Need Load Data 38 Special

[Thebeancounter]

I come to humbly stand before the court and bear my soul. I am a collector of mismatched components and need to correctly fit them together so I don't hurt myself or others.

I bought several piles of reloading components and a Lee 140 gr SWC bullet mold in the hopes of feeding two pistols - Smith & Wesson Model 64 and Model 19.

The powders on the shelf are:
IMR 4895 - I have 5 cans of this
IMR 4227
IMR 4064
IMR 4198
IMR 4831
Bullseye
Green Dot
Red Dot - I have 8 Pounds of this
2400

I am having trouble finding load data for the Lee mold and would like to know if any of you have the mold and what load you use.

And if that were not enough, I need a light load so the wife won't complain. She shoots the Bullseye League in the Summer and would like a load that travels slightly faster than you can spit. If the aforementioned mold produces too heavy of a bullet, please make a better recommendation.

In conclusion, I need load data for me, load data for the wife and possibly a new mold.

Thanks guys.

[bhn22]

Have you looked at loading data for the 141 gr. wadcutter for your wifes shooting needs? The LEE bullet is just a short wadcutter with a nose on it. Lymans "Pistol & Revolver" loading handbook list loads for 358212, which is a 146 gr roundnose. I used to load a lot of these bullets, I'd cast them from linotype and they'd end up at 125 grains with the lino I had back then. I loaded them screaming hot in 357 magnums with no leading problems, ever. Red Dot is just a touch slower than Bullseye & my manual shows the loading data to be nearly identical, with Red Dot having a slight velocity edge in some instances.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Heres what I've shot, in my guns, worked fine using the Lee 140 SWC.

Red Dot .38s 3.0 gr gave me 650 fps in a Model 60, 4.0 gr gave 804 fps.

Bullseye, I've used from 2.7 to 4.0 grs, no chrono data, but will be very close to the same as Red Dot.

For my Model 19, 6 inch, I've loaded in .357 cases, 4.0 grs Bullsye gave me 966 fps,
5.0 grs gave 1059, note says 1.75 inch groups at 25 yds.

I haven't tried that boolit with 2400 in either case, but have shot lots of 8.5 grs of LongShot under it for my Blackhawk, gets roughly 1340 fps.

Good boolit. I've used load data for 148 gr wadcutters and not had any issues.

[Thebeancounter]

Thanks. I'll copy the thread and give it a try.
- Bill

[MtGun44]

For light loads, about 2.8-3.0 gr BE is excellent, typically very accurate and mild.
For 'slightly faster than you can spit" try the 2.8 range. Just don't dble charge, as this
is a tiny dab of powder in the bottom of a cavernous case.

For best accy make sure that they are throat size or a touch larger.

Bill