38 special lead bullets
Darto
New MemberPosts: 4 New Member
Two very popular sizes of lead bullets for 38 special are 125 gr and 158 grain. Obviously the lighter bullets will have greater velocity in most loadings.
My question is each of the these two sizes, would you prefer soft lead (about hardness 12), or harder alloy bullets?
For soft bullets I would guess from reading around that 1200 fps and below should not lead if the bullet diameter is fairly the correct size compared to the bore diameter, the lead bullets need to be very slightly larger, say .001 larger?
Given that normally these bullets are purchased in lots of 500 the trial and error method can lead to being stuck with bullets you later chose not to use. So I think it will be prudent for me to have in advance a good idea what perhaps hardness is more likely to end up being 1) non leadings and 2) provide better defense terminal effects.
reference: I have just gotten a S&W #10 5" barrel (used) revolver and never had a 38 special before. I plan to keep it in a quick access safe for personal home defense. Thank you.
My question is each of the these two sizes, would you prefer soft lead (about hardness 12), or harder alloy bullets?
For soft bullets I would guess from reading around that 1200 fps and below should not lead if the bullet diameter is fairly the correct size compared to the bore diameter, the lead bullets need to be very slightly larger, say .001 larger?
Given that normally these bullets are purchased in lots of 500 the trial and error method can lead to being stuck with bullets you later chose not to use. So I think it will be prudent for me to have in advance a good idea what perhaps hardness is more likely to end up being 1) non leadings and 2) provide better defense terminal effects.
reference: I have just gotten a S&W #10 5" barrel (used) revolver and never had a 38 special before. I plan to keep it in a quick access safe for personal home defense. Thank you.
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Im sure .358 will abturate to fill the throats and fit the bore.
It was SWCHP.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
If I kept that piece for HD, I'd keep factory loads in it. Either 148gr wad cutters or 125 gr hp's.
I'm looking in my speer #14 and it says for jacketed bullets in standard (non +P) loads, don't go above 110 grains. They say the 38 special is old technology and the case is very large compared to the safe volume of powder loaded. So depending on orientation of the gun squib loads can occur with jacket bullets due to their increased friction. And therefore might not exit the barrel. In fact they say under all circumstances do not consider any bullet over 110 grain in any rifle due to the long barrel increasing odds of bullet staying in barrel. Which is why I was looking at cast lead instead. But I suppose 110 gr jacketed is probably better based on reading the messages above.
I think full weight lead would be better, but I'd want confirmed chronographed speeds for handloads.
That's the biggest load of horse poopy I've heard in quite some time.
Zee
How did that get past the autocensor?
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
Beats the out of me. We can't say , but out a horse in front and it shows up. I paid it no never mind. Never seen it let slip. Or . Or . Or . Or . Or
Zee
I just thumbed through the # 14 Speer manual and could not locate the data that you are reciting, could you reference to the pages? I've been loading 38sp and 357mag for quite a while and have never read such a thing but then, I'm kinda slow.
I saw that but they caution about using reduced loads and they give data for 110gr and 125gr loads with jacketed bullets. They do warn not to use reduced loads with jacketed bullets in rifles.
The .38 Spl is about the most popular handgun cartridge that is reloaded there is and has been around a long time.
I'd go with 158 factory lead SWCHP cold swagged not cast, like those from Speer or Hornady. Good for SD and target shootin.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Lots of load data out there for all kinds of .38 Spl bullets.
If you go with factory SD loads plenty to choose from and if you want a lighter bullet at higher velocity Fiocchi makes a 125 grain +P load using Hornady XTP bullets at 1050 FPS.
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/26172/inline/1
Then as mentioned, there are plenty offerings out there from major makers like Gold Dots and Golden Saber.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Jerry
ASK-HOLE Someone who asks for advice and always does something opposite
As has been said a wide selection of loads and ammunition is avialable. A little caution should easily avoid any problems.
I think sometimes folks get hung up on hollow points being the end all of SD bullets. As has been already said, a full or partial caliber met-plate should not be over looked as being effective. Such designs impart much greater damage on target than a round nose profile and are not as velocity dependent as hollow point designs.
Good point, I get caught up in that mindset myself but when I think about it objectively I realize that all of my cast bullets that I make for hunting are designed with a large meplat rather than a hollow point.
Full WCs have been loaded and tested in about every power level from barely getting outta the bbl to magnum velocities. I've loaded cold swagged HBWC upside in .357 cases which make for dramatic visual effects on targets like muddy creek banks sending mud high into the air and making huge shallow surface cavities. I don't know if the sweet spot of expansion and penetration was ever figured out for them though.
I can see some uses for full wad-cutters, but tend to believe they are not that popular for SD/HD and that may be because factory loads are low power and it's usually advised not to use them with so many better choices available. They were primarily designed to shoot paper targets.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
I regularly shoot .38 Special jacketed and cast bullets out of my .357 Mag. single shot rifle, and at pretty low power loads(starting loads for both cast and jacketed). I've NEVER had a bullet, cast or jacketed, fail to exit the 18" barrel on that rifle. And that is with bullets ranging from the 110 HP jacketed to 138-180 grain jacketed and cast. The 180 cast are for .35 Remington, but sized to .358 work just fine. And same with my .38 and .357 Mag. revolvers with anything from 110-148 grain bullets. Don't know where you got that info about bullets stuck in the bore, but I find it questionable given what I've experienced.
For SD-HD I'd just go with commercial HP loads. The research has already been done and they will work as advertised. Hard cast lead tends to just bore a hole with no expansion. Soft swaged wadcutters might give better results as to expanding.
Speer 14: "Reloaders must remember that the 38 special case is much bigger than necessary for most modern propellants... air space is high, especially when loading standard (not +P) loads... Jacketed bullets create more resistance than lead bullets and may lodge in the bore if propellent charges are too light or too slow burning. To avoid these problems we are showing jacketed bullet data for only 110 and 125 grain bullets...These loads should never be used in rifles".
Thanks everybody for your experiences. I'm long time reloader but new to 38 special. I only put a portion of what Speer's introduction to 38 special standard loads says on this and closely related subjects, there are qualifiers etc. I would post all of what Speer said, but it is copyright material, not sure how much of it I can quote.