Super Hot .38 loads

[OkieGentleman]

I was at the range today and the people next to me was shooting a short barrel .357. Lead SWCs and they were keyholing at 25ft. I asked the gentleman what he was shooting and he told me some .38 loaded to .357 specs. My eyes must have bugged out because he asked me if that was a problem as they were shooting them in a .357. I educated him to the difference between a .38 case volume and a .357 case volume and the pressure problems he could create. We pulled up some of his fired cases and he had the flattest primers I had ever seen on anything I have ever looked at. Some of the primers had what looked like burn leakage around them and the hammer mark was very shallow. I showed him the difference in the primer of some .357 factory loads and convinced him not to shoot anymore of the loads he had. He had had a 1000 rounds loaded like this and had shot all but a few hundred of them. I convinced him to pull the bullets and start over.
It just shows if it looks squirelly, ask you might save someone a lot of grief.

 

[pluspinc]

Such logic doesn't make much sense. I load my .38's to +P. If I want a magnum I'll buy one and load in magnum cases. I can only imagine the leading problem he may have and that explains keyholing real fast.

 

[Adamantium]

Sorry for the 2 newbie questions, but I'm just getting into reloading.

1. I wouldn't matter if you load .357 mag cases to .38 spl specs would it(I wouldn't think so, but might as well ask)

2. I just bought a hundred round of standard presure .38 spl ammo. When I reload the left over brass, could I load it to +p or would that be dangerous?

Sincerely,
Adam

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Self improvement is a hobby of mine

 

[Mal H]

Adamantium,
1. No problem doing that as long as you don't try it with the magic powders W296 and H110.

2. This is one of those "I sure wouldn't do it" things. Will the cartridges blow up on the first shot? Probably not, maybe they never will. It all depends on the shells you bought. But, .38 Spcl +P shells are a little more substantial, especially in the web area, so why not just buy some of them if you want +P loads? Or buy a box or 2 of +P cartridges, fire them, and use those shells for your +P loads. It would be a whole lot cheaper than sending your damaged gun to a gunsmith or sending your damaged bod to the emergency room, wouldn't it?

 

[OkieGentleman]

Adamantium there is such a thing as "underloading" when you make up loads. Read, read and then read some more before you make that first round up. Inspect and double check EVERYTHING as you go, including visually inspecting your cases to make sure you did not throw a double charge. When you reload -- reload -- not watch the football game out of the corner of your eye. And if you are not sure, throw the powder in the wifes flower bed (its good fertilzer) and start over again. Get yourself one of these bookkeepers ledgers and keep records of what you have done and label everything -- next week you might not remember what you loaded that bag of loaded bullets to be (target, hot, or mild) Have fun and be SAFE.