slow as possible 38

[cr825308]

hello, i want to do steel plate comps. i have a 66-2 4" that I put a wolf 11lb return spring and a reduced hammer spring in it. other than that its factory. i love my 158g cast bullets and bullseye. I don't want to change that up, but I want to go as low as i can but still be safe. most of my book say 3 to 3.5 for bullseye. but as I was going through one of my old books. the hornady third edition from 1980. i found a data chart that showed 2.6g 650fps, and 2.9g 700 fps and up. chart had no pressures.should i trust it, i hear horror storys about sqib loads. hopefully i'll unload it in a couple seconds so I dont need sqibs. fyi good clean brass, med to heavy crimps. 158g swc, #2 alloy, lee alox lube, lee mold, cci primmers, I live in me. so extreme temps 0 to 90 degrees. what are your thoughts thanks for any help

 

[Wise_A]

2.7gr of Bullseye under a 148-gr wadcutter, or 2.8 gr under a 158 LSWC, will do what you want. Chrono'd velocities in some of my revolvers are staggeringly low:

578
591
607
615.4
597.5
Average: 597.78
ES: 37.4 (6.26%)

The load is reliable, I've produced thousands of them.

 

[Nevada Ed]

In a J frame snub nose I have had a 158gr LRN with SR4759
get to 505-534fps CFE Pistol down to 468-519fps.

However you have two more inches of barrel to cause friction
and I would feel a lot better with at least 600fps as a low.
Most manuals start at 700fps.

Light loads are good, if you can get accuracy from them.
My 6" needed 755fps for it to get accuracy with the 158gr lead bullet.
Having a chrony helps to develop slow loads, if you have one.
Safe loading........... and check for dust or a bullet hole !

 

[SMSgt]

I used to load 3.0 grains of 231 under 148 grain wad cutters. You could see the rounds go downrange.

 

[Lee's Landing Billy]

On a lark once, we loaded some "specials" for a chief. We used .355 bullets in 90 grains of cast lead. We first started with just a primer, then a magnum primer. Both no goes. We added up in half grain increments of BE till we could get them to JUST stick out the end of the barrel. When we finished up we had ammo that would reliably leave the barrel, poke a hole in a paper target but not reliably poke a hole in a cardboard target. This all at 7 yards. We would pull them out to show people who were obviously shooting way under power factors to get an edge. We must have had a lot more spare time 30 years ago, but people still talk about our .38 "Specials".

 

[Qc Pistolero]

PB is also a good one for very low vel loads.But hurry up...I think that they want to stop manufacturing it...if not already done.
Qc

 

[gwpercle]

My hands down best target load is 2.7 grains of Bullseye.
I am sure 2.6 would be just fine also, but for some reason the 2.7 is the sweet spot in my 38's.
The bullet is any cast bullet from 105 grains to 160 grains, I've tried them all , they all do well. The absolute best bullet that my 38 just loves is the Lyman # 358432 ( NOE makes it now) a 160 grain wadcutter. I have tried every powder I can get my hands on and have found no other that will do better than bullseye.
Go with it !.....Gary

 

[Wee Hooker]

Generally speaking if you go too far towards the slow end your going to get awful accuracy, dirty rounds and low groups.
If your looking for light but "shoot where you point them" loads with the same 158 gr bullets, I've had my best luck with Clays and Trail boss. A little searching on both will get you some good load ranges. I've also had VG results with a lighter 125gr cast bullet and trail boss.

 

[Goblin]

I used to do fine on plates loading the same 3.0 of 231 under a 148 WC that SMSgt mentioned above, but if you want lighter, I think you should drop to a 125 grain bullet, or even a 105. Try Meister Bullets or Oregon Trail, and Lyman has load data. Drop down to 38 S&W cases if you wish, to keep pressures consistent. Oh, and buy a chronograph if you don't have one.

 

[DWalt]

I always use 2.7 to 3.0 grains of Bullseye with full wadcutters. You might also try 700-X instead of Bullseye. You really need a chronograph to see what's happening. I'd say any MV below 500 ft/sec is suspect and is to be avoided. You don't want to have any bullets sticking in your barrel.

