Ok here is my question. I have a .357 snubnose that i want to take with Halibut fishing to dispatch halibut. I want to load 140grn Speer hollow point bullets. I dont want to go up to .357 power as its not needed and the noise is a bit much. I would however like a bit more power that a standard .38 load. I also want to load it in .38 brass so i wont get it mixed up with full power .357 ammo. My question is the max for a .38+P is 4.6grns or Titegroup. Max for a .357 is over 6grns. can i go to 5grns in .38 brass and be OK?
.38 special and Titegroup question
- Thread starter kgpcr
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ljnowell
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Do you have a 38 revolver also? If so you are going the wrong direction. If it were me, I would load in 357 cases if the load was ever going to exceed a 38+p. Its not worth a blown up 38 or loss of fingers/eyes
James2
Member
NO! If you load in 38 brass stick to 38 data.
zxcvbob
Member
The strength of the brass is not the problem, its the strength of the guns the rounds could potentially be loaded in.
I recommend .38 Special +P's. Something like 158 grain soft lead hollow points and about 4.5 grains of Universal. But if you really want to load hot cartridges in .38 brass, I've found one combination that works and is safe. Use hard cast 148 grain DEWC bullets and seat them halfway in the cases. The OAL will be about 1.35 or 1.36", just like they would if the were loaded in .357 Magnum cases with the bullets crimped to the crimp groove. These will not chamber in any .38 Special I've tested. Alliant used to have .357 Magnum full power wadcutter load data. You can find it in their 2004 load book. 7.0 grains of Herco is nice.
Or load full wadcutters in .357 Magnum brass and you should be able to tell them apart from your other .357's
I just reread your first post. Use .357 brass with your 140 grain bullets and whatever powder charge you want but mark the case heads and primers of the loaded rounds with some ugly fluorescent fingernail polish. You won't get them mixed up.
ETA: are you really sold on using Titegroup for this? Other powders (like Unique or Power Pistol or AA#5) will get you the performance you want at .38 Special pressures.
I recommend .38 Special +P's. Something like 158 grain soft lead hollow points and about 4.5 grains of Universal. But if you really want to load hot cartridges in .38 brass, I've found one combination that works and is safe. Use hard cast 148 grain DEWC bullets and seat them halfway in the cases. The OAL will be about 1.35 or 1.36", just like they would if the were loaded in .357 Magnum cases with the bullets crimped to the crimp groove. These will not chamber in any .38 Special I've tested. Alliant used to have .357 Magnum full power wadcutter load data. You can find it in their 2004 load book. 7.0 grains of Herco is nice.
Or load full wadcutters in .357 Magnum brass and you should be able to tell them apart from your other .357's
I just reread your first post. Use .357 brass with your 140 grain bullets and whatever powder charge you want but mark the case heads and primers of the loaded rounds with some ugly fluorescent fingernail polish. You won't get them mixed up.
ETA: are you really sold on using Titegroup for this? Other powders (like Unique or Power Pistol or AA#5) will get you the performance you want at .38 Special pressures.
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4895
Member
I would not use titegroup in .38 special cases unless that was all I had. It has a small window of error. If you stick to the load data, 3.9 - 4.2, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The .38 special has plenty more punch than most people give it credit for. It was afterall, the standard load for most LEO for generations.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
Like everyone is telling you, DO NOT load .38 special brass over .38 Special +P pressures. Accidents can and will happen and it may not happen today or even this year but eventually one of those hot rounds in a .38 Special case will find it's way into a .38 Special revolver.
Try this, when I load light loads in .357 Magnum brass I color the primer with a green sharpie so I know those are the light loads. It's very hard to mix them up and you don't permanently mark your brass since removing the primer removes the mark.
Try this, when I load light loads in .357 Magnum brass I color the primer with a green sharpie so I know those are the light loads. It's very hard to mix them up and you don't permanently mark your brass since removing the primer removes the mark.
I agree. Load light .357 ammo in .357 cases, not .38 cases, despite the intent to shoot them in a .357 revolver. Things happen.
Unique works well for me. I have a favorite 125 Gr load with it. Shoots great. Plenty of power without being abusive.
Other "medium" speed powders will work well too.
Unique works well for me. I have a favorite 125 Gr load with it. Shoots great. Plenty of power without being abusive.
Other "medium" speed powders will work well too.
ljnowell
Member
Thats not the point. What will happen when one of those finds its way into a 38 special instead of a 357mag?
Stormin.40
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Others have already covered the fact that 38 loads are to be loaded in 38 brass and 357 loads are to be loaded in 357 brass.
Since you are using Titegroup and it has been said that there are better options I will chime in. I have loaded 38 special rounds for my snubnose with Titegroup, both 158gr LSWC and 125gr Plated TCFP. Titegroup + Lead = Smoke, however the 125gr plated load worked pretty well, I stayed .1gr below published max +P for this load and if my memory is correct it pushed out a 1 7/8" barrel at about 850fps. Not screaming for 125gr bullet but if you are set on Titegroup you won't get to much more than that. There are better powders for the 38 I just happened to have Tightgroup laying around and wanted to give it a shot, accuracy was as good as I expect from a snubnose.
Since you are using Titegroup and it has been said that there are better options I will chime in. I have loaded 38 special rounds for my snubnose with Titegroup, both 158gr LSWC and 125gr Plated TCFP. Titegroup + Lead = Smoke, however the 125gr plated load worked pretty well, I stayed .1gr below published max +P for this load and if my memory is correct it pushed out a 1 7/8" barrel at about 850fps. Not screaming for 125gr bullet but if you are set on Titegroup you won't get to much more than that. There are better powders for the 38 I just happened to have Tightgroup laying around and wanted to give it a shot, accuracy was as good as I expect from a snubnose.
evan price
Member
My best loads so far with Titegroup and 38/357 are:
158 LSWC, 3.5 grains Titegroup in 38 spl brass
158 LSWC, 5.0 grains Titegroup in 357 Mag brass
IMHO I would load 4.5 grains in your 38 spl brass which is about a +P 38 Max load and call it good. That will put paid to any halibut you would be able to land!
158 LSWC, 3.5 grains Titegroup in 38 spl brass
158 LSWC, 5.0 grains Titegroup in 357 Mag brass
IMHO I would load 4.5 grains in your 38 spl brass which is about a +P 38 Max load and call it good. That will put paid to any halibut you would be able to land!
Bowfishrp
Member
Evan uses the loads I use for .38 and titegroup.
oneounceload
member
The fish won't know the difference between 4.6 and 5 grains of powder
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