442 Airweight loads

burch

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I`ve been shooting a 140gr. HDY-XTP over H-Universal powder and was looking for a cast bullet to try out. What are some of your favorite cast and copper coated bullets your using in your 442 snubbies ? I was thinking about trying a 158gr.SWC
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Burch
 
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I`ve been shooting a 140gr. HDY-XTP over H-Universal powder and was looking for a cast bullet to try out. What are some of your favorite cast and copper coated bullets your using in your 442 snubbies ? I was thinking about trying a 158gr.SWC
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Burch
 
I use 125 grain copper-plated bullets in my 642 for practice. They kick less in such a light gun and they are the closest bullet weight I can find around here to my carry load (a 110 grain bullet). I really like the copper-plated over unjacketed lead - much cleaner and less environmental lead exposure. Of course, they cost more than lead (especially if you cast your own).
 
Like khclark, I've moved away from cast bullets and now load copper-plated bullets almost exclusively.

They are a little bit more money but my guns end up MUCH cleaner after a shooting session. Also, since copper plated bullets are softer than jacketed ones, you can use cast bullet loading data.

My common training .38 Special load is a 158 grain round nose plated bullet over 4.6 grains of Winchester 231. It's the same that I used when I used cast bullets of the same weight. I use that load in all my .38 caliber revolvers including my 637.
 
I used to handload X-Treme plated LSWCs for my 442 but the fact that I could not put a nice moderately heavy crimp on them led me to shoot hard cast 158-gr LSWCs.

These burned cleaner and shot faster with lower ES/SD numbers.
 
.38 Specials with 2-inch barrels are not known for blistering performance with any load. An old favorite of mine is the 148-grain hollow-base wadcutter, loaded backwards (hollow base forward) over 3 grains of Bullseye for about 700 FPS. Performance in a liquid medium is devastating at close range, usually expanding to .60 caliber-plus.
 
Practice rounds for my (lightweight) j-frames--the M&P 340 and the 360 (new scandium-framed 38 Special on the 357 frame)--are reloads built around two basic criteria:

1. "GDSB38+P135JHP" performance--e.g., a 140-gr. LTC running 860-900 fps.

2. "FBI800" performance--a 158-gr. LSWC running 800+ fps.

Both these rounds were developed with "replica recoil" in mind--e.g., to have the same feel of the factory round. IMO, this is really an important factor, as it allows acclimation on your part to that factory round.

The two basic recipes are the following:

1. For the GDSB38+P135 gr, about 7.0 gr. of AA#5 over a 140LTC (See Chey Cast, and others) works, using a Starline 38 Special Case and WSPs. LOA is typically about 1.450. Chrono'd velocity is at 860 or higher, depending on the temp.

2. For the "FBI800," about 6.1 gr. of AA#5 works. This one runs just over 800 fps, perhaps 815 or so, and feels about like the Rem 38S12.

Accuracy is good to excellent, and the POA does not shift greatly at SD distances (out to 15 yards). Crimp and weight tweaking is needed to fine-tune the load for you / your 442.

Note that both of these loads are at about 20,000 psi, but both are under the CIP max of 21,750 psi for 38 Special.

I've loaded and shot about 15,000 of these rounds over the past twenty months. At current component costs, including new case amortization, I figure it costs about 12-13 cents a round to build.

Other powders I've explored typically do NOT match the "factory feel". However, I now also use Ramshot's True Blue as the powder, but at different charge weights.

The Gold Dot Short Barrel "replica reloads" have been discussed at the THR Reloading Form (either *.org or *.US). A Google limited to that forum with terms such as GDSB, etc., should turn up the threads.

Jim H.
 
I like the 158`s a little better. I have factory Gold Dot`s and think the opening on `em is a bit too wide. Probably good performance but i`ll bet a dollar they`ll clog up when ya need `em most.
 
4.5 grains of Unique under a 158 grain SWC work great in my 642. So does around 4 grains of HP38. Both on the high end but really not that bad out of these snubies.

Use at your own risk! Consult loading guides or powder website to confirm these loads and for OAL and pressure numbers.
 
Ahh come on guys, he is shooting an airweight...not a fun practice gun with standard loads. My thoughts, if you care to entertain...

I have carried an airweight for over 15 years as a back up and now a all around ccw as am not in LE any longer....Great gun to carry, lousy to target shoot with.

To solve, I broke the rule of "Lighter bullet, lighter recoil" and went with a 148gr WC over 3.0 of HP38. Gives me 742 fps at 4800 foot elevation. Great accuracy and duplicates the old Winchester match load of 2.9 gr of W231. Remember, small gun is for close range, not 2 mile accuracy shots.

This load also is very clean and consistant. I shoot it in all 357 guns too. Give is a shot, but be careful of double charges with a progressive press. Not a lot of case fill with this powder.
 
Personally, I don`t like a progessive press. I just use 550 Dillon and has served me well. It`s a hand full shootin` a heavy load in an Airweight. Also, I don`t feel a sub sonic load is needed if you use a heavy SWC. I like the idea of a 148 or 158 SWC.
 
158 gr LSWC over 3.0 of Bullseye is a nice target/plinking load. I shoot it in all my .38's including the 442.
 
small gun is for close range
Yeah, there used to be a side match at one of the PPC shoots I was involved in. 2" barrels shooting at shotgun hulls @ 20 yards. For some that 20 yards might seem like 2 miles with a snubby, but they did it all of the time!

I just shoot what I do in my longer guns. 3.5gr Bullseye with 158gr+ LSWC. They'll thump a bit from the M637 but my girls shoot them so......
 
Originally posted by yellowf4:
but be careful of double charges with a progressive press. Not a lot of case fill with this powder.


You don't have to many problems with a progressive press that auto indexes, where the problem comes is from a press that has to be indexed by the operator.
 

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