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Posted: 8/14/2011 8:48:50 AM EDT
| just starting to reload... i would like to makesomelight 38 spl loads for my s&w 37... it is a very small and light gun and can really pound me... i have saone rainier 125 gr bullets... looking for a good formula for light target loads for my little 38 s it will not pound me... any suggestions? i believe they recommend loading these bullets like lead though they are lightly plated,,, round nose. the lightese loads i see in my speer reloading manual ar eusing 4 grains of unique powder... |
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I'd second trailboss.
My light .38special load is 3.5gr trailboss and a 105gr Lee cast bullet. (Lee Mold) That bullet also works in my Ruger .380 LCP. |
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with Berry's 125 FP (light jacket over lead) in 38Spl I use:
4.0grns of HP-38 Use caution as this load resulted in a stuck bullet, center barrel, in my 6in 357 Magnum (Ruger Security Six) but in my Smith 642 its a puff load. with the proper grip there is hardly any kick 
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Quoted:
just starting to reload... i would like to makesomelight 38 spl loads for my s&w 37... it is a very small and light gun and can really pound me... i have saone rainier 125 gr bullets... looking for a good formula for light target loads for my little 38 s it will not pound me... any suggestions? i believe they recommend loading these bullets like lead though they are lightly plated,,, round nose. the lightese loads i see in my speer reloading manual ar eusing 4 grains of unique powder... Couple of questions, Is Unique the only powder you have? Or will you buy powder once you have a load? You are going to use 38 Special cases for these loads? Which Speer manual are you looking at? |
| I use around 5 grains of Unique behind 125 jacketed bullets. You should probably use data for cast bullets since you're using plated rounds. The two issues mentioned above cannot be stressed enough for low power 38 loads.........make the charge large enough to ensure the bullet exits the barrel and make sure you don't double charge. |
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Quoted:
yes i have unique (but i can buy other stuff)... re-using federal 38spl cases after cleaning, etc.... have speer reloading manual #14. I have Speer 14 open and can't see where you got the 4grs of Unique load for a 125 gr bullet in the 38 Special data. Page 879 has standard pressure 125 gr jacketed bullet data marked DNR (do not reduce). Charge for Unique is 5.7 grs. This in not the load you are looking for. Page 886 has +P pressure loads for 125 gr jacketed bullets. Again not what you are looking for. You didn't stray into the 38 S&W data did you? That's an entirely different cartridge. Don't use that data for 38 Special. Lyman 49 page 354, 38 Special shows a 120 gr cast RN with a start charge of 4.0 grs of Unique for 725 fps. max listed is 5.7gr for 1012 fps. So you should be fine starting there, just didn't see how you got there from Speer 14. |
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