Why so little "normal" 158gr 38spc, or 357mag rounds out there?

[nipster]

Speaking of S&B 158 gr, I just got back from the range (actually around 8:30p, just gone done cleaning) and fired off 200 rounds out of my model 66-2 and 28-2. 150 Winchester white box 38spl 130 gr and 50 S&B 158 gr 357 mag.

I had 8/50 of the S&B not fire. I had seen some duds from S&B before, but this seemed excessive. ***? Not light primer strikes either.

No failure to go bank from the dirty Winchester 38's.

 

[k53]

Around here it used to be that the 158/swc was mass produced by several different commercial reloading outfits. Now there is but one, and he puts out a very high quality, top shelf product. He is about the only source I know of, I can't remember the last time I saw 158 grain SWC factory ammunition in a GS. Sometimes I see 158 RN, but I am not a fan of that bullet.
Yep, you gotta roll your own. And yes, especially for plinking ammunition like the 158 SWC, it is worth it. A box of 500 of them is about $40-45, a pound of Bullseye (7000 grains in a pound) will load up between 1550 and 1650 rounds of 38 Special target loads (depending on the charge), $17-20 depending on the store. Primers are roughly 3 to 3 1/2 cents each. Do the math!

Ya, any SWC are not going to be found local!

And ya, I do know that its a cost thing. Most of the shooters as was said are using 9mm, or one of the other semi auto cals. the old school revolver guys have moved into reloading.

So as a update I DID find some off brand 158gr RN. I forgot the brand.. though. I was going to pick it up to try, but didnt, and forgot to write the brand name... Been a long week.

Well ill keep looking. And till i get some Ill shoot up some 130FMJ 38 spc. I still have a stash of some target loads in SWC, and WC that dad madeup back in his shooting days in the 70's to burn though also. I realy dont like the smaller bullet 357 loads. Ya, I know... some of the storys are old wives tails.. but you know. i want this old m19 to be around for the grand kids... why risk it.

Thanks for letting me vent guys. I know I just have to get loading. [need to learn to feed my jet anyways!!] just seems strange that there isnt more guys like me out there, that want to normal every day plinking/target round for there old revolvers.

 

[Packard]

My local Walmart gets both .38s and .357s in various weights. It is "whatever comes in" at the time. They seem not to have any control over what bullets they get. I see 125s, 158s, 180s. The salesman says, "You want 125 grain, stop back next week when we get our next shipment. Maybe it'll be on that one."

So my suggestion: Stop by Walmart often, and when they have what you want, but lots of it. Walmart's pricing is always very competitive.

 

[k53]

My local Walmart gets both .38s and .357s in various weights. It is "whatever comes in" at the time. They seem not to have any control over what bullets they get. I see 125s, 158s, 180s. The salesman says, "You want 125 grain, stop back next week when we get our next shipment. Maybe it'll be on that one."

So my suggestion: Stop by Walmart often, and when they have what you want, but lots of it. Walmart's pricing is always very competitive.

So far mine has only had the rem, or WWB 130 gr stuff. But I keep checking anyways

 

[Packard]

So far mine has only had the rem, or WWB 130 gr stuff. But I keep checking anyways

It is always going to be WWB or the cheap Remington stuff. The salesman told me that they will never get any good defensive ammo. Some sort of philosophical issue I guess.

Also the Walmart rules for selling ammo are stricter than the state's rules. They require a pistol license for .357s and .44 magnums, even though they are rifle rounds too and you don't need a permit to buy rifle ammo.

 

[Old Corp]

It used to be (gosh, I find myself saying that alot lately), that ANY LGS worth it's salt always had some sort of commercial reloaded (often local) .38 Spl. ammo, usually 148 gr. WC and 158 gr. SWC.

Recall working at a LGS in the mid-70's and an entire shelf-unit was dedicated to that, and there was a brass buy-back program.
When's the last time you saw that?

 

[oldafsp]

It used to be (gosh, I find myself saying that alot lately), that ANY LGS worth it's salt always had some sort of commercial reloaded (often local) .38 Spl. ammo, usually 148 gr. WC and 158 gr. SWC.

Recall working at a LGS in the mid-70's and an entire shelf-unit was dedicated to that, and there was a brass buy-back program.
When's the last time you saw that?

