38 Special w/105 gr bullet

[Two Bit Charlie]

Looking for a cowboy load for the 38 Special w/105 gr bullets. Would like to use Titegroup, WST, Clays or 231 if possible. Could use Trail Boss also. Hodgens does not list anything with these powders for the 105 bullet. I will be using this in Open Tops.

Two-Bit Charlie

[wildman1]

90 gr bullet cowboy loads
titegroup min 3gs max 3.5gs

125 gr bullet
titegroup min3.2 gs max 3.8

so keep your loads between 3.2 gs and 3.5 gs you will be OK for titegroup

90 gr bullet cowboy loads
clays min 2.5gs max 3.0 gs

125 gr bullet
clays min 2.5 gs max 3.3 gs

so keep your load between 2.5 gs and 3.0 gs you will be OK for clays

These loads are from Cowboy action data in Hodgdens manual

The idea is  if you don't have data for a particular bullet weight pick one above and one below, the closest you can get to the bullet weight you want, stay above the minimum data for the heavier bullet and below the max data for the lighter bullet as long as you do not go outside the min or max load for either bullet.
wM1

[Coffinmaker]

Some Lustrum ago    when I actually dabbled in that fad heathen smokeless stuff    I liked 3Gr Tightgroup with a 105Gr Truncated Cone bullet.

[Coffinmaker]

Oh Bother.  I forgot.  I do that alot.  Forget that is.  They say the first thing to go is the memory.  Horsefeathers but I won't go there.  This is a family show.

Forgot to mention, I still shoot 105Gr Truncated Cone and 125Gr Truncated Cone bullets in 38 Spl. cases.  Only now I shoot APP.  Normally I load 10Gr of APP and then filler to the base of the bullet (no air space .. remember).  Nice load that meets the smoke requirements.  A load of BP would be about the same.  For the CAS game, a heavier load is not required.

[Abilene]

To try out a Kirst-conversion Navy, I loaded up some Bear Creek hollowbase 105gr bullets with 2.7gr Clays.  Worked fine, but there was zero recoil, just pop pop pop.  I wanted more, so started shooting my regular 125gr mid-range load that I shoot in the other guns.  But it might be fun to try racing with the lil poppers some time.

[August]

I started by running 3.2 grains of Titegroup behind a 105 bullet.  Occasionally, but often enough to ruin a few matches, got primers backed out that didn't reseat during recoil.  The advise I got is the advise I'll pass on to you.  Start a 3.5 grains of Titegroup and go down if you don't have any primer problems.  After following this advise, I ran Titegroup at 3.4 grains for over a decade without experiencing a backed out primer or failure of any, other kind.

I have seen other shooters experience primer "back-out" problems with Titegroup running at, or below 3.2 grains with a 105.

(Parenthetically, I've run WST in my Wild Bunch loads for over ten years and feel it is a much better powder than Titegroup for light loads.  Unfortunately, I've never worked it up in the .38 special, so I have no idea where to start.  It would be worth playing with it, though, as it is a wonderful powder -- clean, quiet, consistent, neither position nor temperature sensitive in my experience)

[wildman1]

You will experience less probable with primers staying out if you have a good tite crimp.
wM1

[Two Bit Charlie]

Thanks for all the information everyone. I think I'm going to try 3.4 grains of Titegroup with the 105 gr. bullets. I'm going to this new (for me) bullet because of the problems I had using a 90 gr. .380 Auto bullet. I tried 3.0 gr. of Titegroup with the 90 gr. bullet. Because the bullet is slightly undersize for the 38 special I had problems getting a good crimp. The revolvers were locking up with these loads. Primers backing out. I got this load from a friend who said it worked great for him. Maybe so, but not for me.

Again thanks all

Two-Bit Charlie

[Coffinmaker]

Ah well ..... Some Lustrum(s) ago, I was sometimes embarrassed to admit I was shooting 105Gr bullets in 38s right until I ran into a bunch folks who were shooting 90Gr bullets.  They were actually 38s (358) but I don't remember where they got em.  The idea then (as now) was to reduce felt recoil and muzzle flip as much as possible to keep the gun on target whilst running it as fast as possible.  Atz why I ran/run 105s as well.  Reduced muzzle flip is key when running really fast.  I'm no longer really fast (got old ya see) but I still have a huge pile of 105s and 125s.  Shoot em up says I.

The 105Gr Truncated Cone bullets were borne of necessity.  A common profile 90 - 100Gr bullet was just too small to run in a 38 case for Toggle link Rifles.  I never saw the necessity or even a good reason to run bullets that light and short in a Toggle Link Rifle.  There's no recoil in a .38 rifle even with larger bullets.  Kind of the opposite of using sledge hammer to swat ants.  Silly really.  There is however, the desire to load the same bullet for both rifle and pistol for simplicity.  Some have had trouble keeping track of "which bullet for what."  Then the other very important reason for the Truncated Cone .... feeding.  Properly crimped, Trucated Cone bullets feed better than grain through a Goose in most rifles.

[Crow Choker]

Maybe the rules could be changed to allowing the use of only 22 rimfire ammo and firearms in SASS/CAS matches. Of course there will be those who will want the 22 LR ammo degraded to the use of 22 shorts, then 22 CB caps. Open up a category where the use of BB guns and/or airsoft firearms are used--that'd be a real hoot! Of course the airsoft pellets will have to be colored horse 'puckey' brown to be 'period correct'.!!!

[Coffinmaker]

Yuck Yuck Yuck .... Thibbit   

[Abilene]

Ah well ..... Some Lustrum(s) ago...

The plural of Lustrum is Lustra.   

[Two Bit Charlie]

Well, I loaded up 100 rounds of the 105 grain truncated bullets with 3.4 grains of Titegroup. They ran fine in my Mason conversion. No primers backing out. This pistol and it's mate as well as the 94 Marlin in .38/.357 are for my two 11 year old grandsons. Yes, Iooking for reduced recoil.

Thank you all for the help.

[Coffinmaker]

AH ... Why would I be concerned with being Gram-Attic-Lee kerect??  Hummmmmm Why???   

But Thank you Abilene.  It is nice to know there is a correcter forum of the wurd   

[Abilene]

Yore Wellcomm.   

[Professor Marvel]

The plural of Lustrum is Lustra.   

OOOOHHHHHH

Abilene knows Latin!!!!
Can you manage "Illegitimi non carborundum"  ?

ABILENE
Quickly! There's No Time!
Please give me the Latin for
     "I Came
      I Saw
      I had a little coffee"

yhs
prof marvel

[Abilene]

Let's see.  Et tu Brute.  Was that right?

I do still know some of my alter boy responses. 

[Bunk Stagnerg]

he must be an educated man.
Being a confirmed Gun Powder cap gun person I really can't add to this.
Bunk

[Professor Marvel]

.....
I do still know some of my alter boy responses. 

Ummmm

Mia culpa?

Since everythings always my fault it comes naturally...

Prof Marvel