enough powder?

[Han Tzu]

I made my first cartridges in 18 years yesterday. Do these loads have enough powder?

.38 spl with 3.9 grains of Unique and 158 gr. LSWC. That is 10 percent under the charge of 4.3 gr listed on the Hercules load table. The table I used was printed in 1992. Components are that old also. Thanks.

 

[BADUNAME37]

My Third-Printing 1988 Speer Manual #11 shows the Speer 158g Lead SWC HP with Unique Powder starting load at 4.3g and max. load at 4.7g.

I think you will find this to be a somewhat calm load at 3.9g of Unique. In my opinion, I see no problem with the load, it is just kind of on the light side, which should be OK with Unique.

With certain powders, one must be careful to not go below minimum, however I do not think Unique is one of those that spikes pressure with less powder.

If I am wrong on this, someone please correct me.

Of course, different brands of the same weight and style bullet will many times show different min and max loads.

If you have a chronograph, Speer lists 4.3g as 853 FPS and 4.7 at 913 FPS.

 

[TNBilly]

Should be a pleasant shooting load!

 

[BADUNAME37]

Actually, I have personally found that the lighter loads are typically a lot more accurate as they typically pull in a lot tighter group of shots over most "horrendously-wild" loads!

 

[Han Tzu]

Thanks guys. I was hoping I would not have to pull the bullets out. Going to test these rounds today.

 

[Han Tzu]

My mistake on not verifying the way I was using the table. I have tried to triple check every action on these first loads. Thanks again

 

[Han Tzu]

"If you have a chronograph, Speer lists 4.3g as 853 FPS and 4.7 at 913 FPS."

No chronograph...yet

 

[Overkilll0084]

It will definitely be on the mild side. You shouldn't have any wierdness though, Unique is pretty tolerant stuff. Don't be surprised if it's a really dirty setup though. Unique doesn't start cleaning up until the pressures climb some more.

 

[MEHavey]

My Lyman's Cast Bullet HdBk/3rd lists:

155-158gr LSWC/#358156 (Slightly different wts -- 158 in old books, 155 in new -- same bullet)
OAL: 1.460" (stomp, stomp)
Unique (One powder that hasn't changed much)
Min: 3.4gr 601fps 8,900CUP
Max: 5.1gr 895fps 16,100CUP


mY Lyman 49th says:
158gr LSWC #358665
OAL: 1.445" (stomp, stomp)
Unique (Today's powder [that hasn't changed much])
Min: 4.0gr 791fps 13,100CUP
Max: 4.5gr 871fps 16,000CUP

Looking at these two references/loads, you "...appear to be in the ballpark...."
(You also see inexplicable difference/black magic at work again.)

Just make sure that at low/starting loads as yours, you see a hole in the target for every time you pull the trigger.

 

[kingmt]

With certain powders, one must be careful to not go below minimum, however I do not think Unique is one of those that spikes pressure with less powder.

I don't know of any smokeless powder that spikes with less powder.

 

[Han Tzu]

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely verify a hole in the target or an empty barrel each shot. I do feel better that "weirdness" is unlikely.

 

[Lost Sheep]

My "Modern Reloading" by Richard Lee (2nd edition) lists 3.8 minimum and 4.3 maximum for 158 grain lead in 38 special.

Lost Sheep