.38 Special and WSF

I have used a lot of Unique in 38s and it seems OK to me.

Hodgdon (Winchester) data shows no loads using WSF in any .38 Spc. Standard or +P load.

It appears to burn best at about twice the pressure level you can use in the .38 Spl.

Even Unique is too slow to use with your 148 grain wadcutters at the low velocity you are looking for.
It will work, but Bullseye, Red-Dot, Clays, Titegroup, 700X, and other faster powders are what you are looking for.

rc

Still, considering it's a lady shooter, and considering that comfort is the issue, I think there is a little more we can do.

IMHO you need a faster powder, but that is not to say you need a "fast" powder. A very fast powder is going to ignite BANG!. It's going to feel like your hand got hit by a baseball bat. It's going to be sudden. So you don't want something too fast for your daughter.

May I humbly suggest Win231 ? This is very easy to find. Some of your reloading friends probably have tons of it. It burns really clean in its mid-range to max. And whereas Bullseye rates #6 on the speed chart, Win 231 rates way down at #26, so it's going to be more "comfortable".

Hope this helps!

I tried Unique in .38 Special with 148 WC's just to quell my curiosity. Velocity out of a 3" Model 60 using 3.2 grains averaged 670 fps, and was more consistent than I thought. Just the same, I really like Bullseye and Clays a lot better for WC duty.

Now if I wanted to step it up to some serious SD WC loads with solid 148 WC's and Unique, I'm sure it would do well, but lead 158 LSWC HP's do so well for me, I feel compelled very little to develop any.

What about .357 Magnum?

It would seem like a good choice, based on burn rate and use in shotshells (Heavier loads in 12, or smaller gauges), but Hodgdon doesn't have data.

Whether this means that it's a bad choice, or that they haven't done the testing, I have no idea. I love it in 12, and I have a bunch of it, so I'd love to be able to use it.

Based on experience with other magnum shotshell powders in low-pressure revolver cartridges, I'd expect WSF to suck in .38 Special.

--Shannon

WSF can work OK for light .38 spcl loads. You all are correct that it is dirty at those pressures. But it is accurate and efficient, so it would be a trade-off.

I believe Winchester used to publish data for WSF in .38 spcl. I think I have a Winchester loading book from the early 90's with WSF .38 data in it; I will look later and see if I can find the data.

LOTS of online Winchester load data disappeared after the Winchester/Hodgdon deal, no reason I can find. It seems Hodgdon just wants to get rid of Winchester or re-brand it - I can't otherwise understand why so much load data disappeared.

I worked with WSF for awhile, until I got sidetracked to True Blue. However, my loads were more of the "plus-p-plus" variety.

FWIW, Speer 14 has a varied set of 38 Special loads. For example, with a Speer 158LSWC-HP, the charges range from 3.8 gr. to 4.7 gr; the latter is the +P Max.

The first time I loaded it, I did a SWAG (I thought) and started at about 6.2 gr. under the GDSB135JHP--and those loads gives velocities more nearly like the GDSB135JHP 357 Magnum factory cartridges.

My impression is that, subjectively, the recoil is very soft, with a hard finish. IOW, there is probably a late pressure spike, hence the lower published recipes. I also found wide ESs; I interpret those as the case-volume problems. I've sorted out a LD range now for use with 140LTC rounds, and I'll load those up this winter for chrono testing later this spring.

I also suspect the powder is really more suitable for 357 Mag--i.e., at higher pressures than 38 Special. Meanwhile, those subjective recoil characteristics make it, IMO, a delightful load to shoot.

Jim H.

I checked and the older Winchester booklet has WDF data for about every popular handgun caliber EXCEPT .38 Spcl - I cannot fathom why. To approximate a charge, I'd use these facts:

1) WST and WSF are used in almost all the same applications.
2) WST is consistently 25% to 30% less by weight in the same loadings.
3) take the WST data for .38 Specl., 148gr lead (2.5 to 2.7grs, 660 to 700fps), add 20% (3.0 grs starting load) and work up from there.

Hope that helps if you need it. You can also find that WST data at Handloads.com if you want to verify it.

There is a reason , why , some powders are not listed for certain calibers .
Unusual pressure spikes , inconsistant results , or just plain lousy results in the lab , are but a few , of the reasons why some powders are not recommended for certain applications .
Be a responsible handloader , and use , one of the recommended powders !
For wadcutters and other light lead bullet loads in .38special ; Bullseye , Clays , Red Dot , W231 , Tightgroup , all work very well .
WSF is more akin , to Blue Dot , not , a light load powder at all .