Favorite 38 special target load?

[Cheshire Dave]

I just got a mint late 70's vintage S&W model 14-3 k frame with 8 3/8" barrel and would like to know your favorite loads. I've allready got a RCBS 162swc gc. and a Lyman 358477 on the way. Just traded off a RCBS wc mould,wish now I'd kept it. Want to keep it mild and cheap to shoot so plain base prefered. Thanks for the help.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Ahh, nice piece. Congrats.

You have some good boolit moulds as well.

My favorite .38 spl loads are 3.5 grains Bullseye, any standard primer, any boolit from 140 to 175 gr, wadcutter, SWC whatever. They all seem to go into little bitty groups from either of my K-frames. No leading, no fuss, just cute little groups. A blast to plink .5L water bottles at 50 yds, a bit challenging at 100.

Enjoy yours.

[Southern Son]

5.4gr of AP-70N (I think that is Universal over there) under a 120Gr flat point (it is a +P, but I use to use it for a match that needed a power factor).

[NickSS]

I shoot a Lyman 150 gr PBSWC over 3.5 gr of Red Dot for years and years with excellent results in a great number of 38s including K frame S&Ws

[Wayne Dobbs]

Cheshire Dave,

It's really hard to find a BAD standard pressure .38 Special load, assuming the gun is in good shape and the bullets fit the cylinder throats and bore. Here are some suggestions:

3.0 Clays; 158 grain cast or swaged bullet
3.0 - 3.5 Bullseye; "
4.0 - 4.5 WW 231/HP-38; "

[fecmech]

I have a 14-3 6" that does it's best work with a H&G 158 rn and 4.2 of Bullseye which gives about 900 fps. It really does well with just about anything, IF you have a good one they are not fussy.

[Dframe]

Cast 158 grain bullet and 3.0 to 3.5 grains of Trail Boss. Mild and fun!

[MT Gianni]

5.4 gr Unique is over the current handbooks but a previous listing by Lyman with the 358477. My Mod 14 loves it.

[Cheshire Dave]

Thanks guys. I don't think this Smith is going to be fussy. I had some commercial cast 158 swc's loaded with both Tite-group and WW231 and both loads shot well. I think with a softer alloy and sized to fit my gun I can do better. Just thought there might be a go to load. I'll have to give Bullseye a try. Finally was able to stock up on Unique so will give that a try also.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Whoa, "commercial cast" now thats a red flag in my book. I suppose there could be good stories out there about commercial cast, but I haven't heard any.

[Kraschenbirn]

Whoa, "commercial cast" now thats a red flag in my book. I suppose there could be good stories out there about commercial cast, but I haven't heard any.

Uhmmmm...over the years, I've shot more'n a few (thousand!) commercial 148 gr WCs through both my 6" K-38 and my old M586 PPC gun...not counting the ones that went downrange from the wife's 4" Diamondback... and can't recall a single issue with accuracy or leading. Unfortunately, my source retired several years ago and the guy who bought him out promptly screwed the business into the ground.

I'm down to less than 1000 loaded WCs and, two unopened 500-rounds cartons of ready-to-load boolits. Guess I'll have to either go the 147 gr. RNs for plinker/practice loads or start casting my own WCs again.

Bill

[Le Loup Solitaire]

For the S&W M52...H&G 251 with 2.6 grains of 700X. For the S&W M14's,6 and 8+3/8....same bullet or H&G #50 (also 148 grains) with 2.7 grains Bullseye. Very light recoil, minimal smoke, no leading and good accuracy at 25 and 50 meters. Also groups well out of two M 28's. There are many other possible powder/bullet combinations, but these have done very well for me so I stuck with them. LLS

[wistlepig1]

5.4 gr Unique is over the current handbooks but a previous listing by Lyman with the 358477. My Mod 14 loves it.

This is the same one I shoot in my 27-2, 8 3/8 n-frame all day long with nice results. I was playing around at 100 yds with this load from the bench and hitting an 8x11 target every time, for an old man with old eyes, not bad.

[MtGun44]

358477 is a great design, I have the 150 gr version. I like and use 3.0 Clays, just because
I won an 8 lb bottle of it. Good clean powder for this cartridge. Bullseye and Unique, and
W231 also are excellent.

The Model 14 is a wonderful, accurate pistol - you'll love it.

