Home Main Category General Firearms

.38 Spl - Load Work & Testing

1356

Replies

  • bullsi1911bullsi1911 Posts: 12,437 Senior Member
    Zee said:
    I just ordered 200 of these. I was waiting for reviews and they are all good so far. That, and free shipping. So, with great reviews and free shipping.......they are on the way. 


    Well, I guess I need to order some of those.  They look interesting!
    To make something simple is a thousand times more difficult than to make something complex.
    -Mikhail Kalashnikov
  • earlyagainearlyagain Posts: 7,928 Senior Member
    I saw those well shopping a couple weeks ago. Hope they perform.
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,453 Senior Member
    They HAVE arrived!  

    Guess I gotta seat them like a Wadcutter. 
    Gonna be pretty busy the next couple months. Might be awhile. But, I am VERY interested in their results. 

    Side note: Very impressed they came in a plastic box. Was expecting cardboard. 
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • earlyagainearlyagain Posts: 7,928 Senior Member
    They're very pretty.....

    Gaping?
    Yawning?
    Cavernous?
    ???
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,453 Senior Member
    They're very pretty.....

    Gaping?
    Yawning?
    Cavernous?
    ???
    Pretty much. 

    That makes me happy. 😎
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • CHIRO1989CHIRO1989 Posts: 14,856 Senior Member
    Per Knitepoets link, 800 fps seems to be the minimum to get them to expand, should give you some leeway to find a load that is not recoiling too bad. 
    I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn away from their ways and live. Eze 33:11
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,453 Senior Member
    CHIRO1989 said:
    Per Knitepoets link, 800 fps seems to be the minimum to get them to expand, should give you some leeway to find a load that is not recoiling too bad. 
    I “should” be able to hit 900+......or at least there is Hope. 
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,453 Senior Member
    They used to do blue boxes. Then, they switched to cardboard for about a year or more. Glad to see them in plastic again. 
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • JayJay Posts: 4,629 Senior Member
    I was ordering some other stuff from Midway and saw those bullets at $16.09 again. Picked up 100 to try. 
  • bullsi1911bullsi1911 Posts: 12,437 Senior Member


    Mine came in yesterday, so I went to Cabela,s to get some Unique. One jug of powder in the whole store

    Screw all the hoarders. 
    To make something simple is a thousand times more difficult than to make something complex.
    -Mikhail Kalashnikov
  • JayJay Posts: 4,629 Senior Member
    edited July 2020 #72
    Same here. Shelves are empty at all the stores that sell reloading stuff that I've seen. Luckily I bought some Unique before all this kicked off and I have about 10 pounds of Titegroup.  

    Midway has some powder in stock.  I almost ordered 8 pounds of W296 and 8 pounds of AA5744, but decided to wait.  Not sure if waiting is a good idea, since I'm completely out of 296. 

    ETA - Midway is out of Unique as well.  But they do have Titegroup.

    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1009411636
  • JayJay Posts: 4,629 Senior Member
    I couldn't help myself and put in my second order with Midway for today.  8 pounds of W296 and just 2 pounds of AA5744.  $12 hazmat fee, but that beats empty shelves at the local stores...  And free shipping, after I added a new cap and pair of glasses...  B)
  • mitdr774mitdr774 Posts: 1,785 Senior Member
    Its gotten to a point around here that I will have to sit down with Quick Load to see if I can use some of the powders I have that are not normally listed for some cartridges.   IMR 4227 will be seeing a lot of use I think.
  • SpkSpk Posts: 4,840 Senior Member


    Mine came in yesterday, so I went to Cabela,s to get some Unique. One jug of powder in the whole store

    Screw all the hoarders. 
    That picture is depressing me. :'(
    Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience -- Mark Twain
    How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain

  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,453 Senior Member
    edited July 2020 #76
     Check out Bruno’s Shooters Supply. 
    I’ve never ordered powder from them. But, get a lot of emails listing the powder they have. 

    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • bullsi1911bullsi1911 Posts: 12,437 Senior Member
    Spk said:


    Mine came in yesterday, so I went to Cabela,s to get some Unique. One jug of powder in the whole store

    Screw all the hoarders. 
    That picture is depressing me. :'(
    I went into Academy today for something else, and checked the ammo aisle


    Totally out of handgun ammo.
    To make something simple is a thousand times more difficult than to make something complex.
    -Mikhail Kalashnikov
  • JayJay Posts: 4,629 Senior Member
    The Rona+riots+presidential election year= panic buying... I liked it better when the idiots were hoarding toilet paper. 🤣 I think it’s gonna be this way for a while. What I’ve found really interesting is even bullet casting stuff is being bought up and hard to find some stuff.
  • earlyagainearlyagain Posts: 7,928 Senior Member
    And all these hoarded items will be gladly surrendered without resistence and with full cooperative compliance if our government demands it..........

