200 grain .38 Special load

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TRanger

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 7, 2007
Messages
814
Location
Florida
I put together a duplicate of the old .38 Special Super Police load using a 200 grain bullet. It got me to thinking; if I can get velocity up to 750 FPS or so, I'd have an approximation of the .41 Long Colt. Bullet diameters are not that far apart. (.357 vs .387) It appears this can be done safely with a variety of powders. And no, I don't have any real practical purpose for doing so. Just for fun.
 

mikld

Blackhawk
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
947
Location
Oregon
One major reason for reloading, well for me at least, is the ability to reload "just for fun". Of course I don't recommend much "playing around" to newer reloaders as one can get in a heap of trouble, but working up "different" loads, for an experienced reloader is just fun...
 

Rick Courtright

Hawkeye
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
7,897
Location
Redlands CA USA
Hi,
Hmm... Lee's 1st Ed of Modern Reloading has numerous 200 gr loads in the 750 fps range. Yet the more current website data from both Alliant and Hodgdon's cut the .38 Spl off at 170 gr. My guess is somewhere along the line they tried heavier bullets and found them undesirable for one reason or another in that cartridge. Dunno what gun you're gonna shoot these in: a .357 Mag wouldn't make me too nervous, but there's a lot of variation in dedicated .38 Spls as to weight and strength. Be careful...

Rick C
 

TRanger

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 7, 2007
Messages
814
Location
Florida
Thanks Rick. I noticed the data for 200 grain bullets in Modern Reloading. My test firing so far has been carried out in a .357 Magnum. The loads seem quite mild. I believe they'd be just fine in a Colt Official Police, but moving with caution.
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
9,810
Location
Woodbury, Tn
TxPete gave me some 173 gr lswc that I loaded up with Red dot in .38 spcl cases, but fired in an SP-101 .357 maggie- nice! Corbon loaded some 200gr .357 mag cartridges once upon a time that were useful.
gramps
 

GP100man

Buckeye
Joined
Sep 13, 2006
Messages
1,386
Location
Tabor City, NC.
Hail to the tinkerers !!!! Like Elmer Keith said "nothing like 2 holes bleeding"

Be safe !!!

I have a NOE mold that drops a 187 gr hp , once the nose opens & tears off I still have a 135 gr or so solid slug.
dug 1 from the off shoulder of a 140lb deer just under the skin.

My NOE 358429 clone drops at 178 , never recovered 1 from an animal YET!

Wanted to add all my lead is going 1k or just a tad faster.

GP100man
 

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