Your Favorite 38 Spl +P 158 gr lead load

[38SPL HV]

What is your favorite 38 Spl +P load using 158 gr lead (cast or swaged, SWC, RN) by powder and amount, and velocity data if you have it.

My favorite is 5.2 grs Unique (Alliant data) with swaged 158 gr LSWC using CCI 500 primers. Probably duplicates current 38 Spl +P load about 890 fps from 4 inch revolver. Very accurate and fun load in my S&W Mod 28 4 inch.

Thank you all!

 

[jeeps]

5 gr. Unique 158 swc,enough.

 

[gwpercle]

What a coincidence......5.2 grains of Unique has been my pet load for 40 years. I have used several cast SWC bullets with it from 150 to 170 grains. My two favorites being the Lyman 358156 155 gr. SWC with gas check and Lyman 358432 160 grain WC plain base (NOE now makes this design).
The 160 grain wadcutter is very accurate in my Ruger Blackhawk 357 magnum.

Gary

 

[ninjatoth]

I have never done a 38spl+P, but in standard .38spl lead, but I love me a 158gr LSWC H.C.(357") over 3.6gr of TrailBoss.

It's probably sub-700fps in my SP101 snubby, but they are fun, accurate and super clean.

 

[growr]

Have used 5 gr. of Unique with a 158 SWC for many years.....because it WORKS!!

Randy

 

[Doubless]

I use AA #5. According to information from the Accurate Arms rep many years ago, the formulation is the same as Alliant's Unique (except it is nitrocotton, not nitrocellulose), but it is one grain slower than Unique.

I use six grains of AA #5 and standard Small Pistol Primers, typically Winchester.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Hard to beat Unique in the +P loads with a 158gr Lead bullet.

My little J frame snub nose likes 5.0grs with a heavy crimp on a LHP..........

The six inch tubes like 5.2grs of Unique for a full load .......

but for a target load they can't hold a candle to the light load at 755fps that has all six bullets touching with.....

3.5grs of Red Dot.

 

[mtgianni]

From the Lyman 45 manual, 5.4 gr of Unique and a 358477. Now considered too warm for a +P, it does great work in my K frames.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

When I did extensive testing to duplicate the FBI Load I found several powders that easily out did Unique. One of those powders was HS-6 and that's what I settled on.

Warning, even though I highly doubt this load is over the 20,000 psi SAAMI limit the charge Wright is over current published data. (current, not older data)

Here's the load:
Winchester .38 Special +P case
158gr Hornady LSWC/HP
CCI 550 Primer (Magnum primer on this load)
7.0gr HS-6
COL 1.475"
4" M686 ---- 2" M640
927.0 -- AV --- 888.9
955.1 --- H --- 897.1
905.4 --- L --- 876.6
49.7 ---- ES --- 20.5
20.7 ---- SD ---- 7.9
17.0 ---- AD ---- 5.9

Use this data at your own risk. If you blow anything up blame no one but yourself. I have shot hundreds of this load in a bunch of revolvers including a M10 and M442.

 

[lebomm]

I get excellent performance from the 357446 flat base SWC over 6.0 gr. Unique in most of my .38s, but a 170gr. 358429 Keith SWC over 13.5gr 2400 in my .38-44.
As above, use this data at your own risk.

Larry

 

[rwsmith]

Not my 'favorite' but while we are talking....

......about it, I just clocked 158 gr LSWC with 4.0 gr of PB out of a 2" j frame. At 560 fps. I'm definitely going to go with a lighter bullets and hotter powder for 'serious' work. At 560 fps I'd be worried that a perp could swat the bullet out of the air.

