Loading for .38 special

[mrappe]

I have been loading for 38-40 (Clays), 44-40(clays),.45 Colt (Unique), 32-20 for cas shooting for many years and always just bought .38 special RNFP loaded ammo because it used to be cheep and was easy to find it loaded with lead rnfp since my son used to shoot .38 in rifle and pistol I would uses the same bullet and also I had too many othr calibers to load. In the past few years I have found it harder to find .38 lead rnfp ammo and when I do it is expensive. My son is away in college nd does not shoot with me any more but i keep the guns as backups. I am now going to load for the .38 and not the 32-20 and the 44-40 any more so I was wondering what a good load would be for the .38. I will use a Oregon trail 158 grn rnfp bullet and would like to use the same powders that i already have (if possible) either Unique or Clays. Does anyone have some loads for this. I prefer regular 'factory' type loads and not 'light' or 'cowboy' loads.

Thank you,
Mike

[yeti76620]

I use 5 gn clays in my .357 and it just puts me under the SASS speed limit in 5.5" bbl Vaquero's and 1894C Marlin carbine 18" bbl with the 158 gn RNFP...  same round for both... .....  Sure puts the thump on steel for I call them The Hornets.. 

I like Clays better then Unique because it fills the case more (approx half in .357 brass) and is "cleaner" IMHO....

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Here is what Hodgdon says;  Enter your details and "get data".

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

For the ,38 Spl., Clays loads are in the 3.0 - 3.1 grain range for the 158 gr. Hdy XTP.

For the .357 Mag the top load for 158gr is for a cast LSWC, and tops at 4.6 grains.  A LRN might give you a bit more room but I think 5.0 is pretty close to MAX!

[mrappe]

Thanks for the info. Since I am loading for both lever action rifle and single action pistol I am using the same load and bullet. Should I use a pistol primer or rifle. In the past i bought and used the same cartridges for both and assumed that the primers were pistol primerssince .38 special is primarily a pistol round.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Thanks for the info. Since I am loading for both lever action rifle and single action pistol I am using the same load and bullet. Should I use a pistol primer or rifle. In the past i bought and used the same cartridges for both and assumed that the primers were pistol primerssince .38 special is primarily a pistol round.

YUP!   Use pistol primers.  Also use pistol primers in the WCF series and .44 mag. even though they are often used as rifle calibers.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I load Mrs Johnson's light cowboy load 38s with Clays and a 125 grain truncated nose bullet.

But for my own 38 Special 158 grain non-cowboy plinking loads I prefer Unique.

The reason is Unique is more forgiving as far as the range of charges you can put in. With some loads, the spread from min to Max with Clays is only around .5 grains. That doesn't leave a whole lot of leeway on either end. With many loads, Unique will have a spread of about 2 grains or maybe more from min to Max.

Unfortunately, I am disappointed in the Alliant website and how they post their loads. They tend to just show one load, they don't they don't give you a range. May I suggest that you get a copy of Lyman's Pistol and Revolver Handbook? It is much better at showing min-Max loads.

[Curley Cole]

I have been loading 38sp for about 30 years with a 158gr bullet over 3.2gr  of Bullseye with good results. Since shooting SASS I startede using a 158gr rnfp Bearcreek bullet with the same powder. Works great in my Colt, Great Westerns, Rossi and an 1866.

good shootin
curley