38 Special wadcutter load for J-frame

[Savage30L]

I need to load up some 148-grain LHBWC with HP38 for practice loads for my S&W model 642 (3-inch barrel). The Shooter's Reference web page shows a starting load of 3.5 grains of HP38 for a pressure of 14,200 CUP (this is Hodgdon data for a 7.7-inch barrel). My Lyman manual doesn't list loads for that bullet. I plan to shoot a fair amount of these. Is that load good for a steady diet in a J-frame, or should I download it just a little?

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

My Hornady 10th edition says you can go as low as 2.2 grains with Win 231 and a 148 gr wadcutter, which I believe is the exact same powder as HP-38. According to the manual that would give 550 fps from a 4” barrel. It shows 3.5 grains somewhere around 800 fps. Depending on the velocity you want to achieve, you may want to start somewhere between the two minimum loads from each source.

 

[Typetwelve]

I love those 148g HBWC loads for my 67-1. I recently messed around with all kind of load options and settled with 3.5g of HP-38/W231 and 3.2g of Tight Group. Both are easy shooting and I'd have no issues running them all day in my older revolver.

 

[Barmcd]

I love those 148g HBWC loads for my 67-1. I recently messed around with all kind of load options and settled with 3.5g of HP-38/W231 and 3.2g of Tight Group. Both are easy shooting and I'd have no issues running them all day in my older revolver.

What barrel length?

 

[Rodfac]

I'm leery of pushing HBWC's too fast, thereby risking blowing out the skirt which may stick in the bore. So for flush seated HBWC's I use 2.8 gr of Bullseye or 3.0 gr of HP-38/Win 231....great accuracy with either load and no risk either. With HP-38/Win 231, 3.5 grains strikes me as a bit warm.

YMMv & Best regards, Rod

 

[Riomouse911]

What barrel length?

Model 67’s were almost always 4”. Its the stainless cousin of the Model 15 Combat Masterpiece.

Your Model 642 3” will digest those .38 Spl wadcutter loads for many years to come. I load mine with DEWC bullets, either coated or plated, and 2.9 gr Bullseye. These loads shoot very well and are great for volume practice as well as teaching new shooters when they “graduate” to a centerfire from a .22 LR handgun.

Stay safe.

 

[Palladan44]

I need to load up some 148-grain LHBWC with HP38 for practice loads for my S&W model 642 (3-inch barrel). The Shooter's Reference web page shows a starting load of 3.5 grains of HP38 for a pressure of 14,200 CUP (this is Hodgdon data for a 7.7-inch barrel). My Lyman manual doesn't list loads for that bullet. I plan to shoot a fair amount of these. Is that load good for a steady diet in a J-frame, or should I download it just a little?

I'll download WW-231/ HP38, but at some point it starts burning dirty and groups start to open up.....then I'll turn to a faster powder. (Right now for me it's Titegroup)
WW-231/hp 38 is truly is a STANDARD pistol powder and doesn't like the top or the bottom third envelope of any given cartridge.
I personally run my J frame as light as possible, to of course not beat up on the gun

 

[LV Gun]

I need to load up some 148-grain LHBWC with HP38 for practice loads for my S&W model 642 (3-inch barrel). The Shooter's Reference web page shows a starting load of 3.5 grains of HP38 for a pressure of 14,200 CUP (this is Hodgdon data for a 7.7-inch barrel). My Lyman manual doesn't list loads for that bullet. I plan to shoot a fair amount of these. Is that load good for a steady diet in a J-frame, or should I download it just a little?

I have used W231, W244 and Bullseye with 148 HBWC but I always come back to Bullseye at 2.7 to 3.0 grains it just works very well. The other ones will work but I always get the best accuracy with Bullseye in my S&W 14-2 6inch barrel. By all means use what you have on hand I am one who doesn’t like to have a lot of powders that I don’t use much.

 

[Anchorite]

I'm leery of pushing HBWC's too fast, thereby risking blowing out the skirt which may stick in the bore. So for flush seated HBWC's I use 2.8 gr of Bullseye or 3.0 gr of HP-38/Win 231....great accuracy with either load and no risk either. With HP-38/Win 231, 3.5 grains strikes me as a bit warm.

YMMv & Best regards, Rod

Ditto the Bullseye load. I never thought about 231….. hmmm …. will have to look into that!

 

[Otto]

2.7gr. Bullseye has been the ‘gold standard’ for the past 100 years.

 

[brewer12345]

I load 2.2 grains of trail boss with a hbwc. They about dribble out of a snub, but basically no recoil and accurate.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I need to load up some 148-grain LHBWC with HP38 for practice loads for my S&W model 642 (3-inch barrel). The Shooter's Reference web page shows a starting load of 3.5 grains of HP38 for a pressure of 14,200 CUP (this is Hodgdon data for a 7.7-inch barrel). My Lyman manual doesn't list loads for that bullet. I plan to shoot a fair amount of these. Is that load good for a steady diet in a J-frame, or should I download it just a little?

Winchester 15th (1997) gives a range of 2.9-3.3gr W231 for a generic 148gr LHBWC. That’s with a 4”barrel - it doesn’t say but IIRC they used a vented fixture. HTH.