Has anybody tried this experiment?

[Harry O]

I have run out of H&G 290 .38 Special bullets I used to buy from a local caster who is no longer with us. He cast great bullets at VERY reasonable prices. It was exceptionally accurate with 6.2gr of HS-6. When he got too old to continue, I bought all the H&G 290 he had on hand. That was 10 to 15 years ago.

I have three moulds that I could use to replace it. A Lyman 357446, a 358429, and a 358477 (this last one was suggested by people on this board). I want to know which will be the most accurate for me.

I am thinking of casting from all three moulds using a Bhn 12 mix. Size all of them 0.358" and lube them with NRA 50/50 lube. I have a S&W K-38 of proven accuracy, a K-frame scope mount, and a Leupold 4x handgun scope. I plan to shoot them from a sandbag rest at 25 yards. I figure 10 targets with 6 shots each should give a pretty good idea of which is more accurate.

If it has been done before, let me know, including the results.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

every gun likes some thing a little different , you have a good starting point , start there and work it up and down try several of each boolit with your charge , a little less and a little more and find where it works for your gun

write it all down , figuring it all out is half the fun

5 targets with 6 shots each would probably be enough to determine what it likes untill your splitting hairs any way

[fecmech]

The only thing I would do differently with that combo is shoot 50 yd groups,you certainly have the capability there with the scope. The really good stuff will hold together just fine to 50 yds, the marginal stuff will go south bad. I do my testing at 50 yds with a K-38 and dot sight and have no problems. If you have a good one(K-38) you will know easily in 12 shots whether the load is ok. Actually if the first 6 shots ( discounting maybe 1 wild flyer) aren't under 3" for me it's time to try something different.

[376Steyr]

I do my load testing (with iron sights on six-shooters) at 25 yards shooting one 24-shot group. I can tell a "good" load from a "bad" one easily, or at least I think I can. Sometimes I use different color marking pens to mark each string to see how my 4 strings overlap each other. It can be startling to see how the 6-shot group centers are separated, which reflects badly on my shooting technique.

[Mk42gunner]

I like testing at 50 yards, I have seen too many loads that look good at shorter ranges that fall apart when the distance increases.

I also like to put one target behind the other; that way you can get a composite group, as long as you are careful about lining the new target up. It takes a little longer with all the target changes, but sometimes it is worth it.

Robert

[fecmech]

I like testing at 50 yards, I have seen too many loads that look good at shorter ranges that fall apart when the distance increases.

I also like to put one target behind the other; that way you can get a composite group, as long as you are careful about lining the new target up. It takes a little longer with all the target changes, but sometimes it is worth it.

Robert

That's exactly what I do when I "zero in" on a load. I set up one main target, for the composite group and slide other plain paper behind the main target for individual groups. For record keeping I then staple the papers to the composite target in the order they were shot.

[jhalcott]

I used to load at the range for this type of testing. IF the first 3 shots were a pattern ,I didnt have to waste a bullet pulling it down. Just go to the next step in the program! Carrying a reloding box and lots of bullets and cans of powder is too much like work these days.

[Harry O]

Sounds like 50 yards is the distance to use, then. I like the idea of a backing target to collect a group of all of them fired. I will give it a try.

I will be doing some HS-6 grain adjustments with each boolit before settling down for the long range test. I don't expect much change though. I have found that HS-6 is amazingly stable in the several handgun cartridges I have been using it in. For example, there was no significance size difference between the first groups I tried at 5.0gr, 5.5gr, 6.0gr, and 6.5gr. I later went back and did it in 1/10gr increments between 6.0 and 6.5. That is how I ended up at 6.2gr as being marginally more accurate than those above and below that. In fact, I have gone from Unique to HS-6 for a bunch of different cartridges. I won't say that Unique is worse, but HS-6 every bit as good and it meters a lot better.

[williamwaco]

I have three moulds that I could use to replace it. A Lyman 357446, a 358429, and a 358477

I am thinking of casting from all three moulds using a Bhn 12 mix. Size all of them 0.358" and lube them with NRA 50/50 lube.

I have a S&W K-38 of proven accuracy, a K-frame scope mount, and a Leupold 4x handgun scope. I plan to shoot them from a sandbag rest at 25 yards. I figure 10 targets with 6 shots each should give a pretty good idea of which is more accurate.

If it has been done before, let me know, including the results.




Yes it has been done thousands of times by thousands of people. I do some test along these lines at least twice a month.


I have used the 358429, and a 358477 but not the 358446.
I have used several other similar SWCs weighing 150 to 170 grains.

I find very little difference in the inherent accuracy of any of them. some of the shoot better or worse in some guns but all of them are accurate in some combination. The 358429, and a 358477 and the H&G # 51 are my all time favorites. That said, I bought a Lee tumble lube 358-158-SWC about a year ago and I have been very happy with the accuracy of this unconventional ( by my standards ) bullet.

On each testing day, your first group should be fired using a "favorite" load of known accuracy. If you can't group it on a given day, you need to be suspicious of your other groups on that day.

You "have your act together". Your testing method will produce accurate results. Don't be surprised of all the bullets you mention produce very similar results.



.

[1Shirt]

Doesn't sound like a bad plan to me. I would however suggest that you might find that .358 may be most accurate with some but not with others. Might want to try a few of each with .357/.358/.359 for comparisons. You might be supprised at your results, or maybe not. You never know unless you try.
1Shirt!:coffeecom