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I use a W-mart paper plate and cut the wad on the end grain of a 2x4 block using a 38 or 9MM case (primer removed) as the punch (no need to sharpen). 14” includes loading data for only 110- and 125-grain jacketed bullets for standard-pressure .38 Spl. Whether you’re looking for .38 Special hollow points for protection or FMJ ammo for the range, we’ve got you covered with the best ammo at the best prices. Therefore, .38 Special +P ammo can be as much as 17.5 percent hotter than standard .38 Special. Pistol; Rifle; Cowboy; GR. To start off I have no use for these as of now but thought they were cool, but not cool enough to pay 15 bucks for 10 of them at the store. If the plastic capsules break during final seating, double check that case mouth expansion is adequate. use a combination of wads, one between the powder and shot and the other on top of the shot to close the end of the cartridge case, or to utilize a closed hollow plastic capsule in place of a bullet to contain the shot Loaded and used properly, handgun shotshells can dispatch rats in a barn or shed without causing undue damage to the structure itself. There is also a capsuled load for 9mm Luger loaded with No. Bullets cast by your own hand are even cheaper. I loaded up a batch of shot cartridges using #8 shot salvaged from old shotgun shells and 5.0 grains of Unique; brass was a mixed bag of random stuff, including some full wadcutter cases. A .357 Mag. The effect is the same as loaded ammo. Several times when shooting the .38 Spl. Loads for .38 special: (Note: These are near maximum loads (in some cases ARE MAXIMUM), you should use 10%. Shooting the .38/.357 loads through a Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum with a 4-inch barrel resulted in 55 pellet holes in a pattern shot 12 feet from the muzzle. I’m going to keep shooting .38s in the revolver because the cases are plentiful and inexpensive, but if you have a lot of .357 Mag. I ran a loaded cartridge to the top of the press stroke, removed the 9mm seating plug and screwed the die down until it touched the case mouth, then gave it a firm twist downward onto the case. The .38 Spl. That totals up to .38s costing nearly the same as some .22 Long Rifle rounds. Find Bulk 38 special ammunition fast and cheap with Americas best ammunition search engine. 9 shot. can be cranked up a bit in velocity with jacketed bullets for a flatter trajectory in longer-distance shooting and hunting small game. [ Re: GunGeek ] #1965298 01/24/08 Did you know that during WWII the government issued .45 ACP shotshells to air crewmen for foraging in a shot-down survival situation? Shot, out of a rifled barrel with the capsules or not, flies in a spiral creating big holes in the pattern. That was crimp enough; set the lock ring and you’re good to go. That’s also quite a benefit for .45 ACP loads where most powders used will not take up a lot of the available powder space. Seat shot capsules deep enough to permit proper cylinder rotation. Only if you see more than one load, is it less than maximum. Fill the capsules with your chosen shot and snap the end cap in place. But if you load 500 rounds, you save 250 grains of propellant. Shooters that know practice makes perfect can count on 38 Special Ammunition for all of their firearm needs. From this absolute .38 caliber minimum you can work up to max .38 SC loads, then to very light .38 Special loads, then to heavier loads. 2 of 8. Add a bunch of .38s for practice and fun, and a .357 Mag. We don’t need special dies for loading these shotshells but you may need to experiment with your technique a bit. helps those bent pennies add up, because they cost about half as much as similar-weight jacketed bullets. With their light recoil and low cost, .38s are made for shooting, which means high-production loading. All .38 Short Colt loads are very tame, but these are true "pop gun" loads; not much more than .22 LR. Plus they are hard to find. CCI’s .38/.357 load contains approximately 135 No. The 2.7 & 2.8 loads are a bit light for my taste since I'm not shooting one handed bullseye matches. The two methods of building 38 Special shot shells is to either use a combination of wads, one between the powder and shot and the other on top of the shot to close the end of the cartridge case, or to utilize a closed hollow plastic capsule in place of a bullet to contain the shot. 5.0 grains of Unique put all #8 pellets in a fairly round 10” pattern at 10 feet. I've run 3.0 gr of Bullseye with 158 gr semiwadcutters. The .357 Magnum’s purpose, though, is to shoot heavy bullets at high speeds. A few propellants that weighed precisely from a measure include Alliant Unique and Ramshot True Blue, with a spread of 28 fps, and Alliant Power Pistol, with a spread of 23 fps. Then I take a moment to look into each charged case beneath a strong light to ensure the propellant is at the correct level. by John Haviland - A handgunner using .38 Specials is set for targets, plinking and small game while .357 Mag. Varying weights dispensed from the powder measure