38 S&W Loads

[Slyhuntr]

I have a S&W Victory in 38 S&W. Anyone have a recipe using Hi-Skor 700X? I plan to use Winchester Cases and a 158gr .358" Cast projectile.

Information

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[Parashooter]

Be careful with those 158's. If designed for the .38 Special or .357, the crimping groove might be way far forward for the short S&W case, leaving very little powder volume if seated to crimp there. Factory bullets for the S&W have a crimp groove much farther aft.


700X is fine. Use data for Bullseye or Red Dot as a guide. 1.5 to 2 grains is pleasant. The Victory is stronger than the old break-actions for which factory loads and data are tailored.

[Slyhuntr]

Parashooter, Thanks for the info. I hadn't considered the crimping groove. Guess I may want to look for another mold. I plan to shoot light loads in the Victory, if I want heavy I'll drag out my Redhawk. I'd like to come up with a load for the Military Revolver shoot at our club.

[Pete D.]

You may get acceptable accuracy from those bullets. The proper bullet, though, will be a tad larger at .360-362.
I use Lyman's 195 grain #358430 over 3.0 grains of Unique. They drop from the mould at .360 and work just fine. The load pretty much duplicates the British 38/200 military load.
NEI makes a mold for the proper 200 grain bullet, a .362-200.
http://www.neihandtools.com/catalog.html

[joem]

Check Missouri bullet company for cast .360 bullets. I use them in a old S&W and Colt.

[RicinYakima]

Slyhuntr, If you really want to "rig" the match, try HB 38 special WC's, seated only 1/2 in the case, with 2.0 grains of Bullseye. That load will shoot great groups, you just have to supply the Kentucky windage to hit the black! Good Luck! Ric

[Slyhuntr]

Slyhuntr, If you really want to "rig" the match, try HB 38 special WC's, seated only 1/2 in the case, with 2.0 grains of Bullseye. That load will shoot great groups, you just have to supply the Kentucky windage to hit the black! Good Luck! Ric

I might just try it, there are a couple of fellas that shoot in the MBABR shoot that load so light that when they touch them off you'd swear they were shooting air rifles. I mean like a K98 or a 1917 that only goes pop instead of boom. I'd like to treat them with the same. Seriously, I wish we would have a shoot with only surplus ammo, that way all are shooting same.