First-Time Reloader - A Simple Question

[doc540]

(I've checked the books and they don't address leading and velocity.)

Goal: accuracy, knock down power, and minimum barrel leading

Purpose: steel silhouettes, 50yds, no paper, no bulleseye shooting

Caliber: .38 Special

Guns: S&W M686 6" barrel and S&W 14-3 8" barrel

Bullets: .38 Match
.358 Diameter
.38 Special
158 Grain SWC
Brinell 12

Powder: Win231

What powder load do you recommend for those specific parameters?

Thanks

(fyi: I'll be loading with an experienced loader using his equipment)

 

[cfullgraf]

How big a target?

A standard velocity 158 grain 38 Special would take down a 50 meter IHMSA chicken but a full house 357 magnum won't wobble an M4 Sherman point blank.

Bullet hardness also has an effect on leading. Dead soft lead cannot be driven as fast has harder lead or gas check bullets.

 

[doc540]

"Purpose: steel silhouettes, 50yds,"



re: Hardness
"Brinell 12"

 

[7mmb]

The general consensus is to limit lead bullets to 1000 fps to avoid barrel leading. I doubt published max loads with W231 in standard 38 Special fired in your guns will break 1000 fps. W231 should work admirably. For silhouette I would use a jacketed full power 357 Magnum, but that's just me. If you can knock 'em down with a 38 more power to you. BTW, with the 686 you could load those bullets in 357 cases and use W231 and still be below 1000 fps. You might get better accuracy and you won't foul your chambers with 38 loads. I stopped shooting 38 Special when I started handloading. You can load 38 level loads in 357 cases.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I shoot silhouettes monthly with .357. The course is 25, 50, and 75 yds. I don't use 158s, though. I use 125 jhps. One gun gets a 6.5 gr. Unique load that clocked 1139 fps out of a 6" gun. The other gun gets the same bullet with 10 gr of Power Pistol for 1440 fps.

 

[Hondo 60]

Leading can be caused a whole multitude of issues.

Lead too soft, lead too hard, too little pressure, too much pressure, bullet not the right "fit" for your gun, etc.

The best way to buy lead bullets is to "slug" your barrel & each chamber in the cylinder.
Make sure the chamber is the same or slightly larger than the barrel.
If the chambers are smaller, then you need to have the chambers reamed.

Then order bullets .001"-.0015" bigger than your bore.

 

[GLOOB]

Regarding leading, I would only worry about one thing, at first. Give the bore a really good cleaning before you start shooting cast bullets. Copper fouling attracts lead fouling like a magnet. Even a few passes of bore paste won't hurt. Once you start shooting cast bullets, the lube and the residual lead fouling seem to reduce future copper fouling.

In my humble opinion, you shouldn't worry your pretty head about all the other stuff until you discover you have a problem. Afterall, you might get lucky and have the perfect load on your first try! To hear how it needs to be done from some, you need to have a phd in metallurgy and slug your bore and each chamber throat before you even load your first round.

Also, if your bore has a constriction, it's gonna lead no matter what else you do. My 686 has that problem. Until such time as I finally set down and lap it, I just clean it out once in awhile and it's not a big deal.