38---Special

[mag_01]

Range today was cold but a good day overall----Shot 158gr. Lee TL with 2.8 grs. Bullseye. Five shot groups where about an inch off hand open sites at 50ft. I think If weather was better (warmer) I could have tightened up group but who knows maybe they would be worse. I will just be happy with the results as they are. The 158gr TL boolit shot as cast with LLA. I wonder how this load will do in the magnum case and I believe 2.9grs. are called for. Get out and shoot guys spring is coming----Mag


:Fire: :Fire: :Fire:

[mag_01]

Gun above was a 4 inch. Colt python a real pleasure to shoot right out of the box no messing with it needed---Mag

[mtngunr]

One-hand 1" groups are good to go at any range.....

[mag_01]

One hand I wish ---- two hand hold for this old shooter----- Mag

[doc25]

If only I had 3 hands.

[Dale53]

mag01;
To get about the same load in the magnum case as you do in the Special case, you will need .5-.6 grs more of Bullseye (about ½ grain more). Your load, with the 158 gr Lee bullet (you really didn't identify the exact bullet) should run about 656 fps as per LYman's Reloading Handbook, 47th edition. You might want to pick up Lyman's latest manual.

I like to run the .38 Special about 750 fps or so minimum. The oft recommended load of 2.7-2.8 grs of Bullseye is with the 148 gr wadcutter which has MUCH greater load density (the bullet is seated almost entirely within the case and takes up more space and raises pressure). 3.5 grs of Bullseye is a nice practice load with a 158 gr Round nose or semi wadcutter seated normally. LYman shows 4.2 grs of Bullseye to be max for the .38 Special with a 158 gr round nose or SWC.

Dale53

[mtngunr]

One hand I wish ---- two hand hold for this old shooter----- Mag

oops....then allow me a point of order, and a moment of playing Mr. Language Nazi...."off-hand" means to shoot with the off hand, that is, the hand that is otherwise not occupied....also called "duelist" by the cowboy crowd I think.....off-hand is NRA bullseye style......unsupported with two hands is, well, unsupported with two hands, or maybe Weaver, Isoceles, whatever......still very good shooting for unsupported, and I'd be right proud, too....a good day for me shooting two hands unsupported is maybe 3" aggregate for all shots at 25yds, so that 1" is mighty impressive.......

[Four Fingers of Death]

I always used the 2.8Gns in the 38Special. When I got a K frame the year before last Alliant was back on the shelves after a long absense here. I bought a tin and started back with my 2.8gn load behind commercially cast wadcutters. Worked well. I turned up at the range one day with just enough reloads to shoot the match. Whn we finished some of the guys were trying to get another match going. Frank, the local 'I bought 3000 rounds, because I gotta go home early guy' lent me a box of his reloads. They seemed a bit snappy compared to my loads, but shot well. I shot a personal best. He was using 3.5Gns Bullseye. I think my load was really designed for HB wadcutters and was not obturating the solid boolit properly. Thats all I can think of, but I'm gonna load up a batch between 3.0 and 3.5 and see how I go.

[fecmech]

Mick--I did some machine rest testing some years ago and found 3.1/BE the best for my K-38 using the H&G #50 wadcutter. YMMV Nick

[mag_01]

The good old 38 special wont beat you up and it gives good results---Mag

[Dale53]

4fingermick;
Ed Harris has also touted 3.0 grs of Bullseye with both HB and PB cast wadcutters.

Of course, the best way is to put the revolver in a Ransom Rest and see which shoots the best.

I have been using 2.7 with both HB and PB wadcutters for many, many years in my K-38 and also my various .357's with .38 Special cases.

Dale53

[mtngunr]

And I ratcheted my load from 2.8grs to 3.2grs Bullseye with both HBWC's and SWC's, finding the heavier charge generally shot better in my guns, probably better obturation being my guess, the HBWC's seated out about 1/16th" to minimize float before throat, and the SWC's seated with the front driving band flush with the case mouth to pretty much duplicate base depth with WC's.....and crimped on both just enough to straighten out mouth flare, no real crimp......

[9.3X62AL]

Little Sister--the LT with brains, as opposed to the Big Brother With Brawn--is doing all sorts of tweaks wirth her PPC ammo lately. Let's keep in mind that she is a 1475-class shooter with her truck-axle-barrelled M-10.

First it was sneaking out the boolit (Hornady 148 HBWC) varying lengths with the same load (2.8 grains of Bullseye). Once that got working at 7/15/25 yards, she wanted powder weights trickled up in 0.1 grain increments to get The Best Load On Earth for 50 yards. Well, gee whiz, 3.1 grains of the fast fuel got things tightened up nicely. One would THINK that such loads would be similarly accurate at closer engagements, but OH NO HELL NO--THERE SHALL BE 2 loads produced.

I would like to find the bean-counting wonk that cut off the ammo stipend for my old agency's pistol team--and kick his ass soundly.