School me on 38 special rounds

I must agree on reloading the 38 special. I got started reloading just for .38 special and .357 magnum; and then branched out gradually. The .38 special is arguably one of the easiest cartridges to start reloading, and very cost effective. Bullets are cheap and brass lasts a very long time. I started with (and still use) a Lee single stage kit that I got for just over $120 plus the dies; and I still have some of the original pound of Titegroup that I bought several years ago. Eventually you will find a powder, bullet, and load data that both you and your gun really like; but experimenting with new components is half the fun.

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I got started reloading about 6 months ago I bought a Lee 25 year anniversary kit for about $130 + dies and supplies. I have upgraded most of the stuff I use and if I could do it all over again I wouldn't buy the kit. I use the press and bought a Hornady LNL auto charge. I agree a single stage press or maybe a turret press is the way to get started.

A pound of titegroup is less than $30 locally and for loading 38 special should load you well over 1500 rounds. I buy some cast semi wad cutters locally for about $22 a box of 250. Once again buying local I get primers for $3.75 a box of 100. All the guys at my work save their brass for me. I could probably buy online in bigger orders and cut the cost a little bit but I like to buy locally.

The last box of 38 special cost me close to $25 with taxes and doj fees. I can load my own for about $8. It's been a very rewarding hobby. Once you figure out what your gun likes and what you like you will probably never want to buy factory again.

My S&W 10-6 4" HB is about 6 oz heavier and it has regular old Remington Green/White Box 125 gr JHP .38 Special +P.
I wouldn't use them out of a 1.875" barrel but they will expand out of a 3".

Watch some estate auctions, I've found a lot of reloading equipment and supplies at decent prices. A reloading mentor is a BIG bonus. 38s and 357s are about 1/2 price when reloading, especially 357s.

rdnktrkr said:

Watch some estate auctions, I've found a lot of reloading equipment and supplies at decent prices. A reloading mentor is a BIG bonus. 38s and 357s are about 1/2 price when reloading, especially 357s.

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Mentors are definitely better than learning on your own; although it can be done easily enough on your own. If you are on your own, you will need a good manual, support from a reloading forum (we have a good one here), and stick to published (non-extreme) load data while you're learning. You'll be slow at first because you're learning, so to keep shooting, buy factory SD ammo and some cheaper FMJ or LRN for plinker ammo. Save your brass and you can reuse it forever. Well, not literally forever, but for a good long time.

38 special seems like one of the easiest cartridges I've reloaded for. That and 357 magnum. Right from the get-go, loads were accurate and you have a wide range of affordable bullets to choose from. You also won't burn nearly as much powder as with stuff like 44 mag or other big bores.

The first cartridge I reloaded for was .223 rem and bottlenecked cases have a few quirks that you won't have to worry about with 38 special. I think you're going to be glad you went with that as a first.

mjsdwash said:

I don't want to be preachy, but you mentioned plinking. In 38 that gets expensive, and reloading pays off quick. You can reload 38spl for around $7-8$ a box with components I could give you webpages for now. A lee 4 hole press with the stuff you need to load 38 can be around $250. Just a thought. Those that don't reload here use Atlanta Arms... not sure how good they are. I use Target Sports USA, and recommend them.

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If you buy in bulk and use basic bullets, you can cut that cost down to $5/box easily enough - which for plinking and general practice should work just fine.

If you have one the standard answer for starting handloading is .38 Special.

My carry load is standard pressure .38spl 77 grain polycase fluted non expanding projectile. Interceptor or Ruger ARX. I believe Ruger doesn’t market ARX any more but Interceptor polycase is the same stuff.

I shoot a variety of cast loads in 38 special for practice. When you start reloading, a 158 grain SWC over, say, 4 grains of HP38 will be very accurate and shoot pretty softly out of a full sized revolver. For self defense I load 357 Golden Sabers. They are kind of a 357 "lite" load, with less muzzle blast and much more controllability for quick follow ups. When you start reloading, you can load a premium expanding bullet to a 38+P+ level (more than 38+P but way under 357) and have the best of both worlds.

Precision delta makes some great wadcutter a new semi wadcutter rounds that are nice to shoot. I've also found them low recoiling and they offer free shipping.

That said I agree. A Lee turret press, some primers, a can of bullseye and some dewc from acme bullet company you can roll your own.

I shoot a variety of cast loads in 38 special for practice. When you start reloading, a 158 grain SWC over, say, 4 grains of HP38 will be very accurate and shoot pretty softly out of a full sized revolver. For self defense I load 357 Golden Sabers. They are kind of a 357 "lite" load, with less muzzle blast and much more controllability for quick follow ups. When you start reloading, you can load a premium expanding bullet to a 38+P+ level (more than 38+P but way under 357) and have the best of both worlds.

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For my 38 loads I really like 3.5 gr titegroup with a 158gr LSWC the same bullet in 357 gets 4.7 gr titegroup and is very easy on the hands. For Hornady XTP in 357 I like 5.7-5.9gr titegroup. Again very easy shooting and very accurate out to 50-60 yards with my 6 inch GP 100. I say 60 yards because I'm just getting into the longer range pistol shooting. I have shot out to 100 yards but I am very inexperienced with longer range pistol shooting. Getting hard to see that distance when shooting iron sights at a 12in target.

