Reloading .38spl

[charlessummers]

Any secrets that I need to be aware of?

 

I'm still waiting on the dies to arrive, but been reading up on what I need to know beforehand. Also, is David going to be at the Bill Goodmans show in March? I need some .38 spl bullets. And maybe some more powder...

 

[gun sane]

I don't know what you're used to reloading, but I think you'll find .38/.357 easier because of its straight wall design.  Some find the tapered casings of semi-auto calibers a bit more difficult.  You will need to roll crimp the loads, but that's easy-peasy too.

Edited February 28, 2013 by gun sane

[Guest Fruit jar]

Go and check out A&H downtown on 4th st.. Call David at his number, your close, drive out to his house.

[frankmako]

38 sp are easy to load.  nothing special to do for them.  find yourself a lite load to have fun on the range.  

[gregintenn]

A 158 grain wadcutter on top of 2.7-3.0 grains of Bullseye is the standard target load. Be sure to crimp!

[enfield]

There's nothing easier to reload than .38 Special.  I use cast bullets from Missouri Bullet Co and Bullseye.

 

[Jonnin]

bullets cost more as weight goes up -- I reload my 38s with a 95 grain 380 LRN for paper punching on the cheap. 

[Guest Fruit jar]

At a Jackson, MS truck stop, while talking to locals. I find that a dealer east of town sells cast bullets cheap. I have to call and place an order, no web sells. Face to face deals only. The guy said he would pick up my order for $20., now waiting for a reply. I looked at a box of bullets that John had in his truck. They look as good as any I've seen. At $35. per 1000, John doesn't know that I'll load his truck down with my order.

[Dave Shooter]

.38s are ridiculously easy to load.  Only "secrets" I have:

 

-use just enough bell to start lead bullets, heavy bell will reduce case life

-have a strong light  your work area, small charges in tall, skinny cases are hard to see

 

Good Luck!

[Caster]

Buy you a mold and get busy!
Jacketed bullets are waste in 38! A good cast bullet will do anything a sleazy copper condom will do in a cartridge like the 38 special. AND it'll do it cheaper and at lower pressures.

Bare minimum, buy a 158g round nose tumble lube mold from Lee and a couple bottles of tumble lube. Buy a ladle and one of Lees casting pots and you're ready to roll. Don't bother sizing them unless your mold is grossly over sized. When you're ready I'll tell you how to thin that mule snot tumble lube into a better lube that will go MUUUUUUCH further and dry without getting sticky.

For the price you'd pay for a few hundred jacketed bullets you can start casting your own.


BUYING JACKETED BULLETS FOR A CALIBER SUCH AS THE 38 SPECIAL IS ABSOLUTE LUNACY!!!!!!!!!

[Guest Fruit jar]

My 9mm doesn't get jacketed bullets for target shooting. I do have some factory rounds for defense.

[dlm37015]

Buy you a mold and get busy!
Jacketed bullets are waste in 38! A good cast bullet will do anything a sleazy copper condom will do in a cartridge like the 38 special. AND it'll do it cheaper and at lower pressures.

Bare minimum, buy a 158g round nose tumble lube mold from Lee and a couple bottles of tumble lube. Buy a ladle and one of Lees casting pots and you're ready to roll. Don't bother sizing them unless your mold is grossly over sized. When you're ready I'll tell you how to thin that mule snot tumble lube into a better lube that will go MUUUUUUCH further and dry without getting sticky.

For the price you'd pay for a few hundred jacketed bullets you can start casting your own.


BUYING JACKETED BULLETS FOR A CALIBER SUCH AS THE 38 SPECIAL IS ABSOLUTE LUNACY!!!!!!!!!

could not have been better said

[owejia]

I shoot black powder loads in my old 38's. Traded for a bunch of 125 gr. rn cast bullets last year washed the hard lube off of them and tumbled lubed in lee alox and loaded them with black powder and they shoot good at 25-35 ft.

[Raoul]

+1 on easy. About as simple as it gets.