38 special

[1 LT MPC]

What is the best all around powder for 38 special reloads? Including being able to load +P.

 

[AJC1]

158 cast over 3.8 grains tight group. Honorable mention goes to 3.4 grains of red dot.

 

[fxvr5]

.

 

[nofendertom]

Make mine Unique !

 

[Reloadron]

I like Bullseye and Tight Group. Light target load is 3.0 grains of Bullseye under a 158 grain HBWC. The .38 Special in one of those cartridges which seems to perform well with a wide range of powders.

Ron

 

[.38 Special]

Unique has always been my go-to. Now that Unique is hard to find, I've pretty much settled on AA #5 for the task.

 

[Walkalong]

Including +P? Something in the medium/medium slow burn rate for pistol powders.

 

[Tall]

231 and Unique. Both are great.

 

[Mark_Mark]

how about a 1st place load for light-med soft & accurate target shooting???? lol I stockpiled so many .38 guns this past year

 

[ballman6711]

how about a 1st place load for light-med soft & accurate target shooting???? lol I stockpiled so many .38 guns this past year

Light-medium and soft and accurate target load? I use 3.8 or 3.9 grains of W231 with a 158gr jacketed or plated bullet. It's like shooting a .22 in my 6" revolver.

chris

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

What is the best all around powder for 38 special reloads? Including being able to load +P.

Unique

 

[243winxb]

Winchester 244 works in 38 & 38+P using 125 gr & 158 gr bullets. See Hodgdon Data.

244 has data for 9mm Luger, 357 Mag & 44mag. Others.

Unique & 244 are next to each other on burn rate chart. Running $25 per pound. Available in 4 lb containers.

 

[Soonerpesek]

What is the best all around powder for 38 special reloads?

The one that suits your specific needs and wants...............................

 

[BW460]

Pretty much, any of the powders already mentioned will work well.

 

[mcb]

I like Bullseye for lead bullets and Titegroup for jackets/plated.

 

[joneb]

What is the best all around powder for 38 special reloads? Including being able to load +P

It would be good to know what bullet weights. I can get by with slower powders for heavier bullets, while lighter bullets can struggle to achieve sufficient resistance to get a good burn, with lighter bullets a faster powder may do better.
There is not a lot of data for WSF but this is a good powder for upper end .38spl (IMHO) as is VV-N340. For target loads I have had very good results with Bullseye and W-231.

 

[Jonny2guns]

Unique... good luck finding it.

 

[rperyam]

Bullseye and 231 work for me. Depends on bullet weight and type of bullet for powder weights.

 

[AJC1]

It would be good to know what bullet weights. I can get by with slower powders for heavier bullets, while lighter bullets can struggle to achieve sufficient resistance to get a good burn, with lighter bullets a faster powder may do better.
There is not a lot of data for WSF but this is a good powder for upper end .38spl (IMHO) as is VV-N340. For target loads I have had very good results with Bullseye and W-231.

I guess that's how you define heavy and what pressure your running. Hs-6 and Silhouette are better for plus p and above. I make 38-44 which is above +p but I run them in 357. Download GRT and play with the numbers.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

You are going to get 1 of about 2 dozen powders that will load the .38 Special well.

IMO there is no 1 best powder for any cartridge. A target powder is one thing, a full power powder is another. Then the +P powder will be another. Then you have Cast bullets and Jacketed bullets, again, possibly different powder there to.
I use mostly W231 for loading the .38 Special but for +P pressures I use a slower powder like HS-6, Power Pistol, Longshot and a bunch of others.

Walkalong above gave you a good answer. You probably already have a powder that will do what you are looking to do. Which powders do you have/prefer to use?

 

[Tall]

Unique... good luck finding it.

In stock everywhere I go.......like here for example......https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2184418923?pid=731484

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

In stock everywhere I go.......like here for example......https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2184418923?pid=731484

Maybe he means, “Unavailable at 1987 prices”?

 

[mdi]

"Classic" 38 Special powders seem to be Bullseye, W231/HP38, Unique. I used these three the first years of my reloading, starting with Bullseye. Worked with all "levels" of loads...

(My first component purchase, 1970, was 1 lb. Bullseye, 100 CCI small pistol primers, 100 generic 158 gr. LRN bullets. I scrounged a few cases from the local PD range and my once fired. I had purchased a Lee Loader a couple weeks prior and I already had a plastic mallet and a 24"x4" log.).

 

[W.E.G.]

All of them.

.38 Special works great with any pistol powder.

Throw a dart. Whatever one you hit will be fine.

 

[Targa]

To add to the list, Universal is a really good one but tough to find right now.