.38 SPL Distinguished Load

Would anyone like to share their pet load for .38 SPL, using a hard cast 158 gr. LSWC and HP-38 or Winchester 231? This would be shot from a S&W revolver.

The past is sometimes a good place to start.

https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t2221-distinguished-revolver-loads-that-don-t-suck?

Hi Mike, are you tied to 158 projectiles? If you don't mind 148 wadcutters, I think they're easier to get to shoot straight.  2.9gr - 3.1gr using win 231 with 148 wadcutter seated flush should give good ammo.

He is tied to 158 gr to be legal for distinguished. RN or SWC.

I've loaded countless .38 SPL wadcutters and LSWC's with Alliant Bullseye over the years. I just ventured into loading with HP-38. I settled on a load of 3.1 grains of HP-38 with a 148 gr. swaged HBWC. That seems to be a popular load that is comparable to 2.7-2.8 grains of Alliant Bullseye. Now I'm looking for a good load with a hard cast 158 gr. SWC with the HP-38. I thought some folks on here might have a good load worked out with HP-38 that I could use for a starting point.

In my K-38 I've settled on 3.5 gr. Titegroup under a SWAGED Magnus 158 gr. SWC. Gives me 1.3" groups at 25 yards.  Haven't tested it at 50 yet.  I like Titegroup because it's a ball powder that measures consistently and smoothly and it's not sensitive to case position.  Load works great with 158 gr. JHP bullets too, but that's not technically legal for DR.

BE Mike wrote:I've loaded countless .38 SPL wadcutters and LSWC's with Alliant Bullseye over the years. I just ventured into loading with HP-38. I settled on a load of 3.1 grains of HP-38 with a 148 gr. swaged HBWC. That seems to be a popular load that is comparable to 2.7-2.8 grains of Alliant Bullseye. Now I'm looking for a good load with a hard cast 158 gr. SWC with the HP-38. I thought some folks on here might have a good load worked out with HP-38 that I could use for a starting point.

Please review the URL that was posted. Your answers will be there I believe..

BEFORE I STARTED USING WST I LOADED LOTS OF 158 HARD CAST WITH 231(IDENTICAL TO HP-38). 3.3 GR 231 WITH HARD CAST IS ABOUT A PERFECT DISTINGUISHED LOAD. JP

In here they recommended 4.0 to 4.5 gr.

http://castpics.net/LoadData/Freebies/RM/Winchester/Winchester14.pdf

JIMPGOV wrote:BEFORE I STARTED USING WST I LOADED LOTS OF 158 HARD CAST WITH 231(IDENTICAL TO HP-38). 3.3 GR 231 WITH HARD CAST IS ABOUT A PERFECT DISTINGUISHED LOAD. JP

Thanks JIMPGOV. That is what I was looking for. I was thinking of 3.5 grains of HP-38, so I wasn't too far off. For the others, thank you. I did read the link posted and found nothing to specifically answer my question. I'm looking for bullseye accuracy. Their isn't much information out there addressing that specifically and I find that the average reloader thinks that a good group at 7 yards means that a load is accurate and we know better.

JIMPGOV, what's your load with WST? Thanks!

Dave

3.1 WST  JP

BE Mike wrote:

JIMPGOV wrote:BEFORE I STARTED USING WST I LOADED LOTS OF 158 HARD CAST WITH 231(IDENTICAL TO HP-38). 3.3 GR 231 WITH HARD CAST IS ABOUT A PERFECT DISTINGUISHED LOAD. JP

Thanks JIMPGOV. That is what I was looking for. I was thinking of 3.5 grains of HP-38, so I wasn't too far off. For the others, thank you. I did read the link posted and found nothing to specifically answer my question. I'm looking for bullseye accuracy. Their isn't much information out there addressing that specifically and I find that the average reloader thinks that a good group at 7 yards means that a load is accurate and we know better.

I can't personally speak for 50yd accuracy but 3.5gr of W231 is excellent at 25yds out of my K frames.