What is your most accurate .38 Spec. 158 gn Cast Load.

[wv109323]

Title says it all:
What is your most accurate .38 Special load with a 158 gn. Cast bullet?
What are you shooting it out of?
What size Boolit?
What lube are you using?

[A pause for the COZ]

I may have to think on this a while.
Right now. I am shooting.
LEE 358-158-RF as cast.
Pan lubed with Paraffin/Vaseline/STP mix.

For my .357mag pistols its:
3.5 gr Bullseye this is +p I believe or at least max for .38 special.
or
4.7 gr universal.
All day shooters for .38 for me.

For my Rossi M92 lever gun.
For .38 special I only shoot.
Same Boolit ahead of 5gr Unique.
All day same hole at 50 yards. I am exaggerating with the same hole thing. But not far off.
I load alot of others for .38 but these are my go to loads.


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_7705.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/Rugerloads1.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_7898.jpg

[Larry Gibson]

In .38 SPL I use 4 gr of Bullseye as a "standard" velocity load under 150 gr 358477s or Lee's TL358-158-SWC. Alloy is generally WW+2% or a mixed range lead + lead + tin, both of which give a BHN of 14 - 16. I size the '477s at .359 and the Lee's at .360 and lube both with BAC or Javelina. Accuracy is excellent with both (as good as I can shoot anymore and as accurate as i could shoot "back in the day") and velocity runs 825 - 850 fps from 4 - 6" barrels.

I use 5.5 gr of Unique under softer cast '477s and HP them for my "FBI" +P duplication load.

Larry Gibson

[Papa smurf]

4.5 gr Unique .38 spl case in my Taurus 66 -6"bbl-----------------------------------Good Shooting Papa Smurf

[A pause for the COZ]

Dang it. Now I am getting the itch... I may have to run down stairs and pull the handle on the turret.

[shtur]

I sure hope someone will give a good 158 grain cast load for the 38 special, I too am looking for one like the OP

[Rangefinder]

I can only call it my "most accurate" load for 38SP. using 158gr. cast because it's the only load I use for that cartridge. 3.0gr. Red Dot. BUT, it certainly is a tight shooting load through a GP100. I load 38SP. and .357 for my dad's outdoors gun and I've never bothered to work up anything different because we hit pay-dirt with that combo right out of the gate. For 357mag IT GOES TO 5GR. Red Dot. Sized at .360 and TL with LLA.

[1Shirt]

Like somebody said already 4.5 gr of Unique on any swc blt up to 160 gr. shoots accurate (at least for me) in both my colt and my Ruger Blackhawk.
1Shirt!

[Larry Gibson]

I sure hope someone will give a good 158 grain cast load for the 38 special, I too am looking for one like the OP

Try 4 gr of Bullseye as I mentioned.

Larry Gibson

[Forrest r]

Another vote for 4.7g of universal clays = p+ load

S&W 586 6"bbl
358311 158g rn or lee 158g rf
sized to .357

Either bullet & that powder charge will make groups with all boolits touching @50ft

[garym1a2]

3 gr of bullseye works for plinking.
5 or so of Unique for hotter.

That Rossi and Ruger could handle 6 gr of Unique or 10.5 of 2400.

[dano440]

Title says it all:
What is your most accurate .38 Special load with a 158 gn. Cast bullet?
What are you shooting it out of?
What size Boolit?
What lube are you using?


.38 special with 158 lee flat round nose hardness 12 sized to .358"
out of Ruger Blackhawk 6 1/2" with 3.4 gr unique.
101 yard at 8 x 10 gong pretty consistently

[fecmech]

My .38 spl load is close to Larry's. I load 4.2 Bullseye behind a 158 rn which is a max standard pressure load per the Lyman cast bullet handbook. It averages less than 2" 6 shot groups at 50 yds and is what I use for Hunters Pistol silhouette. Lube is the Magma hard lube. Before anyone gets too nervous, my K-38 has digested well over 10K of these and is still nice and tight. Another excellent load is the 158 Lee TLSWC over 5 grs of Unique, just a hair less accurate than my RN load in my guns. Lube is Lee alox with mica to get rid of the "stickies". Alloy is ACWW + 2% tin for both bullets.

[Larry Gibson]

fecmech

Not to worry, your load is within SAAMI MAP for the .38 SPL. I PM'd the details you asked for regarding my load but I'll post them here also as I'm sure someone will ask.

Quote:
Originally Posted by fecmech
Larry--Did you ever run your Lee 158 TLSWC/4.0 BE through your pressure gun?? If you did would you mind sharing the details to me? Thanks Nick

Not a problem; The Lee bullet is cast of Range lead + tin + lead for aBHN of 11, Sized in Lyman 450 with .360 H die and lubed with Javelina. Loaded with 4 gr Bullseye (loaded on Dillon SDB) in R-P cases with Fed 150 primers, crimped in top crimp groove.

10 shot test;
Velocity out of 7.94" Contender test barrel was 901 fps (muzzle velocity), ES was 27 fps, SD was 10 fps.

PSI(M43 Oehler) average was 15,600, ES was 2,200 psi, SD was 700 psi.

Note; Winchester, Speer and Remington factory 158 standard velocity psi'd were 15,200, 15,400 and 15,700. Thus the 4 gr Bullseye load is right in the middle of the factory pack. SAAMI MAP is 17,000 psi(piezo-transducer) for that .38 SPL load.

Larry Gibson

[Dthunter]

I have a load that shoots under an inch at 50 yards.

Timberwolf carbine
Off a bench, with bipod & sand bags.

Alloy:
9lbs. Wheel weight lead + 4 feet of 50/50 lead/tin solder.

Cases: winchester (neck sized) about 1/3 of the case length.
Primer: Federal 100
Powder: 5.0 Grains of Alliant Unique
Bullet: 160 grain Round nose (RCBS mould)
Sized: .359"
Lubed: Lyman Super Moly
Seated: the bullet just engauges the rifling when action is locked shut. (single load)


I have got 1/2" groups at times on a good day (5shots).

When the bullet is seated deep enough to allow the loaded rounds to function through the tubular magazine, the groups open up to 1.5-1.75" average, at 50 yards.

This load combo has been tested and proved no less than 10 times. ( in "my" rifle).

[rexherring]

158 gr. Lee SWC, 4 grs Unique, Jake's Moly Ceresin Cast Bullet Lube, 4 inch Rossi stainless target model. Very accurate.

[Rocky Raab]

Well, let's see. According to my logs, I have used a variety of commercial cast 158s as well as home-cast Lee RNFP/LLAs. Of my Ruger Security-Six, early Flattop Blackhawk, and Colt Officers Match revolvers, the Colt is most accurate.

I have loaded 3.5 grains of: Nitro 100, Clays, Bullseye, TiteGroup, Accurate #2, W231, Zip, RedDot, American Select, Solo 1000, and 700X, as well as Alcan 120. I've also used 4.0 of Universal, Unique, Accurate #5, W231, and Power Pistol. WHEW!

Of them all, I really like Acc#2, TiteGroup, RedDot, and American Select best. For ease and simplicity, a Lee 0.3cc scoop of Acc#2 is very, VERY hard to beat.

[uscra112]

In my Colt Officer's Model the most accurate load for a 158 gr. SWC is 3.0 Bulleye, bullet cast 12 bhn, crimped in the crimp groove, sized .358". As good as the canonical 148 gr. wadcutter target loads as far as I can tell.

[odfairfaxsub]

i do a 3.2 gr clay w regular tula primmer and a 158 lee swc

[Rocky Raab]

Canonical? How refulgently vaticinatory!