[MoNsTeR]

I know the traditional wadcutter load is 2.7gr of Bullseye with a flush-seated 148gr WC. Is there an equivalently tried-and-true accuracy load for 158gr SWCs?

[oscar]

My "standard" load for 38 Sp is a cast 158 grain swc and 4.5 of 231. In many older books, 5.0 of Unique was suggested. That is now considered +P and has been scaled back to 4.3.

[JohnK]

I've always thought the 5.0gr of Unique was a classic load. I've used it for over 10 years, it's always been a great load even in non +P 38 specials.

[cheygriz]

the classic load with the 158 GR bullet, for many years, was 3.2 GR of Bullseye. This duplicated the factory so-called "police service load."

[JoeHatley]

In .38 special cases, I use 3.7 grains Bullseye. The little extra power seems to help accuracy with the hard cast bullets I buy.

Joe

[Swamp Yankee]

I've had sucess with 4.1 grains of WW 231 behind the 158 gr. SWC.
Take Care

[Pilot]

I've been using 3.9 - 4.2 grains of Hogdon's HP38. FWIW.

[Tree Rat]

3.8 - 4.0 Titegroup for me.......

TR

[MoNsTeR]

Fantastic, I have Bullseye, 231, and Titegroup on hand, so this gives me a lot to play with.

Any loads with Clays or 700X?

[jsalcedo]

Always used 5 grains unique for 38 special and DELETED for 357 mag

This has kept me going for about 17 years.

Easy to remember too.



Moderator Edit: Friends, please don't list loads that are above published maximums without some sort of BOLD FACE caution. What works in a T/C Contender may well destroy a light-to-medium frame revolver-- - Not to mention the potential for injury to the shooter.

The 5.0 Unique/158 .38 Spl load is still found in some manuals, but is well up in the +P area.

Best,
Johnny Guest

[Matt G]

Dad and I shot 5 g. of Unique with 158g SWC as our standard for years. One day, we chronographed it, and found out a mighty interesting thing: it gave higher velocities in a given gun than Remington +P SWCHP! After that, we started to back off this old load, a tad. Started to make sense why an airweight Chief had been developing endshake with that "practice" load.

It's a great factory equivalent load for practicing if you carry +P's, but don't think you're babying your light .38 with it.

[Master Blaster]

158 lswc, 3.2 to 3.5 gr hodgdon titegroup, I like the fast burning powder in my 2" S&W model 36.

Check Hodgdon and winchester websites for load data.

Hodgdon I think I called them for the cast bullet load.

[ranger7]

Working up some test loads for my alloy frame S&W Mod. 12. I'm interested in light target loads. (I had previously loaded 4.6 gr Unique w/ a 158 gr JHP.)

I tried the same 4.6 gr Unique with some newly purchased 148 gr Plated HBWC . I chrono'd 5 of these and was getting velocities of 900-930 fps - way too hot for my Airweight.

Any suggestions on a starting point for the Unique? I'd like to get velocities of 650-700fps.

Alan

P.S. I'll probably also try the 2.7 gr of Bullseye with these bullets, but would like to use up the Unique if I can geta decent load.

[HSMITH]

I loaded a PILE of 38's recently with 3.6 and 3.8 grains of Hodgdon Clays with 158 LSWC and 125 JHP. They are accurate, soft shooting, clean, and nice overall. They hit POA for 125 grain 357 magnums that the gun was sighted in for too, a nice plus.

If you are a shotgun shooter you have a big can of Clays already, load some up. I think you will like it. Clays is very economical too.

[WESHOOT2]

Doesn't seem to meter well.

[Poodleshooter]

I use 3.3-3.5grs of Clays or 3.5-4grs of titegroup. This is run through a GP100, but should be safe for a +p revolver.
It's tough to beat the .38 for cheap shooting.

[Riphalman]

700X works very well for me. My basic and most accurate load for the .38 special consists of 3.3 gr. of 700X behind a 158 gr. lswc. Loading is done on a Lee Turret press using the auto-disc powder measure. My loads are very consistant and no metering problems at all.

[facedown]

Newbie alert! As an aside, if you seat the 148 gr HBWC "upside down", that is with the hollow base out, it makes a terrific short range varmint load. It will lead the heck out of the barrel but if you're facing a diseased racoon it'll take him out Right Now. (This tip came from a retired Chicago street cop.)

[GooseGestapo]

To answer the original question: The "CLASSIC" load for the 158 SWC is either 3.1gr of Bullseye or 3.4gr. of Win231. These are the loads used by a number of custom loaders (Win231) and competition shooters (BOTH) to duplicate the 755fps loads (factory) for the .38spl. Millions of these are shot in PPC matches annually.

The 4.0gr of 231 or 3.5 of Bullseye duplicates the heavy service loads of 880fps. The 4.3 Win231 is a max "non-+P" load. The current recommended Unique load is 4.2gr with a max of 4.8 -again non-+P.

I too have used the 4.3 Win231 and 4.8-5.2gr if Unique loads with satisfaction, but I don't call them "Classic", as they don't duplicate the "original" loads and I don't use them with swaged bullets for peak accuracy.