[RichardInFlorida]

Hi all,

I am trying to find a good, light .38 load to shoot from my S&W 642 revolver. With 158gr SWC and any +P ammo, it shoots fine. However, I recently tried to find some easy shooting (less recoil) loads to shoot in it. I tried a couple of different commercial 148 WC loads, but the darn things seem to keyhole and are not terrible accurate.

So...I figured I would get back into reloading and work up my own solution. I was thinking of using 125gr cast bullets, but I see that there are 90-95 grain cast bullets being made also.

My goal is a reasonably accurate, light recoiling load from a 1 7/8" alloy wheelgun. From the Hodgdon website, I was thinking of starting with 3.0 gr of Titegroup with a 90gr cast bullet. Has anyone tried this?

Any other suggestions/ideas?

[rcmodel]

If your gun won't shoot commercial 148 grain Match wadcutters, it sounds more like a gun problem then a bullet problem.

S&W's new rifling system is very shallow, and it could be it is not getting a grip on the swaged pure lead 148 WC bullets.

I'd try harder cast bullets.

As for very light bullets?
Don't know.

It's been my long standing experiance that 125 and less don't shoot as good as 148's and 158's in my S&W's.

But then again, I have never loaded very low power .38 Specials with any bullet weight except 148 grain WC target loads.

rcmodel

[ReloaderFred]

If you'll go back to the Hodgdon's website and key in Cowboy Loads, you'll find all the data you need for what you're looking for in mild loads. I load 125 grain cast bullets by the thousands for our Cowboy Shooting, and they can be very accurate when tailored to the handgun.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[zxcvbob]

The most accurate load I've found in my model 15-4 is 4.0 grains of Promo powder (you can use Red Dot) with Berry's 125 grain copper plated HP bullets. It's a pretty hot load, although recoil is not bad because of the light bullet, so you might want to reduce it to about 3.8 grains.

[ArchAngelCD]

I shoot 158gr LSWC bullets over a charge of 4.0gr W231 all day long in my J frame and they are very accurate. I think you will like the results of that load. (sorry, I haven't ran that load over a Chrono from my J frame yet so I can't give you velocity numbers) That load works equally well with a 158gr LSWC or LSWC/HP bullet.

[RichardInFlorida]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

rcmodel - My S&W is a 642-1 pre-lock that I bought around '95 or 96. Would this fit in the range with shallow rifling? I had not heard of this issue before.

[Bush Pilot]

I've shot thousands of 125 gr plated bullets over 3.5 grs of Bullesye, they shoot like a .22.

[KI.W.]

I use VihtaVuori N-32C, "Tin Star" CAS shooters powder. Less free space in the case. :uhoh: ;) :uhoh:

[SlamFire1]

My S&W airweights shoot to point of aim with 125 grain bullets. So I went and developed some loads using estate sale Bullseye and Green Dot.

Green Dot is not a good choice and did not perform well. However Bullseye did just outstandlingly with 125's as it does with 158's. The 148 grain bullseye load is a very old established target load, shoots well in 4 inch guns, it is a light recoiling load.

I believe Bullseye does well as it is a fast burning powder that quickly upset the short 125 lead bullets. Green Dot is slower. So that is my theory why bullseye worked and Green Dot did not.


S&W M637-2 2" barrel


125 Lead BBRNFP 4.0 grs Bullseye Lot BE 532 Mixed cases CCI 500
6-Apr-07 T = 48 °F
Ave Vel = 763.9
Std Dev = 22
ES 78
High 806.5
Low 728.5
N = 15
Point aim OK

125 Lead BBRNFP 4.5 grs Bullseye Mixed cases WSP 9-Apr-06 T = 64 F
Ave Vel = 827.9 842.7
Std Dev = 23.21 23.53
ES 92.27 69.47
High 879.4 881
Low 787.1 812
N = 20 22
Maybe a little low Windage centered


125 Lead BBRNFP 4.5 grs Green Dot Lot 178 Mixed cases CCI 500
6-Apr-07 T = 48 °F

Ave Vel = 813.2
Std Dev = 44.55
ES 176.5
High 903.3
Low 726.8
N = 24
poor accuracy @ 25 yds, v. accurate at 7 yards, POI, little leading

125 Lead BBRNFP 5.0 grs Green Dot Lot 178 Mixed cases CCI 500
6-Apr-07 T = 48 °F

Ave Vel = 867.3
Std Dev = 57.54
ES 178.1
High 966
Low 787.8
N = 21
Poor 25 yard accuracy, v.accurate at 7 yds, 1-2" above POI, more leading

125 JHP (W/W) 4.5 grs Green Dot Lot 178 Mixed cases CCI 500
6-Apr-07 T = 48 °F

Ave Vel = 760.4
Std Dev = 68
ES 56
High 205.1
Low 885.4
N = 13
very accurate at 7 yards, POI, little leading

125 JHP (W/W) 5.0 grs Green Dot Lot 178 Mixed cases CCI 500
6-Apr-07 T = 48 °F

Ave Vel = 808.9
Std Dev = 56.82
ES 95.46
High 914.2
Low 712.8
N = 20
25 yds accuracy OK, accurate POI @ 7 yds

148 LWC Lead 2.7 grs Bullseye thrown Mixed Brass WSP
18-Mar-07 T = 52 °F
Ave Vel = 611.6
Std Dev = 22.04
ES 75.92
High 648.1
Low 572.2
N = 25
little high

[ReloaderFred]

Bullseye is what I load our cowboy loads with. As far as I'm concerned, it's a great powder in the .38 Special for target loads. When I was shooting PPC, it was the "only" powder anyone used in .38 Spl.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[SR_]

b4 you go to far - check to see if you have a lead problem in the forcing cone or the barrel.

the only time I've had keyholing with a revolver, it was tied to leading.

[lgbloader]

I have been shooting 125 lrnfp over 4.3 grains of Trail Boss and I like it.

However, I ran into a guy the other day at the range who shoots CAS and he said that he likes to use 125 gr lead bullets with 3.8 gr of Trail Boss but he uses sp magnum primers. Any one else try that?

Cheers

[Eagle103]

125g plated bullets (Berry's or Rainier) over a light to medium load of Bullseye shoot very well out of my 642.

[BullsEye10x]

My two favorite .38 Special loads:

4.0 grains of Titegroup under a Winchester 125 grain JHP (OAL varies but usually ~ 1.440")

3.5 grains of Titegroup under a Zero 158 grain JSP @ 1.4370" <--- REALLY like this one!

I use CCI or Winchester small pistol primers in both. The 158 grain JSP load is incredibly accurate in all my revolvers and recoil is mild.

[RichardInFlorida]

Thanks for all the help and ideas!

[Walkalong]

I use VihtaVuori N-32C, "Tin Star" CAS shooters powderIf they ever get some in this country, I am going to try some out.

700X, American Select, and Red Dot are pretty good for clean, accurate enough, economical loads.