.38spl n00b question

[drannor]

I started reloading last month, beginning with the 38spl round. I've reloaded 300rnds of .38spl +P with speer's 125gr JSP with no issues. Everyone went BANG, good accuracy, still got my fingers and eyes.

To save some money I decided to reload Speer's 158gr LRN bullets instead. (#4647) Then I hit confusionland!

The speer manual number 13 says to load these rounds to an OAL of 1.510, which means seating the bullet far past the crimping cannelure. By comparison I seated the JSP rounds right to the cannelure, which matched recommended OAL.

Here are the numbers:

38spl case: 1.1550
#4647: ~.675
Cannelure starts at: ~.460

Even if I seat to the very edge of the cannelure I'm at 1.6150, which exceeds the max 38spl case length by a fair margin. Should I ignore the cannelure? If so, why the heck is it there?

I'm sure there is a good and obvious answer to this question! Perhaps I have ingested some illicit narcotics?

 

[Peter M. Eick]

2 questions first. Are you loading it hot or to "book normal" levels? 2) What powder do you intend upon using?

If it were me, I would seat to the cannelure and work up a careful load starting at least 10% below the book max load for the 158 grn lead bullet.

 

[stans]

If by cannelure you are referring to the grooved ring around the bullet, it is not really a crimping cannelure. The Speer swaged lead round nose bullet is designed to be crimped at the front edge of the driving band (where the rounded part meets the side of the bullet). The cannelure on jacketed bullets is for crimping, but on swaged lead it is not.

 

[tbeb]

Ditto what "stans" said.

 

[drannor]

stans:

Thanks for the reply, I was beginning to think I had lost it. Your description matches where I'm currently crimping.

Mr Eick:
Using unique and the starting load from the manual. 4.x grns, can't remember off the top of my head.

I'm sure that seating to the cannelure would exceed maximum cartridge length.... They would chamber in my 28/586/686 (magnums), but I imagine the pressure and velocity specs would be far off given that the amount of case space would be vastly increased.

Ok, does anyone know WHY there is a cannelure if it's not for crimping?

 

[Black Snowman]

Well, that would explain why my LRN .38 Spl loads were so aniemic and inconsistant. I only have mags to shoot them in so never even bothered checking the OAL. Just crimped them into the groove and called it good.

 

[Hemicuda]

My limited experience with handloading all-lead .38's and .357's, that "cannelure" on the all-leaders is actually a LUBE groove...

a place for a sall ammount of bullet-lube to stay... and then subsequently release during firing, so as to truly foul-up the bore...

but I COULD be wrong!

 

[TooTaxed]

Black Snowman, if you are shooting lead .38-Spl in your .357 Mag, you won't get the best accuracy...your bullets have a long jump before they hit the rifling, and you probably get a lot of barrel leading also.

I only use jacketed .38-Spl in my Mag to avoid the leading, but it still isn't as accurate as .357-Mag cartridges.

Just a side comment...light loads are my most accurate loads. The "full tilt boogie" stuff is good for combat...but some accuracy is sacrificed for power.

 

[stans]

Black Snowman, if you are shooting lead .38-Spl in your .357 Mag, you won't get the best accuracy...

In some 357's this is a yes, in others it is a no. Some 357's shoot just as accurately with 38 Special ammo as they do with magnum ammo, but it varies from gun to gun. I don't own a 38, all of mine are in 357 and I use only magnum brass, even for my 148 grain wadcutter loads. The longer brass does eliminate the crud ring that forms when shooting 38's from a 357 revolver.