38's, going short!

[Guy Miner]

During the winter months I tend to shoot my revolvers more, and my semi-autos less... because of snow!

Danged hot 45 brass just sinks out of sight in the snow, not to be found until March or April!

So - with the 38 & 44 revolvers, I can shoot six, dump the empties into a coffee can and so on. All is well. Besides, I tend to carry the revolvers a lot in the winter anyway, on casual walks, snowshoe hikes or when I get out after coyotes or upland birds.

Am using Unique again, for the same reasons as usual: it works, and I have quite a bit of it. Sticking with 158 grain cast lead SWC bullets, and my loads are being treated to match primers, because that's what I found in stock last time I bought small pistol primers.

I load them to about 800 fps from my 2.5" Model 19 S&W revolver. Great little carry piece, easy to drag along. Do most of my target practice with the 38's, but still carry 357's in it.

Regards, Guy

 

[Thebear_78]

You can lay down a sheet to catch your brass. I tend to carry my revolvers more in the winter also. Heavier cover garments and harder targets.

Chances are if needed in the winter it will be either putting a moose down or a zombie turtle.

Our druggy, homeless, crazy population tend to wear many heavy layers of clothing and backpacks in the winter. Making them practically knife proof and hard on hollow points.

A paramedic friend of mine switched away from 380 and 9 to a j frame 357 due to this. Layers of carharts sbd newspaper causing hollow points act like solids.


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[Guy Miner]

Yup - sometimes those good ol' LSWC revolver loads are the answer.

Zombie turtle you say? I might need to load magnums for something like that! :wink:

 

[Thebear_78]

I carry 158 JSP 357 mag loads in both my j frame and 685+.

With the backpacks and then staggering around all night zombie turtle seems fitting


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[26NosFan]

I bought 1000 berry's platted FP 158's that I am loading my 38s with, 6grs of HS-6. Great practice load. In my 6" 686 recoil is near none.

 

[FOTIS]

Love the 38 special. I think I have six or seven now

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Guy,

One of my favorite rounds is the .38 Special.
With you getting them into the 800 + fps area makes them a very formidable defense round. The flat points on the semi wad cutters do a great job against heavily clothed perps during the winter.
The semi wad cutters work quite against cougar, and black bear going that speed as well. You'll dispatch coyotes quite well, too.
My next favorite round is the .44 Special! It's the twin of the .45 ACP when loaded to similar velocities, not to mention it's as accurate or a little more so.
One can handle heavy beasts with ease using a 240 gr semi wad cutter being pushed 840 - 900 fps. It takes a lot to slow that one down.
The .44 Special handles crazed lunatics, and hopped up drug perps with authority, just like the .45!
I've known some people to use the .44 Special for deer hunting when they get it going fast enough, safely, in the .357 mag power range.
It will hit with even more authority on heavily clothed perps, and make big, big holes in them, and draining their blood extremely well.

These are my personal revolvers:
S&W Mod. 64, .38 Special.
S&W Hand Ejector 2nd Model in .44 Special.
My personality rolled rounds with the .44 Special, 240 gr rounded flat nose cast bullets my dad gave me from his antique 44 mould.
Plus, light clothing .38 Special Berry's bullet 125 gr hollow points, going safely at 9mm velocities. Heavy clothing I use Hornady 158 gr Semi Wad Cutter HP going safely at 880 fps.
Plus some 158 gr Berry's Flat point .38 Special loads.


Hawk



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[Guy Miner]

Nice! Ya, I'll be loading 44's (magnums) once I've got a few hundred of the 38's loaded up. :grin:

With the 44, I have two levels of loads:

1) 250 or 255 gr cast lead at about 1,000 fps (similar to your 44 Special load)

2) Full on Boogie loads! :grin: Those can be 240's, 250's, 270's, 300's... Over AA #9 or 296/110. Whichever combo is chosen, the recoil is way up, accuracy remains good. I don't shoot a lot of those, but I do like to have some on hand.

The 38 is fun, the 44 even more so! :grin:

Regards, Guy

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Guy,

I fully agree with you. The .38 is fun, and the .44 is even moreso. The .44 just hits with way more authority.

I almost forgot, my go to powders for both Specials are Unique, CFE Pistol, IMR 4227, and Hercules 2400.
I've learned that modern S&W .38 Specials are heat treated just like their .357 Magnum counterparts.
That eases my mind, especially when I load +P rounds for the .38.
I still don't super charge the .38, but don't worry either when I load a round that is just a little into +P territory.
The .44 Special is good with velocities of 900 - 1000 fps. No heavy or +P loads for her. The .44 Special doesn't really need suped up loads to be effective. It's still mild to shoot, and hyper accurate. That's what I like about both rounds.
As some say, boringly accurate as much is the day is long.
I've got some 240 gr Semi Wad Cutter HP's I want to try in her, just like the .38's. I bet they're a doozy!


