38 Special 200grain LRN load data needed

Macca38 · January 27, 2009, 11:25 PM

Ok,

I am looking for possible data for a 38 special load....I have a whole lot of 200 grain LRN projectiles, and some 231 and some trailboss.

Is there a load for a 200grain LRN with either trailboss or 231...I havent found anything yet.

Chief-7700 · January 27, 2009, 11:31 PM

Lyman #49 reloading manual only goes up to 170 grain lead.
Chief

Macca38 · January 27, 2009, 11:59 PM

yup,

a lot of the manuals only go to 170 grain

But there is load data for 200grain lrn just not for the powders i have atm

rcmodel · January 28, 2009, 12:34 PM

I would imagine Trail-Boss is too bulky to use with a 200 grain bullet.

WW231 should work, but finding a load might be a problem.

Here are MAX loads for some other powders.
Red Dot 2.8 gr.
Bullseye 3.0 gr.
700X 3.0 gr.
Green Dot 3.1 gr.
HP38 3.2 gr.
------------------WW231?
Unique 3.6 gr.
HS6 5.0 gr.

I guess if I had WW231, I would try about 3.2 - 3.4 grains.
I guess!

But I guess I am not responsible for the results.

rc

336A · January 28, 2009, 09:30 PM

I know I don't post here much but I know how frustrating it is to get hard to find load data. This is from an older Lyman Pistol & Revolver manual, don't ask which one as I don't know. I hope that this helps and will also tell you up front that 2400 works great with this bullet. Be safe and work up to top loads carefully.

Macca38 · January 28, 2009, 09:56 PM

Thanks all...im looking at some powder comparison data....going to try and pick the average weight between all the powders that are comparable to 231 and then i'll test fire one round from a vice in a modern 686 which should more than handle anything a 38 special can do... certainly i wont be putting the amoo through my old model 14 before im completely happy that its safe.

So far from what I can tell....3.2-3.4 grains is the margin

ArchAngelCD · January 29, 2009, 05:31 AM

I have a 1997 Hodgdon load manual and they were still listing 200gr bullet loads for the .38 Special.

Here are the loads:
H4227 - 8.5gr - 819 fps - 15,900 CUP
HS-6 - 5.0gr - 794 fps - 15,900 CUP
HP-38 - 3.2gr - 681 fps - 14,900 CUP

HP-38 and W231 are now the same exact powder but weren't back in 1997 but they were so close I would thing that data is valid for W231. I would use HS-6 if I were loading a 200gr bullet in a .38 Special case. (especially since I already use both W231 and HS-6) Velocities are from a 7" test barrel.

rcmodel · January 29, 2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

and then i'll test fire one round from a vice in a modern 686

A vice is certainly uncalled for.

As I said in Post #4, 3.2 - 3.4 grains WW231 & a 200 grain lead bullet is safe in any modern .38 Special revolver.
But especially so in any modern .357 revolver.

If it wasn't, I would not have recommeded it.

rc

wcwhitey · January 29, 2009, 05:38 PM

Thanks for the post 336A. I lost my old Lymans in a move years ago. Nice to see 2400 loading numbers. Shows how much things have changed. Bill

351 WINCHESTER · January 29, 2009, 11:40 PM

Chances are that long bullet is going to tumble when it meets "resistance". That's why the British liked it so much.

AgentAdam · January 29, 2009, 11:55 PM

Are you referring to a 200grn .38spec or a .303brit?

Macca38 · January 30, 2009, 03:14 AM

Ok.....200 Grain round nose hard cast lead projectile with 3.4 grains of 231 is just fine....and yeh a vice is over kill but the range has it setup and you just chuck the gun in there anyway....good for looking at group size too which by the way was fantastic in my new 686...i didnt actually measure it but lets just say out of 12 rounds there was one slightly stray and the rest were nicely bunched together and mostly cutting each other at 25 metres....be interesting to see if that group stays reasonable at 50metres too.

Also very little recoil! could possibly be a nice little load for WA1500

January 27, 2009, 11:25 PM	#1
Macca38 Member Join Date: January 27, 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 29	38 Special 200grain LRN load data needed Ok, I am looking for possible data for a 38 special load....I have a whole lot of 200 grain LRN projectiles, and some 231 and some trailboss. Is there a load for a 200grain LRN with either trailboss or 231...I havent found anything yet. Last edited by Macca38; January 28, 2009 at 12:06 AM.