I have loaded .38 S&W down to the +/- 400 ft/sec MV range, never had a bullet stick in the barrel, but was always fearful it could happen.

 

[gehlsurf]

I'm kind of new to reloading, and hunting with a pistol. I have reloaded for 44 mag and 10mm, but just got a 66-1 that I'm going to cast and load up some 158 LSWC 38 spl for plinking and small game-like coyote and bobcat and rabbit and such.

I would think these lower velocity rounds would be great for that!! Are they more quiet at all? I've never gotten to test my lower velocity loads without hearing protection, haha. So just curious, make a BIG difference in 22lr, but not sure if it's the same.

 

[rwsmith]

As long as...

As long as you don't go so low as to stick a bullet in the barrel. I've gone down low, just to see the results. It's a novelty, but when you shoot a .38 like a mortar for a while that wears off.

I will say that slow, heavy loads are usually the most accurate.

I made softie 9mm for 'introductory rounds' for newbies that I could shoot like crazy because the low recoil hardly moved the target out of my sight. Best shooting I've done with a semi auto.

 

[federali]

Throughout the wheel gun days, the standard wadcutter load for accuracy was 2.7 grains of Bullseye behind the 148 grain wadcutter. Maximum for pressure was 3.5 grains. I too have been through thousands of the 2.7 grain loading without incident.

My thought on squib loads is a round that leaves the press without powder or a really small amount of powder for whatever reason. Any published minimum load in the manuals will indeed leave the gun and make a hole in the target.

 

[Wise_A]

There was a guy that tested "how-low-is-too-low" with Bullseye and 158s. I think he got down to about a grain. Not that I would ever load anywhere near that light, but I think it goes more to show that you'd have to have a charge bridge, or just miss charging it entirely, in order to squib any reasonable load.

And Bullseye is pretty free-flowing.

 

[olskool]

here is a story for you. about 1990 I had loaded some 148gr. WC with light chargers of bull's-eye for my wife's new lady smith. I was shooting it and all was going well. the when on one shot the gun made a funny sound, almost like a hang fire then "BOOM" no more gun. I got a little spray from the explosion that's all. I was using a rcbs piggy back to load. when the round clicks around to the charging station then the bullet is seated the round falls into the tray. there is no way it was a double charge. it was detonation from a light charge. I have been loading sense 67 so I was no novice. you can keep your super light charges.........

 

[Skeptic 9c]

NEVER use old reloading data. Only the most current available. The pressure measurement tech has improved greatly as has scans inside the chamber when fired.
With light loads you can get "flash" fire which raises pressures alarmingly.
Look at "Cowboy Action Loads" as a minimum.
Geoff
Who is a retired professional paranoid, don't try this at home folks, the experts have equipment bought by the boss and can blow it up for science.

 

[elpac3]

I have loaded the 158 Hornady SWC with 2.6 of Bullseye for years and never had any issues.

 

[rwsmith]

Wow.....

Wow. Those are the lightest light loads I've ever heard of.

 

[rwsmith]

No 'flash'...

NEVER use old reloading data. Only the most current available. The pressure measurement tech has improved greatly as has scans inside the chamber when fired.
With light loads you can get "flash" fire which raises pressures alarmingly.
Look at "Cowboy Action Loads" as a minimum.
Geoff
Who is a retired professional paranoid, don't try this at home folks, the experts have equipment bought by the boss and can blow it up for science.

'Flash' or 'detonation' of light loads has never been duplicated much less proven. A better explanation for the reports from the field of such would be mistakes in the amount of powder in the charge.

 

[samnev]

2.7gr of Bullseye under a 148-gr wadcutter, or 2.8 gr under a 158 LSWC, will do what you want. Chrono'd velocities in some of my revolvers are staggeringly low:

578
591
607
615.4
597.5
Average: 597.78
ES: 37.4 (6.26%)

The load is reliable, I've produced thousands of them.

Thats the same load I've been using in my Model 52 for 30 years. Very accurate and functions flawlessly.