.38 super-interesting article

http://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/super-accurate-38-super-loads/326242

Great information.  My gunsmith is just finishing building a 38 Super CCO as my carry gun, these target loads will come in handy.  Thank you.

Dr. Miller is an authority when it comes to 38 Super.  And overall, he is well versed on reloading and scientific end of it.  It is sad to see that Brad took down his website - www.38super.net.  His site had great deal of information, many articles had solid research data, and he is a great person.  I'm happy to see he is still writing for Shooting Times.  I don't remember seeing any of his articles since late of 2015, albeit I do not subscribe to paper version of the magazine, and probably missed some of the articles.
Thank you for publishing link, Jim!

Some of his work can be found on one of the NRA's websites, for example: 
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/1/9/how-to-use-9-major-in-a-short-barrel/

Thanks Jim very helpful and interesting.

That was interesting Jim. I see that the most accurate load tested was 6.5 Power Pistol and a 125gr HAP bullet. That sure looks like our load for the 9mm (115gr HAP). I have a lot of Power Pistol. I will have to give that a try after I shoot up a bunch that I have loaded. I wonder how 4.6 gr of Bullseye would have worked. I don't see Bullseye on the list with the HAP but I bet it would have done fine. Interestingly enough I tested a bunch of 130gr last week with .356 and .357 L-SWC from Magnus. My test agreed with the posted findings. There was no measurable difference in their groups. I also have a bunch of 110gr XTP. Looks like more playing is in the future. 

I chrono and accuracy tested some .38 Super loads today. All were Federal brass, WSP primers, all 1.240" OAL, all ZERO 115 JHP conical bullets, all 50 yds prone (no sand bags) from KKM barreled, acc-u-railed, red dot scoped 1911 Bianchi gun.

Clays 4.4 gr avg velocity of 1138 fps. Accuracy 2.5" - 2.75"
BE     4.5 gr avg velocity of 1072 fps. Accuracy 2.5" - 3.00"
WST  4.7 gr avg velocity of 1137 fps. Accuracy 2"- 2.5"

My normal go to load is with 4.6 WST with other guns. This however was a recently re-barreled gun that I wanted to do some experimenting. I was a little surprised on the velocities. 4.6 of WST runs 1100-1115 from my other guns, 4.3 Clays about the same. I would have thought 4.5 BE would have been in the low 1100s too.

Next time out I will test from sandbags. I will also bring the Clays and WST load down a 1/10 gr but up the BE load 1-2/10s gr. I am looking for 1110 +/- avg and grouping 1.25 -1.75" at 50yds. WST, W231 and Clays will all do this. I see no reason why BE won't too.

Allgoodhits, thanks for posting your results.

Q; how many rounds per group?

Before I loaded all those 4.6 gr bullets in my picture up above I did try them in the pistol. I think one click to the right and it would have probably been a 100-9X. Lee Rest.

All of the loads in the original article are 950+fps and the groups are 25 yards. That said, the information is certainly useful. I still dream of a fast twist .38 super shooting 147 gr lswc's.

S148 wrote:Allgoodhits, thanks for posting your results.

Q; how many rounds per group?

8

Load are too much for me.  Might as well shoot my 45.  I run a 38 Super built by KC Crawford.  The load he developed is slightly different.  Recoils like a 22.

Those look VERY interesting to me.

Axehandle wrote:Load are too much for me.  Might as well shoot my 45.  I run a 38 Super built by KC Crawford.  The load he developed is slightly different.  Recoils like a 22.

Winchester 452 AA powder?  That powder has not been made in a very long time.  When you run out, what are you planning to use in its place?

I’d go with 3.1 of WST.

Axehandle wrote:Load are too much for me.  Might as well shoot my 45.  I run a 38 Super built by KC Crawford.  The load he developed is slightly different.  Recoils like a 22.

Hello Axehandle,

Did KC use a barrel with a "standard" twist rate?  Do you know what the twist rate is?

Thanks.

Jim

That gun is over 25 years old.  It was a 1-16 twist.

Thanks, KC.

Jim

Anyone else have some “soft” loads they’ve worked up?

with the old Dardus 126 SWC bullet we run from 3.6-3.8 of BE. Excellent bullet and very soft loads. very good accuracy at 50 yds.

hope someone will produce those bullets or you'll have to cast your own.. NEI makes the molds for the same bullet

For bullseye we shoot 126 Dardas with 2.8-3.0 wst and a frame mount. For action pistol we shoot 4.5 titegroup with 124 gr jhp Montana gold bullets.

Now that the Dardas 126 grain SWCFB is no longer available, I've been getting excellent results with the Penn 115 grain SWCBB. I'm currently shooting 3.13 grains of Bullseye with an OAL of 1.190" with a .378" crimp. The brass is Starline .38 super comp and the primers are CCI. The barrel is a Kart. Excellent accuracy at 25 yards, but I haven't tried it at 50 yards yet.

Thank you!

That scope is one of the scopes that Burris made for Gil Hebard.  Has very fine crosshairs and a BIG dot.  The dot is sized such that if you keep the dot in the black all shots should be 10s or Xs. There are 1X and 2X versions out there.