January 27, 2009, 11:31 PM	#2
Chief-7700 Member Join Date: August 25, 2007 Location: Carmel Valley, CA Posts: 202	Lyman #49 reloading manual only goes up to 170 grain lead. Chief __________________ Colt M-1911 DOB 1918, SA TRP Operator Full Rail, Ruger P-85 9mm, Ruger 10-22 (SSSK), Ruger Red lable over/under 20ga, Winchester Model 57 .22 and a Dillon XL-650 to feed the Colt & the TRP Steve McQueen "We deal in lead friend" The Magnificent Seven Cira 1960

January 28, 2009, 09:30 PM	#5
336A Member Join Date: July 26, 2007 Posts: 94	I know I don't post here much but I know how frustrating it is to get hard to find load data. This is from an older Lyman Pistol & Revolver manual, don't ask which one as I don't know. I hope that this helps and will also tell you up front that 2400 works great with this bullet. Be safe and work up to top loads carefully. __________________ http://www.handgunplace.com/handgun/...referrerid=153

January 29, 2009, 05:31 AM	#7
ArchAngelCD Member Join Date: November 25, 2006 Location: PA, USA Posts: 6,676	I have a 1997 Hodgdon load manual and they were still listing 200gr bullet loads for the .38 Special. Here are the loads: H4227 - 8.5gr - 819 fps - 15,900 CUP HS-6 - 5.0gr - 794 fps - 15,900 CUP HP-38 - 3.2gr - 681 fps - 14,900 CUP HP-38 and W231 are now the same exact powder but weren't back in 1997 but they were so close I would thing that data is valid for W231. I would use HS-6 if I were loading a 200gr bullet in a .38 Special case. (especially since I already use both W231 and HS-6) Velocities are from a 7" test barrel. __________________ Remember boys and girls, gun control only prevents law abiding Americans from owning guns because the Bad Guys don’t obey the laws, no matter how restrictive or lenient the laws are!

January 29, 2009, 05:38 PM	#9
wcwhitey Member Join Date: December 30, 2006 Posts: 892	Thanks for the post 336A. I lost my old Lymans in a move years ago. Nice to see 2400 loading numbers. Shows how much things have changed. Bill __________________ "When ships were wood and men were iron"

January 27, 2009, 11:59 PM	#3
Macca38 Member Join Date: January 27, 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 29	yup, a lot of the manuals only go to 170 grain But there is load data for 200grain lrn just not for the powders i have atm

January 28, 2009, 12:34 PM	#4
rcmodel Member Join Date: September 17, 2007 Location: Eastern KS Posts: 18,452	I would imagine Trail-Boss is too bulky to use with a 200 grain bullet. WW231 should work, but finding a load might be a problem. Here are MAX loads for some other powders. Red Dot 2.8 gr. Bullseye 3.0 gr. 700X 3.0 gr. Green Dot 3.1 gr. HP38 3.2 gr. ------------------WW231? Unique 3.6 gr. HS6 5.0 gr. I guess if I had WW231, I would try about 3.2 - 3.4 grains. I guess! But I guess I am not responsible for the results. rc __________________ If you don't belong to the NRA Don't come whining about it when the next Gun Control Act gets passed!

January 28, 2009, 09:56 PM	#6
Macca38 Member Join Date: January 27, 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 29	Thanks all...im looking at some powder comparison data....going to try and pick the average weight between all the powders that are comparable to 231 and then i'll test fire one round from a vice in a modern 686 which should more than handle anything a 38 special can do... certainly i wont be putting the amoo through my old model 14 before im completely happy that its safe. So far from what I can tell....3.2-3.4 grains is the margin

January 29, 2009, 11:40 PM	#10
351 WINCHESTER Member Join Date: March 19, 2007 Location: NE FL Posts: 1,728	Chances are that long bullet is going to tumble when it meets "resistance". That's why the British liked it so much. __________________ "Beware the man who wears a belt and suspenders"

January 29, 2009, 11:55 PM	#11
AgentAdam Member Join Date: July 2, 2008 Location: MS/TN Posts: 433	Are you referring to a 200grn .38spec or a .303brit?

January 30, 2009, 03:14 AM	#12
Macca38 Member Join Date: January 27, 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 29	Ok.....200 Grain round nose hard cast lead projectile with 3.4 grains of 231 is just fine....and yeh a vice is over kill but the range has it setup and you just chuck the gun in there anyway....good for looking at group size too which by the way was fantastic in my new 686...i didnt actually measure it but lets just say out of 12 rounds there was one slightly stray and the rest were nicely bunched together and mostly cutting each other at 25 metres....be interesting to see if that group stays reasonable at 50metres too. Also very little recoil! could possibly be a nice little load for WA1500

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