caused those velocity spreads. snub-nosed revolver offers, then you need to consider what to load it with. With #9 shot, this load produces about 1058fps (Speer data). All the R&D ammo makers poured into improving the 9mm has benefitted the .38 Spl. Seat the over-powder wad with the blunt end of a pencil. was originally loaded with blackpowder, and the case is much larger than necessary to hold today’s propellants. Why reload shotshells? Simply adjust the die up or down in the press for appropriate roll crimp tension as you normally would with any bullet. When I load the .38 Super, I flare the case on the upstroke of the ram; on the downstroke, I prime each case by simply pushing in on the primer arm to seat the primer. About; Disclaimer; Contact; Log in / Sign up.38 Special - Manufacturer Loading Data. The first method limits the amount of shot used because it must all fit inside the case below the mouth. A modern hull has a certain lifespan and, barring some specific injury – being stepped on, for instance – it … Shot shells provide us with another facet of handloading, with plenty of room for testing our own ideas. We need to crimp plastic shot capsules in place for the same reason as for bullets, to prevent them backing into or out of cases under recoil, handling or transportation. I ordered a set of Lee carbide reloading dies for the .38 S&W and found them to be quite similar to other dies I had, as the sizing die is marked “.38 Auto.” This older .38 S&W uses the same sizing die as the .38 Super! Loading The .38 Spl.Lead bullets work best when loading standard .38 Spl. Whether you’re new to handloading or the 38 Special is old hat to you, shotshell loading is a fun and educational pursuit. The .38 Special's MAP is 17,000 psi, whereas for the .38 Special +P it is 20,000 psi. Loading Practice Rounds For The Classic .38 Special. Re: Making Homemade .38 Spcl Shotshells? This lesser taper supposedly permits seating the shot capsule more easily than do 38 Special cases not intended for full wadcutters. Left uncleaned, that fouling can be difficult to remove, and it keeps .357 Mag. ammunition in the same gun enables that shooter to hunt larger game and to fend off beasts that snarl in the night. A .357 Mag. The factory loads feature a 145- to 146-gr. That’s the theory, but in practice and in loading shotshells for this article, my standard RCBS bullet seating die applying a roll crimp (and using the flat meplat seater plug) performed flawlessly—not one broken capsule. loads listed in the accompanying table, a bullet hit several inches low, ruining an otherwise tight group. A steady aim at the top of a marmot’s head at 75 yards will roll the hay hog off its mound. It may arguably be safer than bullet handloads as light crimps and frangible projectiles probably keep pressures lower. Then using finger pressure, push the cap end of the capsule into the prepared case as far as possible; finish with the seating die to an overall length (OAL) of 1.5”. Midsouth has powder bushings … #2 shot (0.27”) may be the largest practical size. That is enough to load an additional 83 cartridges if you’re using 3.0 grains of Hodgdon Titegroup with a 150-grain lead wadcutter. Main issue is that the .44 spl. If you’re absolutely set on having a taper crimp, a 9mm Luger seat/crimp die works. The additional cost of jacketed bullets pays off with a flatter trajectory. Primer: Winchester Small Pistol The 38 Special, headspacing on the rim, gets a roll crimp from the seater die. The large hole is from the shot shell’s endcap. 5.0 gr. The proof pressure MAP specified by SAAMI is 29,500 psi for both rounds. I thought I would do a little write up about the shotshells I made for my .38 special. Privacy Policy   •   Contact Us   •   Warnings   •   FAQs   •  © 2021 National Rifle Association of America, Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassadors, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, The Speer Bullets Reloading Manual No. picks up the pace with heavier bullets at higher velocities. The first step in shotshell reloading is to inspect your hulls for flaws. less to start.) A double-action revolver like this Smith & Wesson Model 13 can make for an excellent home- or self-defense handgun. Lead bullets are great for such high-volume shooting. A small .38 revolver with shotshells makes an excellent hiking companion. cases, they can be loaded with target and plinking loads that duplicate the .38 Spl. Accurate rounds can be loaded whether you throw your powder charges with a rotary powder measure or scoop them with a dipper. Do note that plastic shot capsules aren’t durable enough for magazine loading in lever action rifles, nor are shot shells completely safe for guns with ported compensators. Allen Company Ruger Universal Handgun Cleaning Kit - .380ACP.357 Magnum, 9mm, 10mm.40 caliber.38 special.44 Magnum and .45 acp , black 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,002 $17.89 $ 17 . To avoid breaking the plastic capsule, work the press handle slowly when seating. cartridges from dropping freely into the chambers. The.38 