Hawk

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[clearwater]

For my heavy load I have some Keith style cast at 170 grains. With 5 grains of Unique they run 900 fps out of a 3" lcrx. Also use some 125 grain powder coated cast I load with a little under 3 grains of Bullseye for practice. Fun revolver, so light. Still need lots of practice, I want to be able to take forest grouse consistantly.

 

[truck driver]

Looking good Guy.
I sort of favored a different powder for the 38spl and reserved unique for it's bigger brother 357 mag.
I always used some of the old WW231 and bullseye powder under a 148 gr HBW in my target loads.
My custom Larry Luteneger built 1911 38 spl runs the 148 HBW flawlessly. Larry is a retired AMU pistol smith who built custom bullseye pistols after he retired from the Army.
I once had one of the early Colt AMU 1911 38spl made back in the 1960's but couldn't get it to shoot good groups since the barrel didn't lock up in the slide like a 45 does.

 

[lhsako]

During the winter months I tend to shoot my revolvers more, and my semi-autos less... because of snow!

Danged hot 45 brass just sinks out of sight in the snow, not to be found until March or April!

So - with the 38 & 44 revolvers, I can shoot six, dump the empties into a coffee can and so on. All is well. Besides, I tend to carry the revolvers a lot in the winter anyway, on casual walks, snowshoe hikes or when I get out after coyotes or upland birds.

Am using Unique again, for the same reasons as usual: it works, and I have quite a bit of it. Sticking with 158 grain cast lead SWC bullets, and my loads are being treated to match primers, because that's what I found in stock last time I bought small pistol primers.

I load them to about 800 fps from my 2.5" Model 19 S&W revolver. Great little carry piece, easy to drag along. Do most of my target practice with the 38's, but still carry 357's in it.

Regards, Guy

Using a gas check, correct?

 

[lhsako]

Guy,

One of my favorite rounds is the .38 Special.
With you getting them into the 800 + fps area makes them a very formidable defense round. The flat points on the semi wad cutters do a great job against heavily clothed perps during the winter.
The semi wad cutters work quite against cougar, and black bear going that speed as well. You'll dispatch coyotes quite well, too.
My next favorite round is the .44 Special! It's the twin of the .45 ACP when loaded to similar velocities, not to mention it's as accurate or a little more so.
One can handle heavy beasts with ease using a 240 gr semi wad cutter being pushed 840 - 900 fps. It takes a lot to slow that one down.
The .44 Special handles crazed lunatics, and hopped up drug perps with authority, just like the .45!
I've known some people to use the .44 Special for deer hunting when they get it going fast enough, safely, in the .357 mag power range.
It will hit with even more authority on heavily clothed perps, and make big, big holes in them, and draining their blood extremely well.

These are my personal revolvers:
S&W Mod. 64, .38 Special.
S&W Hand Ejector 2nd Model in .44 Special.
My personality rolled rounds with the .44 Special, 240 gr rounded flat nose cast bullets my dad gave me from his antique 44 mould.
Plus, light clothing .38 Special Berry's bullet 125 gr hollow points, going safely at 9mm velocities. Heavy clothing I use Hornady 158 gr Semi Wad Cutter HP going safely at 880 fps.
Plus some 158 gr Berry's Flat point .38 Special loads.


Hawk



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>>> Winter perp load....I love it!

 

[Guy Miner]

During the winter months I tend to shoot my revolvers more, and my semi-autos less... because of snow!

Danged hot 45 brass just sinks out of sight in the snow, not to be found until March or April!

So - with the 38 & 44 revolvers, I can shoot six, dump the empties into a coffee can and so on. All is well. Besides, I tend to carry the revolvers a lot in the winter anyway, on casual walks, snowshoe hikes or when I get out after coyotes or upland birds.

Am using Unique again, for the same reasons as usual: it works, and I have quite a bit of it. Sticking with 158 grain cast lead SWC bullets, and my loads are being treated to match primers, because that's what I found in stock last time I bought small pistol primers.

I load them to about 800 fps from my 2.5" Model 19 S&W revolver. Great little carry piece, easy to drag along. Do most of my target practice with the 38's, but still carry 357's in it.

Regards, Guy

Using a gas check, correct?

Nope - these are plain base lead bullets. I'm only pushing them to about 800 fps. No problem.

Guy

 

[JD338]

Here are my S&W 629's.
The 629 Classic 6 3/8" barrel is used for WT deer and hogs. Topped off with a Leupold 4x fixed power scope and loaded with Nosler 240 gr JHP bullets. This one shoots ragged holes at 50 yards.
The 3" barrel is my woods/truck gun for 2 and 4 legged predictors. Loaded with a 240 gr SWC HP from Rim Rock Bullets. This bullet is offered from Buffalo Bore Bullets and is known as the "Deer Grenade".

JD338