.38 Special Loads...What is your Favorite ????

[rod locker]

What is your favorite load in .38 special for CAS?    Starting to reload myself and fixing to go shopping for componants.
1) Powder
2) Bullet
3) Primer

[Stu Kettle]

1) Red Dot (3.4gr)
2) 158gr lead RNFP
3) small pistol

[Pit Mule]

1) HP 38 (3.2 grns)

2) 158 grn

3) Federal Magnum small pistol

[Abilene]

Well my favorite is loaded with BP, but I expect you are asking about smokeless.

1. 4.7 Unique, or 4.3 Trailboss
2. 125gr TC
3. Federal Small Pistol

These are midrange loads.  Mostly use Unique but tried the Trailboss loads when I was low on Unique, and they feel the same shooting as the Unique loads.

[Jefro]

Powder - Red Dot 3.2 - 3.5
Bullet - 38sp 125gr & 158gr RNFP
Primer - Federal SP

Cowboy 45 Special & 45acp
Red Dot 4.3gr
200gr RNFP
Federal LP

Black Powder - Schuetzen
38sp 19gr (1.2cc) 3f
158gr Big Lube

44/40 32gr (2.2cc) 2f
200gr Big Lube
Winchester, Magtech, Wolf..etc..


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[Johnny McCrae]

Pistol
1) 3.0 Trailboss
2) 158 grain RNFP
3) Federal small pistol

Rifle
1) 3.0 Trailboss
2) 147 grain TC (special bullet from Moulton Lead for rifles)
3) Federal small pistol

[Fingers McGee]

What is your favorite load in .38 special for CAS?    Starting to reload myself and fixing to go shopping for componants.
1) Powder -
2) Bullet -
3) Primer -

1) Powder - 20 grains of Goex, Grafs, or Scheutzen fffg
2) Bullet - 125 grain Desperado RNFP
3) Primer - Federal SPP

[Pony Racer]

My fav 38 load:

1.0 cc Scheutzen or Diamondback
158 grain big lube bullet by Springfield Slim
Fed,Wolf, or Remmie primer

With a goodly roll crimp it takes down knockdowns and stars as good as the bigger calibers...

[litl rooster]

My fav 38 load:

1.0 cc Scheutzen or Diamondback
158 grain big lube bullet by Springfield Slim
Fed,Wolf, or Remmie primer

With a goodly roll crimp it takes down knockdowns and stars as good as the bigger calibers...

Great load.....and agree it shows no mercy on the star knockdowns or plate rail.   PR try some ffffg in a .38 round sometime.

[Papa Irish]

125 gr Laser Cast flat point (Oregon Trail)
3.9 gr American Select (Alliant)
Win sm pistol primer

Very accurate in both my handguns and rifle, .22 like recoil.

[Longshot Lil]

We're doing:

Winchester 231 powder (3.6 gr)
Remington 1-1/2 small pistol primers
RNFP lead 130 gr bullets

[pony express]

3.5 Bullseye, any 125-158gr commercial cast bullet available. Whatever primer is available at the time. Used to use Titegroup, but none was locally available when I ran out, thus the Bullseye.

Used to load as much 777 as would fit, under the same bullets, for my Puma '92, but then I bought a better b/p rifle(Uberti '66) that was .45 instead of .38.

[charliebrown]

1) 3.2 grs  Hodgdon Titegroup
2) Speer 158 gr. LSWC #4624
3) Federal #100

[Curley Cole]

Bullseye 3.2gr

158gr rnfp, Bearcreek bullet

Winchester small pistol primer

has been working fine for me since about 1970

curley

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

NORMA R1

'Cause I got three cans of it for $5 each!  I can shoot almost forever on the price of three pints of Amber Ale!

[Pappy Myles]

3.0 Titegroup
130 gr RNFP (magma mold)
WSP

[Red Cent]

105gr cast truncated cone
3.2 American Select
795fps (chrono'd at End of Trail)

[Cumberland Mtn John]

1. 3.6 grains AA#2
2. 158 grain RNFP
3. WSP

Cumberland Mtn John

[Ramblin Ron]

My favorite load in .38 special for Revolvers is
1) Hodgdson Clays @ 3.0 Grains
2) 115 Gr RNFP Bullet from Master craft Bullets (www.mastercraftbullets.com)
3) CCI Primer, hard to find the other brands around here.
This load is clocked at 868 fps. I found the shape of the bullet and OAL does not suit my 1873 Rifle very well. For the rifle I move up to a 130 bullet from Renegade Bullets (renegade gvtc.com)

[Professor Marvel]

Greetings my good netizens

Thanks to the OP and your detailed replies, I now have a plethora of load data to try in my newly acquired pietta open top 1851's with conversion cylinders!
Yhs prof marvel


Ps. Polish spam deleted.