Thoughts on this 38spl recipe?

[gwpercle]

Looking at Hornady Manual , 3.8grs, Titegroiup is going to be a +P 38 special load, but that's not going to be dangerous to your gun.
The Hornady bullets are swaged lead, which is soft...you might have to get some lead removal experience after shooting .
Some people confuse cast lead and swaged lead not realizing the swaged are almost pure lead and very soft.
Give them a try and keep an eye on the barrel...leading starts showing up....stop. Go home get the lead cleaned out and pull the rest of them bullets. There is a good chance they will shoot just fine .
Gary

 

[mike campbell]

Take a dry bore brush with you to the range. Shoot a cylinder full. Hold the open frame over a piece of white paper and run the brush through a few times. If you see glitter, it's leading; if not, you're good to go.. But it's pretty clean now. Shoot a cylinder and repeat until the batch is gone. If you scrub after every cylinder or two, you'll have no problem.

These are .45 cal, 200HP cast from pure lead. The second 5 shot about as well. After the third cylinder full, I couldn't cover the group with the palm of my hand. But look what I got with low-tech, lead bullets

I wouldn't hesitate to carry a cylinder-full of those for warm blooded critters.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Let's not spread misinformation. Just because a bullet is soft doesn't mean it will lead a barrel. Proper bullet fit and the proper lube are much more important.

Side note, I have pushed those soft Speer and Hornady bullets in FBI replica loads to +P pressures and velocities with no leading at all. AV is 927 fps, high is 955 fps. Pressures are estimated @19,800 PSI.

Too many posts on forums are just repeating what they hear thinking they are correct, but they are not.

 

[Walkingwolf]

I was bored this morning so I pulled out my can of TiteGroup and saw some recipes on the front label and saw a load for 38 special. It called for a cast 158gr LSWC, 3.8gr titegroup and a COL of 1.475".

So I did just that. I primed up a small batch of nickle plated +P remington brass I had just cleaned and loaded up to those specs however the only bullets I had were 158 gr. Hornady lead semi wadcutters. I know cast bullets are a little bit more harder than lead Hornady bullets, or are they the same? The recipe on the label said a estimated 920fps.

Now this load is almost identical to the load out of my Hornady reloading manual for 357 magnum. In fact it calls for the same 3.8grs for titegroup. Which i used a lot in my 4" 686. That load is no where near 357 magnum power. I'm guessing that's because of the lead bullet. To prevent leading of the barrel which I believe can occur if the velocities go over 1000fps or something around there.

Sooooo. what do you guys think? Is 3.8grs titegroup under a 158gr Hornady LSWC pushing it? Personally I think I'm fine, i just made a batch of +P's. lol.

That is the max load on Hodgdon load website for 158 grain SWC 38 special. The pressure is listed as 15,000 CUP. At that pressure I don't believe you are pushing it. I believe the maximum pressure for 38 spl is 17,000 PSI. I am not sure the difference between CUP, and PSI.

 

[RGVshooter]

As a side note. Using brass marked +P means nothing. It is the same as regular 38 special brass. Just marked as an ID of what the original factory load was.

I understand that. I only use nickel plated brass or brass stamped "+P" to differentiate those loads from my standard range/plinking ammo.

 

[Rule3]

Let's not spread misinformation. Just because a bullet is soft doesn't mean it will lead a barrel. Proper bullet fit and the proper lube are much more important.

Side note, I have pushed those soft Speer and Hornady bullets in FBI replica loads to +P pressures and velocities with no leading at all. AV is 927 fps, high is 955 fps. Pressures are estimated @19,800 PSI.

Too many posts on forums are just repeating what they hear thinking they are correct, but they are not.

Yes, there is a lot of "repeating" and yes, size and fit is important.(which is also repeating and you forgot "slugging")Just because the worked in YOUR gun doen't mean they will work well in ALL guns

But equally important are all the other factors. If it wasn't, then Lyman and all the other cast bullets manuals could have skipped many many chapters, on alloy, bhn, velocity, gas check, propellants, velocity, barrel leading and all that useless stuff.

 

[RGVshooter]

I like this load!

SUCCESS!

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this load. Recoil wise they feel close to factory +P 38 special but not what I consider to be "hot". Warm is more like it. I didn't chrono them but I will next time out. It's that I go to a outdoor range & we had threat of showers & I didn't want to drag all this stuff out. I was happy with the accuracy I was getting out of my 4" 686. I got a decent 3" 6 shot group at 15 yards. With Titegroup, I probably wouldn't go any more than 3.8 grains though. Although I'm quite certain with plated bullets I can probably go up a bit, but for range work/bowling pins I see no reason to do so.

Let's talk about leading...

These loads didn't lead up the barrel any more or less than any other load using Hornady's 148-158gr lead bullets.

VERDICT!

RGVshooter approved recipe as long as they're used in the appropriate pistol that's at least 38 special +P marked or a 357 magnum frame.

 

[Hasbeen1945]

I like TG but I use it with 148 grain DEWC . I’ve been using Accurate #5 for for LSWC’s. Like every thing about #5. Meters easily,cleans up good and lives up to its name ( accurate ).

 

[RGVshooter]

I like TG but I use it with 148 grain DEWC . I’ve been using Accurate #5 for for LSWC’s. Like every thing about #5. Meters easily,cleans up good and lives up to its name ( accurate ).

I'm a big fan of TiteGroup, Bullseye and Power Pistol for reloading .380acp, 9mm, 40s&w, 38spl and 357mag.

 

[Rule3]

What is the benefit or appeal of using 38 special brass amd close to +P, in a 357 magnum (686) revolver?

 

[RGVshooter]

What is the benefit or appeal of using 38 special brass amd close to +P, in a 357 magnum (686) revolver?

The only benefit I see using 38 special brass over 357 brass in a 686 is when using 170gr Elmer Keith SWC's. The bullet is too long for a 357 case. But works in a shorter 38 special case. Load it up to +P specs and you have a very controllable bowling pin load in that stout L frame 686.

 

[mike campbell]

I like that. In 1983 I started shooting IHMSA with an 8" Python. Nobody much liked the .357mag since a 158-170gr bullet often gave ringers on the ram, failing to knock it over. I cast a 205RN, 35 cal rifle bullet from pure linotype and it weighed 185 grains. Loaded that long sucker in 38spl brass and pushed it to 1300 fps.
After I destroyed the Python I moved on to a Dan Wesson .357 SuperMag.