38 special 125 grain load data bullseye

Agree Problem with the J frame S&W is the grips. Ive done the majority of shooting in .38 Special in my Smith & Wesson 642. These grips seem quite comfortable and afford a pinkie finger rest for improved control albeit with a certain loss of concealability. 158 gr. I don't know what bullets you have, but Berry's recommends per their website to use hard cast data for their plated bullets. Many people tend to poo-poo .38 Special (standard pressure) for self-defense as being somehow underpowered. are you loading .38 special brass, or .357 magnum brass? I like Bullseye in the 38 Special, and it was a consistent performer with the 125 grain bullets. .38 J frame.) 3.) My other son fired one shot and handed it back. Both are excellent fight stoppers. This post was originally published in 2018. Bullseye is the classic pistol powder and the backbone of many pet loads. My usual 38 Spl load is a 125 gr plated bullet over 5 grains of bullseye. While I do have a GP100 in .357 magnum, I dont like shooting .38 special ammo out of it, because cleaning powder residue out of the longer chambers is a real bitch. You may find it will need to be faster for good 50 yd. The .327 Fed Mag is IT! I have 4 handguns that will shoot .38. Through the heyday of bullseye shooting over the various match courses of fire, there was probably a Mount Rushmore-sized mountain of powder loaded and combusted 2.7 grains at a time. 1995-2022. Between that, some other info on other forums, Winchester's data for a lead flat point, and numbers from loaddata.com, I think I have some to start with. 38 Special Loads for Bullseye by GerhardG Sun Jul 17, 2022 11:01 am Greetings, Looking for load suggestions for 38 special LSWC 158 grain SNS bullets, red coated based on the following powders; Bullseye, Unique, N310 and N320. And it isnt my first rodeo with a J-frame. Even though the gun was chambered for .357 Magnum, I plinked and practiced with a lot of .38s over the years. Agree 100% since I reload and shoot it since years, lost count. As an old bullseye guy I've stuck with Bullseye powder for almost 30yearsusing lead bullets. The best part about this is that not only do you never really lose your fired cases, but you they are always in great condition. more weight than the similar size CA .44 Bulldog, were available, a lot more people would also like the .44 spl. DR loads (158gr Remington swaged LSWC over 3.6gr AA#2 in Winchester .38 Special cases) I shoot American eagle, remington factory,remington umc, and mag tech. If you, I took the vow not to buy any more AR-15s a couple of years ago. Ive been loading 158gr FMJ with Titegroup and the only problem Ive had is getting the seating depth right after the die locknut slipped. If you have a lightweight .38 or older gun, you may want to start with 10% less than max amounts listed above, and work up to the full loads. Fast burning and consistent Economical and accurate Principal Purpose: Handgun loads Remarks: America's best known pistol powder. However recoil will be the limiting factor especially for the short line. Maybe its just my age, but I may never shoot a 38 again after discovering the 32. 9 and others like 2400 that are generally used for magnums). 1.455 in. Down-loading .38 special The cartridge offers a great deal of zest and has thousands of possible load combinations. For those folks shooting a lot of lead bullets, invest in a Lewis lead remover. You are being redirected - Shooters' Forum Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But its also worth considering that its pushing the same size and weight projectile at the same velocity as the standard Army revolver load during the Civil War. IMR 3031 and IMR 4895 are products of IMR (formerly DuPont) Powder Company. They are reliable accurate and deadly. I believe this particular bullet is meant for the 9mm,but drops at 358. I recently picked up a 396 Nightguard and am a convert to the 44 Special! (Cowboy Action) 38 Special (Cowboy Action) 38-40 Win. Most notably the lighter weight bullets. I once had to quote the South Carolina Supreme Court when they had spelled it loathe., Regards, Boolit Grand Master. The 158 gr cast plain base accuracy load was 4.0 gr 231 which gave 837 Fps and 15,900 psi. Alliant Pistol/Revolver Load Data: Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data. Bullseye is one of the oldest smokeless pistol powders and still one of the most popular. Reloading for it came next and it has since become my favorite pistol cartridge. As you move up in loads, you