38 chief special what to load it with?

I keep plain old 158 grain lead .38 Specials in my Model 36 and S&Ws.

Take a look around ands see what bullets are available. I don't load with those powders but everyone needs a good .38 158 Grain Lead SWC load. I load mine to standard velocity and pressure and would have no problem pressing them into service if I needed to.

My snubby load is a 148 grain DEWC with 3.4 grains of Winchester WST. Very accurate even out of a 2 inch barrel at 15 yards and very damaging. This load is ONLY for steel framed snubbies.

Titegroup should be fine. The Hodgdon site lists a whole bunch of recipes use if titewad err... umm... titegroup as the powder and bullets from 77 to 180 gr. Staying with standard bullet weights your looking at about a 4 gr charge or less so it’s pretty economical too. My preference for 38 plinking loads actually uses a 9mm bullet so there are other options once you get used to loading 38.
https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/

I load a 148gr LWC and 158gr LSWC for a S&W 36 with a 1 7/8" barrel, and I use Bullseye.

JD Fla1 said:

You feel the the lead bullet will perform better than a jacketed hollow point with a +p load behind it in a 2" J frame

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I would guess with the velocity of 38 spl +p a 158gr JHP in a 2" barrel wouldn't do any better than the 158gr LSWCWN or LSWC.

I load Berry's plated DEWCs over 4 grains of HP 38.

146g DEWC Hi-Tek coated with either Tightgroup or CFE Pistol. You’ve got the two perfect powders. Go with the DEWC because at 800-900 fps it hits like a hammer.

Back in the 70's I used to load swaged HBWC bullets backwards for snubbies.

It was a fairly common practice back then. They were the only thing available that'd expand at 2" .38 Special velocities.

158gr. lead SWC with either Bullseye or WW231 works for me.

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/10657.

Might be a long wait on the Berry's. Here's a plain lead one, and they also have a coated version

Do not use +P ammunition for practice. You will beat up the cylinder hand and ratchet. Older 38 Specials should be fired only with standard pressure rounds.

This load, a 158 LRN (or LSWC) with 3.5 grains Bullseye, any case, any primer, has been the most consistent load I have ever used in a 38 Special. It shoots to point of aim in those older 38 Specials, and is accurate in all of my 38 Specials. This is what I recommend, it is a standard pressure 38 Special load

JD Fla1 said:

my pocket snubby from the 70's...
I keep factory Federal Hi power 125g.+ p in it now....

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I don't believe older Smiths are rated for +P.

I run 158 LSWC (or the coated version) out of my 38/357 revolvers and have for years.

JD Fla1 said:

I'm game with the 158g. and I can find other powder if need be.
You feel the the lead bullet will perform better than a jacketed hollow point with a +p load behind it in a 2" J frame.

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Maybe or maybe not. Any hollowpoints carried in a 1 7/8” barrel are iffy at best except for a select few. Gold Dot 135 Grain short barrel is one that will work as it was designed for the snubbies. There are good gel test videos on you tube that will show you how iffy some rounds are expansion wise. It’s even harder to recreate these loads. This is why I like a good SWC, flat nose and sharp shoulder. Proven to do more tissue damage than the RNL and will penetrate easily. I also use the Speer LSW-HP. This is a super soft swaged bullet that actually has a chance of expanding at normal velocities, especially if bone is hit.
I wouldn’t use upper end loads consistently in the model 36. I know they can handle plus p but I have seen many rattle loose given a steady diet. Back in 1990 my department used older Model 36’s to train and qualify recruits on. Load was Federal Nyclad 158 Grain SWC +P (no hollow point yet). Many of those guns did not fair well but they were no longer authorized and were sacrificed for the cause. 640 Centenials were the new gun of the day and was without question +p rated.

FWIW; one of my house guns is loaded with cast DEWC (BHN approx. 12) over max charges, not +P, of W231. My chrony records are out in the shop but IIRC I get about 875 fps. I figger my 150 gr., full caliber flat nose bullet will work quite well from my 3" 38 in a home protection situation (but of course that's not the only gun kept handy indoors). Accurate out to 30' or so but I haven't tried it any farther.

There's only so much you can get out of a 2" barreled 38 Special, and my only other "SD" load for my short barrel snubbies is a 160 gr Lachmiller SWC over Universal. I wouldn't try to push a light JHP hard enough to reach an expansion threshold out of a short barrel 38 Special...

Another vote for 158g SWC. 4.2g of Bullseye works very well

I've carried factory wadcutters in j frame guns for years and std velocity SWCs for a reload. Easy on you and the gun, sufficient pentration, and the bullet already in an efficient shape.

If you're loading your own use a HBWC at target velocities. The HBWC is less likely to tumble enabling it to get good penetration.