Powder For 148 Gr. HBWC

[Rinspeed]

I'm thinking for my next batch of .38 Special rounds I'm going to load 148 Gr. HBWC instead of regular WC's. I'm looking for a nice light load but not necessarily maximum accuracy. I know Bullseye is preferred by a lot of people but I think I would like something a little cleaner. I've heard 231 works good with light loads. Any others I should consider.


Rinspeed

 

[griz]

231 should work well. Maybe Titegroup or AA#2. I'm sure there are others.

 

[RON in PA]

3.1-3.2 grains of 231 works for me with HBWC 38s.

 

[rbwillnj]

I have used 3.1 of w231 for some time with good results, but I'm in the process of trying some other powders. 2.6 grains of 700x has given me some really great results lately, and 2.7 grains of Clays also looks pretty good. Both powders are supposed to be very clean, but I haven't shot enough of them to make a comparison. Accurate #2 is also supposed to be a good powder for 38 HBWC, but I haven't worked up a load yet. The book says 2.6 to 3.0

 

[P95Carry]

2.7 of Bullseye always used to be a good option ... but IIRC same load of Viht N-310 is cleaner. In fact that was I think for a 158. Worth checking on load tables.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've recently switched from Bullseye to Hodgdon's Tight Group, which meters better and delivers better accuracy.

 

[BluesBear]

In every gun I have tried it in over the past 30 years I find that 2.7-3.0 grains of Bullseye is still the most accurate.

I guess I am just getting old but I don't think of Bullesye as dirty.
After you shoot ammunition you clean guns. Seems simple to me and I have never found Bullseye difficult to clean up.

Now I HAVE run into some bullet lubes that exaserbated the problem.


YMMV

 

[stans]

Yeah, 2.7 grains of Bullseye under a 148 grain HBWC in 38 Special brass is the old standard by which all other WC loads are judged.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

Bullseye is my fav as well.

 

[happy old sailor]

i dont consider bullseye to be dirty either. 2.8 gr with the 148s was my load for years. i just pulled a patch of #9 through the bbl and it was good to go. pure lead bullets did not lead up too much at these lower velocities. i now shoot only hard cast bullets at magnum speed so dont have the latest on soft stuff. what worked years ago should still work today. keep on the lookout for a SnW ( i think) mdl 52. it is very much in appearance of a BHP, and shoots as good as it looks. it was designed as a full wadcutter target mdl and a sweetheart to use. mine went south with the ex. took my canoe too. just meaness, but thats another story. experiment away, just dont be hesitant to return to bullseye if it dont work out. takes mucho rounds and a world of patience to discover the best. good luck on your project.

 

[mec]

dull as it may seem, 2.7 Bullseye is about as good as it gets. As mentioned above, 231 a few tenths higher works very well.

I have used 700 x with 158 swcs and 3.5 Grains. Interestingly enough, it gets higher velocities than the same charge of bullseye. Accurate load too.

 

[Tory]

In terms of availability, versatility and economy,

I find Red Dot hard to beat. I vaguely recall using 3.0 grains under the 148 swaged HBWC I used to load, but it might be even less, like 2.5.

Since I discovered action pistol shooting and the 1911, I don't have much call for .38 Special wadcutters....................

 

[BluesBear]

Red Dot is a very good powder for the .38 Special and quite often overlooked by today's reloaders.

3.0 grains is a rather stout charge though. 2.5 is a sweet load though.




WARNING:
While the Hollow Base Wadcutter can give you the utmost accuracy because of it's ability to resize itself to the current bore it MUST be remembered that you CANNOT drive it at supersonic velocities.
The "skirt" that allows it to tightly fit the bore can be "blown off" and remain in the bore.
If not removed, firing a round afterwards can cause a "ring" or bulge in the barrel.
If you crave a full wadcutter at high velocity use a bevel-base or double-ended cast wadcutter.

Stay safe. Have fun.

 

[Thirties]

You may consider the Speer 148g HBWC. These use a dry lube which may be less dirty. for you.

As for powder, since you want to try something different from Bulleye, I suggest W-231 -- clean and easy to measure.

You can load these quite mild.

 

[ftierson]

I'll jump on the 2.7gr Bullseye bandwagon as well...

