.38 Special Load Data, 140 grn Cast

[Navahojoe]

I recieved a new mold for Christmas for the .38 Special. It is Lee, 358 dia., 140 grn. swc, and it casts great. But, No load data for the 140 grn cast boolit. The nearest that I can find is for Hornady xtp in 140 grn, using AA#2, which is not available locally. I was wondering if I could use 148 grn cast data for the 140 grn, and if so would I have to download the powder and by how much. I posted this over on the Reloader Guide but just got a couple of responses. Anyone got any suggestions or good ideas. I have been to Hogdgon and Alliant websites without much help. I emailed Hogdgon a week ago but haven't had a response. :confused:
I have Bullseye, Unique, TiteGroup and TrailBoss on hand.
Any help would be appreciated.
regards,
NavahoJoe :castmine:

[MT Gianni]

Use 148 or larger gr data for your 140 and you will not err as your boolit is lighter. Gianni

[threett1]

I shoot mainly full wadcutters out of my 38 anymore, but have shot a lot of semis in the past. Hard to go wrong with Unique at about 5gr with that boolit. Have been shooting some WSF with my 141gr WCs to the tune of 4.5 gr. I like that powder too.

[JBL]

In Bullseye, with the 45 ACP when you go to a lighter boolit, say a 200grswc to a 185 SWC you have to INCREASE your load by 2-3 tenths of a grs to function the pistol. As I look in my old Lyman book Max load for a 121 gr boolit is 3.8 and the max load for a 195 gr is 2.8 gr of Bullseye. My point is that if you are using a lighter boolit the load data for the slightly heaver boolit should be fine.

[twotrees]

Since there was No load data for 38 Super and a boolit that heavy in 1980, I had to go by guess and by grash. I ended up using unique and the load made Major for IPSC in it's early days. Not long after I showed up at a Regional shoot a lot of folks got on that band wagon.

The guys are right about using 148 gr data for your 38 special. Unique, bullseye,231,red dot all are in the lyman manuals and thats where I got the data to start the other load project.

Old age and watching guys buy their way to the top got me out of IPSC shooting, but still have that mold and load it for my wife's 38 special. 5 to 5.5 gr of unique works just fine in that case.

TwoTrees

[405]

The more loading manuals the better! They are very good investments and make excellent gifts.

Hornady 7th Ed. 38 SPCL data is:
Horn 140 gr. swaged TCFP
Bullseye start- 3.0 max- 4.6
Trailboss start- 3.4 max- 3.8
Unique start- 3.9 max- 5.3

Lyman 45th Ed. 38 SPCL data is:
Lym. 141 gr. cast #358495 / #2 alloy
Bullseye start- 2.0 max- 3.7
Unique start- 3.5 max- 6.8

I don't think the data for a slightly heavier lead bullet will cause problems in loading for a slightly lighter bullet. But, I also think that seating depths need to be similar.

[felix]

Lyman 45th Ed. 38 SPCL data is:
Lym. 141 gr. cast #358495 / #2 alloy
Bullseye start- 2.0 max- 3.7
Unique start- 3.5 max- 6.8

6.8 is far too much for the special, and in fact with that wadcutter I'd say 4.8 would be
pushing it in the special case, and just about right in the mag case, assuming seating
to the proper crimp groove. ... felix

[405]

Yep thought it might be a typo or error in the manual when first looked it up but double checked it and those are the loads as tested in a S&W Mod 14, 6" w/ .358 groove diameter. Even checked the 112 gr cast, 121 gr cast, and 150 gr cast loads in same manual. Seems they all follow the same trend line for max loads in the 38 SPL. One of two things possible 1) The Unique lot used when Lyman did the data run for their 45th Ed. was different from more recent lots of Unique. or 2) current standards for max pressures and velocities in the 38 SPL were reduced between printing of the Lyman Rel Handbook 45th Ed. and the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd Ed. (the higher pressure loads now known as +P I suppose)

Think that is unusual... check out the differences in load data for the 30-40 Krag using IMR 4895 among the different load manual reference sources. Those are real headscratchers. Pays to have at least three or more different manuals to cross check data and begin at the recommended starting loads.

The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd Ed. lists the following loads for cast 38 SPL tested in universal receiver (to get the CUP press.#s) with a groove diameter of .357:

Lyman 141 gr cast # 358495 linotype
Unique start- 3.8 10,300 CUP
Unique max- 5.3 16,700 CUP

Lyman 146 gr cast # 358212 linotype
Unique start- 3.7 9,000 CUP
Unique max- 5.4 15,900 CUP

[eka]

4.0 Bullseye has been a very good load with that bullet.

Here are some other options:

4.7-5.2 Unique
4.0-4.5 231
3.9-4.4 HP38
3.7-4.2 7625
3.5-4.0 700X
3.5-4.0 Bullseye
3.5-4.0 Red Dot
4.0-4.5 HS5

I also use the Lee Factory Crimp Die because one out of every 10 or 15 rounds would have a small bulge in the case where the base of the bullet was and wouldn't chamber in the cylinder. Don't know if that's ever come up for you, but it sure was aggravating for me until I got one. I was using all kinds of mixed headstamp brass and that I'm sure contributed to the problem as well. The one's that had the bulge most often were Win. nickel, IMI, and PMC, just a tad thicker I suppose.

Anyway, didn't mean to get far afield, but noticed it in my notes when I was looking up the load info. for ya.

Good luck,

Keith