Spl. Speer plastic shot capsule should be loaded on the light side with accurate and inexpensive target bullets for practice loads. (See note on Powders below or read all about various Powders.) For tree rats, you'd be better served with a single shot .410. Case trim length: 1.155” Get the American Rifleman Insider newsletter for at-a-glance access to industry news, gear, gun reviews, videos and more—delivered directly to your Inbox. A too-tight roll crimp can crack or break the plastic capsules, so a taper crimp is preferable. Also, I find reloading to be great stress relief. *The Speer shot capsule, with an inside diameter of about .307”, can accept shot up to size #1 (0.30”) if not deformed. Creating loads for those separate applications requires some thought and time at the loading bench. The two knurls ID this as a full wadcutter case. 4.0 gr. Cartridge OAL: 1.5” 14, Sheriff's Tips: Firing The Most Important Shot, Smith & Wesson's Model 39 'Hush Puppy': A Sidearm for the SEALs. Cases that have been fired numerous times also show thinning of the mouth rims. Moving Up To .357 Mag.After shooting several hundred .38s through the Smith & Wesson Model 686 Plus, a ring of fouling started to build up just short of the cylinder throats. NRA Gun of the Week: American Tactical FXH-45 Moxie, Winchester USA Valor Ammunition to Aid Folds of Honor, © 2021 National Rifle Association of America. offers the best .38 Special ammo … cases and they varied quite a bit in length. as well. A capsule loaded with #8 shot weighs, on average, 101 gr. The standard target for “patterning” shotguns is a piece of blank paper with a 40-inch circle; shoot at a mark in the center and then evaluate the number and distribution of pellets that struck inside the circle. 4.5 gr. Salvaged shot from old shotgun shells is cheap ammo. Many shooters who prefer a revolver trust in the .38. 12 shot. With the 125 & 158 gr. Loaded with 3.0 grains of Titegroup, a pound of the propellant loads 2,333 rounds. The 38 S & W cases as well as 38 short and long Colt I use FFFFg filled to the top and crimp it. The .357 Mag. Rifleman Q&A: Two Serial Numbers On An M1 Carbine? Lead bullets are great for such … A premier-quality ammunition, these 38 Specials offer legendary performance and quality that wheelgun and lever rifle users have known and come to love. The first hurdle was finding shot. The most commonly known load is right off the Speer box of shot capsules, 5.5 grains of Unique and #9 shot. The pattern shot with the .44 load con- tained 119 hits. .38 Spl. The capsules are designed to break on contact with the rifling. lead bullet at … Though I haven’t yet sectioned a case to see for myself, I’ve read that many 38 Special cases loaded at the factory with full wadcutters have a sharper angle at the web—where the inside of the case tapers into the case head—than do cases not intended for these bullets. Heavy paper over-powder and over-shot cards work just fine for 38/357 shot loads. The capsules are designed to break on contact with the rifling. Powder: 5.5 grains Unique is ready for deer-size game when it’s loaded with cast lead-alloy Lyman 358156 bullets or Hornady 158-grain FP XTP bullets at close to 1,200 fps. So care must be taken to prevent a double charge of propellant from making it into a case during loading. Shooting the .38/.357 loads through a Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum with a 4-inch barrel re- sulted in 55 pellet holes in a pattern shot 12 feet from the muzzle. The .38 ammo is more common to find than the .44 ammo, so that is a big reason to reload the .44. Swaged lead bullets or cast lead-alloy bullets easily drive through a revolver’s bore with a minimum amount of propellant. Typical patterning distance runs from 20 to 40 yards. Chamfering the inside edge of the case mouth may help, as well. I also size the 38 cases in a 30 Luger die. ammunition has improved a great deal since it was introduced in 1898. The wadcutters drop from the mold with a diameter of 0.358 inches. I have always used # 7 1/2 shot simply because I have a lot of it on hand. I load a very light .38spl load with a 124gr cast bullet for my sister who keeps a j-frame smith for home defense. The NEI 150 358 wadcutter bullet loaded in .357 Mag. There isn’t a whole lot of load data out there for 38 Special shotshells, compared to bulleted loads. I use Unique powder, drop powder in a primed hull, seat a gas check, cup up, over the powder, fill hull to within about 1/16" of top, seat another gas check cup up over shot, use a nice roll crimp. I like to squeeze real hard when pinching pennies. IMR 700X Of course, the larger the shot size the fewer number of pellets will fit in the shot capsule; for this reason, you may find shot sizes #6 to #9 your top choices, with #9 probably the better choice for rats or pigeons inside structures and #6 for vermin outdoors. Bullseye is great for light, accurate loads in a .38 spec. On the other hand, jacketed bullets build more resistance in the rifling and may lodge in the bore if propellant charges are too light. It’s already showing