Need direction with 38spl(+p) coated 125gr FP load

[vaalpens]

I have been reloading mostly 158gr coated bullets in 38spl(+p) and 357mag, but decided to branch out to the 125gr coated bullets. The reason being that some of the SD ammo (Gold Dot) uses 125gr bullets and I know my POI changes with lighter bullets.

Normally I would just work up some loads, chrono and test them for accuracy and try to get to a nice compromise between feel, velocity and accuracy.

Currently I am unable to chrono my loads, but would like to start working on the accuracy and feel, but try to be in the velocity ballpark if I can. This is where I need the advice.

The gun I will be using is a Ruger SP101 with a 3" barrel.
The powders I want to use will be BE-86 or Power Pistol, and maybe even CFE Pistol or Longshot. I normally use BE-86 for SD type ammo, but I like Power Pistol in 38spl.
My target velocity will be around 945fps.
Bullet will be ACME 125gr FP coated

I have some data what I loaded 125gr plated bullets, but I have not chron'd any 125gr coated bullets yet. Following is the velocities I have seen with plated bullets:

PowerPistol, 6.5gr, 872fps
BE-86, 5.8gr, 805fps

For PowerPistol Alliant has a max of 6.8gr, 1082fps for GDHP, so I assume I could target 6.8gr as my max. With a 5% increase over my plated velocity I saw, 6.5gr should put me around 915fps, which is getting close to the target velocity. Currently the plan is to test maybe loads of 6.2gr, 6.4gr, 6.6gr and 6.8gr, and just evaluate feel, accuracy and then closely monitor stickiness and primer condition.

For BE-86 Alliant has a max of 6.1gr for a 125gr JHP with a velocity of 1019. With a 5% increase over my plated velocity I saw, 5.8gr should put me around 845fps. Still a way to go to the target velocity. I normally load BE-86 to .2 or .3 lower than PowerPistol since it is a faster powder. This puts 6.1gr max a bit lower than where I normally would go, but without a chrono it is probably where I will max out for now. So for now it looks like I will be testing around 5.7gr, 5.9gr, 6.1gr, but I would probably like to push it to 6.3gr.

If anybody has some experience with 125gr coated bullets in the velocity range I am looking at, I would appreciate it if you can add some additional data points that I can include into the decision making mix.

Here are some additional data points I have used:
Lyman 49th, 125gr JHP, max 6.4gr, Power Pistol
Lyman 49th, 125gr JHP, max 6.3gr, Power Pistol

 

[RealGun]

You won't have to extrapolate from jacketed data if you go by the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. Their strong load of Bullseye with 125 gr lead should put you right where you want to be. That is a faster powder than what you have mentioned.

 

[vaalpens]

You won't have to extrapolate from jacketed data if you go by the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. Their strong load of Bullseye with 125 gr lead should put you right where you want to be. That is a faster powder than what you have mentioned.

I don't have the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, so I would appreciate it if you can PM me the data from the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. I was planning to use Bullseye for lower velocity loads, but only start developing those once I can use my chrono.

Looking at the Alliant data again, they show a max of 5.4gr for BE-86 and a cast 125gr RNFP bullet, velocity 1023fps with a 6" barrel. This is a 38spl (not +p) load so it is possible that maybe I need to start my BE-86 load development at 5.2gr ot 5.4gr and work up from there.

 

[vaalpens]

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

After receiving a ton of advice and direction regarding some 38spl 125gr coated loads, I finally was able to get out and chrono some of my first loads. I am posting all my results so far, so hopefully it will help somebody else contemplating using some 125gr coated bullets instead of the normal 158gr. Following are my chrono results:

The CFE Pistol loads got close the my target velocity, but it seems the accuracy deteriorated a bit towards the higher loads:
38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, CFEpistol, 5.4gr, GINEXSP
Average: 826
ES: 92
SD: 36.1
Force: 189
PF: 103
Velocities: 870, 850, 826, 778, 806
Grouping @ 7yards: .98"

38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, CFEpistol, 5.6gr, GINEXSP
Average: 871
ES: 49
SD: 17.8
Force: 211
PF: 108
Velocities: 850, 899, 870, 872, 865
Grouping @ 7yards: 1.17"

38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, CFEpistol, 5.8gr, GINEXSP
Average: 896
ES: 43
SD: 18.2
Force: 223
PF: 112
Velocities: 906, 907, 908, 896, 865
Grouping @ 7yards: .90"

38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, CFEpistol, 6gr, GINEXSP
Average: 938
ES: 89
SD: 34
Force: 244
PF: 117
Velocities: 952, 897, 917, 938, 986
Grouping @ 7yards: 1.18"

The BE-86 loads also did not make it to my target velocity. Accuracy was the best with the 5.4gr load:
38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, BE86, 5gr, GINEXSP
Average: 836
ES: 25
SD: 10.9
Force: 194
PF: 104
Velocities: 822, 847, 844, 840, 827
Grouping @ 7yards: .89"

38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, BE86, 5.2gr, GINEXSP
Average: 856
ES: 31
SD: 11.5
Force: 203
PF: 107
Velocities: 858, 841, 872, 851, 860
Grouping @ 7yards: 1.65"


38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, BE86, 5.4gr, GINEXSP
Average: 874
ES: 11
SD: 4.6
Force: 212
PF: 109
Velocities: 868, 872, 876, 879, 878
Grouping @ 7yards: .78"

38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, BE86, 5.6gr, GINEXSP
Average: 912
ES: 30
SD: 12.4
Force: 231
PF: 114
Velocities: 900, 901, 917, 930, 914
Grouping @ 7yards: 1.26"

I did not expect the HP-38 loads to get close to my target velocity, but I worked up some loads in any case just to get a feel of how they perform. These are great to shoot with 4.6gr the most accurate:
38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, HP38, 4gr, GINEXSP
Average: 689
ES: 64
SD: 25.3
Force: 132
PF: 86
Velocities: 720, 672, 696, 702, 656
Grouping @ 7yards: 1.08"

38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, HP38, 4.2gr, GINEXSP
Average: 726
ES: 74
SD: 29.5
Force: 146
PF: 90
Velocities: 739, 680, 744, 716, 754
Grouping @ 7yards: 1.14"

38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, HP38, 4.4gr, GINEXSP
Average: 763
ES: 28
SD: 11.5
Force: 162
PF: 95
Velocities: 755, 783, 755, 764, 762
Grouping @ 7yards: 1.09"


38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, HP38, 4.6gr, GINEXSP
Average: 808
ES: 45
SD: 20.5
Force: 181
PF: 101
Velocities: 833, 796, 788, 796, 827
Grouping @ 7yards: .73"

38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, HP38, 4.8gr, GINEXSP
Average: 841
ES: 46
SD: 16.8
Force: 196
PF: 105
Velocities: 848, 841, 815, 843, 861
Grouping @ 7yards: .90"

38spl, Ruger SP101, 3"
COL: 1.447"
ACME, 125gr, FPHTC, HP38, 5gr, GINEXSP
Average: 876
ES: 36
SD: 15.7
Force: 213
PF: 109
Velocities: 885, 888, 868, 887, 852
Grouping @ 7yards: 1.14"

I have tested the above loads at a shorter distance I normally do, but since I had such a difficult time during the previous evaluation with my focus, I decided to start at 7yards again to try and evaluate the loads instead of me. I still had a little bit of difficulty finding a consistent aim point, but it was definitely much easier than at 15 yards.