at least need the gas check on the bottom of the bullet to prevent gas melting the lead and fouling the barrel. I would say I completely disagree with you on ever even contemplating using a revolver for self defense unless you are a person that has never owned a gun and not likely ever to practice with it. The bullets are seated flush in the case. Case life is excellent, especially for mild loads. I buy 158 SWCHP all the time.my main bullet. I'm planning to use Alliant's Unique powder to reload with 125 grain flat point jacketed bullets from Berry's and Winchester small pistol primers. Just dont shoot a rabbit with this load if you want to be able to eat any of it. for 38 special Loads for .38 S&W: This short, little cartridge has been around since the 1870's and was most common in the "break-top" models. Years back, for indoor matches I teamed the heavier S&W Model 28 with 3.4 grains of the same powder and bullet in . Rookie, back in the day when I was reloading I went through a 3 round butt L. Horton special model 24, a 4 24 and a 4 624. Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 9 customer ratings. Alliant listed 3.6 gr Bullseye as maximum (15000 psi) in 38 Special and 3.8 as max in 38 Special PLUS P (17000 psi) with 158 LSWC bullets. On 7/4/2018 at 11:57 AM, Bill Sahlberg said: There is nothing more accurate at PPC than 148 gr8 HBWC (lead) using 2.8 gr of 231 and a tight crimp with Starline 38 Special brass & a Federal Small pistol primer. And I still think a 158 at 600 beats hell out of a 22 magnum of any stripe. Canister Sizes: View All Bullseye Recipes If I do carry a revolver its my 642 with a laser grip in my right front pocket or my SW model 69 5 shot 44 mag. is a good place to start. In a 1909 vintage Smith & Wesson target .38, the 2.7-grain load cut a nearly one-inch cluster, showing that classics go well together. This pistol uses the .38 Special with a Remington wadcutter bullet seated flush with the case mouth. As I researched loads in the meantime, I kept seeing the same several popping up again and again in sources from as recent as yesterday to long out of print books from when air travel was a newfangled wonder. I keep it under my seat in case I get an unwanted intruder and I cant get to my IWB semi auto. Prefer to use the CT model 305 laser grips in lieu of S&W grips. ,I looked at Speer data, nothing there. Yeah, my wifes last gun, with +P it actually HURTS! In one or two strokes, the bullet is formed ready for dip lubing. WC, 158 gr. I have tried several different grips before finding the one that worked for me. favorite cowboy load (38 spl) - SASS Wire - SASS Wire Forum Shot placement is just as important if not more. Would you like to react to this message? I just bought a Lyman mold 160 round nose with a crimp groove. Reloading .44 Spl. I had enough, The Model 1911 pistol will officially turn 100 years old on May 5, 2011. The Internet Pedant Anyone else using Bullseye for .38 Spl - Taurus Firearm Forum I fired 3 Remington 125 SJHP 357s from a 340 and thought i had nerve damage in my hand. Would you like to react to this message? Only need cast when driving up to 1200 fps or so. Different colors can be used to identify different loads and since bottom of each bullet is also powder coated, there is less lead dispersed in the air at the shooting range. So you only hang onto the primer boxes loosely? Although the .357 cylinders are the same length so they can be timed to a 642. Dont know where #1 Buckshot can be found, but the Speer shot cups and UNIQUE powder currently easy enough to find. revolver, with a 3 barrel, and 4 6 oz. it seems awful confusing, but with time you will be able to interpolate the published data into something that will give you good starting points to work up your loads. 3 gr of WST in a 38 spl case with 125 gr plated bullet is a very light load. Lucky me. Shoots well in my K-38, 686, and a friend's K-38 at 50 yards in the Ransom rest. I once rented a Ruger LCR in .38 Special. Even at hot .44 mag velocities my Super Redhawk has shiny bore with zero leading. My point being is I used the resources I have, looked elsewhere (The High Road, The Firing Line), and wanted to try here. 750-850fps. I did 400 rounds in one afternoon on my Hornady progressive. My Ruger LCR .357 Magnum is pleasant to shoot even with full pressure loads. So . I SEE THAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT USE THE AMMO FOR D/R. Unlike the author, I did *not* keep records, I cant even imagine how many rounds I loaded, almost 100% .357 magnum, since that was all I shot. I did start out fawning over all of the tactical gear, but once I had that covered my tastes matured I think to love the wood and steel guns. I dont see much conversation on these specifics but I think Its all about the size of the explosion in the chamber. Unique was a sooty powder so Ive switched to W231. Reloading Data for .38 Special - Load Data - 1895Gunner. 