38 special charge in a 357 case
- Thread starter Bearhands
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
It will go down appreciably.
So much so that you could end up sticking jacketed bullets in the barrel with very light "starting" .38 Special loads.
If you want good tested .357 light loads, pick up a Lyman manual.
Or look to .357 Mag "Cowboy" loads from Hodgdon, Speer, and others.
rcmodel
So much so that you could end up sticking jacketed bullets in the barrel with very light "starting" .38 Special loads.
If you want good tested .357 light loads, pick up a Lyman manual.
Or look to .357 Mag "Cowboy" loads from Hodgdon, Speer, and others.
rcmodel
W.E.G.
Member
Just go to the web site of the powder manufacturer, and compare the recommended loads for the various powders.
In the case of the .38 Special vs. .357 Magnum, you will probably find the differences between the MAXIMUM loads to vary much more than the differences between the "starting" loads.
I would strongly dispute that there is ANY risk of sticking a bullet in the barrel with 3.1 grains of Winchester 231 from a .357 case.
See http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp for some comparative load data.
The risk of reduced loads is much greater with slower powders. Any reduced load with slow powder has some risk of DETONATION - which means the whole gun just blows up. There are competing theories of what causes this. So long as you use a fast-burning powder, you will probably be fine with the "starting" .38 Special load in .357 brass. You might be disappointed though with the accuracy. Typically, a load somewhere between the midpoint and maximum charge for a particular powder delivers the best accuracy.
Lastly, I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish by loading .38 Special data in the .357.
You trying to conserve gunpowder or something?
At. 0.3 grains savings per round, you're gonna need to launch a LOT of lead to realize any measurable savings.
In the case of the .38 Special vs. .357 Magnum, you will probably find the differences between the MAXIMUM loads to vary much more than the differences between the "starting" loads.
I would strongly dispute that there is ANY risk of sticking a bullet in the barrel with 3.1 grains of Winchester 231 from a .357 case.
See http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp for some comparative load data.
The risk of reduced loads is much greater with slower powders. Any reduced load with slow powder has some risk of DETONATION - which means the whole gun just blows up. There are competing theories of what causes this. So long as you use a fast-burning powder, you will probably be fine with the "starting" .38 Special load in .357 brass. You might be disappointed though with the accuracy. Typically, a load somewhere between the midpoint and maximum charge for a particular powder delivers the best accuracy.
Lastly, I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish by loading .38 Special data in the .357.
You trying to conserve gunpowder or something?
At. 0.3 grains savings per round, you're gonna need to launch a LOT of lead to realize any measurable savings.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Well, I wouldn't "strongly dispute" anything, or recommend a load, because we don't know the first thing about the weight or type of bullet he is even talking about.
But, 3.1 grains 231 with a 158 XTP is a dangerously low load in a .357 Mag case.
On the otherhand, it might be perfectly fine with a cast lead bullet.
But since we don't know what bullet Bearhands is asking about, it is better to error on the cautious side, and not tell him 3.1 grains 231 is safe.
rcmodel
ok, here's what I'm talkin about......
I'm currently loading 38's using 3.5g of Unique w/ a 158gr SWC (cast).... I'd like to use the 357 case for one reason only, so as not to foul the cylinder during a range session. I am not looking for any kind of a Max load, just something accurate out of a 357 case. I don't want to introduce any "new" kind of powder at this point because I am new to reloading and I'd like to "master" a good target plinking load with Unique first. Thanks again!
I'm currently loading 38's using 3.5g of Unique w/ a 158gr SWC (cast).... I'd like to use the 357 case for one reason only, so as not to foul the cylinder during a range session. I am not looking for any kind of a Max load, just something accurate out of a 357 case. I don't want to introduce any "new" kind of powder at this point because I am new to reloading and I'd like to "master" a good target plinking load with Unique first. Thanks again!
zxcvbob
Member
That's a very light load already in the .38 Special case. With the increased case volume of the .357, it's gonna be kind of pitiful -- weak and very dirty-burning. But there shouldn't be any risk of sticking the bullet in the barrel.
3.8 grains of Unique will get you back to where you were with the .38SPL case with 3.5. (I wouldn't load it less than 4 grains, but that's just me.)
You might be happier with a powder like Red Dot or American Select.
3.8 grains of Unique will get you back to where you were with the .38SPL case with 3.5. (I wouldn't load it less than 4 grains, but that's just me.)
You might be happier with a powder like Red Dot or American Select.
W.E.G.
Member
RC, did you even look at the chart on the link?
3.8 grains 231 is the minimum recommended .38 Special load for the bullet you mention.
Do you really think there is ANY chance of sticking that bullet in the barrel out of a .357 case?
The listed minimum load for that bullet in .357 is - hey! -- look at that!!!
Its ALSO 3.8 grains.
But, don't take my word for it.
3.8 grains 231 is the minimum recommended .38 Special load for the bullet you mention.
Do you really think there is ANY chance of sticking that bullet in the barrel out of a .357 case?
The listed minimum load for that bullet in .357 is - hey! -- look at that!!!
Its ALSO 3.8 grains.
But, don't take my word for it.
VihtaVuori. Test barrel 6", 18" twist.
158gr FNCM Gunhill N-32C "Tin Star" min. 4,5gr 869fps. max.5,7gr 1014fps
158gr LSWC/HP N-330 min. 3,9gr 791fps. max. 5,0grs 997fps
158 - " - - " - N-340 min4,5gr 804fps. max 5,9grs 1050fps
N-32C low bulk density. Less free space in the case. Very clean burning.
158gr FNCM Gunhill N-32C "Tin Star" min. 4,5gr 869fps. max.5,7gr 1014fps
158gr LSWC/HP N-330 min. 3,9gr 791fps. max. 5,0grs 997fps
158 - " - - " - N-340 min4,5gr 804fps. max 5,9grs 1050fps
N-32C low bulk density. Less free space in the case. Very clean burning.
5.5 grs of WSF and a 125 gr JSP with the powder forward against the bullet gave me an avg 419 FPS with the last one sticking in the barrel. That is a lot of space in the case you are dealing with. It gave around 900+ FPS with the powder back against the primer.
My point?
It is not that hard to stick a bullet with light charges, especially in cases where the powder is just flopping around in there. 3.1 Grs of W-231 is a very light load.
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