38 Spl standard loads - Power Pistol

[38SPL HV]

Does anyone have experience with loading standard pressure 38 Spl loads using Power Pistol (PP) and 158 gr cast or swaged lead bullets?. I have latest Hornady data and have loaded some at 4.7 grs PP with Speer 158 gr LRN. Intend to test soon.

I'm not speaking target velocity loads, but a good duplicate of standard velocity 158 gr lead bullet at or around 775 - 800 fps from 4 inch revolver.

I know about HP38, Bullseye, etc, and have used them in the past, but my focus here is on PP and using it for my one powder need covering 38 Spl, 38 Spl +P and mid range 357 Mag. I've used PP in the latter two applications and it worked great, with excellent accuracy and good velocity.

Appreciate inputs

Thanks Team!

 

[Rule3]

Alliants data does not work for you?

Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide

38 Special
158 gr Speer LSWC Speer 1.44 6 CCI 500 Power Pistol 5.4 948

 

[38SPL HV]

howdy Rule3, do you have any experience with this load?

 

[Rule3]

howdy Rule3, do you have any experience with this load?

Just a thought.

Perhaps you should experience it with your own gun?

Take 90% of the load and work up.

Chrono the data , record the results and post them here.

 

[38SPL HV]

No sweat, I'll interpret your answer to mean that you do not have experience with the load. As I noted, I intend to chrono my load, but was curious to see if others had experiences with standard 38 Spl loads and PP.

 

[iPac]

I use PP in 38spl rounds, but do not use lead bullets. I use either jacketed or plated(better than popular plated bullets).

In my experience, the Alliant website load data is very accurate, and you need not fear loading to their stated amounts. All I use is Alliant, and have used their data for all kinds of 38spl/357mag and 44spl/44mag loads.

 

[38SPL HV]

Danke, iPac

 

[rockquarry]

As close as I've come to your load has been with the H&G #51 SWC (160 grs. ww alloy) and 5 grs. PP, muzzle vel. = 880 fps from 6" K-38. Good accuracy and should be standard pressure load.

 

[Rule3]

No sweat, I'll interpret your answer to mean that you do not have experience with the load. As I noted, I intend to chrono my load, but was curious to see if others had experiences with standard 38 Spl loads and PP.

Feel free to interpret however you wish. I have 8 lbs of PP and have tested it myself in several calibers, What I or others experience in our guns, will not be what you do.

The 38 special is probably one of the most loaded calibers ever and the data and "results" are all over the place

I do not prefer it in the "SV loads" of 38 special as I like a slightly faster powder, PP is better in say 9mm. 40SW.

You, have experience/thread with 38+P and PP. So what is +P , ??
usually pretty close to the max of the standard load. Interpolate from that if you wish.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/483284-38-spl-p-power-pistol.html

Your one powder fits all would be nice but not always the best solution. Perhaps a trinity would work out better.

Along the lines of Fast, Medium, Slow such as:

BE, (HP38/Unique), 2400 (or their equivalents)

The minutiae between different powder in the same general burn rates is not going to matter much at all, unless they come out with a really "cool" name or package design, like tacticool or a Zombie label.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

My old NEI mould drops it's Keith SWC at 154gr.I do not have any experience yet with PP but I know that in my 6 1/2'' Ruger Blackhawk,it comes out at 898fps when matched with 3.8gr Titegroup.It should come out at a little over 800 in a 4''.
For +P,I go to Unique with the same bullet.
I think that close to 900FPS is a good performance for a regular pressure .38 Spl.
Qc

 

[38SPL HV]

You're right Rule3 - the trinity of powders is what I had used when beginning this great hobby nearly 40 yrs ago - Bullseye, Unique and 2400.

Since I'm not interested in loading full magnum loads anymore, I may just stick with HP38 and PP for my applications covering velocity ranges from 700 fps to 800 fps 38 Spl (HP38), 875 - 950 fps for 38 Spl +P (PP) and 975 - 1,125 fps for 357 (PP). These are for 4 inch revolver.