Your Favorite 38 Special Load

[No_1]

Title says it all. Post your favorite 38 Special load!

[NickSS]

My favorite load is the Lyman 357466 SWC over 3.5 gr of Red Dot. I have shot multiple thousands of them with complete satifaction

[justingrosche]

Ideal 360344 with 3.0gr of Bullseye

[Shooter6br]

H & G #50 4 banger with 3.6 Unique( i know Bullseye shoots better) or Lee 158 SWC with 4.7 -5.0 Unique In a Mod 10 4in HB

[zxcvbob]

Favorite target load: Lee 148 TL wadcutter with 2.5 grains of International

Home Defense load: 158 grain lead bullet (Lee RF for practice, Magnus #515 SWCHP for real) with 4.5 grains of American Select

edit: I recently upped the International load to 2.8 grains and it works better

[redneckdan]

RCBS 150-KT over 4.0gr of red dot for general use. NOE 360429 HP over 11.0gr of 2400 for social purposes. These are used in a smith and wesson model 15 4".

[ricksplace]

5.0 Unique behind Lee 158 RNF. I shoot them in a rifle.

[WDS]

3.5 Bullseye pushing a 158 g RN

[mtgrs737]

5.0 grs of Unique pushing a 150gr SWC.

[MT Gianni]

358477 over 5.4 gr Unique. It is higher than current manuals but has been a shooter in my guns since the 70's.

[9.3X62AL]

I've used a load very close to Gianni's for many years. Another is 6.0 grains of Herco under Lyman #358429.....this one is a mite warmish, and gets used in post-war K-frames.

[dnotarianni]

4.0 bullseye with a 147 gr 9mm head. Works great for steel plate matches and the 9mm head has a nice point for fast reloads in moonclips.
Dave

[357shooter]

3.6 grains of Unique under at 158 SWC or 168 SWC, in my snub-nose.

[jmsj]

2.8 grains of Bullseye of and a Lee 358-105-SWC

[jhrosier]

I've burnt up 15K or so of 125 gr rn over 3.5-3.8 grs Bullseye doing action shooting.
I use a heavy crimp to ensure smooth loading.
These are fired in one of several .357 mag revolvers as the shorter .38 spl case ejects more certainly than the longer .357 mag.


Now I've had fellows kind of look down their nose at these light loads.
I can hit a row of soda cans at 10 yards about as fast as I can pull the trigger of my 686 or GP100 and the revolvers have never failed to function.
The fellows with the high capacity bottom feeders are hard pressed to equal that kind of performance.[smilie=l:

I shot the steel challenge matches a few years ago and had a nagging doubt about the accuracy of this load when I made a few misses. I took a bunch of the same load and fired at 25yards from a rest with my Contender. It was easy to keep all the shots in less than an inch group. That removed all doubt and forced me to concentrate on improving my shooting technique.

I still enjoy shooting the revolver with .38 Spl loads and don't feel at the least disadvantage when competing against the autos.

Jack

[mongo]

A Lee 158gr SWC TL over 4.0gr Win 231. Shoot thousands of them.

[tuckerdog]

4.5 grn unique 155grn swc

[waco]

lachmiller 158gr swc over 3.2gr titegroup

[GH1]

158 gr RNFP on top of 3 gr Bullseye. Works great in the revolver as well as the levergun.
GH1

[roverboy]

Hornady 158 gr. swaged swc with 5.0 gr. Herco and CCI 500. I use Herco because I've got a lot of it.

[Gunnut 45/454]

Mine is Lee 158 gr SWC over 4.6gr W231 it's +P great SD load for the SP 101 and BH

[Wally]

Does anyone have a favorite load for the 358345?

[StrawHat]

I have two and they both use the same boolit, cast from a Lee DEWC mold.

Cast soft, over 2.8 grains of Bullseye, for an accurate target load.

Cast hard and loaded over 5 grains of Unique for a walk about load. This turns the 38 SPecial WC into a hard hitting game load and one that could double as a SD load.

[zxcvbob]

Cast hard and loaded over 5 grains of Unique for a walk about load. This turns the 38 SPecial WC into a hard hitting game load and one that could double as a SD load.The pressure is probably a lot higher than you think with that. Unless you're shooting them from a .357, you might want to drop that back to 4.5 grains (which would still be "+P")

I use 7.0 grains of WSF with DEWC's for a light magnum load, but that's in .357 brass.