promising results in .38 Special. If there is only ONE load, it is MAX. Otherwise it’s make 9mm all day all the time, baby. Wednesday, October 5, 2011. The wad method is a bit fussy and slower compared to the plastic cup, but it has its own nearly endless options for experimenting, such as using cast bullet gas checks, felt cap & ball over-powder wads or your own ideas for wads, shot cups and weather sealing. I've loaded "snake loads" for.38 Special for 30 years or more. I got the information from the American Rifleman. Reloading Costs Calculator; How I reload; Reloading Questions; About. I measured a bunch of sized .357 Mag. With black powder I just fill up the case and crimp. Generally speaking again, you may find better/tighter patterns with lesser charges, especially with smaller shot sizes. Loading swaged lead bullets in .38 Spl. Hodgdon HP 38. In addition to dealing with rattlesnakes under the porch steps, handgun shotshells are also useful for up-close vermin of rat size—or even rabid-dog size, with larger shot. Depth at running back and … For testing the 38 Special shot shell, a 20-inch circle at 10 feet gives us more real-world information. While it might sound a little complicated, once you get a cadence going, it will surprise you … Now if you load a .38 or .45 with #12 shot, then you have the hammer of Thor where snakes are concerned. Handgun shotshells are candidates for entertainment and experiment, and those latter reasons sum up a major aspect of handloading. A Powder Checker or Lock-Out die is installed after the charging station to ensure that. 9 pellets, and the .44 Special/Magnum, 170 pellets. The .38 Spl. .358” Plated Hollowpoints from RMR, No 2 is going to get a substantial test in our .38 Special and light .357 Magnum loads. The manufacturers I know best don’t even bother trying to run their .38 Special loads through the full FBI Protocol—they simply focus on Bare Gelatin (Test #1) and Heavy Clothing (Test #2). Those variations are not conducive to a strong and even crimp. If you plan to use this sturdy round, Cheaper Than Dirt! For the cost of 4-5 boxs of commercial ammo you could get into a basic reloading set up and then load the .38/.357's to your own specs and what works for you. Gives lots of noise and smoke. My time at the loading bench recharges my psyche and helps chase off the stresses of modern life. When I really get going with my RCBS Piggyback 4 progressive press, I make sure the press handle is fully lowered to dispense propellant. “ If your grandfather shot .38 reloads in competition, it was probably with a 2.7 through 3.0 gr of Bullseye pushing a 148 gr wadcutter. Shotshell reloading is a great way to fine-tune your shotgun loads and save money. To generalize, in handgun shotshells “long range” is maybe 15 feet; hit probability drops significantly much beyond that distance regardless of the number of pellets we launch due to the combination of short barrels and rifling that quickly throws shot patterns outward from center. A glance at the chronograph display showed those bullets were up to 200 fps slower than others in the string. This load in a 4” barreled S&W M&P Model 10 revolver placed pellets in a fairly round 10” pattern. That adds resistance and prevents the case from sticking in the gun. Well, a big reason is the satisfaction of “rolling your own.” There is something special about breaking a clay bird or taking a grouse with a shotshell you built. Compare 38 special ammo from the top online retailers to find the lowest price. Win 231 I can make hundreds of bullets an hour casting with a four-cavity NEI 150 358WC mold. The .38 Spl. We have conversions kits from MEC and Lee, along with shotgun primers and reloading books. About a half-grain less propellant is needed for lead bullets to reach the same velocity as jacketed bullets. Simply put, this LSU offense is one of the best ever. Your die set likely came with two seater plugs, one for round nose bullets and the other for flat meplats; with either of these, the outer circumference of the seater is the only part that touches the shot capsule (because the center of the capsule mouth is recessed slightly), so either should work. If you insist on loading shotshells for a rifled barrel, use the shot capsules and load for the weight you get. How to load 38 special shotshells with Speer Shotshell Capsules. ammunition, offers dual benefits for handgun shooting. 38 Special cases, preferably cases intended for full wadcutter bullets. E-mail your comments/questions about this site to:[email protected] For questions/comments about American Rifleman magazine, please e-mail:[email protected] You can contact the NRA via phone at: NRA Member Programs1-800-672-3888, To advertise on American Rifleman, visit nramediakit.com for more information. A load’s accuracy has everything to do with how precisely a propellant charge is dispensed from a powder measure. revolver, which can chamber .38 Spl. should be loaded on the light side with accurate and inexpensive target bullets for practice loads.

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