What powder for 158gr SWC and 38spl snubnose?

If it was pointed out that some of the loads put forth in print here considerably exceeded Plus P spec right from the start a lot of ink could have been saved.

While the cylinders were heat treated the frames were relatively soft until a much later date, affecting the K and J frames. Since the OP was asking about a practice load that approximated reasonable pressures, durability of the firearm for extended shooting sessions is the relevant issue, not whether it would blow up immediately upon firing.

The load asked for doesn't require gun strain to achieve.

I agree what you pointed out is worth knowing. In my opinion what I set forth is worth knowing even more than that, and keeps one out of trouble whether a little or a lot of shooting is done.

Getting all the way back to the first post. The OP seems to be very focused on velocity and although velocity is part of the equation, it's not everything. The 1 7/8" barrel tells us that the OP has a S&W J-frame. The OP's choice of bullet is an outstanding one (158gr SWC) and there's nothing wrong with seeking adequate velocity with that bullet out of that gun, BUT I don't think velocity is everything.

I think sometimes we get overly concerned about velocity and occasionally even worry that we don't have enough velocity. A 158 grain SWC launched from a snubnose that is accurate, not hard on the gun and reasonably fast would be a far more practical goal that just using velocity as your sole yardstick of success. Just my $0.02.

Now, there are some ways to get 800ish feet per second with a 158 grain bullet out of a short barrel and several posters have made good suggestions towards that goal.

Bullseye works well in short barrels but you'll get well into high pressures quickly, so be careful. Bullseye would be my first choice in a short barrel application but I would try to stay in the low +P territory instead of seeking the highest possible velocity.
CFE Pistol will do it in a longer barrel per Hodgdon's data and Tazman reports he obtained similar results, so it might work in a shorter barrel if 800 feet/sec. was your goal.

I would stay away from the slower burning powders like H110/296.

I am the OP. The revolver in question is a Ruger LCRX (exposed hammer). Yes, I am set on using a 158gr lswc. As for velocity, I would like to see 800 fps, but anything over 725 would be fine. I don't need a 1000 fps load if that would even be possible or practical. I own a GP100 for that. Thanks to all for the advice and thoughts on powder.

I'll preface this by admitting of a very strong bias in favor of Alliant Pistol Powders. We tried getting a 158gr. SWC to leave a 3" barrel S&W M36 at 1000 f/s, and got very close, but inevitably with loads well past the +P range. We tried Bullseye, Red Dot, Green Dot, Unique, Herco, and Blue Dot. Red Dot, Green Dot, Unique and Herco worked best for us. Unique and Herco gave us the highest velocities, but also gave pretty spectacular flash, especially in anything resembling low-light conditions. Blue Dot gave us lower velocities than everything except Bullseye, and pretty much transformed the 3" M36 into something of a 5-shot ear-splitting flame-thrower. YMMV

The 4.0/WW231/158 load is a good "middlin" .38 Special load. Accurate, economical, could shoot it all day. A friend with a high-dollar PPC pistol that he described as "shot out" shot as well with 3.0/WW231/158 SWC as it did with the 2.7/Bullseye/148HBWC that seems to be the coin of the realm for those contests. The recoil was very similar.

Power Pistol would have got you close to there, within Plus P pressures. For whatever reason PP has heavier loads sanctioned for it....despite being between Unique and Herco in burn rate. You'd think it would do about what they do, but Alliant cranks things up a bit with it. No luck on the blast as it's definitely there with this powder.

Any really fast burning pistol powder will do; Bullseye, Unique & Red Dot are among the fastest.
I personally use Red Dot.
Gregg

Unique

Brian Pearce penned an article on the Ruger LCR and suitable loads in Handloader 276, Feb-Mar 2012. Under +P load pressure, he reported 1004 fps with a Rimrock SWC HP GC 158gr and 6.3 gr Alliant Power Pistol. He also reported 814 fps, std pressure load of 4.7 Unique and Oregon Trail 158 SWC and 852 fps using 4 gr Titegroup, same boolit.
Power Pistol is very good at obtaining decent velocity with decent pressure.

bullseye has been THE POWDER for 38 specials since before I was born in the 50s and for good reason.

Bullseye or Unique.
I'm biased towards these powders though. Yu have many choices. 231. AA#2, AA#5, just to name a few.

Shiloh

my speer #14 has a section specifically for 2" snubbies. Might be worth a read if you'd like me to scan it. They recommend the gold-dot sb version but I'm sure a cast boolit would work. I've been using 3gr bullseye under a 148 DEWC

Bullseye, 231, and HS-6.

Unique all the way.

Speer #13 shows Power Pistol as the highest velocity +P 158 gr LSWC load. I would use the start load and work up to your 800 fps goal.

Anybody remember Jeff Cooper's .38 snubby load? 5 grains of Red Dot and a 158 Jacketed bullet. He said that it gave 1000 fps from a 2 inch barrel and admitted that it was hard on the gun. I never had the nerve to try this one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lightload

Anybody remember Jeff Cooper's .38 snubby load? 5 grains of Red Dot and a 158 Jacketed bullet. He said that it gave 1000 fps from a 2 inch barrel and admitted that it was hard on the gun. I never had the nerve to try this one.

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No, but I used one of his .45 ACP loads and blew a case head. Cooper was no loading expert. I found it amusing that in later years he was having his rifle ammo loaded by someone else and this was for a wildcat. If you cared enough to go for a wildcat, wouldn't you load your own ammo?

Accurate #2,#5 and WSF and WST would be my powder of choice for a short barrel snubbie.

3.5gr of Red Dot
Shot thousands of these and wouldn't conisder changing it for nothing.

I've been using my stash of Clays, but we all know that ship has sailed.

can't find any powder that can push 158gr Lead SWC out of a 1.875" barrel at 800fps, according to the QuickLoad software anyway