1.455 in. I have one that has been loaded about sixty times and it is still in use today. The other .38 Special is a 4 Colt Diamondback. 38 special load question - Bullseye Forum (Patrick Sweeney photo) September 15, 2021 By Michelle Hamilton, Field Editor. I have experimented with both of Hornadys 200-grain semiwadcutters in this load: the more button-nosed SWC and the longer Combat/Target (C/T) version. Softer alloys of lead are just easier on the machinery. LRNFP - your load, with a plated bullet should be Very Similar, or slightly slower and safer. I have several manuals and some say that this load is a low +p, some say it is not, but it is very accurate. .38 Special Chronograph Test | Perfect Union I just bought some 158 gr SWC bullets that are pure lead. ), I very much wanted to start with some tried-and-true Bullseye loads, but it took an epic scavenger hunt across many months to find a canister of the elusive classic. References: Accurate Arms Co. 1996 Reloading booklet Alliant Powder Co. Reloaders Guide (1995) Hodgdons Basic Reloaders Manual (1996) Speer Reloading Manual, #12 Winchester Reloading Components Manual, 14th edition Lyman Piston & Revolver Reloading Handbook, 2nd edition. Therefore, .38 Special +P ammo can be as much as 17.5 percent hotter than standard .38 Special. These two can cover the entire performance spectrum up to .38+P. I use Bullseye powder but it's about the same burn rate. The Charter Arms .44 models are potential CCWs, but are too light to properly handle the .44 spl. hard cast LSWC's as a target load. I started with a Lee Loader for my shiny new Python .357, because all the ammo I could find (in 1968) was lead semiwadcutters, loaded so hot they sloughed off the lead in the bore, so after a box you couldnt see any rifling, it looked like a smoothebore, and lord was it hard to clean!! Jacketed bullets are legal for DR, as long as they are 158 grain round nose or semi-wadcutter. I find the Pachmayr Compac grips on my 640 reduce the slap of full-boat .357 to less than that on my 3 M65 (w/ wood Altamont grips) or my 4 686 (Pachmayr Gripper Professional grips.) Accurates No. Ive been looking for a reason to get into reloading, and am particularly intrigued by the extremely long case life of .38 Special. Tim: The Lyman 49th edition lists the accuracy loads for their cast bullets. Youd just be risking ALOT firing it in a .38 framed revolver. Bonus is that dont need magnum Primers for these reloads. 110gr JHP! I.E. They all shot horrible at 25 yards. I can usually keep 1.5" groups with it at 25 yards if I do my part. Its the only gun that has appreciated in value (as long as you ignore inflation). I picked some up from my local Scheels yesterday. LOL. Powered by Invision Community, 125 grain plated flat point in 38 Special. A gun on you always works better than the gun left at home. You trade a little less speed for a little more mass but at snubnose velocities I really think the standard 158 grain slug gives the best penetration. Jacketed bullets are not legal for Distinguished Revolver. You need a .357 Magnum revolver if you want to try a 9MM cylinder. I think the 158 lrn is more accurate then the swc but that's just me. Accurate's No. Unique or Bulseye for .38 special / .357 mag - Cast Bullet Forum It is a very versatile and useful round. Dennis, I dont reload and Im only 72, but shooting the .38Spl in my 6 S&W 586 is a sublime experience. Bullseye is the classic pistol powder and the backbone of many pet loads. Hodgdon's Basic Reloading Manual, (The free one, available for the asking. The Lyman is handy for sizing or priming while youre watching a movie. It would seem that a 125 grain GDHP is of the same weight and would have a similar profile to what you want to use. Dec 18, 2011. The powder charges used for .38 are forgiving. These are light and easy to shoot. I load it almost exclusively though with either a powder coated or plated 125 grn bullet. The key to those rounds, in spite of their paltry muzzle velocity of something like 825 feet per second out of a snubbie, is their diameter and mass: they will make significant diameter holes and penetrate respectably in attackers.