[StrawHat]

The pressure is probably a lot higher than you think with that. Unless you're shooting them from a .357, you might want to drop that back to 4.5 grains (which would still be "+P")

I use 7.0 grains of WSF with DEWC's for a light magnum load, but that's in .357 brass.

I should have included the information in the post. I use a S&W M686 for that load. I have fired it from my M15 but not as a steady diet.

I also seat the wadcutter bullets out from the case and do not flush seat them so the internal capacity is a bit more. But you are correct, 5.0 can be a hotter load than you might want to use.

[Blanket]

Favorite load-Unique (won't say how much) with a 1-25 tin lead Lyman 155 grain SWCHPGC bullet lubed with the NRA 50/50. Yes they lead and make a big hole in what ya shoot with them. Most used load 3 gr Bullseye and 148 wadcutter.....Russ

[bcp477]

158 grain SWC, just like everybody else's SWC's......over 3.0 grains of Bullseye. Actually, my gun (Taurus 851 snubbie) will shoot 3.0, 3.1 and 3.2 grains, with no real discernible difference in accuracy. So, I just stick to 3.0 (a tiny bit of powder saved and good enough for my purposes).

[inkedbylee]

have to be my lee 158gr swc on top of 5.2 gr of herco and a cci spp works really nice throw my lever gun.

[jdgabbard]

H & G #50 4 banger with 3.6 Unique( i know Bullseye shoots better) or Lee 158 SWC with 4.7 -5.0 Unique In a Mod 10 4in HB

My best groups are with a Lee SWC, and 4.0g Unique...


But My FAV load is the good old Ideal 358495 over 3.0 of BE with any standard primer... It's like a lazer beam out to 50 yards

[swheeler]

Lee 158 RNFP over 4.3 gr WW231

[Treeman]

Lee 158 RNFP driven by 5.0 of Unique.

[SSGOldfart]

3.0 Bullseye pushing a 148 g WC

[Sheriff]

A 158 swc over 4.5grs Unique.

[Four-Sixty]

I've been experimenting with my Airweight, S&W model 637.

A 140 grain semi-wadcutter over 3.5 grains of Bullseyes looks promising.

[bbailey7821]

5.0g Unique under a 158g SWC.

[x101airborne]

I load on a progressive and try to keep the changes to a minimum. I use 3.5 grains bullseye (wich is the same for my 45 acp) under any 140 - 158 grain lead boolit. Mild, comfortable, reliable, SAFE!!

[Ben]

These comments all reinforce the long lived reloading legacy of the grand old 38 Special.

Notice how many people are shooting accurate loads with such a wide variety of propellants , bullet styles and bullet weights.

[excess650]

These comments all reinforce the long lived reloading legacy of the grand old 38 Special.

Notice how many people are shooting accurate loads with such a wide variety of propellants , bullet styles and bullet weights.

Most of the loads are with heavier boolits. One of my favorites in my 6" K38 was the Lee 105gr over 5gr Bullseye. It was extremely accurate and relatively high velocity for a 38spl. Back when I could see it was my squirrel load and I only took head shots.

[winelover]

5.0 Grains of Unique under a 158 gr. SWC is my go to 38 Spl load also.

Winelover

[Matt_G]

But My FAV load is the good old Ideal 358495 over 3.0 of BE with any standard primer... It's like a lazer beam out to 50 yards

+1
My Model 14 loves this load.

[cobbmtmac]

I use a RCBS 38-150 KT, it drops at 151grs, behind 4 grs. of Red Dot. This works great for my needs. Someone in the past told me it was Elmers Kieth's load!

Hello to, MT Gianni, 9.3X62AL and Matt_G. :Fire:

[davwingman]

5.7 gr. of 800X behind a 158 gr. swc works very well in my Model 14 Smiths. I got this load from a DuPont paper loadbook a few years ago. Plenty accurate & plenty stout!

[DLCTEX]

RCBS 150 KT over 4.2 Win. 231. My wife favors the Lee 125 RN over 3 gr. Bulls Eye. Very accurate.

[avogunner]

Lyman 358432 (148gr version) over 3.1gr of 700X. My S&W 66 loves it.

36305

[sparky45]

158 gr RNFP on top of 3 gr Bullseye. Works great in the revolver as well as the levergun.
GH1

What's the OAL on this load?

[ScottJ]

My 1948 vintage M&P has proven most accurate with 4.3gr of HP-38 behind either the Lee 140-SWC or the Lee 158 RNFP

Yields 859 fps with the former and 781 with the latter.