Have you forgotten how old we are?????

Last time I saw that was back in the '70s too....

I still like to shoot 158 LSWC for practice.

I still go to gun shops and expect to see those nice Safariland and Bianchi displays they used to have.... I was like a kid in a candy store.

Having the latest rig from those guys used to make the guys on the job drool.

Now it's all plastic,nylon and very little real quality leather...

 

[AZretired]

I quit looking for .38 linking ammo long ago. I order supplies on line and reload my own. I always have a couple boxes of GoldDots for SD but the rest is all reloads.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

 

[Doug M.]

Around here it used to be that the 158/swc was mass produced by several different commercial reloading outfits. Now there is but one, and he puts out a very high quality, top shelf product. He is about the only source I know of, I can't remember the last time I saw 158 grain SWC factory ammunition in a GS. Sometimes I see 158 RN, but I am not a fan of that bullet.

*
Do you have an internet site for this fellow? I'm looking for a decent source.

 

[kcub]

Isn't 130 fmj the old military loading?
Are there still military contracts for that stuff?
Isn't fmj more expensive than plain lead?
Perhaps it machines better (friction)?

 

[CO_Kid]

I was at sportsman's warehouse Sunday morning and they had cases of 250 rounds of 38 special 158 gr LRN rounds for $87. They had a dozen cases out on the floor.

I bought one and 2 boxes of 158 gr JSP 357's, also good for plinking.

Its definitely out there

 

[k53]

OK, well its been a bit sence this thred was made... Been spending more time in Local shops, and I gotta tell you... Its amazing how LITTLE 38 or 357 they stock! I did find some of the Fed 38 LRN, and 357 JSP at WalMart finly... I would like to deal with the LGS's... But what can you do? If they dont stock any.. Other then a pack or two of those little plastic cases of 20 rounds of must be gold platted amno....and one shop that sells some off brand stuff... [if you can barly make out the print on the box, do you trust th amno??? ] there is nothing... Well except for WalMart...if you beat the other guys like me to the amno case....

 

[blujax01]

Two words:

ROAD TRIP!!!

 

[M29since14]

Two words:

ROAD TRIP!!!

How about "special order." You can ask your dealer to get in some Federal American Eagle 158 JSPs (.357s). They have been the best shooting inexpensive .357s I have ever used. If worse comes to worse, you can always order from the web, unless you live in some jurisdiction that forbids mail-ordering ammunition.

 

[grendelbane]

Part of it is age related. The younger shooters think lead is bad, and that jacketed is good. This relates to the popularity of auto pistols and the 9mm cartridge.

In .38 Special, and other low pressure rounds, I much prefer the lead, but you can't explain this to a younger shooter.

 

[kbm6893]

Part of it is age related. The younger shooters think lead is bad, and that jacketed is good. This relates to the popularity of auto pistols and the 9mm cartridge.

In .38 Special, and other low pressure rounds, I much prefer the lead, but you can't explain this to a younger shooter.

I stay away from lead in anything. Makes the gun filthy. Not for me. I'll pay extra for jacketed.

 

[vytoland]

just got a "few" rounds of 158gr .38 special from ammoman.

there's always plenty of what you need out there...........just got to snooop around a little.

 

[DWalt]

Locally, no problem for 158 gr lead bullet ammo. At the gun show today, all of the ammo guys had lots of it, mainly S&B and Federal Am Eagle. And of course the commercial reloaders' tables all had it, mainly with SWC bullets. But reloading is by far the best way to go. About 99% of my reloads are 148 gr wadcutters. I sometimes wonder how I accumulated the buckets of .38 Special fired brass I have.

How does shooting lead bullets make the gun filthy? After close to a million rounds through mine over 45 years, I have never noticed that.

 

[627 city hunter]

MAGTECH (158gr) SJSP (357A) = $23.xx

MagTech Ammunition Co. 357Mag 158Gr SJSP 50 Rds Ammunition 357A

 

[Agent Smith]

Not hard to find

Not sure why you have an issue finding a 158 gr bullet, they have a number of offerings sitting on the shelves everyday at Cabelas or the Bass Pro Shops. A qucik internet search should have a nubmer of mail order places for you to purchase from.