38 special loads

[Walkalong]

Have you used HP38 with .357 magnum loads? I have HP38 on hand, but am getting ready to load some .357 magnums, and wondered if I should get some Unique, and some magnum primers, to do the .357's.

W-231/HP-38 and Unique will do similarly in .357 Magnum. They will give you nice medium power loads. I am not knocking Unique, but to think you need to ditch 231 and get Unique is six in one hand, half a dozen in the other. You also don't need mag primers with either of those powders.

If you want full .357 Magnum power a slow powder like AA #9, H-110/W-296, Enforcer, N-110, 2400, etc, etc will get you more power with a less snappy recoil.

W-296/H-110 needs mag primers. AA #9 seems to be fine without them, as is 2400. N-110 doesn't seem to need mag primers., but I haven't tested it fully. I use 2400 for full power .357 Mag, and even then, I am not at the ragged edge of max. 14.5 Grs of 2400 and a coated 158 Gr SWC is powerful, accurate, and fun. If I want more than that, I drag out the .44 Mag.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Walkalong gave a good answer I agree with but I'll add a little. I have used W231 in the .357 Magnum but you will not be able to generatefuill power loads with it or Unique, they are just too fast. I usually load HS-6 for medium to medium hot .357s and high end lead loads and W296 for the top end loads. Both those powders should be used with magnum primers.

 

[Comrade Mike]

I've shot thousands of those projectiles over 3.1 grains of bullseye. I've shot more than one 100 at 50 feet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ljnowell]

Do you generally load the sprue side in or out?



Does it really change accuracy one way or another?

I don't know that it makes much if a difference but with DEWC I always load the sprue out to give a solid flat base for the pressure to act against.

In reality I doubt it makes a difference.

 

[SlowFuse]

Thanks ljnowell, I loaded about 100 of these last night.

About halfway through I started loading sprue side out. Maybe I'll get to try these out soon and I'll see if I see a difference.

 

[SlowFuse]

 

[SlowFuse]

So for the first outing with these I'm excited to see how well I can get these to shoot.

I wasn't expecting to get to be able to try these out today, but I had a few spare minutes to get out and see how they do. Stepped off 12 yards after stapling my super fancy targets up, offhand no chrono. These were out of a model 10. Of course I manage to pull the last shot to mess up an otherwise really nice group.

Thanks for everyone's feedback to get me started.

 

[Walkalong]

Of course I manage to pull the last shot to mess up an otherwise really nice group.

I'm world class at that.


Those groups are real nice for 12 yards unsupported.
.

 

[SlowFuse]

Walkalong where about in AL are you?

You can pm me if you prefer.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Yeah, I'm in the World Class of pulling a round to mess up a good group too lol.

Those are very nice groups alright. I have been shooting 148gr DEWC bullets with 3.5gr W231/HP-38 but I might have to load some to higher charge weights and give them a try in my M&P and see what i get.

 

[SlowFuse]

ArchAngelCD, my "warmup" was ten rounds of 3.5 grain loads in CBC brass. They didn't do so well, so no target posted for that one! Im guessing you can see my scribbling noting my loads, when it got over 3.7 they felt right.

Not sure what happened to my photos, I dislike Photobucket.

 

[styles]

You can see larger sd and position sensitivity with slower powders and regular primers, but they still "work."