Bill

[Firebricker]

2.8 gr of bullseye under H&G double ended WC.
FB

[Cowboy T]

Here's my powder-puff load for .38 Spl. My g/f likes this load a lot, since it doesn't kill her hand.

Boolit: "105gr" Lee LSWC (actual weight 108-110gr), cast from WW, sized to 0.358"
Lube: Liquid Alox
Powder: Bullseye, 3.9 to 4.0gr
Primer: Any small pistol, makes no real difference at this level
Crimp: light roll crimp, right in the crimp groove

Tested in Ruger Security-Six, Taurus Model 75, and S&W Model 19. Shoots fine in all of them, very mild, but still sounds "manly enough" at the range. :mrgreen: If you want that little bit of extra accuracy, bump the powder up to 4.2gr.

[376Steyr]

For general plinking I like a 158 SWC (mine is a SAECO #382) over 4.2 grains of Universal Clays. For a pure target load I use the Speer 148 HBWC with 2.8 grs of Bullseye.

[Archer]

I use a Lee TLSWC 158 gr. in front of 3 grs, 3.5 grs of bullseye, or 4.7 grs of Unique all with good results in a Taurus 66 357 6" barrel, and a Taurus 85 38spl +p. Puts them plumb center, if I do my part.

[Glen]

My favorite plinking/general purpose .38 Special load is at 150 grain cast SWC (either the RCBS or the old 150-grain version of the Lyman 358477, not the newer version that weighs 158 grains) over 5.4 grains of Unique, for about 950 fps. VERY accurate and it does everything you can reasonably ask a .38 Special to do.

My favorite varmint load for the .38 Special is the 154 grain Keith HP (358439) cast to a BHN of about 8, loaded over 8.5 grains of HS-7, for about 1050 fps and very good accuracy.

That long barreled Model 14 you got is a very special sixgun. Enjoy shooting it!

[jeff423]

2.8 gr of bullseye under H&G double ended WC.
FB

Amen to this load. I have used 2.7 - 2.8 gr Bullseye with HBWC's, DEWC's and BNWC's and they have all been accurate. I've standardized on the DEWC's because they are easier to load.

Jeff

[stubshaft]

2.8 gr of bullseye under H&G double ended WC.
FB

Amen to this load. I have used 2.7 - 2.7 gr Bullseye with HBWC's, DEWC's and BNWC's and they have all been accurate. I've standardized on the DEWC's because they are easier to load.

Jeff


Used this load when shooting PPC back in the 80's.

[August]

The .38 began its life as a black powder cartridge. It is a big cartridge case by old standards and still has a lot of volume today. This makes some powders, at low density loadings, ignite erratically. Also, many of the powders used in the .38 are sensitive to temperature. So, while some powders offer good loads on a "typical" day, or when the gun is indexed before shooting, they might not perform well year round or when drawn from leather before firing.

At any rate, one powder that is neither position nor temperature sensitive is Titegroup. Many of the people I shoot with swear by Titegroup as the best choice for target-intensity loads for the .38. I've used it exclusively for about four years now and the rounds go bang with exactly the same intensity every time, all year long, regardless of the attitude of the gun before the shot.

I use 3.2 grains of Titegroup behind a 125 grain bullet. This is Hodgedon's recommended starting load. It has turned out to be extremely accurate and dependable.

[Shiloh]

2.8 gr Alliant Bullseye under a LEE 148 gr TLWC or a Lyman 35891
4.6 gr Alliant Unique Under a LEE 140 Gr SWC

Accurate loads from a Mod 15

[jaybirdjtski]

Hi guys! First posting. I've used 2.7 grains of Bullseye and 148 grn HBWC, any decent brass and CCI primers for decades....literally. Very accurate load for the Python.

[Norseman]

I'm using the 105 grain SWC with 2,8 grain of VihtaVuori N-310. No crimp and the bullet nose 1mm under the top of a .357 Magnum case.

Very accurate in my 6" Ruger GP-100 and I don't have to try to remove the carbon buildup caused by the .38 Special length brass.

[gifford]

Well, I use Unique exclusively; 4.0 grains or 4.6 grains, 158 grains LSWC or RNFP in either the S&W or the Ruger.

[Jon]

I've been using 3gr of Bullseye with a 158gr SWC. It hits POA at 15yds.