 

[alwslate]

Since I own several .357s I don't see much reason to shoot a lot of
+P 38s and I have some older Rem 158 gr LHPs that chrono at around
900 fps out of my 4" S&W 10-5. My experience with swaged bullets in
handloads has not encouraged me to load them hot so my +P 158 gr
handloads have been with cast SWCs. Original Win data for 231 stops
at 4.8grs for +P loads with a jacketed 158 gr bullet but pressure is
only barely +P at 17,200 psi. This reluctance to list loads anywhere
the +P limit of 20,000 psi seems to be typical of most manuals. My
top load of 231 has been 5.1 grs with a 158 gr cast SWC with Win
brass and mag primer. This is less than I have seen in some manuals
and I do believe that it is below the +P limit of 20,000 psi. I have
chronographed it in three of my model 10s with good velocity and low
ES as follows; 2" 10-5 vel=910 fps ES=12 fps, 3" 10-8 vel=982 fps
ES=20 fps, 4" 10-5 vel=1003 fps ES=14 fps. It's just a cast SWC
load but it seems like a pretty good one to me.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Maybe my 2008 bottle of 231 is getting old......
5.0gr with a Sutter 158 lswc bullet in my M49 only reached 816fps with a cci500 primer.

Low fps in my 9mm loads.......
oh well it is almost empty and will be used for target loads.
I did notice the "Lack" of a chemical smell when opened.

I pulled the plug with 6.8grs of HS-6.
It did 792 with a wspm but the recoil was getting to me.
For some reason a Red Dot load at 800fps did not feel quite as bad
but that was a full loading just barely into +p areas.

Universal and 2400 powder tied at 835fps but accuracy was not there, beating out
Green Dot at 822 that did have good accuracy in my snub revolver.

For some unknown reason the SR4756 load that did 890 in the 6" only put out 730fps
in the snub with a f100 primer.
Strange how things work out....... even a full boat load of Bullseye powder managed 752fps.
One reason it is easy to get frustrated in test with the little 2" barrel.
Now you will understand why I love my 6" barrels over a chrony.

 

[38SPL HV]

Nice loads

That is good velocity Alwslate in 4 inch! Bet swaged would be about 30-50 fps slower, only my guess...

 

[38SPL HV]

6 inch burns powder more efficiently I suppose...

 

[serger]

see next post

 

[serger]

Mine ended up being 6gr of Herco pushing the 158gr swc using a Winchester Standard Pistol Primer. That powder weight also runs my 124Gr Lead 9mm loads and my 230 Gr 45acp loads. Easier to swap the Dillon powder measure between tool heads.

 

[Tim357]

Six grains Power Pistol with 158 Lee 158RNFP gave 970fps in 3"SP 101, 994 fps in S&W 686

 

[alwslate]

Maybe my 2008 bottle of 231 is getting old......
5.0gr with a Sutter 158 lswc bullet in my M49 only reached 816fps with a cci500 primer.
Low fps in my 9mm loads.......
oh well it is almost empty and will be used for target loads.
I did notice the "Lack" of a chemical smell when opened.
For some unknown reason the SR4756 load that did 890 in the 6" only put out 730fps
in the snub with a f100 primer.
Strange how things work out....... even a full boat load of Bullseye powder managed 752fps.
One reason it is easy to get frustrated in test with the little 2" barrel.
Now you will understand why I love my 6" barrels over a chrony.

Lots of variables here Ed, your powder is probably ok. Different
bullet, charge weight, crimp?, primer and your mod 49 has a
1 7/8" barrel and the K frame mod 10 has a 2" barrel. All
loads that I have chronoed in a 2" K frame run faster than
the same load out of one of my J frames. Bullet seating
depth, cast or swaged, crimp can make a big difference. For
some reason some handloaders insist on taper crimping cast
bullets that have a substantial groove for a roll crimp. Is
your bullet plated? I just measured the barrel of my 37-2
and it's not even a full 1 7/8", more like 1 13/16". Don't
throw your old bottle of 231 away yet. The bottle of 231
used in these loads is older than yours. Maybe 231 just
keeps getting better as it ages. I might sprinkle a little in
my food and see if it works for me!

 

[Nevada Ed]

alwslate;

I have yet to shoot a plated bullet in my 38 or 357 revolvers.
They have a poor "can" and I refuse to have bullets jump a case
if the chance is there.
I do have two loads, five each, of 124gr 9mm .358 dia. in some
38 cases that will be tested in my J snub, just for giggles.
May go to coated if my visit to Xtreme bullets today does not pay off in the prices offered.

later.