W231 load for .38 158gr SWCHP?

[Nevada Ed]

Lots of books and manuals out there with loading data with this powder but I went straight to the source...........

Winchester data with the 158 gr LSWC 231 with 4.7 grs
list 860 fps with 17,100 psi of pressure...... for a 38 +P load.

In my 6" 686 357 mag with a f100 primer, this data produces 890fps.

Same load in my mod49 snub nose produced .......715 fps.

 

[Zappa]

I have used 4.0 grains 231 behind many cast & swaged 158 grain lead bullets for many years. Not a screamer, but always accurate.

Same here, loaded and shot thousands of them.
Fun and accurate plinking load, nothing punishing to the gun or shooter, even in the J-Frames, can shoot them all day long.
However, they are a bit dirty, but not nearly as bad as Red Dot or Clays.
I also like to wipe down the gun with a soft rag after every two cylinders full anyway.
This load is also nice in my lever action carbines, recoil feels like a .22, good for fast action shooting and leading isn't a big problem.

 

[M3Stuart]

For light range loads I use 3.5 grains. Kills paper just fine. Why waste powder?

I load 158gr LSWCs with 3.2 to 3.8 gr of WIN231 by the hundreds (thousands per year). Normal is 3.4 or 3.5 gr of Win231 as well.

Hits POA with any of my S&Ws. So I second the motion; why waste powder to put holes in paper?

 

[FloridaFlier]

I load 158gr. Berry's plated conical nose, flat point over 4.3 gr. HP-38 or W-231 (same powder) and am always pleased with the accuracy, good power, and no leading. My go-to load in the .s8 Special every time.

 

[H Richard]

I load a lot of 231, in most pistol calibers. While I have loaded a fair amount of 4.3 gr. behind a 158 SWC Cast bullet, my favorite is 4.7 gr. behind a cast SWC or 4.9 behind a 158 RN. The Old Lyman cast bullet handbook lists these loads as max "standard velocity", not +P. The Velocity of the RN load is 906 fps listed in the book and confirmed by my chronograph. The accuracy is great, I have shot some groups as small as 1.5" at 25 yds, But I am not always that consistent.

 

[chriske]

I have loaded 100's if not 1000's 158 SWC .38 SPl rounds with 4.3 Gr W-231.
Nicely accurate & pretty standard-level , not that hot, in my experience.
You want to go hotter, say +P-ish, try, as I did, 5.3 Gr W-231.
Although that load worked for me, in my S&W 586 and S&W 28, please approach with due caution : my guns are not your guns, how is the phrase?
"Your mileage may vary ?" .

 

[Buttugly072]

Hi. i know this is an old thread. SOme great info here thank you everyone. As vm177 stated above Hodgdon lists w231 range at 3.1--3.7 for 158 gr cast lswc. I know these have been toned down for reasons of liability and tolerances are much higher. I am using the 3.6 load for my model 36 3',model 37 1 7/8' and model 14 6'. THe 3.6 suits the above models just fine.The problem is Hodgdon does not list for +P load for cast, which i would like to shoot out of my Model 686 4'. If possible can someone share load data for +P on the 158 gr cast RNFP BB BHN 12 using w231. Minumum loads to maximum and pressure ranges if possible. .Maybe it would be found under .357 data. please share. SAAMI says .357 can take up to 35,000. i am looking for accuracy at a greater distance.Say 25-50 yards. Thanks
Gl and have fun
Dave

 

[Nevada Ed]

Handgun data c/o Winchester........

357 Magnum
158 gr. Lead 231 6.7 1275 fps 42,500 cup ( N frame )

todays pressures are down to 35,000 psi due to the lighter frame revolvers, now on the market,to prevent frame damage.
w231 is a better medium velosity powder and for lead +P loads you might try 7.5grs of Unique, 9.0grs of HS6 or 13grs of 2400 for a 95% load.
Speer states that its 158 swchp should be kept at or below 1,000 fps to prevent leading the barrel, so it depends on what you really want or need with lead bullets. You may end up with 38 spl. velositys to keep the leading down.

 

[DWalt]

My recommendation is that as you are a reloader, brew up and test a number of loads to find out what shoots best for you, in your gun. If you want to use 231, fine. If you want to use something else like Bullseye or Unique or Red Dot, that's fine also. Load up a dozen cartridges with a manual's starting load for that powder. Then another dozen with a powder charge increased by 0.2 grains and the same bullet, then move up in 0.2 grain increments until you get to a maximum handbook load. Shoot them all at 25 yards from a steady rest such as sandbags - but don't allow your gun to touch the sandbags. You will quickly find what load groups best. If you think you can do better, follow the same procedure but with another powder.