[Rocky Raab]

Summary of much of the above:

Look at the first 25 (fastest) powders on the burn rate chart of your choice.

Pick one.

Load 3.0 grains under a 158-gr cast bullet.

Enjoy.

[sheepdog]

158 gr lee SWC with 3.2 of red dot for mild loads, 2.8 of red dot for mousy loads (good for odd timer 38s).

[ChuckS1]

My load for Distinguished Revolver is a 358311 and 2.8 grains of Bullseye.

[kmag]

+1 for Rocky Raab's suggestion.

[Dframe]

Mines pretty boring. All it does is hit steel plates with boring regularity.
158 grain cast bullet over 3.5 grains of Trail Boss.

[cgtreml]

2.9 gr Bullseye under a 148 gr HBWC. Same load my father in law used shooting PPC 40 years ago. Still works great.

[crabo]

3.5 of Bullseye pushing the Lee 125rnfp.

[maglvr]

My favorite .38 by FAR (and the only .38 I bother with) is the classic Elmer 38-44 loading, for LARGE frame .38's and .357 guns ONLY!! 13.5gr. 2400, under a LLA+JPW lubed, 173gr. 358429 @ 1300fps+.
Amazing what a little pressure boost can do for the lowly .38 spl. cartridge ;)

[Smoke-um if you got-um]

3.6 Bullseye/158 semi-wadcutter. It is extremely accurate in my 38's and 357's. Barrel lengths from 2" to 6".

[ted60]

A Lee 158gr SWC TL over 4.0gr Win 231. Shoot thousands of them.

that bullet is perfect, I size mine to .358 just to smear alox thru lube grooves, wipe noses clean so no pile up of lube, and yes 3K or more and still my favorite kick around load.

[Jack Stanley]

I guess my favorite for drilling holes in anything the thirty-eight special would be appropriate for would be this . A LBT hundred eighty-five grain flat nose with four point seven grains of Universal Clays and using a Winchester small pistol primer . My mold is a gas check design but for this load it doesn't use a gas check . Bullets get rolled in a little Johnsons paste wax , dried then sized .359" in a Star lube-sizer . This ammo feeds through a lever gun like corn through a goose , the rifle and my 686 group with it very well .

Now I have molds for 358311 and an old Ideal 358477 that I need to find good loads for . The round nose I haven't used much at all but I have used five point four grains of Unique with the 358477 mold . It shot well in the revolver but not so well in the lever gun .

Thanks guys for posting your loads , some of them I'll be trying when I get to working with these bullets .

Oh , and by the way I have a 358439 that I cast soft ( 40:1 I think ) in the thirty-eight case I ended up with three point seven grains of Bullseye , Winchester primer and a mild crimp . It didn't feed very well at all in the lever-action but from a four inch 686 I was impressed with it's group . On woodchucks , it should absolutely ruin their day .

Jack

[eck0313]

158 gr. SWC of your choice with 3.5 gr. Hodgon Tight Goup (HTG)

[Mumblypeg]

3.0grains of Win 231 topped with just about any of the 38 boolits, light and fun. I've shot skillions of wadcutters and simiwads but lately have grown real fond of the Lee 158 FN. Sometimes I bump it up a grain or so. I stopped using Bullseye long ago, 231 burns cleaner for me.:p

[thegreatdane]

Lee 148gn wadcutter over 3.3gn Titegroup. Fantastic accuracy. I just loaded 400 of 'm this evening.

[adrians]

3.2grns of win231 under the ideal 358495 (drops at 148grn using WW ),
tis good enuff fur me :redneck:

[Link23]

common guys any pictures of these "amazing" groups?

Link23

[crashguy]

Summary of much of the above:

Look at the first 25 (fastest) powders on the burn rate chart of your choice.

Pick one.

Load 3.0 grains under a 158-gr cast bullet.

Enjoy.

Yep, 3.0 grains of 700x for me... all day long.

[billsr]

158 grain cast SWC with gas check over 12 grains of Alliant 2400 and a small pistol magnum primer. Shoots great in my .38/44 S&W Outdoorsman.

[GT27]

3 grains of TG,win primer,148 FWC, my shoot all day load!!:Fire:

[fecmech]

common guys any pictures of these "amazing" groups?

