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A Need For Data
- Thread starter P5 Guy
- Start date
https://www.hodgdon.com/basic-manual-inquiry.html
http://alliantpowder.com/reloaders/default.aspx
There's a couple of places that will help. You can usually be close when substituting data for another maker's JHP if you use the min. charge listed. Variables like different bearing surfaces and seating depth will impact pressure. That's why you need to start low and build up to the sweet-but-safe spot.
Some manuals will not list standard-pressure .38 Special loads using 158-grain JHPs. So look at the .38 Special +P data. It's difficult to get many 158-grain JHP bullets to expand well out of a 4" barrel even with +P loads.
http://alliantpowder.com/reloaders/default.aspx
There's a couple of places that will help. You can usually be close when substituting data for another maker's JHP if you use the min. charge listed. Variables like different bearing surfaces and seating depth will impact pressure. That's why you need to start low and build up to the sweet-but-safe spot.
Some manuals will not list standard-pressure .38 Special loads using 158-grain JHPs. So look at the .38 Special +P data. It's difficult to get many 158-grain JHP bullets to expand well out of a 4" barrel even with +P loads.
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condor bravo
New member
158 grain is pretty much of a standard .38/.357 reloading bullet weight; refer to above recommendations.
I know my Speer products fairly well. Never heard of a 4732. Most 38/357 bullets run in the 4200 range. (??)
Anyway, Speer doesn't like jacketed 158's for 38 Special - they publish no load data for this combination. Their concern is getting a bullet stuck in the barrel. The 158 jacketed holds so much barrel friction that the modest pressures of 38 Special may not be able to overcome it (barrel/cylinder gap gas leakage comes into play here too). Or at least, that Speer's concern.
Personally, I don't load 158 jacketed either (I have - lots n lots of times over the years). For me, aside from the barrel friction/stuck bullet concern, there's just no reason to run jacketed 158's in 38 Special. With the 38/158 combo, lead works best - even for SD. A swaged LSWCHP is probably as effective as any other bullet for SD in 38 Special. And on the target shooting side, leading isn't an issue with this combo. So there's really no reason to run jacketed.
Anyway, Speer doesn't like jacketed 158's for 38 Special - they publish no load data for this combination. Their concern is getting a bullet stuck in the barrel. The 158 jacketed holds so much barrel friction that the modest pressures of 38 Special may not be able to overcome it (barrel/cylinder gap gas leakage comes into play here too). Or at least, that Speer's concern.
Personally, I don't load 158 jacketed either (I have - lots n lots of times over the years). For me, aside from the barrel friction/stuck bullet concern, there's just no reason to run jacketed 158's in 38 Special. With the 38/158 combo, lead works best - even for SD. A swaged LSWCHP is probably as effective as any other bullet for SD in 38 Special. And on the target shooting side, leading isn't an issue with this combo. So there's really no reason to run jacketed.
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Addendum
So I decided to look at my load/chronograph data to see some of my past 38/158 jacketed loads, so I could at least pass along the data.
I found three. And the notes in all three (independent of one-another) state: "probably exceeds +P pressures," or words to that effect.
Soooo, that said, I won't be passing along the data. By 357 standards, I'm sure these were modest rounds. But I wouldn't fire them through a 38 Special. These days, I don't hot rod rounds; and I wouldn't publish the load data even if I did.
So I decided to look at my load/chronograph data to see some of my past 38/158 jacketed loads, so I could at least pass along the data.
I found three. And the notes in all three (independent of one-another) state: "probably exceeds +P pressures," or words to that effect.
Soooo, that said, I won't be passing along the data. By 357 standards, I'm sure these were modest rounds. But I wouldn't fire them through a 38 Special. These days, I don't hot rod rounds; and I wouldn't publish the load data even if I did.
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Speer groups all of their jacketed bullets of the same weight together and uses the same data for all of them. Just use Speer's data for a 158gr jacketed bullet and you will be good to go. As others have said Speer doesn't publish data in 38 Special with 158gr jacketed bullets so just load them up in 357 Mag. You won't have a spec for OAL with your particular bullet but OAL in revolvers is easy peasy. Seat the cannelure to the case mouth and roll crimp it.