    I think not. And its the one bright side of the darkness. Overwhelming numbers should theoretically be in our favor. Political and economic power..........
  • SpkSpk Posts: 4,840 Senior Member
    Spk said:


    Mine came in yesterday, so I went to Cabela,s to get some Unique. One jug of powder in the whole store

    Screw all the hoarders. 
    That picture is depressing me. :'(
    I went into Academy today for something else, and checked the ammo aisle


    Totally out of handgun ammo.
    If I didn't already have enough to last, let's just say, "A long time", I'd be really pissed.
    Panic buyers simply reflect that segment of the population without capacity of forethought.
    Everything is silly to them until it's sitting on there heads and that becomes their cue to panic buy.
    You're right bullsi, screw the hoarders!
    Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience -- Mark Twain
    How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain

  • Uncle FesterUncle Fester Posts: 1,644 Senior Member
    edited July 2020 #81
    Jay said:
    I couldn't help myself and put in my second order with Midway for today.  8 pounds of W296 and just 2 pounds of AA5744.  $12 hazmat fee, but that beats empty shelves at the local stores...  And free shipping, after I added a new cap and pair of glasses...  B)
    Good decision.  I am kicking myself for not stocking up heavy 30 cal bullets for my 300 BO when they were easily available in bulk.  
  • Diver43Diver43 Posts: 12,774 Senior Member
    Hoarders yes. But people are still standing in lines to buy a gun.  Figure each new gun sold a person buys only 2 boxes of ammo and poof, shelves are empty.  Around here gun shops are empty
    Logistics cannot win a war, but its absence or inadequacy can cause defeat. FM100-5
  • 10canyon5310canyon53 Posts: 2,122 Senior Member
    A couple of months ago I stocked up and currently have more ammo on hand than probably at any other time in my life.......but by standards here would probably be considered critically low.  :D  So.....I have pretty much stopped going to the range to preserve what I have until ammo availability is at least somewhat returned to normal.
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,453 Senior Member
    Back on track:
    I loaded up some of the 130gr HST and will test them this afternoon. Having to seat them so deep has made the 6.6gr of Unique into a compressed load. We shall see. 

    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • earlyagainearlyagain Posts: 7,928 Senior Member
    Why didn't you seat them to crimp at the canelure???
  • JayJay Posts: 4,629 Senior Member
    Not to be a downer or anything, but something doesn’t seem right to me... 6.6gr with the bullet seated that deep seems like it would be more than a +p load. But, I also have no load data for that bullet. Seems like 4-4.5 grains would be more like it. But I could be wrong... that just seems like a lot with no volume in the case. 
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,453 Senior Member
    Why didn't you seat them to crimp at the canelure???
    That’s how they do it from the factory. 

    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,453 Senior Member
    Jay said:
    Not to be a downer or anything, but something doesn’t seem right to me... 6.6gr with the bullet seated that deep seems like it would be more than a +p load. But, I also have no load data for that bullet. Seems like 4-4.5 grains would be more like it. But I could be wrong... that just seems like a lot with no volume in the case. 
    I was wondering about that. 
    6.6 gr is what I used for the 125gr Bullets above. But, they were not seated as deep. 
    Then, when it turned out to be a slightly compressed load.......my feelers went up. 
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • JayJay Posts: 4,629 Senior Member
    I’m seeing discussions using QL saying 7.1gr as max in a 357 mag case with estimated 900fps using 4.5gr in 357 cases.... 😬
  • JayJay Posts: 4,629 Senior Member
    Yeah. I’d probably start with 158gr DEWC load data and work up to 900-1000fps slowly... That makes me nervous... 🤪
  • JayJay Posts: 4,629 Senior Member
    I’m seeing data for 158gr dewc starting 3.7, max 4.2. I’d probably start with 4 grains if it was me. 😎👍
Sign In or Register to comment.
Magazine Cover

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Temporary Price Reduction

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Guns & Ammo stories delivered right to your inbox every week.

Advertisement