Link23
How are these 3 at 100 yds?? H&G 158RN/4.2 Bullseye/6" K-38/ benched/dot sight
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22896&d=1276549398

[katch1]

Mines pretty boring. All it does is hit steel plates with boring regularity. 158 grain cast bullet over 3.5 grains of Trail Boss.

got any velocities on that load sounds close to what i want
i load trailboss in three other calibers already so .38 would help narrow up my powder storage.

i have used 3.5gr of red dot under any commercially cast 158gr for 15 yrs with goood luck in like 10 different guns

[KCcactus]

My favorite is 4.5gr Unique behind a 148gr HBWC loaded backwards. My S&W 586 loves it and it's really effective on little varmints and water filled containers.

[rexherring]

Lots of loads for different purposes but for a fun light plinking load in the snubby, I like 3.5 grs of W-231 under a Lee 110 SWC or a Lee 125 gr flat nose.

[HiVelocity]

Just my $.02 worth:

How about this one? Cast Al Nelson's 358-135-BB HP out of ACWW, sized .358
tumble lubed with 3.5 grains of TiteGroup. ~ 950 fps.

Enjoy the photo.

HV

[725]

158 SWC + 4.0 gr Bullseye.

[Link23]

any loads for Clays and a 158 SWC?

[thegreatdane]

Just my $.02 worth:

How about this one? Cast Al Nelson's 358-135-BB HP out of ACWW, sized .358
tumble lubed with 3.5 grains of TiteGroup. ~ 950 fps.

Enjoy the photo.

HV




HiVelocity, that's a good idea. I have that mold too and will have to try it! Are you crimping in any particular place or just making your own?

[QuickRick]

definitely not a mainstream load, but my favorite for many years has been the Lee 105 SWC pushed by 5.0 grains of 700-X. Very accurate in all my revolvers and stretches your casting lead into more bullets. Produces around 1,150 fps from a 6 inch barrel. Much like shooting a 9mm but without chasing down the brass....

[felix]

Agreed! In the maggie case, use the Lyman 477 with 5.0 in long cylinder, or 4.8 while crimping the band for the short cylinder (mod 27). Pressure to high for mod 19, though. ... felix

[Larry Gibson]

158 SWC + 4.0 gr Bullseye.

Shot this yesterday at 50 yards. Ten shot group is 1.25". Have a 2.5 Bushnell on the Contender Barrel. Alloy was WWs +2% tin AC'd. Sized at .358, lubed with Javelina. Looking at the test data you can see this is a very, very consistent load. Does almost as well using the Lee TL358-158-SWC sized at .360 and lubed with Javelina or BAC.

Runs 860 fps out of my 5" M15 S&W with equal accuracy at 25 yards.....anyways back in the day when my eyes were still good and I could see the sights:-(

Larry Gibson

[ColColt]

4.5 gr of 231 with the 158 gr SWC.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Targets/_DEF3897.jpg

[Hi-Speed]

3.5 grs Bullseye and 158 gr 358311 RN or any brand 158 gr SWC.

[BigAlofPa.]

I have been enjoying using tite-group in all my pistol loads for target shooting.

[skeettx]

3.1 grains of 231 and any good cast boolit :)

[Walks]

Don't / can't pick a favorite. But this is the order in which I load/shot them.

1) 3.5grs Bullseye under a Lyman #358477 cast of 50/50 - COWW/#2. About 65%

2) 6.0grs Unique under a Lyman#358429 cast as above. About 25%

3) 2.8grs of Bullseye under a Lyman #358495 cast of COWW. About 8%

4) 2.8grs under Hornady 148gr HBWC.
About 2%.

Load #4 is kind of a waste of time these day as My fading Eyesight & Arthritic Hands can't shoot well enough to tell the difference between #3 & #4.

And #2 seems to be reduced to 5grs of Unique. For just my post-war Colt Official Police.

So I tend to shoot #1 most all the time now.

I guess #1 is my favorite load. And I loaded a Lyman #358665 158gr RNFP with the same charge for my Kids Cowboy Action Loads while they were growing up.
I load the old #358311 just because I like the old Round Nose. These days I also cast the Lee #358-158-RF.

So I just can't pick a favorite load.

[Outpost75]

common guys any pictures of these "amazing" groups?

Link23

237327

Not a fluke, but can be produced on demand any time. The vertical stringing is ME!

[gpidaho]

My favorite 38spl. 3.5gr TiteGroup under the Saeco #62358 158gr. RNFP. Gp

[Texas by God]

Not one favorite but many using Bullseye, Red Dot, and Unique. Currently I'm enjoying Lee's 105swc over 5grs of B'eye.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Dieselhorses]

4.0 gr's HP38/Win231 under the 158 SWC is pretty accurate in my 686-6.