Another .38 S&W question

[Tubac]

Where are you fella's getting .361 lead bullets? All I can find is .358.
Thanks again,

Tubac

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy!

I bought some hard lead bullets @ .356" to do some economical shooting in my H&K P7.  The first time I fired some, I got more leading than any human should be afflicted with!  It turns out that guns with polygonal rifling (like some H&Ks and somewhat in Glocks) absolutely HATE  the polyg. rifling - as I can attest to.

OK, now what?  I says to me-self, I'll use 'em as .357 plinkers.  OK.  Then, I got a 38 S&W pocket pistol I use for NCOWS.  Well, since I shoot BP, I decided I'd better load some up, but I couldn't find any thing the right size.  So, I hit upon the flaky idea of using the .356 leads since:  a.) I only shoot 4-5 rounds MAX per year, and:  b.) in the past 6 years have only shot 1/2 a box,  I'm not gonna worry 'bout the flame cutting and such I expected to find.  Then I was able to recover a couple fired projectiles and durned if the things didn't have good rifling marks and they obdurated (swelled) just enough to fill what is seemingly an UNDERsize bore from around the 1890s!  It just happens to work for me.  If I shot the thing more, I'd worry more about it.  I also have some factory loaded lead rounds that I'm gonna pull the bullets from, dump the smokeyless powder, and replace it with 3fg powder to load some up PROPERLY!

I throw this in NOT as a recommendation, but for discussion.

[Montana Slim]

Tubac,

I've only used .358 bullets in a fairly wide variety of .38 S&W pocket revolvers. No dissapointments so far.
I prefer the 125 grain pills and .7cc of fff BP having a lubed felt wad between powder and bullet.

Impressive accuracy from these li' guns, too.

Slim

[Tubac]

Thanks fella's I guess I'll try the .358's.

Tubac

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I'll add this.

As Montana Slim mentioned, he gets great accuracy from his gun/load combination.  I was AMAZED how darn accurate mine shoots and have actually toyed with the idea of shooting mine as a main match gun once just for grins & giggles.  It's a 5 shot, so I'd have to load one on the clock, but that's a non-issue.  In practice after several of our GLFMC ( http://home.insightbb.com/~greatlakesfmc/index.htm ) matches, I've done some informal plinking and found that I could easily hit all our pistol distance targets and our closest rifle targets as well.  IF I do my part.   

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Y'all shoot in Modoc? Heck I lived 20 or so mile above Modoc in Redkey, Born and raised there. Thems stoppin' ground I'm telling ya.

my  Remy 1863 Model Pocket shoots great with the 32 Colt Shorts. (pulled and bp reloaded) I may write a stage so we can use it in a side match.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Yeah, 1/2 Chas.

Lotsa good shootin' 'round Modoc!  Nice area, too.

Sounds fun, usin' them-thar little guns in a "all pocket pistol" stage!