John Joseph
Member
- Joined
- May 5, 2016
- Messages
- 1,441
My chosen factory load is 158g LSWC. Fixed sighted .38 Spl revolvers such as my J frame are optimized for shooting 158 grain projectiles.
In preparation for the 2018 ammogeddon here in CA I picked up a used Lyman bullet mold which lists the LSWC as 150 grs.
There isn't a lot of difference in point of impact between 158 and 150g bullets, I've discovered.
In order to conserve the lifespan of my brass, I was thinking of loading 148 WCs, "only" 2 grains less than the 150 grains and would allow me to use a taper crimp so as not to overwork the brass cases.
So far, so good.
When the Air Guard Security personnel qualified on the same range I used to shoot at, I obtained several boxes of Winchester Match 148gr HBWC from them---they shot better scores with their S&W M-15 using 158g LSWCs. This was in adjustable sighted revolvers sighted in to shoot 130gr military ball. So I'll assume a 28 gr difference in bullet weight was acceptable, so my 158gr to 148 gr variance of only 10 grains shouldn't appreciably change the point of impact, especially at snub nose ranges.
So far, so good.
In other calibers, I've noticed considerable shifts in the POI, most noticeably going from 240 grs to 180 grs (60 gr variance) in .44 Magnums, and 230gr to 180 grs (50 gr variance) with the ,45ACP
Comparing factory .38 spl. 158s vs factory 148s, they seem "dead on" in terms of POI at 9, 17, 25, & 50'
This is 5x the amount of projectile weight difference in my .38 Spl. situation, so there should be no trouble with the POI shifting, right?
My question then, is there something I'm missing or overlooked here?
In preparation for the 2018 ammogeddon here in CA I picked up a used Lyman bullet mold which lists the LSWC as 150 grs.
There isn't a lot of difference in point of impact between 158 and 150g bullets, I've discovered.
In order to conserve the lifespan of my brass, I was thinking of loading 148 WCs, "only" 2 grains less than the 150 grains and would allow me to use a taper crimp so as not to overwork the brass cases.
So far, so good.
When the Air Guard Security personnel qualified on the same range I used to shoot at, I obtained several boxes of Winchester Match 148gr HBWC from them---they shot better scores with their S&W M-15 using 158g LSWCs. This was in adjustable sighted revolvers sighted in to shoot 130gr military ball. So I'll assume a 28 gr difference in bullet weight was acceptable, so my 158gr to 148 gr variance of only 10 grains shouldn't appreciably change the point of impact, especially at snub nose ranges.
So far, so good.
In other calibers, I've noticed considerable shifts in the POI, most noticeably going from 240 grs to 180 grs (60 gr variance) in .44 Magnums, and 230gr to 180 grs (50 gr variance) with the ,45ACP
Comparing factory .38 spl. 158s vs factory 148s, they seem "dead on" in terms of POI at 9, 17, 25, & 50'
This is 5x the amount of projectile weight difference in my .38 Spl. situation, so there should be no trouble with the POI shifting, right?
My question then, is there something I'm missing or overlooked here?