Hot 38 special

[shafter]

I'm thinking of loading some 158gr semiwadcutters for use in my Smith and Wesson Model 10-5 when out and about on the farm. My target load is about 4.3grs of Unique. How hot would you recommend? I'd love to replicate or at least come close to replicating BB's Outdoorsman load.

Any suggestions?

 

[chewie146]

I'm not sure how hot you really want to go, but I would be fine with the 4.3 grains of unique. You may bump it up a bit, but if it's accurate at the distances you shoot, why change it? Where is your farm? Are you worried about bears or just varmints. A little background would help. Is Unique the only powder you're using for .38?

 

[Friar Whently]

Also are they lead bullets or jacketed/plated? Lead is the first to spring to mind with SWC, but I've seen plated SWC as well...

 

[shafter]

They are a hardcast lead bullet. There are bears up there in Maine but I'm honestly not real worried about them. I have a 357 I can use if thats what I was worried about. I basically want to get the full potential out of my Model 10 which I love carrrying.

 

[mikld]

I understand asking, but your first source for load data should be a good reloading manual... Anyway my book says for a 158 gr. lead bullet 4.5 is max. for Unique, non +P.

FWIW; I pay very little, actually no, attention to forum load data, and not from any forum expert, Range Rat, or Gun Shop Guru. I've read, on line, too many outragious loads and some mistakes/typos that were outright dangerous. And the "expert" that hangs out at the range or gunshop (including gun counter clerks) just gets a smile and nod from me when they dispence "expert" load data. While they are just trying to be helpful, some are coming from deep left field, or have a "need" to be the local "expert" on everything guns. So instead of trying to sort it all out, I rely on my published reloading manuals. There are enough loads in these to keep me reloading for a very long time...

 

[shafter]

Thanks for the advice Mikld. That's good sense.

 

[warningshot]

No Unique for me in revolver calibers. No Red Dot either. Way too much crude left under the star. Unique & .38s is great for benchrest pistol shooters..they have all day to shoot 10 rounds or less. Any practical .38 spl. shooting...Unique...no way.

Bullseye, W231 or HP-38.

 

[Sport45]

Unique works fine in DA revolvers. If you tip the barrel vertical when ejecting nothing winds up under the ejector.

 

[warningshot]

Experienced revolvers shooters don't leave home without a cleaning brush to clean behind the star no matter what powder they use. Some powders leave behind more crud than others. ( That is a 70 year old secret so don't tell anybody)

You can dip, elevate, spin, twist, drop, hit, slap, pound, yell at or pray over any revolver you like. Tipping the gun, in any direction, before, during, or after reloading, is no assurance against crud build-up behind the star.

 

[spacecoast]

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data at or beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.


Just FYI, and the usual warnings apply, I use 5.3 gr. Unique behind a 158 gr. LSWC to simulate the "FBI Load" Remington R38S12, which is +P and runs 75 to 80 cents per shot. I can't tell a difference between mine and the commercial Remington load. They should do well in your 10-5, as they do in mine.

 

[warningshot]

Do not quote me on this because it may very well be a trade secret. But I say the FBI specifically excluded a flake type powder, such as Unique, from being used in any of their revolver loads since the 1940s or 1950s.

Have you ever seen a substantial amount of unburnt gunpowder flakes falling out of recently fired case from a U.S. Law Enforcement grade cartridge? I have known the difference since 1978 and I havn't seen it yet.

Unique is a great powder if all you want to do is shoot paper and you have zero intentions of ever using that ammo to protect yourself from two or four legged rodents.

 

[zxcvbob]

4.3 is a little light. I've loaded 4.5 grains of Unique under 158 SWCHP's and it's a good load but I wanted something harder-hitting. Instead of going to 5 grains of Unique, I've switched to 4.5 grains of American Select. (have also tried 4.5 grains of Universal, which is a somewhat hotter load than the same amount of Unique but haven't evaluated them yet)

Since you have Unique already, try about 4.8 grains. It will also burn cleaner that way.

 

[Strafer Gott]

Light charges of Unique don't burn well. Charges of 5gr or more seem to burn much cleaner. There are better powders for the lighter charges.