Hi Gang,
Looking for a load for a 105gn SWC. My available powders are: Bullseye, Unique, 231and Green Dot. Trying to stay with powders I have. Thanks in advance.
Mike
Hi Gang,
Looking for a load for a 105gn SWC. My available powders are: Bullseye, Unique, 231and Green Dot. Trying to stay with powders I have. Thanks in advance.
Mike
Welcome to the site Mike. 105 swc seems light to me. I’d load them with 4 grains of Bullseye. I recommend finding a manual and using data from it though.
If looking for a light practice load with low recoil, 3 grains of Bullseye works well.
For a full power load Bullseye at 4.2-4.4 grains.
Yeah, pretty light, it's what I have at the moment. In the market for a 125 or 158gn mold, but everyone is out or charging crazy stupid prices. On a notification list from Midway.
My first load was around 3gns of Bullseye but the accuracy was horrendous out of both a 4" and 6" barrel. The alloy was a goulash, used a completely botched recipe with fresh lead added, so that might be part of it. Won't know till I load some of my normal recipes.
I load it at 4.5 grains of bullseye. Very accurate in my 4 inch revolver.
When you care enough to send the very best, send an ounce of lead.
When you care enough to send the very best, send an ounce of lead.
The Lee 105 can be very accurate in .38 special.
Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.
Britons shall never be slaves.
I haven't loaded the Lee 105 gr. in 38 spl. for quite a while but used to use it for a nice plinker round. I don't have my data with me here in AZ,, but if I remember correctly, I think my load was around 3.5 grains of Bulls Eye and around 3.5 gr. with Red Dot.
Follow what tazman says - try 3.0 grains of Bulls Eye and work you way up until you find the sweet spot for your particular pistol.
I have also used Green Dot as it was all I could get at one point when things were short during the Obama shortage. If you don't have a Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook . . . you need one. There are four different editions. I refer to the 3rd edition all the time and it is my "reloading Bible". The newest edition, the 4th is also excellent IMHO. I don't have it but someone else here probably does as there used to be a link to the 3rd edition that you could download. I don't have my 3rd edition handy but I do remember that it has loading data for the 38 special for the 92 grain version of the Lyman/Ideal 358-242 - I know it doesn't have anything in it for the Lee 105 grain boolit. As with any load, start low and work up - don't exceed maximum charge - until you find what shoots best from your handgun - and keep an eye out for squibs. Good luck and have fun.
ADDED NOTE: I also used to load that Lee 105 grain boolit in 38 Colt Short - I used 1.8 grains of Bulls Eye or 2.0 grains of Red Dot. I don't have a crony so don't have the FPS but that 105 grain boolit in a 38 Colt Short casing was a fun little plinking round and critter getter on the farm out of my 3" S & W Model 36.
Last edited by bedbugbilly; 04-05-2021 at 11:21 AM.
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th edition
38 Special - Lee #358-105-SWC - sized .358"
4" barreled Universal Receiver
Bullseye* : start. 3.6 grs @ 844 fps (12,200 psi)
max. 4.6* grs @ 1056* fps (16,700 psi)
(+P) 4.9 grs @ 1098 fps (18,400 psi)
*Potentially most accurate load
231 : start 4.2 grs @ 809 fps (11,800 psi)
max. 5.3 grs @ 1059 fps (17,00 psi)
(+P) 5.6 @ 1090 fps (17,800 psi)
You might want to get a copy of Lyman CB #4 , they now contain other makers boolits ...is nice.
Gary
Last edited by gwpercle; 04-05-2021 at 04:29 PM.
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My Alliant manual from 2001 shows a load for a 110 jhp for Green Dot at 4.6 grains maximum.
My most accurate 38 Spl load with the Lee 105SWC is 4gn of Bullseye. They average 745fps from my 4" Taurus 65.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |