.38spl ammo confusion

[btg3]

For range and plinking with a couple of .38 spl revolvers (model 64 and 638) I do not understand the pros/cons of these loads. Cheapest to buy are the first 2, but any reason to pay more for practice ammo? Thanks for all replies!

.38 Special 125gr Lead Round Nosed Flat Point
.38 Special 158gr Lead Round Nosed Flat Point
.38 Special 148gr Lead Wadcutter
.38 Special 158gr Lead Semi-Wadcutter
.38 Special 158gr Plated Semi-Wadcutter

 

[SaxonPig]

The full wadcutter style is preferred for serious target shooting. All the others are common types used for plinking. You won't see much difference in any of them for casual fun shooting. Get what's cheap. Or better, start reloading your own.

 

[Oro]

The only other consideration is that I think the fixed sights on your guns were designed to work with 158gr. LRN. Thus, a different bullet should affect the point of impact (not the accuracy or reliability). Among those rounds, it should be small difference if they are all standard pressure (no +p). The biggest divergence would be with the plated or jacketed ones - the lead ones should behave much more similarly.

 

[evan price]

Round-nose flat-points feed better in lever action rifles/carbines. Wadcutter especially and some semiwadcutters will jam due to the sharp shoulder not letting it chamber.

A full wadcutter bullet looks like the last 1/4 of a AAA battery stuck in the cartridge case, complete with the little bump on the positive end. Basically just a cylinder of lead.
A semiwadcutter has a sort of point on it.

A revolver will have no trouble with any shape of bullet.

Plated bullets are like FMJ, in that they don't leave lead deposits in your barrel and are more expensive to make and to buy.

I prefer the 158 Lead Semi-Wadcutter for my .38 and .357 pistols but I load my own.

 

[btg3]

SaxonPig,thanks for the suggestion to reload. I started looking and found this reagarding lead-vs-jacketed.

http://www.reloadammo.com/38loads.htm
"For any loads over 900-1,000 FPS, I suggest using a jacketed bullet. Jacketed bullets create a bit more wear on the rifling, but it's better than trying to wire brush out a bunch of lead build up. Just depends on what kinds of loads you plan to shoot. Normal, mild .38 loads work fine with lead bullets."

evanprice, plated would perform like jacketed in this regard, right?
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Also, given no difference in price for 125gr and 158gr (both lead round nose flat point) does it make a difference for practice shooting -- to the shooter or to the gun?

 

[Seafarer12]

Plated won't hold up like a jacketed bullet. Velocities should be held down on a plated just like a lead bullet.

 

[SaxonPig]

90% of my shooting is with lead. Very hard cast can be driven faster than swaged but I see no need for it for casual shooting.

My Magnums always get jacketed bullets at full velocity but I don;t shoot them as much.

I generally duplicate the standard 38 Special load from my youth, That's a 158 grain lead bullet at around 850-900 FPS. Now the factory load is a truly wimpy and pathetic 750 FPS.

 

[Archer1945]

Haven't shot any 38sp in a good many years but if what SaxonPig says is true about the velocity of factory loads now it doesn't surprise me one bit. Looks as if the factories are finally doing to the 38sp what they did to the 44sp. Reduce the standard load and sell more hot stuff.

The further down they can reduce the velocity of the standard loads the more +P and magnum ammo they can sell, at a much higher price. Never mind that for probably 80%, if not more, of the people who carry handguns would probably do just fine with the 38sp and 44sp factory loads of years gone by.

btg3 For the reloader one of the first really reliable expanding bullets for the 38sp was the 148gr wadcutter in its hollow base version loaded backwards. This gave a lead hollow point which would expand fairly reliablely at 38sp velocities.

 

[earplug]

I reload for .38spl. for Target 148 grain WBWC and plinking SD, 158grain SWC.
Lead is fine for .38spl.
You might consider buying remanufactored commercial reloaded rounds. Buy in large bulk and save more. For your revolver lead 158 grain SWC would be fine for 98% of your shooting.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I would try to use the one that most closely approximates the recoil and point of impact of your defensive load. Most likely that would be one of the 158-gr. loads.