.38 special loads

[7br]

During the course of my family's recent move, I had to take a borrowed planer back to a family friend. He was in the garage cleaning a .38 snubbie. Not sure of brand, but his 7 yard targets were about the size of the bottom of a coke can. He is buying ammo at the local indoor range and they are clipping him about $14.00 per 50. I told him to start saving his brass and we would get him started reloading once I unearth my reloading bench.

Another neighbor has a 4 banger SAECO mould I could pick up reasonable. As I recall, it looks like a 158gr wadcutter type mould.

Any suggestions on loads? Currently, I have WW231, WW296, HS6, 2400, and AA #9(I think) on hand.

[sundog]

7br, yup, you got the right powder for WC in .38 Spl -- 231 will do just fine, since that's what you have on hand. Checking the Winchester pdf data manual it looks like 4.0 to 4.5 grains is about 800 fps (prolly slower in the snubbie) with a 158 gr boolit. For a 148 WC try 3.0 to 3.4 for about 700ish fps. Those'll be good plinking loads. Manual says these run in low 16,000 psi arena (psi not cup per their manual for this load). If you want something heavier they list a +P load with a 158 LSWC and 4.7/231 for 860 fps 17,100 psi.

I've shot a bunch of 148 WC in .38/.357 with 231 and it works just fine.

I went ahead and listed this, because I'm not sure you can even download that manual anymore. It sure is handy. sundog

[fourarmed]

Hey Mark, Sundog is right about 231. Bullseye is the classic for that sort of loading. Where are you moving? Send me a PM or something.

[7br]

Picked up the mould last night. It is a Saeco 050, double ended wadcutter. The closest thing I found on the redding sight was the 052 which goes 148grs. The mould was given to my neighbor after languishing in a garage for an enternity.

I have called in a crack team of excavators to see if they can find my bench in the garage. I know it is there as it is the first thing I moved. I am guessing it is under 10 feet of assorted camping gear, dutch ovens, kids books and video games. How did we accumulated this much crud over the last 10 years?

[fecmech]

Hard to go wrong with 231or Bullseye in a .38 spl. I share your moving pain. We've been in our home 37 years and are getting it ready to sell for a move to Missouri. I've been carrying junk out to the garbage for about 2 months now, the end is still some distance off. Nick

[BCB]

7br,
I shoot the RCBS 38-148-WC from a 38 Special that I have. I suspect this double-ended wadcutter would be similar to the Saeco you have—don’t know though. Anyhow, I use 4.0 grains of Unique and a CCI-500 primer and it is very accurate at 20 yards from a bench rest. Velocity is in the 650+ range. I also use AL-8 with has a burning rate at or near Blue Dot. Velocity is a tad less, but accuracy is also very good—maybe a bit better than the Unique load.
A side note: Of the nearly 400 loads that I have listed on a spreadsheet for all of the cartridges I reload for, only TWO (2) show Unique as a favorite and most accurate load! The 32 Long Colt is the other cartridge. Just never had good luck with the “most popular” powder ever--Unique! (That statement might not necessarily be true!) Good-luck…BCB

[Char-Gar]

3/231/150 WC makes a classic target load.

[Pop_No_Kick]

3/231/150 WC makes a classic target load.

( I is a newbie @ casting and reloading)

Great Load for my colt official police 4" (1952)

I had 231 pwdr but did'nt know what to do with it until now !

Low recoil, Low bang, Good shot group ! @ 60 ft. never missed the 9" pie tin!

Thanx's
chuck