38 special 158 swc

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I use it for .38 special (3.0 grs) under 148 SWC gives me 745 fps at 10'. Its a bit dirty, but like others have said but accurate.

I started using it a few years ago when I had a hard time finding pistol powder. I had a couple large cans that i used to use for 12ga trap loads. I have also used it for .45acp.

[Mauser48]

Thanks for the help guys! I just loaded 50 with 3.4 grains of 700x with a 158 swc and 50 with 4.8 grains of CFE pistol and a 158 scw. This was all in 38 special cases. We will se how they do!

[250kt]

How'd they do? I sure don't get all this talk about "dirty" powder??? I've shot pounds of unique, no more dirty then anything else. Any low pressure loading will be dirtier than a higher pressure load of like powder. Who cares? Does the load work? That's what counts. Like people have a fit if there's "unburned" powder in barrel. Again who cares? Load work? Then all is good.

[Mauser48]

I just tried them today. The 700x were the best. Very manageable recoil and very good accuracy. I was shooting from 35-100 yards and hitting whatever I wanted. The 700x was very dirty but shot very good. I didn't have a chance to shoot at paper so I was just shooting steel. I hit a 6 inch chicken at 35 yards offhand. The 700x didn't meter great but a lot better than I expected. I can certainly deal with it. Next time I go shooting I will be able to group it on paper and I will post pics here. Thanks for all your help guys!

[jesse d]

my go to load for 158 gr swc is 5.0gr power pistol,gives me great accuracy from a 4 inch barrel.i actually use 5.5 gr 800x for my snub nose for the same accuracy,out of a 2 inch barrel the power pistol drops about 2 inches from point of aim.

[FergusonTO35]

Hopefully today I will be trying 3.4 grains Bullseye under a Lee 358-158-SWC out of my S&W 10-5. This boolit is a gas check slug but I load them plain base in .38. I size them with the Lee die and then dip in LLA. The skinny grooves and long bearing surface seem to work well this way at least with Accurate #5. Hopefully Bullseye will work just as good since all the Accurate handgun powders died out here a long time ago.

[tazman]

Hopefully today I will be trying 3.4 grains Bullseye under a Lee 358-158-SWC out of my S&W 10-5. This boolit is a gas check slug but I load them plain base in .38. I size them with the Lee die and then dip in LLA. The skinny grooves and long bearing surface seem to work well this way at least with Accurate #5. Hopefully Bullseye will work just as good since all the Accurate handgun powders died out here a long time ago.

I use that load for all my full power 158 grain boolits and it works well. My K38 loves it.
I use 3.0 of Bullseye for plinking and target loads. I tried going clear down to 2.5 grains but accuracy beyond 60 feet suffered.

[jdt81]

Recently I picked up some Alliant BE 86 since it was all I could find. (These day I buy anything that seems usable.)
Turns out its pretty decent powder. Burns clean and it has a flash suppressant (not that you would need to worry about muzzle flash in a 38 spl). It seems a bit faster than Unique.
4.5 gr under a 158 gr SWC or a JHP has been very accurate and very consistent over the chrony - 655 fps with 18 fps spread for the SWC out of a snubbie, and the JHP over the same load is the most accurate load I've stumbled across so far for 38 (Dan Wesson with 6" bbl). I know you didn't mention BE 86, but it's new and seems to be available.

I have used a lot of 700x in my 45 colt and liked it but it was really dirty and lately has been very inconsistent so I stopped using it.

[Char-Gar]

Bullseye is THE classic powder for the 38 Special. With a nominal weight bullets 3.5 grains will equal full factory velocity and 3.0 grains will be an easy shooting target load.

[FergusonTO35]

I did have the chance to try 3.4 grains Bulleye under the Lee 358-158-SWC yesterday and they did great. Easy to shoot and excellent accuracy out of my S&W 10-5. I chrono'd them, and this load easily beats the published 750 fps of most factory 158 grain ammo, and comes very close to the 850 fps of the renowned FBI load. A hotter Winchester or Remington primer would likely push it past that. I think I'm going to stick with this one!

