Top Three Powders for .38 Special

[zxcvbob]

A powder that I discovered just as it was vanishing forever Rex-3. It was cheap and it worked great (especially in .38 Special) and it's a single based powder so you can leave it in the powder measure without it eating up the plastic hopper -- and I only bought 2.2 pounds. I went back to order a bunch more and it was gone (company went out of business)

[bowfin]

StrawHat brings up something VERY interesting: (to paraphrase) does the age of the reloader have anything to do with the choice of the older powders?

I think so. For example, have you seen many posters say much about the line of Ramshot powders? Too new, I am guessing. Besides, if one has a history of success with something like Unique or Bullseye, would it be prudent to load up hundreds of rounds in the hopes of finding something that works just as good?

[Hogdaddy]

#1 & 2 On the list ; ) PS Mostly Unique
H/D

[1874Sharps]

I have to say BULLSEYE times three for my three favorite 38 Special loads. Litterally I have loaded thousands and thousands of 38s with 3.4 grains of BULLSEYE and a 158 grain RCBS RFN Cowboy boolit. This load shoots very well in a variety of 38 and 357 Magnum pistols in which it has been tried over the years. Is it possible that some other powder I did not try years back would shoot any better? Perhaps so, but this load seems to shoot better than I can and I have no complaints. Also, you can sure get alot of loads from a pound of powder using this recipe!

[PS Paul]

Bowfin, I've considered ramshot enforcer for high-pressure .357 loads. Like I mentioned earlier, more experimentation in .357.....

Do you have experience with any of their faster pistol powders?

This whole thread has got me to thinking a lot about WHY I use the powders I do, and perhaps branch out into other powders for general-purpose loads rather than just experimenting with powdes on "the ragged edge" of velocities. The experimentaion factor is a lot of what drives me to cast and reload in the first place and I would hate to fall into a rut of not trying other components just becasue I've found some that work well...

[0verkill]

Aa a younger reloader I can say I've had no qualms about using newer powders. It seems to me it was harder to find Ramshot powders on the shelves until recently (last year or so). I figure age (or at least years spent reloading) AND stockpiling might have a little to do with it too. I've had less than a decade to catch items on sale and stock up. Why buy the new "best thing ever" when you bought 4 or 5 8-pound kegs of Unique on sale 19 years ago?

[StrawHat]

I mentioned the powders I used as Bullseye, Unique and GOEX. Looking at my powder locker, those are all I use for handgun powders!

[Cowboy T]

Another vote for Bullseye. I also use Titegroup as a backup.

[paul h]

I think so. For example, have you seen many posters say much about the line of Ramshot powders? Too new, I am guessing. Besides, if one has a history of success with something like Unique or Bullseye, would it be prudent to load up hundreds of rounds in the hopes of finding something that works just as good?

Not necessarily. I'm in my early 40's and have been loading for maybe a dozen years.

I just like things that work, and work consistantly. There were many powders introduced the same time frame as bullseye and unique, but not all of them are still produced. The beauty of those powders is they work just as well today as they did back in the day, and there is alot of published data for their use.

Also with newer powders, you don't know if they'll be a fad, or produced over the long haul.

[GH1]

I gotta go with Bullseye, Trail Boss, then AA#2 My go to charge is 3.0 BE under a 158 gr SWC or RNFP. I thought about loading it a little hotter but I just don't see the need.
Great topic, lotsa great answers.
GH1

[marklyftogt]

4.3 grains of W231 158gr SWC for 38spl?????

That looks more like a 357 load.

Winchester has 3.7 for its never exceed for 38spl for 231. I use 3.4/3.5 and like it.

New loaders BEWARE and always check a couple manuals against these numbers!!!!!!!

[Char-Gar]

For me, Bullseye, Unique and then FFFg black powder. Those three get the job done in my 38 Specials.

I could be happy using any one of them and no other.

I am seeing a lot of Bullseye and Unique mentioned, followed by other more "modern"powders. Wonder if the age of the reloader has anything to do with the choice of powders or if it has to do with what you were shown or read about while developing loads? For me, I was shooting 38 Specials in competition and used 2.7 Bullseye as did nearly everyone else. I tried Unique for a different boolit and liked it for the 158 grain boolit. FFFg, I tried as a stunt, and liked it.

Perhaps it is the age of the shooter, but I have a different take on it.

I have seen men who go from woman to woman to woman to woman, looking for something they have not found or experienced before. Maybe it is just the thrill of something new or maybe they are looking for the one they like best, who knows.

If you have a good woman, don't go looking for something better. As time goes by, you will appreciate her more and more.

Bulleye and Unique, just plain work and work well. I can see no reason to go on the hunt for something that might, but probably won't be any better.

With women it is time to find the one you want, and start living.

With powder it is time to find the one that works for you, and start shooting.

[bowfin]

I agree that people will stick with what works for them.

We have a few posters here who have started with a powder other than Bullseye or Unique, it's working for them, so they will continue to use it. To those individuals, switching to Bullseye and Unique might not be so much a risk, as it would be duplicating time and effort to end up where they already are.

Honestly, I think many of us here start using a new powder because we saw some at a good price, so we took a chance. I have done that with some of the Accurate powders.

[btroj]

I am known to change powders quite often. I currently am using HP 38 because I bought 8 pounds of it. I previously used lotsof Unique because someone gave me 4 pounds for free.

I have used Bullesys, Red Dot, Clays, Unique, and who knows what else. I learned to load from my FIL and I can't about guarantee he loads more Unique in handguns that anythig else.

38 specials are so easy to load with many powders, is there a wrong choice?

[mdi]

1. W231
2. Unique
3. Bullseye

Those three have been working for me quite well for over 30 years (.38 Special is what I started reloading in 1969 with a Lee Loader). I've tried others, but always return to my "Big 3"...

[quasi]

1; 231
2; HP-38
3; RedDot

[PS Paul]

I like the "woman to woman to woman" analogy, Char-Gar! Makes perfectly simple and perfectly good sense....

[kmag]

For 38 special I haven't found anything better than Bullseye. Also use some Unique and 2400 when needed. Been working good for me for over a half century.

[Char-Gar]

Picked up my old copy of Handloader No. 3 and there was an article by Ken Waters on handloading for the 38 Special. He mentioned and agree with Kent Bellah that Bulleye, Unique and 2400 were the powders for the 38 Special.

Yep, this was some time ago and most of the powders on the market were yet to be formulated, but IMHO the information is still valid.

With the 148 or heavier grain bullet Bellah gave max charges as;

3.6/BE
6/Unique
12/2400

Waters wanted to tone those max charges down to;

3.5/BE
5.7/Unique
11/2400

I agree with Waters about these max loads for Smith K,J and similar size frames from other makers. If I wanted to go higher it would have to be in a good Smith N frame or similar large frame sixgun.

This is all from 1966, but I don't really see that anything has changed in the following 46 years.

[KYCaster]

This is all from 1966, but I don't really see that anything has changed in the following 46 years.

What has changed in the last 46 years is the development of powders that don't leave nearly as much soot on the gun, your hands, your face, your glasses, the bench, the sand bags, etc.

Powders like Clays, Universal and Enforcer. They do the job just as well as BE, Unique and 2400 and make my shooting experience a little more pleasant.

If you're happy with your choice of powder, that's fine with me, but just because they've been working for fifty years doesn't mean I can't find something I like better.

To each his own.........

Jerry