CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.
[One load, at the very bottom of the post (4.5gr W231, 148gr DEWC vs .38spl std pressure). Although, that IS the question: Is this or any other +P load in a book? But I am a cautious fellow and don;t want anyone led astray given a mis-reading of my question & background data. So be careful. ]
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Howdy:
I am looking for book loads for .38 Special +P cast 148gr DEWC. Have any of you all seen any with W231, HS-6, or 2400?
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BACKGROUND (If you want it)
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I have done as much of my homework as I can think of, but would like to see a load from a book. I can find plenty of standard pressure loads for soft 148gr HBWC, but nothing in the +P territory for DEWC in the books I have.
I want something sporty for my SW638 .38spl +P snubby for woods carry. Sometimes I don't want to pack a magnum revolver.
Projectile is a bog-standard cast 148gr DEWC with crimp grooves either end, lube band in the middle. My fingernail and a finish nail indicate this is the same alloy as their 158gr LSWC, which don't lead in my .357mag loads around 1000fps and lead only a smidge in hot near-max .357mag loads with 2400. Relatively hard I would say, a lot harder than the Hornady HBWC.
Will load flush with the case mouth with taper crimp to iron out the case mouth flare.
Powders On Hand:
Books/Resources on Hand
The above resources are all .38 Special standard pressure. Here is a digest of the 148gr WC (HB/DE/BB/etc) loads from those "books":.
And just to bracket things, here are 148gr WC loads from the same resources for .357mag.
I plan to work up from canonical .38 Special target WC loads up through +P. On the low end, the canonical (Taffin/Petty) HBWC load is in the neighborhood of 3.0gr W231. I sure like that with HBWC. Not sure if that is enough pressure for these cast DEWC. Online consensus (for what that's worth) seems to hover around 3.5gr W231 for DEWC mild/target load. In the end, I would like a good target and a good woods load. It would be nice if the target load was the same as my HBWC load: 3.0gr W231. I also want good, worked up loads with more than one powder, so when shortages hit, I already good substitute standard loads for me 7 mine.
Without any .38 Special +P book data for 148gr DEWC, I will likely load up the following for testing:
[One load, at the very bottom of the post (4.5gr W231, 148gr DEWC vs .38spl std pressure). Although, that IS the question: Is this or any other +P load in a book? But I am a cautious fellow and don;t want anyone led astray given a mis-reading of my question & background data. So be careful. ]
==================================================
Howdy:
I am looking for book loads for .38 Special +P cast 148gr DEWC. Have any of you all seen any with W231, HS-6, or 2400?
========================
BACKGROUND (If you want it)
========================
I have done as much of my homework as I can think of, but would like to see a load from a book. I can find plenty of standard pressure loads for soft 148gr HBWC, but nothing in the +P territory for DEWC in the books I have.
I want something sporty for my SW638 .38spl +P snubby for woods carry. Sometimes I don't want to pack a magnum revolver.
Projectile is a bog-standard cast 148gr DEWC with crimp grooves either end, lube band in the middle. My fingernail and a finish nail indicate this is the same alloy as their 158gr LSWC, which don't lead in my .357mag loads around 1000fps and lead only a smidge in hot near-max .357mag loads with 2400. Relatively hard I would say, a lot harder than the Hornady HBWC.
Will load flush with the case mouth with taper crimp to iron out the case mouth flare.
Powders On Hand:
*Winchester 231 / Hodgdon HP-38
*Hodgdon HS-6
*Alliant 2400
Not sure 2400 will be any help. *Hodgdon HS-6
*Alliant 2400
Books/Resources on Hand
*Lyman 50th Edition
*Richard Lee Modern Reloading 1st Edition
*Online Hodgdon
And a few others that have loads only for their swaged HBWC moving at sedate velocities.*Richard Lee Modern Reloading 1st Edition
*Online Hodgdon
The above resources are all .38 Special standard pressure. Here is a digest of the 148gr WC (HB/DE/BB/etc) loads from those "books":.
.38 Special Std Pressure 148gr WC
Lee HP38/W231 3.8gr
Lee HS-6 6.0gr
Lyman W231 3.7-4.2gr DEWC 16200psi
Hodg W231 3.5-4.0gr
HS-6 4.5-5.2gr
Lyman is sportiest with their 4.2gr top end with W231. And Lee's 6.0gr with HS-6 is 0.8gr more than Hodgdon.Lee HP38/W231 3.8gr
Lee HS-6 6.0gr
Lyman W231 3.7-4.2gr DEWC 16200psi
Hodg W231 3.5-4.0gr
HS-6 4.5-5.2gr
And just to bracket things, here are 148gr WC loads from the same resources for .357mag.
.357mag 148gr wadcutter
Lee 2400 11.0-12.2gr 33800psi
Lee HP38 4.3-4.3gr 18800psi
Lee W231 3.4-3.4gr 16500psi
Hodg W231 3.0-3.4gr 14300cup/17600cup
The Lee load with 2400 is an obvious outlier. Lee 2400 11.0-12.2gr 33800psi
Lee HP38 4.3-4.3gr 18800psi
Lee W231 3.4-3.4gr 16500psi
Hodg W231 3.0-3.4gr 14300cup/17600cup
I plan to work up from canonical .38 Special target WC loads up through +P. On the low end, the canonical (Taffin/Petty) HBWC load is in the neighborhood of 3.0gr W231. I sure like that with HBWC. Not sure if that is enough pressure for these cast DEWC. Online consensus (for what that's worth) seems to hover around 3.5gr W231 for DEWC mild/target load. In the end, I would like a good target and a good woods load. It would be nice if the target load was the same as my HBWC load: 3.0gr W231. I also want good, worked up loads with more than one powder, so when shortages hit, I already good substitute standard loads for me 7 mine.
Without any .38 Special +P book data for 148gr DEWC, I will likely load up the following for testing:
W231 3.0-4.5gr (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.2, 4.5)
HS-6 4.5-6.0 (4.5, 5.0, 5.2, 5.6, 6.0)
The only load in the above course of development that is officially above standard .38 Special standard pressure is the 4.5gr of W231. OTOH, I am approaching the 6.0gr of HS-6 with caution even though it is a legit book load, so those get the hairy eyeball, too.HS-6 4.5-6.0 (4.5, 5.0, 5.2, 5.6, 6.0)
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