George P said:

If you buy in bulk and use basic bullets, you can cut that cost down to $5/box easily enough - which for plinking and general practice should work just fine.

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your absolutely right. I'm currently hitting around 6-6.50. But if the OP said "Show me right now where and how" I wanted to be sure I could back it up. But as you say, yes, 5 is doable with a bit of effort. I currently am using Speer 158LRN and they cost about 11c/bullet, but they feed in a Marlin, and shoot well in everything.

This is one of the mentioned loads for defense. Old tech but does the job.

https://www.targetsportsusa.com/fed...-semi-wadcutter-hollow-point-38g-p-57609.aspx

These are also good. I like these old Hi-Skok classic Federals in all calibers. Doesn't get much better priced for 50 decent defense loads.

https://www.targetsportsusa.com/fed...i-shok-jacketed-hollow-point-38e-p-51056.aspx

As far as practice ammo, figure out what weight you like and buy a case of whatever is cheap. Save your brass, as has been mentioned you may want to reload later. But reloading isn't for everyone, the saved brass would be a nice gift to someone who does reload if you don't.

It sounds like you are starting off well, buying a great gun in a great pair of calibers (.38/.357). If you do start reloading you’ll find them very easy to load for with tons of bullets, powders and primer combos to choose from and cases that cost less than most others.

I’ve been loading them for the past 25-odd years and I still have powders and bullets I haven’t tried yet. (I just got a box of 500 powder coated 160 RNFP to try out, it’s still sealed up.)

Congrats on a good start and stay safe.

Save your brass, as has been mentioned you may want to reload later. But reloading isn't for everyone, the saved brass would be a nice gift to someone who does reload if you don't.

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I agree with that. I wanted to start reloading quite a while before I actually started. I saved all of my brass for quite a while and when I decided the time was right I had a pretty decent brass collection. I also get quite a bit of brass from people I know that save theirs for me. One nice thing about revolvers is not having to search for your brass. I always keep a couple of zip lock bags in my range bags for holding brass.

My dad gave me several hundred brass cases for 357 he had been reloading from the late 70s. It was a mix of brass and nickel plated brass cases. The nickel plated looks cool but they seem to be the ones failing. From my understanding the nickel plating process causes the brass to fatigue at a faster rate. After each range trip I find a few of them split at the case mouth.

Some of the brass cases I have been given have been reloaded 4-5 times by me and is older than me. No telling how many times they have actually been reloaded. I recently ordered 500 cases of 357 from starline. I'm only on my second round of 50 I'm trying to do a test to see how many times it can be reloaded before the primer Pockets get too loose or the necks start splitting.

The only real problem I had with reloading .38 Spl and .357 Mag when I started was putting too heavy a roll crimp on the cases; and sometimes a little too much bell. It would shave little brass rings off the mouth until I figured out what I was doing (no mentor). That’s how I wound up loading .38 Long Colt. When the case mouths were worked a little too much, or too much brass shaved off from crimping, I trimmed them to .38 LC length, and they started a whole new life as an even lower pressure round.

camsdaddy said:

Precision delta makes some great wadcutter a new semi wadcutter rounds that are nice to shoot. I've also found them low recoiling and they offer free shipping.

That said I agree. A Lee turret press, some primers, a can of bullseye and some dewc from acme bullet company you can roll your own.

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I've shot a lot of Zero stuff through the years.
Never had an issue with their .38 Special Ammo.

I think one of their .45 projectiles is very popular in competition circles these days.

I did some 38 Special hand loads for the first time a short while ago. I was pleased and surprised how much milder the modest hand loads were than any factory target ammo I'd shot.

ancientnoob said:

My carry load is standard pressure .38spl 77 grain polycase fluted non expanding projectile. Interceptor or Ruger ARX. I believe Ruger doesn’t market ARX any more but Interceptor polycase is the same stuff.

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That's my load of choice too. I'm going to eventually order some bullets and reload them in the +P range.

shoebox1.1 said:

So the Remington lswchp +p is no longer made? Is the federal version as good?

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It is, look for the "HTP" line of ammo from Remington. Same bullet, both running right at 900 fps but the Remington will cost you around $10 more a box for 50 rounds versus the Federals.

shoebox1.1 said:

So the Remington lswchp +p is no longer made? Is the federal version as good?

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They still make it. They just went back to a Green and Yellow Box, put HTP on it and increased the price.

RTP38S12

SlowFuse said:

It is, look for the "HTP" line of ammo from Remington. Same bullet, both running right at 900 fps but the Remington will cost you around $10 more a box for 50 rounds versus the Federals.

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I just checked it online. The place I use most gets $16.99 for Remington and $19.99 for Federal in 50 round boxes.

Question for you guys.
Do you bother to trim .38 brass?

I would think so at least initially to standardize the casings length.

I never trim my straight wall pistol brass. I do measure it occasionally but it's never over length. I think it actually gets shorter. If it crimps decent with out adjusting the crimp die I run it.

I like to shoot my my 357 at 50 yards give or take sometimes out towards 100. My handloads are good enough to get me on steel.