38 Spl & 2400

The oly data I found was Lyman's with the Speer 146 gr. JHP and Hornady's 158 gr. JHP and a 155 gr. SWC.

Okay, just remembered I have Hornady's Vol. II . It shows 240 with a 125 gr. hollow point. Mind you, it's not the XTP.


Sorry for the not so great picture. But the start load is 11.1 gr.

This was put in print back in 1973.

You can never have enough reloading manuals, here's a link to download lyman's 44th manual. Back then there wasn't that many powders for the 38spl and using 2400 was extremely common.
http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Reloading/Reloading Manuals/Lyman Reloading Handbook --- 44th Edition --- 1967.pdf

This link has several reloading manuals to download for free (speer #12, lee 1&2, lyman 44 & 48, hornady #4).
http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Reloading/Reloading Manuals/

Just because a reloading manual is older doesn't mean it isn't useful anymore. I use them to find data for the 2400/38spl for example. But I also like to cross reference the known data/powders listed with the latest data. I also like these older manuals because they always seem to have one of the latest/greatest powders at the time of print in them. Gives me an idea on how that powder performed back then with the bullets of the day compared to todays testing/bullets.

Alliant:
A link to free downloads of the different alliant manuals. To me the last of the "great" manuals was 2005. After that they used their own bullets only (speer) and no more min/max load listing. They also only list powders they want you to use/buy for that caliber instead of all there powders starting in 2008. They still use that same 2008 format to this day & I still take a hard look at the 2005 manual before I use that poor excuse for data they push on us today.
http://castpics.net/LoadData/Freebies/RM/Alliant.html

Accurate arms
http://castpics.net/LoadData/Freebies/RM/Accurate.html
Ramshot
http://castpics.net/LoadData/Freebies/RM/ramshot.html
Royal scot
http://castpics.net/LoadData/Freebies/RM/RoyalScot.pdf

I put those in there simply because hodgdon is in an excellent place to steer customers to what they want to sell just like alliant started doing in 2008.

Can't never have enough reloading manuals/data & everything listed above is free.

Edit:
forgot the lyman #3 castbullet handbook with a ton of reloading data
http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Man...et Handbook - 3rd Edition - 1980 - Reduce.pdf

Hondo, I was the one who posted that particular thread. The loading itself came from Speer #7 however my copy of that particular manual died in a basement flood a few years back. If I find another copy in good condition I can post the 38 Special page.

I don't recall that manual having 125 gn 38 Special loadings in 2400. It did have loadings in 357.

Speer #12 lists that same projectile/case at a max loading of 8.0 gn for 38 Special +P with a listed muzzle velocity of 859 fps out of a 6'' Model 14. Note here that I have found Speer's manuals to be all over the place in terms of their max/min loadings, particularly in the older manuals.

I have also played around with my own loadings of 2400 with 125 gn lead projectiles, however will not post the results as I was not satisfied with them. I personally feel that 2400 is marginal in mild heavy projectile 38 Special loadings (158-180 gn) and far too slow for my taste for 125-140 gn projectiles.

I really like AA5 and AA2 in this projectile weight range depending on the platform in question. In snubbies I like the AA2 which I find to burn clean, meter extremely well, and provide little flame. In my 4'' Model 10 I like AA5 for target and heavy 'fun' loads as it provides the same benefits as above but with a longer burn.

kcofohio said:

Okay, just remembered I have Hornady's Vol. II . It shows 240 with a 125 gr. hollow point. Mind you, it's not the XTP.
View attachment 1000887

Sorry for the not so great picture. But the start load is 11.1 gr.

This was put in print back in 1973.

Click to expand...

Nice find! If this is representative of your library I'm jealous!
I'd note that Hornady #3 eliminated 2400 entirely from their 38 Special listings and reduced the loadings across the board. I'd question if this is from superior diagnostics or increased safety factor for liability, but that is for another thread.

RougeLeader1 said:

Nice find! If this is representative of your library I'm jealous!
I'd note that Hornady #3 eliminated 2400 entirely from their 38 Special listings and reduced the loadings across the board. I'd question if this is from superior diagnostics or increased safety factor for liability, but that is for another thread.
View attachment 1001061

Click to expand...

The only other older manual that I have is a Speers from the '60. But I would like to add more if I came across them.

RougeLeader1 said:

Hondo, I was the one who posted that particular thread. The loading itself came from Speer #7 however my copy of that particular manual died in a basement flood a few years back. If I find another copy in good condition I can post the 38 Special page.

Click to expand...

I might be able to help with that. Let me shove down dinner real quick and then I'll head out to the reloading room.

Don't know what I did with my Speer #7 .... must have lent it out to one of the kids. I do have, on hand, Sierra #2 and Hodgdon #27 which might help ....

.... here's the old Hodgdon book on 38 Sp

Nice to see that 170gn load at 9.2-10.6 gn in the Sierra manual. Thats a nice loading range. I had something very similar after experimentation with 180 gn projectiles.

Hondo 60 said:

Loaded some rounds yesterday & today
38 Special up to +P
Started at 11.7 - 11.9 - 12.0 - 12.7 & 13.0
As kcofohio posted above.
I should have my new 357 Wed or Thurs of next week 7/6-7/7?

Click to expand...

Oh, some pictures maybe of the new gun?

RougeLeader1 said:

Nice find! If this is representative of your library I'm jealous!
I'd note that Hornady #3 eliminated 2400 entirely from their 38 Special listings and reduced the loadings across the board. I'd question if this is from superior diagnostics or increased safety factor for liability, but that is for another thread.
View attachment 1001061

Click to expand...

I strongly suspect it is because better powders became available. 2400 was developed as a small-bore centerfire rifle powder. It's claim to fame is as the premier powder for the .22Hornet. In .38Spl it was one of the best powders around during it's time for working up .38/44, .38/200, Super-Police, and other such loads for defeating car steel with revolvers. Hercules/Alliant 2400 powder isn't efficient below about 20,000 psi, which is way beyond .38Spl 17kpsi pressures, and into the top range for .38Spl +P. That's why it went out of fashion and powders like Herco and HP38 became more popular for "working" loads.

Thank you forest for that link to manual of days-gone-by. I threw my '70s manuals out in a Marie Kondo moment and regret it.

Hondo 60 said:

My go-to load in 38 Spl is 3.1gr of titegroup under a 125 gr rnfp.
I just wanted to try something a bit different to play with

Click to expand...

WARNING: This post links to and contains over-book, heavy load data.

Absolutely! John Taffin has posted Elmer Keith's loading data for the .38/44 revolvers: 13.5 grains 2400 with a 158 grain bullet, hard cast. Regular Remington primer. WW brass. Bullet cast hard with lots of graphite put into the bullet lube. Bullet sized 2 thou. over groove diameter. Best bullet to use is Elmer's 358421. If you use his 172 grain bullet, then 12 grains 2400 will be used. Both are available from Lyman. The old N-Frame .38's and Colt's Official Police are too old and too rare, in my opinion, to put through that kind of abuse but any modern guns designed to take .38Spl +P+ or .357Magnum - which is what you're loading - will stand up to 20kpsi and that's where 2400 shines in a .38.

I wasn't meaning to imply no one should load up those old super loads, just be careful and read up on what the early experimenters - Elmer Keith, Bill Jordan, Phil Sharpe, et al. - what they did and also note what they didn't do again.