Which powder for 38 special in 2" barrel?

[goldpelican]

About to load 38 Special for the first time - the gun is a Taurus with 2" barrel. I have the following three powders on hand - which would you recommend for use with 125g Berrys plated flat nose bullets in the short barrel?

HP-38
BE-86
Power Pistol

I'm thinking I would like to avoid Mosin style fireballs on my plinking rounds

 

[Stony]

I'd be using the HP-38 in a short barrel.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

A faster powder better suits a shorter barrel in most cases. Slower powders of course produce more in longer barrels. Too bad Bulls Eye wasn't an option! To be honest (and as much as I like all 3) I think you would be better off with another powder or 38. I would test them all if it were me.

 

[AZAndy]

Yep, HP-38 will work just fine. I've shot of lot of that from a snubnose.

 

[thomas15]

HP-38

 

[CZ9shooter]

Slower powders generally produce higher velocities than faster ones in shorter barrels too. I use PowerPistol for my +P type loads. Yes, in low light, there is a bit of a fireball. BE86 might perform similarly with less flash.

For mellow target shooting loads I use faster powders.

Depends on what you are looking for I guess.

 

[.308 Norma]

I'm with CZ9shooter.

 

[Lennyjoe]

HP-38 here as well for a pair of 2" Taurus 85's

 

[Steve C]

You don't specify what types of loads you wish to make, a modest recoil practice load for the range or a ballistic duplicate of +P SD ammo. It has been my experience that Power Pistol is a great powder for high pressure cartridges like the 9mm and .40 S&W however it is a poor choice for low pressure cartridges like the .38 spl or .45 ACP leaving case exteriors carbon fouled and shooting smokey.

While I have never loaded with Hp38 I regularly use its sister powder W231 to load .38 spl with cast bullets in standard pressure target and +P 158gr Speer LSWCHP. Hp38 should be a similarly good powder for use in the .38 spl at both standard and +P with appropriate data.

For 125gr self defense loads I use 6.0 gr of Unique behind a good expanding HP like Hornady XTP, Remington GS, or Speer Gold Dot. These loads chrono at 1,050 fps from a 4" revolver and should be 950 fps from a 2" snub. I haven't used BE-86 yet but did pick up a lb, of it a couple months ago to try out. It has a similar burn rate to Unique and some have called it the replacement for Unique and should be a good choice for 125 gr self defense loads or equivalent velocity practice loads.

 

[8ring]

HP-38 or Win 231 work well with your Berry 125 grain flat point bullets. Berry recommends loads that run between mid-range lead loads at the low end and mid-range jacketed loads at the high end. The maximum .38 standard pressure lead load in the Hodgden Annual Manuall is 4.8gr. The maximum standard pressure jacketed load is 4.9gr for a Hornady XTP.

I use about 4.6 to 4.7 gr. Win 231 and a Win small pistol primer with the Berry 125 gr flat points in my SW 638 snubby and find it to be a pleasant load. Note however that is likely to be some powder flash in the barrel-cylinder gap, not enough to be unsettling, but enough to let you know you're not blinking when the round goes off.

 

[38riverrat]

I use HP-38 for 38 SPL and light 357 MGN for my S&W M640 with plated 125 gr FP.

Best,
Rick

 

[WestKentucky]

Of those the hp38, but if your loading particularly for this gun in any significant volume I would be looking at a can of bullseye (and heavy hbwc bullets)

 

[entropy]

Not Blue Dot!

Of the three you list, BE-86.

 

[Blue68f100]

Of those listed W231/HP38 should do you fine. I use WST in my mouse fart loads.

 

[Slamfire]

Based on what Alliant says about the flash suppression characteristics of BE-86, I would use that:
BE-86
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/be-86.760289/#post-9597004

 

[RealGun]

About to load 38 Special for the first time - the gun is a Taurus with 2" barrel. I have the following three powders on hand - which would you recommend for use with 125g Berrys plated flat nose bullets in the short barrel?

HP-38
BE-86
Power Pistol

I'm thinking I would like to avoid Mosin style fireballs on my plinking rounds

It depends what load data you find in main stream sources. My best bet would be my Speer manual where they list their "Short Barrel" loads. I am thinking your three choices are equally compromised as not as fast burning as those normally recommended for short burns and quick peak pressure before the bullet is gone.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If high velocity is your aim the powder that will deliver the highest velocities from a 4" barrel will deliver the highest velocities from a 2" barrel too.

For standard pressure range ammo I use nothing but W231/HP-38. It works we for me and for all my revolvers, including 2", 4" and longer barrels.

Just a note to those who still might not know, HP-38 and W231 are the same exact powder. Not similar, not close but exactly the same. Don't trust me, write Hodgdon and St Marks Powder and ask them like I did.

 

[goldpelican]

Just looking to make up plinking rounds as per the first post.

Will give HP-38 and BE-86 a whirl with a few different loads and see what's what.

Annoyingly my starter bag of Starline brass had 99 cases, not 100! Was using the RCBS APS hand primer, and I ran out of cases and still had a primer left in the strip

 

[Blue68f100]

Call up the place where you got them form. I had this happen to me twice on some 458 SOCOM brass from Midway. They ended up giving me credit since they did not have any more. I think Midway buys in bulk and re packages them.

 

[Zendude]

Hp38 has worked well for mild target loads using 125 grain plated bullets.

 

[Jim Watson]

When loading light bullets and light loads of HP38, seat the bullets as deeply as their shape allows.

The only reload I have ever stuck a bullet with was one made up with a 125 at the same OAL and powder charge as I had been using with 160s.
Blast and recoil were erratic, until I finally stuck a bullet in the barrel of my 2" M12. Too much airspace for the primer flash.
I seated the remainder of that batch down to where the case mouth was at the very leading edge of the bearing surface and roll crimped. They then shot normally.

 

[The Bushmaster]

W-231...