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Help finding a soft shooting, accurate, clean 38 special revolver load

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bruce martindale
james r chapman
Amp
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Help finding a soft shooting, accurate, clean 38 special revolver load Empty Help finding a soft shooting, accurate, clean 38 special revolver load

Post by brand-new Tue 16 Apr 2024, 2:50 pm

I suffer from a neurologic disorder and have difficulty tolerating heavy recoil but don't want to give up target shooting.

I’m hoping to identify an accurate, light recoil, clean, target load…i only shoot at an indoor range, paper targets with the aim of effecting nice little groups.

I have a 686 plus revolver from Smith and Wesson, 5 inch barrel.

I have on hand 3 pistol powders from which to choose from:
VhitaVouri N320
Hodgon CFE Pistol
Vectan Prima V

For projectiles I have:
ACME+ Hi Tek coated 38 cal 158gn RNFP sized to .358 
X-Treme bullets 38-125gn. FP

Please help guide me toward a promising load. thank you

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Post by Amp Tue 16 Apr 2024, 6:56 pm

i have shot the Xtreme bullets but with Power Pistol load they recommend.
Now I am back to 148 gr HBWC.

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Post by james r chapman Tue 16 Apr 2024, 7:34 pm

I think 148 WC’s will always be lighter than than the 158’s
And 2.5-2.7 Bullseye and 2.8-3.0 231 have always felt light to me
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Help finding a soft shooting, accurate, clean 38 special revolver load Empty Re: Help finding a soft shooting, accurate, clean 38 special revolver load

Post by bruce martindale Tue 16 Apr 2024, 7:42 pm

Your 320 is a good choice as slower powders give less impulse.  The other extreme gives too much unburned powder and erratic pressures.  I don’t have a load to recommend but see their loading data and look at the velocity, somewhere around 650-750 fps. If l were working it l would start around 2.5 grains since faster powders use more and are safe loadings.

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Post by Rodger Barthlow Tue 16 Apr 2024, 7:51 pm

james r chapman wrote:I think 148 WC’s will always be lighter than than the 158’s
And 2.5-2.7 Bullseye and 2.8-3.0 231 have always felt light to me
148 WC/HBWC 2.5-2.7 grs Bullseye and 2.8-3.0 231 is the classic PPC revolver loads. Very soft shooting and very mild recoil. Jerry Keffer had a load for WST but I can't remember it.
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Post by brand-new Tue 16 Apr 2024, 8:02 pm

thank you

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Post by Wobbley Tue 16 Apr 2024, 8:29 pm

I’ve loaded and shot commercially loaded plated bullets like the X-treme plated you have, they can be very frustrating accuracy wise. But it’s what you have.

Prima V is primarily a shotgun powder burning rate is about the same as RedDot, BUT. there’s NO DATA from the manufacturer in pistol AT ALL so I can’t even give you a start.

This leaves Vihtavouri 320 which is your best option I think. Even then the listed loads are higher than you might like… BUT, what I would do is load some of the 158 grain bullets with 4.3 to 4.6 grains of N320. This should keep the recoil down. The 125 plated bullet (Berrys) starts at 5.4, but you might try a down load of 4.6 to 4.8 and see whet you get… but I’d be cautious with that because you might get into ignition issues? Dunno…Anyway heres the vihtavouri pamphlet. https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloading-data/handgun-reloading/?cartridge=41
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Post by tomd999 Tue 16 Apr 2024, 8:48 pm

Hiya,

I use 3g of bullseye with an Acme 105g cast FP in 38 spl for my basic revolver class. It feels like a 22 mag in a K or L frame. 
https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/75131

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Post by OHitt Wed 19 Jun 2024, 8:05 pm

I've had extremely good results with 2.7 grains of N320 and 148 grain hollow base wadcutters. Seat the bullet flush w/case mouth and finish with a nice moderate roll Crimp. Easily held 10 ring at 50 yds in my ppc revolvers.

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