What would be a good load for .38 super?

What would be a good load for .38 super?

Projectile weight, FPS, ETC?

Search is your friend, you will find several links on 38 Super loads
https://www.bullseyeforum.net/search?search_keywords=38+super

Hello IT1 Wes,

Case:  Starline
Primer:  Winchester
Powder:  Bullseye 4.0 grains
Bullet:  Hornady XTP 125 grains

Good luck.

Jim

What Jim said. I like 4.6 gr Bullseye because I have a heavy dot mounted.

Len

Hornady 110gr XTP
4.5gr Bullseye 
Starline brass
Winchester primer
COL 1.185
Crimp .380

Bill

My load IS NOT a 38 Super load...  Load developed by KC Crawford using 452AA.  I currently use WST.    It runs well in my custom paper punching 38 Super 1911s.

IT1 Wes wrote:So far Hornady fits the bill.

Hornady XTP 125 grains
Hornady 110gr XTP


Thanks

Let me rephrase the question. I am looking for commercially available .38 super ammo. So far I have found

Fiocchi 38 Super Ammo - 50 Rounds of 129 Grain FMJ Ammunition
41¢ Cost Per Round
Foreign Discount Range

I'm looking for suggestions.

Let me rephrase the question. I am looking for commercially available .38 super ammo. So far I have found

Fiocchi 38 Super Ammo - 50 Rounds of 129 Grain FMJ Ammunition
41¢ Cost Per Round
Foreign Discount Range

I'm looking for suggestions.

That's a completely different question.

It depends on whether you're looking for blasting ammo, or accurate ammo for serious target shooting.

For blasting ammo, anything will do. Let your wallet be your guide.

For accurate target ammo, look at Atlanta Arms and Wilson Combat.

If you are patient, and want excellent ammo at a very good price, try Zero factory loaded. 38 super is special order, and you have to specify what load you want, but they do it.
http://www.rozedist.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RZD&Category_Code=ZBA-38SUP

IT1 Wes wrote:So far Hornady fits the bill.

Hornady XTP 125 grains
Hornady 110gr XTP


Thanks

This is a perfect time to mention Zero bullets. Their J-161 is a great bullet also. If you have them load some for you. I use that as often as the XTP or the HAP. Good bullet. Whatever you get in jacketed make sure they are .356 bullets.

Haha beat you by a couple minutes Len

S148 wrote:

Let me rephrase the question. I am looking for commercially available .38 super ammo. So far I have found

Fiocchi 38 Super Ammo - 50 Rounds of 129 Grain FMJ Ammunition
41¢ Cost Per Round
Foreign Discount Range

I'm looking for suggestions.

That's a completely different question.

It depends on whether you're looking for blasting ammo, or accurate ammo for serious target shooting.

For blasting ammo, anything will do. Let your wallet be your guide.

For accurate target ammo, look at Atlanta Arms and Wilson Combat.

I know this is a noob question, but I'm asking for the vwisdom of the group.

For 50 rounds they are both within $10.00 of each other.
Although it is 125GR and not 115GR, the Wilson Combat is more specific.

Is "MAJOR" or "MINOR" more suited to Bullseye?
Is "115GR" or "125GR" more suited to Bullseye?

Atlanta Arms Elite
https://atlantaarms.com/38-super/

.38 SUPER 115GR JHP MINOR

.38 SUPER COMP 115GR JHP MINOR Does "COMP" mean competition?

.38 SUPER 125GR JHP MAJOR

.38 Super Comp 125GR JHP Major


Wilson Combat.
Box of 500 .38 Super | Bill Wilson Signature Match | 125 gr. Hornady HAP, 1100 FPS - 5 Barrel, 100/Box
https://shopwilsoncombat.com/38-Super-Bill-Wilson-Signature-Match-125-gr-Hornady-HAP-1100-FPS-5-Barrel-100_Box/productinfo/A38SU-125-HAP/

Minor is best suited to Bullseye. It is a light load with little recoil. Major is a very heavy load with lots of recoil, intended for action shooting sports and guns with compensators.

Yes, COMP refers to competition. COMP is rimless 38 Super brass. Normal 38 Super brass has a semi-rim. Rimless cases feed smoother. Some extractors might need to be adjusted to function reliably with rimless brass. 

Either 115 or 125 will work, it depends on which load your gun shoots best.

S148 wrote:Minor is best suited to Bullseye. It is a light load with little recoil. Major is a very heavy load with lots of recoil, intended for action shooting sports and guns with compensators.

Yes, COMP refers to competition. COMP is rimless 38 Super brass. Normal 38 Super brass has a semi-rim. Rimless cases feed smoother. Some extractors might need to be adjusted to function reliably with rimless brass. 

Either 115 or 125 will work, it depends on which load your gun shoots best.

Thank you very much, sir.

IT1 Wes wrote:
Thank you very much, sir.

You're welcome. The 38 Super is an awesome cartridge - very versatile.

Here's a brief review of some of the Atlanta Arms ammo that you might find of interest:  https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2017/2/22/atlanta-arms-elite-38-super-ammunition/

I've shot the Wilson Combat ammo from a fairly accurate gun and 10 shot groups averaged a little over an inch at 25 yards. Wilson uses the .356" HAP bullet, and it is a solid performer.  It's worth a try to see if your gun likes it.

I never found a 115gr that would group for me. I think that is because I only have .355 bullets here I was working with. I have been using the Starline "Comp" cases. As stated above they are rimless. A better way of saying it is they have less rim. I found a real good sale on +p brass and picked up a little of that also. The +p has a normal 38super rim so I only use them in the 40S&W I converted to the super. It will run in a 9mm conversion but I figure there is no reason to risk an alibi. Other bullets that have proven to be good groupers are Magnus 130gr SWC sized to .356 and 147gr XTP. The 147gr are .355 but seem to work well with the extra bullet weight. This info is just to add to the general knowledge but I don't have anything to add to store bought info. I shot up everything that didn't group and all I have left is what grouped best. For me. In my pistols. YMMV

Double post. uurgh

I have loaded and fired 150,000 +  rds of .38 Super over the past 15 -18 years.  There are many recipes which from a quality gun should shoot around 1 1/2" or less at 50 yds.

Some are:

Zero 115 gr JHP in .355 load at OAL in the 1.235 - 1,250" range
W231 around 5.1 - 5.3 gr
WST around 4.6 - 4.8 gr
Clays around 4.2 - 4.4 gr

Zero 125 gr JHP in .355 at above OAL
above charges minus about 2/10th gr

Hornady's HAP and XTP bullets give good results as well as Sierra's 115 and 125 JHC bullets are outstanding. The Sierra JHC may need to be loaded a tad shorter than above range.

Fired in a variety of guns over the years it didn't seem to matter whether the bullets were .355 or .356 . In fact, others are using 110 gr .357 bullets in their .38 Supers and reporting very good accuracy.

The above loads are in the 1100 -1140 fps range with 115 gr bullets and the 1020 - 1070 range using 125 gr bullets from 1/2 dozen or so guns which I have tried. Your results may vary. If using lead or coated bullets such as Bayou, then drop powder charge another 2/10s. The above loads have been used in 5 - 6" barrel 1911's some with comps, some without. Barrels have been BarSto, Lissner, Schuemann, Colt, Clark and KKM.