreme 125gr. plated flat points , 4.3 gr. Bullseye, and a CCI #500 primer in .38 special cases. COAL is 1.450" with a light roll crimp. Shoots pretty good from my 686's. Speer #14 shows 4.5 Bullseye with their 125 gr. jacketed bullets for about 914 fps. Please cross reference before using this load.
 
Yes, the next step is getting some smokeless powder. I picked up some primers this weekend and a few more tools came in from Midway on Saturday. Just need powder and get set the thing up now. Going to try to locate Win 231 of HP38 (same thing I believe). I located some data on plated bullets that matches what I've seen here. I am going to supplement the plated ones with some plain lead eventually.
 
Built a portable bench for my reloading rig. I am short on space, so I've gone with a wooden "table topper" you can clamp to a table and use. I was able to de-cap and size a few cases today in a test run. It works nicely.

Still in the hunt for powder, apparently with everyone else, but have some lead 158 gr semi-wadcutters on the way. The suggestions in this thread got me thinking I should have some of those on hand for when I head to ranges that allow pure lead ammo. They're swaged, so probably pretty soft lead. I think that ought to be fine for lower power target plinking.

What sort of lubrication do you suggest for them ( or am I showing my ignorance and commercial swaged bullets come lubed and sized)?
 
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Just did some reloading of 38 special this afternoon. We loaded 158 grain Berry round nose bullets and used 4.9 grains of silhouette. Will have to see how they shoot.
 
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All "soft lead" and cast bullet from the companies are "Good to go".

Load them and shoot them............

I never understood why some think they need a 2nd coat of lube on these bullets??

Never be afraid to ask questions............
 
Nevada Ed said:
All "soft lead" and cast bullet from the companies are "Good to go".

Load them and shoot them............

I never understood why some think they need a 2nd coat of lube on these bullets??

Never be afraid to ask questions............
Click to expand...


Thanks- I contacted the manufacturer as well and they come pre-sized and lubed. I'm looking forward to getting a mixture of target rounds put together, some plated and some plain lead.
 
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