S&W 10-5, 4" barrel
3.4 grains Bullseye
Lee 358-158-SWC sized to .357 and lubed with LLA, seated and crimped in the topmost groove
Federal SP primer, lot no. 5HM111
Low: 826.6
High: 865.7
Average: 847.4
Extreme spread: 39.14
Standard deviation: 13.15
Energy: 248.71 foot-pounds

[FergusonTO35]

On the topic of .38 Special, what are you guys sizing yours to? My S&W 10-5 prefers .357, the bore and chambers on this one seem tighter than others I've had. I don't have nearly as many rounds through my Service Six and Taurus 82 but they seem to do fine with whatever they are fed. I'm thinking that .357 might be they way to go in this cartridge as long as they shoot well. The slightly skinnier boolit doesn't bulge the case as much as the .358, which makes reloading a dirty cylinder easier.

[Char-Gar]

I size my bullets .358, but only because I shoot the same loads through Smith and Wesson and Colts. Smiths generally run .3575 +- in the throats while Colts generally run .359.

If the loads were to be used only in Smith and Wesson handguns, .357 would be what I sized. I size all my bullets that go into 357 Magnum cases, .357 as I only have Smiths with the long charge holes.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks. My 10-5 must have "match" chambers. A .358 boolit in thick brass won't just drop in out of the speed loader, you have to give it a little nudge. The Service Six and 82 are much newer and they eat everything, just not as accurate.

[Char-Gar]

Thanks. My 10-5 must have "match" chambers. A .358 boolit in thick brass won't just drop in out of the speed loader, you have to give it a little nudge. The Service Six and 82 are much newer and they eat everything, just not as accurate.

How did a Model 10-5 get "match chambers"? The factory cut them to the same specs as the K-38. Was this a custom shop thing or was it recylindered by a gunsmith.

I have eight or ten 38 Special revolvers and shoot Lake City USGI brass which is pretty thick stuff. I have no problems dropping .358 loaded rounds in the chambers, unless;

A. The crimp is excessive
B. I didn't clean the cylinder charge holes the last time I shot it, which frankly is never.

[FergusonTO35]

I was joking about the match chambers, I just meant they are kind of tight.

Tried the 3.4 Bullseye/358-158-SWC in the Taurus 82 last night and had the same success. Accuracy and chrono numbers were almost identical to the 10-5. This load is a keeper!

[tazman]

I love it when a plan comes together.

[FergusonTO35]

Me too. The Lee 358-158-SWC is a real gem. It is a gas check design which I load as plain base. The only problem with this is when you run them through a lube sizer you get some lube on the base where it is trying to fill the gas check shank. I'll never use this boolit with a gas check as the 358-158-RF works much better for that purpose. I suppose I could take a very sharp knife and whittle down the gas check part of the mold cavity until it is even with the rearmost driving band. Does this sound feasible?

[tazman]

Me too. The Lee 358-158-SWC is a real gem. It is a gas check design which I load as plain base. The only problem with this is when you run them through a lube sizer you get some lube on the base where it is trying to fill the gas check shank. I'll never use this boolit with a gas check as the 358-158-RF works much better for that purpose. I suppose I could take a very sharp knife and whittle down the gas check part of the mold cavity until it is even with the rearmost driving band. Does this sound feasible?

Since it works well the way it is, I wouldn't mess with it.

[Beerd]

Me too. The Lee 358-158-SWC is a real gem. It is a gas check design which I load as plain base. The only problem with this is when you run them through a lube sizer you get some lube on the base where it is trying to fill the gas check shank. I'll never use this boolit with a gas check as the 358-158-RF works much better for that purpose. I suppose I could take a very sharp knife and whittle down the gas check part of the mold cavity until it is even with the rearmost driving band. Does this sound feasible?

Your Lee 358-158-RF has a gas check?
..

[sniper]

The "Classic" target load for the 38/357 was 3.5 gr. Bullseye. My IPSC load for years was 150-158 cast, 5.5gr. Unique, 357 cases. No criticism, but when 357 Mag. brass is readily available...Amazon.com/Starline,why not buy that? 5.0 gr. Unique make heap good .38 load in bigger brass!