Works well, and you can't get much cheaper...

 

[landon74]

4.5 gr of Unique is what I typically load, dirty as hell, but accurate. Does Bullseye burn a lot cleaner than Unique? If so, when I'm through with this pound of Unique I'll be switching.....

 

[Bad Flynch]

Over the years with more than one gun and more than one bullet, I have had better luck with PB than anything else. Soft primer like Rem 1&1/2, seat the bullet flush with case mouth, apply a very good roll crimp. I typically use the Redding Profile Crimp die or the Lee factory crimp die and put about all I can on it. The heavy crimp seems to improve the accuracy. All of that as judged by Ransom Rest work, not by guess.

Charges have varied from 2.55 to 2.7 grains, depending on gun and bullet.

 

[BluesBear]

Landon74, yes Bullseys is cleaner in light load .38 specials. And you'll get more loading per pound too. $aving money is good!

Bad Flynch, I concur on the heave crimp improving accuracy. On a light load the heavy crimp ensures that the powder gets good ignition before the bullet leaves the case.

I know guys who think case tension is all that is needed for light loads and refuse to crimp them. In every case where I have gotten to try a good crimp, groups have improved and the standard deviation in their velocities has decreased.

In my opinion what little you lose in case life is more than made up by increased accuracy.

 

[HankB]

I've found when shooting lead bullets most of the "dirt" left behind consists of traces of the bullet's lubricant. (Except with Unique, which seems specially formulated to generate soot.)

2.7 grains of Bullseye, the traditional target load, is a fine choice with a 148 HBWC . . . just be sure you don't double charge a case!

 

[Gewehr98]

I ran WW231 for many years in my S&W Model 52...

Then I switched over to WST for my 148gr HBWC loads. It burns cleaner, and works well with all sorts of .38 Special loads.

I've got a big box of Berry's PLATED 148gr HBWC bullets. Darned if I know how the skirt's supposed to expand. No leading, though.

 

[JimC]

Another vote for 2.7 gr. of Bullseye. Great load.

If I had back all the Bullseye and 148 gr. HBWC's that I've fired over the years, I'd need a seperate storgae facility! Most, not all, were loaded on a '60's vintage Star progressive loader.

In the late '60's when I began shooting bullseye competition, some of the old timers used 2.5 gr. of B'eye for 25 yd. work and the 2.7 gr. load for 50 yd.

I never thought of Bullseye as being dirty because I usually cleaned my guns right after firing.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I used many pounds of Bullseye, and currently have ~12lbs bequethed to me by a friend after he passed. It was 18lbs before last PPC season!.

I've also used a lot of win231. It's best at 2.9gr for ~690fps. I've got a couple of PPC nat. records with that load, and several guns I've won.

I wasn't too thrilled with Titegroup. I got best accuracy at ~2.4gr, but got squibs due to clumping in the measure. Could have been just the lot# I got. After the 2lbs I won were gone, I haven't revisited it.

I really liked WST, but found lot to lot variation to be greater than I cared for. Get it in 8lb kegs, and check velocities/charge weights every time you get some more. 2.9gr also works quite well.

Red Dot is VERY accurate IF individual charges are WEIGHED. However, the extreamly large flake size and small charge required for .38 wadcutters (2.5gr) makes for some interesting shooting when loading with a progressive loader. (READ: snap, crackle, pop!). Too time consuming to load for good results.

VV-N320: good accuracy at 3.4gr, but at nearly $30lb, I'll pass, even though it smells SO GOOD! I won the only pound I've tried, and still have most of it! I plan on trying some in a S&W 642 I won, when it comes in next week- with some 150gr GC-HP cast bullets for ~800fps.

PB! Haven't heard anyone talk about that in 20+yrs. My current PPC revolver was built in '96 by my "mentor" who got me into shooting PPC: He used PB exclusively back in '70's when he was winning a lot of matches. He recommended 3.0, largely because thats what his Star loader was set up to throw. Worked for him! PB looks and performs very much like the VV-N320, just a bit faster though.

VV-N310 is said to be very good, but like N320, quite expensive. If someone was to give me some though, I might change my mind!

So many choices!