snubby load w/ 148 gr Lee WC and BE

[soldierbilly1]

Can someone here recommend a snubbie load for the 148 gr Lee TL and Bullseye?

(I have them seated to the case mouth using 3.2 gr of BE.)

It seems like a reasonable load, however, with the 5 or so reloading manuals I have, the results are all over the map and they are using 4 and 6" barrels.

If possible, do you have any speed data out of a snubbie?

My goal here is to get about 650 fps out of my Airweight. this was a recommended load by the Lucky Gunner for SD.

any help is appreciated. thanks in advance

bill boy

[JeffG]

I seat my and roll crimp in the crimp groove. I seem to recall when loading about 2.7 grains BE I was down in the 700 area with a 2" snubnose. I might have chronographed it, will check

[JeffG]

I looked back and I had chronographed 3.0 grains of BE, with the bullet seated to 1.248 OAL. That load was good for 753.3 average velocity. A BE-86 load of 4.4 grains was good for 847.8 average velocity.

[MSD MIke]

Not exactly the same bullet but with a Speer HBWC and 2.8 Gr of BE I get 720fps in a 4'' Model 10, 690fps in a 2.5'' model 66 and 670fps in a J-Frame. That load just doesn't gain (Or Lose) much with barrel length. Your load should easily run 650 in a J-Frame or LCR. Of course only shooting it over a Chronograph will tell for sure.

Thanks
Mike

[Larry Gibson]

2.7 gr BE with a HBWC seated flush is the classic target load. With solid based WCs I prefered 3 gr as they held up better at 50 yards (PPC competition) the 18 3/8" twist S&Ws. The 2.7 gr load under the solid base WCs worked very well in the 16" twist Colt and custom barrels. Same loads did well in snub nose revolver (2.5" or less) class.

Larry Gibson

[Outpost75]

For "full charge" wadcutter the Remington component 148 HBWC will tolerate up to 3.2 grains of Bullseye without blowing the skirt, as long as you shoot it in .38 Special only and NOT in .357 chambers! Do not try this with anybody else's HBWC!

With a cast DEWC wadcutter similar to Saeco #348 you can load 3.5 grains of Bullseye in .38 Special cases and up to 5 grains in .357 Magnum brass.

[rintinglen]

Your 3.2 load is good for your ntended purposes. With an H&G 50, I got 707 FPS from a Model 60 Chiefs Special with that load.

[williamwaco]

For many years I used the standard 2.7 grains Bulls Eye. 5 or 6 years ago I began to notice slightly out of round bullet holes at 25 yards. Maybe 1 in 12 holes. At 50 yards, 1 in 6 would have a distinct slightly oval shape.

I tried 2.9 with the same result. At 3.1 grains, everything was nice and round. I rounded up to 3.2 and now use that for everything.

PS: most loaders will insist they have never seen an oval bullet hole with the 2.7 grain load.

[country gent]

My good 38 special (1911 wad cutter gun with 6" bar sto barrel 1-16 twist) shoots the old "standard" of 2.7 grns bullseye like its a laser accuracy wise. I have settled on this load for all my 38s now for practice and some other uses. In my 2 snubbies ( S&W 36 air weight, and S&W 360 air lite scandium titanium) its accurate comfortable more so in the 36. The 360is so light even wad cutters get tiring. But it does perform very well. I have put this load thru all 6 of my 38 caliber guns with very good results. The load is federal pistol primer, 2.7 grns old bullseye ( well a couple 8 lb kegs lasts a long time with this load LOL.) and a hornady swaged hollow based wad cutter seated .015 above the case mouth. I need to stay this short for the wad cutter gun to feed and function from the clip. If going to hotter loads or "full power 38s for defense I would recommend going to a solid bases wadcutter so as to not have the issue of skirts coming off or deforming.

[fecmech]

I tried 2.9 with the same result. At 3.1 grains, everything was nice and round. I rounded up to 3.2 and now use that for everything.

In the past when I owned a Ransom rest I did some very serious testing of the H&G #50 in my K-38. With the bullet seated to the crimp groove I shot multiple groups with each BE load from 2.7-3.3 grs first at 25 yds to narrow the field and then at 50 yds for the final testing. The load of 3.1/BE turned out to be the sweet spot for my Mod 14. With the H&G #50 I was able to have average group sizes at 50 yds very close to factory HBWC/s.

[Blackwater]

THE classic "full load" with 148 WC's, either HB or SB, is 3.5 gr. of BE. If you're using your snubby as a carry gun, this would be the best load with your components. And FWIW, if it was me, I'd cast my bullets a tad on the hard side, because those sharp corners on the nose will cut blood vessels, if you have to shoot for your life, rather than tear them as a RN or "soft edged" FP can do, thus, leaking blood faster and hopefully, keeping you safer/faster. I have an old pre-'72 Colt DS that I can't shoot +P in and this is the load I'll be using in it. Speed loaders will likely carry RNFP's because they load so much more easily and faster. Speed of response CAN make a HUGE difference in a real life combat scenario, so I trade off the effectiveness of the FPWC's for some assurance that I can get the gun percolating quicker with the RNFP's. And generally, with regard to 148 gr. WC's, they stick down in the case, so despite their 10 gr. lighter wt., they still use the same charges as most 158 grainers. So if you don't have data for some obscure powder, just use what's listed for the 158 grainers and you'll be OK. The .38 WC load with full charge has a pretty good reputation as a "stopper" in .38's. Not as good as a bigger caliber, of course, but good for that size bore.

[35remington]

148 Lee TLWC seated to top groove, 3.1 BE, 705 fps 1 7/8" Smith 638. With 3.5 BE 780 fps. I would suggest one or the other depending upon how they shoot for you.

I see the 650 fps range as less desirable. Both are standard pressure loads.

[jerry6stl]

My airweight S&W 42 snub is painful to shoot with full power .38's. For practice I download the Lee 125 round nose to about 600 f.ps. For EDC, I use hotter loads.

[Petrol & Powder]

The vast majority of my experience with wadcutters is with commercially produced HBWC. Most of the time I was using ww-231 and always ended up at the max charge weights (3.3 grain of WW-231 with a HBWC seated flush) for the best accuracy. I did shoot some with Bullseye powder and recall they were near max charge weights as well (3.0 grains) but I don't have my notes anymore. I recall they were in the 700 fps range with an old style S&W 640 (1 7/8" barrel).
My experience with Bullseye powder isn't extensive but I agree with williamwaco and others that with fast burning powders and the 38 WC, you're better off at the upper end of the charge weights.

I practice with 158gr SWC loads and carry the Remington version of the "FBI Load". If I was going to practice with and carry full wadcutter loads in an alloy J-frame, I would go with a solid WC. Pick a practice load in the neighborhood of 3.1 grains of BE and carry load of 3.5 grains of Bullseye.

So, given what everyone else has said, it looks like you're right where you need to be with you Lee 148gr / 3.2 Bullseye combo. Without a chronograph you will not know for certain but I would guess that you'll be in the low 700's with that load in a 2" barrel.