Fav 38 spec generic load

[JoeJames]

I had some Win 231 laying around so I tried 2 different weights of powder in a 4" S&W Model 15, both with 158 grain swc's:

4.0 grains = 800 fps

4.4 grains = 878 fps

[cowboy4evr]

For years I used 2 loads . 5.0 grs of Unique and 3.5 grs of Bullseye with 158-160 gr swc's . They did all I could of asked for . Regards Paul

[smkummer]

Can't go wrong with 231. I use 4.3 gr. with a 158 LSWC for ~800 fps.

Yep, it’s what I use.

[Mk42gunner]

Thinking about this overnight, I came to the conclusion that for run of the mill general purpose .38 Special cartridges, just about any powder faster than Herco (and there are quite a few of them) will work. Some better than others, some more economical, some meter better, but they will all work.

Robert

[Crow_Eater]

Using the old HP-38 formulation (before Hodgdon started just labeling 231 as HP-38) I liked 3.8 gr of HP-38 under a 158 - 159 gr cast SWC, WSP, and just about any brass. It made a nice light, accurate load.
For HS-6, I used 6.0 (from Ken Waters Pet Loads) to 6.7 (Lyman manual max) with WSP. In .38 Special I did not use magnum primers with HS-6.
However, I highly recommend 5.9 gr of AA-5.

[ABJ]

Thinking about this overnight, I came to the conclusion that for run of the mill general purpose .38 Special cartridges, just about any powder faster than Herco (and there are quite a few of them) will work. Some better than others, some more economical, some meter better, but they will all work.

Robert

I agree, most any of these powders will give very good accuracy, red dot is a prime example but the hand measuring is what keeps me from using more of it than I do. I'm lucky in the fact that I have an old Herters from the 60's passed down to me and it will throw consistent charges of flake powders down to about 3.0 grains. It stays full of Unique will do the dot's just the same. The reason I use the HP-38 is from 3.8 to 4.4 under a 158 not a lot of accuracy difference so a 1/10 movement you will never see on the target. Of all the powders in that burn range the HP-38 seems to be the most forgiving.
Tony

[onelight]

I agree, most any of these powders will give very good accuracy, red dot is a prime example but the hand measuring is what keeps me from using more of it than I do. I'm lucky in the fact that I have an old Herters from the 60's passed down to me and it will throw consistent charges of flake powders down to about 3.0 grains. It stays full of Unique will do the dot's just the same. The reason I use the HP-38 is from 3.8 to 4.4 under a 158 not a lot of accuracy difference so a 1/10 movement you will never see on the target. Of all the powders in that burn range the HP-38 seems to be the most forgiving.
Tony

Good post , I also have found certain measures/presses have a preference for what they work best with .
Feedum what they like.

[JoeJames]

I agree, most any of these powders will give very good accuracy, red dot is a prime example but the hand measuring is what keeps me from using more of it than I do. I'm lucky in the fact that I have an old Herters from the 60's passed down to me and it will throw consistent charges of flake powders down to about 3.0 grains. It stays full of Unique will do the dot's just the same. The reason I use the HP-38 is from 3.8 to 4.4 under a 158 not a lot of accuracy difference so a 1/10 movement you will never see on the target. Of all the powders in that burn range the HP-38 seems to be the most forgiving.
Tony

That is interesting. Never thought about that before. When loading 38 Special I use an old RCBS powder measure, and then weigh it with a trickler standing by over the pan. Sometimes it seems like just a flake or two is enough to nudge it, from say 4.4 grains of 231 to 4.5. I usually dump it back in the measure, but sometimes out of pure dee laziness, I go ahead and use it. Not thought about it being forgiving, but upon reflection the groups do still plunk in there to point of aim.

Thanks.

[rintinglen]

I started with 231 and have probably burned more of that than any other. For some reason, that I've never understood, Bullseye was difficult to obtain locally. That was pre-internet days, so ordering something involved an envelope, a stamp, a money order and about a 2 week wait That pushed me towards purchasing WW231 locally, which turned out to be a good thing.

I still use WW231 for some 38 Special loads (mostly because I have a lot of it) but Bullseye has become my primary powder for 38 Special loads.

They're both good powders and well suited 38 Special loads.

My experience exactly, save for a period of about a year and half in the late 70's, when I was able to buy 8 lb kegs of Red Dot for just a shade over half what the Bullseye 4 lbers were running, when I could find them. When I moved to LA in the fall of 79, I found I could get 4 and 8 lb kegs of WW-231 for about a buck a pound cheaper that they were getting for Bullseye, and most of the time Bullseye was only to be had in even more costly 1 lb. containers. What was odd was that I had exactly the reverse experience with 2400 and 296. 2400 was nearly always to be had, while 296 was hard to find.

Anyways, 3.6 grains of red dot, 3.5 grains of Bullseye, 3.9 grains of WW-231 with a 358-477 150-ish SWC all seemed to work about the same for me.

My PPC loads were 2.8 grains Red dot, 2.7 grains BE, or 3.1 grains of WW-231 with a flush seated 148 grain wadcutter, either cast from my old Cramer 3 cavity 18H or purchased from a San Diego Commercial casting outfit. IIRC, they were 12.00/1000 back then, primers were 45.00 per 5000. My buddy at the Escondido Montgomery Wards Auto Center gave me all the wheel weights I could carry in exchange for the occasional case of beer. I shot tens of thousands of rounds in those days, for about .50 cents a box, $1.05 or so when I bought boolits.

[USSR]

Ah, you're showing your age, rintinglen. But you forgot to mention you were paying less than 30 cents a gallon for gas.

Don

[dverna]

In over 4 decades of loading .38’s I have only used three powders....Bullseye, W231, and Clays.

A while back I got 35 lbs of CleanShot cheap. It will become my new .38 powder. Have not tested it yet but have little doubt it will be just fine.

[rintinglen]

Actually, by then gas was 69 cents a gallon.

[JoeJames]

Shoot, I well remember gas wars when it was $.25 a gallon. Fill up my VW for $2.50.

[Chad5005]

I like 158gr lrn powdercoated or hitech coated over 3.8gr titegroup and cci spp

[Walks]

Geez, and I thought was old. In the late 70's in CA, premium gas was almost $1 a gallon. $5 for my 69 BUG.

I used to load 4.0grs of W231 under a 158gr RNFP or whatever bullet for My Kids Cowboy Guns back in 1998-2005. Until I ran out. Since I had Titegroup, Bullseye, Clays and Unique, I didn't feel another Pistol Powder was warranted. But it did shoot great in Light .45ACP Target Loads.

[jonp]

4 grn Promo. Problem solved

[EMC45]

Lee 158gr. RNFP sized to .358 over 3-3.5gr. Bullseye with any small pistol primer. Never fails to bring a smile to my face.

[Four-Sixty]

6.5 grains of HS-6 is my favorite 38 Special load used in a 357 Magnum rifle. I use standard pistol primers.

[winelover]

For years I used 2 loads . 5.0 grs of Unique and 3.5 grs of Bullseye with 158-160 gr swc's . They did all I could of asked for . Regards Paul

Yepper and I still do.

Winelover

[winelover]

I can remember 19 cents per gallon, in Detroit. We still had Sinclair, Texaco and Pure gasoline.

Winelover