Taurus M85 Snubby .38 Spl - Found My Load

[il.bill]

It took a while, but I believe I have finally found my load for my .38 Special SS Taurus M85 Snub Nose Revolver. Titegroup and CFE Pistol have been OK, but good old Bullseye really worked well with the X-Treme HPs.

Today I shot my best target yet with that dandy little handgun. A ten shot group looked nearly as good, but the picture came out fuzzy. Here are my final five shots (looks like six but was only five) -



This was fired DA from just a little over seven yards with a two-handed hold while sitting in a chair (a bit easier on worn out knees on an extended range day) but NOT using a rest.

They were 158 grain Plated Hollow Point Bullets from X-Treme loaded over 3.4 grains of Bullseye. This result is just about as good as I am going to get. The four inch spinner at ten yards got a workout too! My fairly new S&W Bodyguard 38 had a similar group, but not quite as nice and a little high / to the left.

 

[Jack B.]

ok

 

[Jack B.]

3.4 grs bullseye is really light load.

 

[il.bill]

YMMV - it works for me! http://www.alliantpowder.com/reload...owderlist.aspx&type=1&powderid=1&cartridge=26

 

[Slamfire]

It is probably OCD, but I like my powder charges to be in half grain increments, and for me, 3.5 grs Bullseye has consistently shot outstandingly in every 38 Special I own, it also chronographs at the same velocity as factory 158 lead bullets. It is a bit slower with a jacketed bullet. Since my loads are thrown charges, give or take a 0.1 grain, your bullets are going about the same speed as mine.

 Taurus M85 B2UL  2" 

158 LSWC 3.5 grs Bullseye thrown, Mixed Brass WSP
11-Dec-04 T = 54 °F shot little high  and centered

Ave Vel = 686.3  
Std Dev = 13.63  
ES = 58.48  
High  = 718.8  
Low  = 660.3  
N = 30  

158 LRN  Master Factory Ammo 
30-Dec-04 T = 56 °F shot 6" high centered until barrel leaded
 
Ave Vel = 698.2   
Std Dev = 20.56   
ES = 105.8    
High  = 753.5    
Low  = 647.6   
N = 32   

158 LSWC 3.5 grs Bullseye Mixed brass Fed 100
30-Dec-04 T = 56 °F  

Ave Vel = 706.2   
Std Dev = 23.45    
ES = 81.94    
High  = 748    
Low  = 666.1   
N = 32

 Taurus M85 Stainless  2" Barrel   

158 LSWC 3.5 grs Bullseye thrown, Mixed Brass WSP
17-Apr-17 T = 80 °F    
  
Ave Vel = 699.9   
Std Dev = 13.96   
ES = 44.5   
High  = 724.9   
Low  = 680.4   
N = 12   



158 JHP 3.5 grs Bullseye thrown, Mixed Brass WSP
17-Apr-17 T = 80 °F    

Ave Vel = 634
Std Dev = 19.41
ES = 54.9   
High  = 657.7   
Low  = 602.8   
N = 8

I have been very happy with my Taurus snubbies, they were a great deal for the price, the triggers excellent, the accuracy excellent, and they always went bang. I am glad to read that someone else shares my happiness! Good shooting

 

[joneb]

Another load I found that works well in a 38 spl snubs is 4.2 gr of W-231 with a 158 gr cast LSWC.
I have a early 90's M-85 2" +P rated in stainless, it has been flawless after all these years.

 

[Zendude]

I’ve gone as low as 3.0 grains of Bullseye under a 158 gr Xtreme plated FP with good results. 3 - 3.5 grains produces nice soft shooters out of light weight snubs.

 

[zymguy]

are you confident it is going fast enough for the bullet to open up? I'm not doubting, only asking.
Ben

 

[cp1969]

I don't think you can ever count on bullet expansion from a .38 snub nose unless you load a 148 gr. HBWC backwards.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

My standard .38 Special load is a .158gr LSWC over 4.0gr W231. For me it's extremely accurate and less snappy than with Bullseye. If Bullseye works well for you stick with it. This is why they sell so many powders...

 

[Slamfire]

are you confident it is going fast enough for the bullet to open up? I'm not doubting, only asking.
Ben

It is very disappointing to see how often highly touted bullets fail to expand. https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/revolver-ballistics-test/ A couple of things have happened since the 1990's, a huge one is the internet. We have been able to break free of the in print media which censored results unfavorable to their advertisers. Then, around that time enough lethality tests were conducted, outside of commercial firms, to provide an agreed on calibrated ballistic test media. Previous to that, the in print media shills simply shot any thing in their garage and claimed that humans, or deer, were like "wet newspaper", "duxseal", "wood", "clay", "soap", "steel", "phone books", "water jugs" etc.The results of that in print psuedo science/advertising got a lot of good guys killed when their bullets failed in actual use. So, with the advent of the internet and an agreed on ballistic media, sites like Luckygunner can test for themselves and show us, that commercial bullets often don't expand, or expand much. The results on the 38 Special are quite disappointing to say the least, and therefore, don't count on much if any bullet expansion in a 2" or 4" 38 Special barrels. This round does not push the bullet fast enough for reliable or consistent expansion.

Take a look at the other results for other calibers, I was similarily not impressed with expansion in other handgun calibers, which reinforces my belief, that as in piston engines, there is no replacement for displacement" when it comes to bullet diameter.

 

[Zendude]

are you confident it is going fast enough for the bullet to open up? I'm not doubting, only asking.
Ben

I thought these loads are just intended for range use and not as a carry load. Is this correct?

 

[Paulie69]

It took a while, but I believe I have finally found my load for my .38 Special SS Taurus M85 Snub Nose Revolver. Titegroup and CFE Pistol have been OK, but good old Bullseye really worked well with the X-Treme HPs.

Today I shot my best target yet with that dandy little handgun. A ten shot group looked nearly as good, but the picture came out fuzzy. Here are my final five shots (looks like six but was only five) -

View attachment 776068

This was fired DA from just a little over seven yards with a two-handed hold while sitting in a chair (a bit easier on worn out knees on an extended range day) but NOT using a rest.

They were 158 grain Plated Hollow Point Bullets from X-Treme loaded over 3.4 grains of Bullseye. This result is just about as good as I am going to get. The four inch spinner at ten yards got a workout too! My fairly new S&W Bodyguard 38 had a similar group, but not quite as nice and a little high / to the left.

Thats nice to know. I have the simular .38 sp and I am a beginner reloader. So I'm going to try that aswell.