Need Accurate load for 64-8 3 inch

[Roy8202]

Recently purchased a S&W 64-8 3 inch. The loads I have used with my other 38 Spl guns in 4 inch a 125bullet with 4.1 of 231, are good in the 4 inch but not good in the 3 inch. Has been suggested to reload a heaver bullet.

Any suggestions for a good load in a 3 inch gun using 231 or BullsEye powder? Would appreciate ideas with the 158 gr and 125 gr bullets.

Thanks

 

[Dvus]

I use a Missouri Bullet Co. 158 gr. Keith style bullet over 3.4 gr. Winchester 231. Accurate in most all of my .38 revolvers. 3.4 grains is a midrange load and can be tuned up or down a tiny bit as your gun prefers.

 

[rockquarry]

I only use a 160 grain cast SWC in .38s. Try 4 grs. 231 (MV = 815 in 4" M64) or 3.5 grs. Bullseye (MV = 845 in 4" M64). I've found the Bullseye load just a hair more accurate, but these are popular loads that are accurate in a variety of guns if you have good bullet fit. I don't know about jacketed bullets, but suspect they may not be quite as accurate.

I think there's a good chance the heavier bullet will likely outshoot the 125 gr., but only a guess as I've had no experience with the 125.

 

[HKSmith]

The barrel length of a revolver does not affect its intrinsic accuracy. However, shorter sight radius adversely affects your ability to accurately line up the front rear sights so that short barrel guns appear to be harder to shoot accurately. There are many variables that affect the accuracy of a revolver, so I don’t think anyone will be able to tell you that a specific load will shoot better in a 3 inch barrel gun than a 4 inch barrel gun. I have reloaded thousands of 38 special rounds with W231 powder and both 125 grain and 158 grain lead bullets. I usually use 4.7 grains of W231 powder with the 125 grain bullets and 4.3 grains of W231 powder with 158 grain bullets. Both of those loads give good results with barrel lengths from 2 to 6 inches.

How are you assessing accuracy? I find it usually takes shooting multiple 10 round groups at 25 yards to detect significant differences in accuracy between reloads. What sort of differences are you getting between group size with the three and 4 inch barrel guns?

 

[rockquarry]

The barrel length of a revolver does not affect its intrinsic accuracy. However, shorter sight radius adversely affects your ability to accurately line up the front rear sights so that short barrel guns appear to be harder to shoot accurately. There are many variables that affect the accuracy of a revolver, so I don’t think anyone will be able to tell you that a specific load will shoot better in a 3 inch barrel gun than a 4 inch barrel gun. I have reloaded thousands of 38 special rounds with W231 powder and both 125 grain and 158 grain lead bullets. I usually use 4.7 grains of W231 powder with the 125 grain bullets and 4.3 grains of W231 powder with 158 grain bullets. Both of those loads give good results with barrel lengths from 2 to 6 inches.

How are you assessing accuracy? I find it usually takes shooting multiple 10 round groups at 25 yards to detect significant differences in accuracy between reloads. What sort of differences are you getting between group size with the three and 4 inch barrel guns?

Good point on 25 yard shooting from a benchrest. Shooting closer tells only tells you that even poor loads are accurate up close.

 

[Warren Sear]

The barrel length of a revolver does not affect its intrinsic accuracy. However, shorter sight radius adversely affects your ability to accurately line up the front rear sights so that short barrel guns appear to be harder to shoot accurately. There are many variables that affect the accuracy of a revolver, so I don’t think anyone will be able to tell you that a specific load will shoot better in a 3 inch barrel gun than a 4 inch barrel gun. I have reloaded thousands of 38 special rounds with W231 powder and both 125 grain and 158 grain lead bullets. I usually use 4.7 grains of W231 powder with the 125 grain bullets and 4.3 grains of W231 powder with 158 grain bullets. Both of those loads give good results with barrel lengths from 2 to 6 inches.

How are you assessing accuracy? I find it usually takes shooting multiple 10 round groups at 25 yards to detect significant differences in accuracy between reloads. What sort of differences are you getting between group size with the three and 4 inch barrel guns?

That right there.

 

[bluetopper]

Yes, benchresting at 25 yards, from my experience, is the standard for defining a good handgun load or not.

 

[glenwolde]

I use 4.0 gr of W231 with anybody's 158gr SWC. If you look it up I think you'll find that's a tad over max these days.

But it didn't used to be. They've dumbed down the .38 loads over time in deference to what are now some pretty old guns. I've been shooting that load for 40 years and it's proven quite accurate in every gun I've shot it in, which over the years amounts to a dozen. You could knock a few 10ths off if you're worried about it. But everytime the subject comes up, that 4.0 load seems to be very popular with a lot of shooters.

 

[Nevada Ed]

4.0 grs of w231 with a lead 158 gr bullet is a standard 38 special loading.

It is no where close to the powder needed for a +P loading, with that weight bullet.

If w231 does not work in your 3" barrel, you might try a slower powder
that will fill the cast more, to improve the ES of the loads, which seems to work for me.

Good luck.