jasond

They're basically how aerodynamic a bullet is, how fast it will lose speed, giving it more time to drop on the way to the target. Long range shooters can calculate where to set the sights for different distances without having sighted the gun at those distances.

I go in .2 steps also for pistol, .5 in big cartriges, but I'll just load the max for .38s to be used in a .357. The guns are built for double the pressure a .38 has. Plated bullets like the Raniers can be finicky, I use the 158 round nose for .38 short colt, and they aren't particularly accurate. Your .38 special dies most likely roll crimp, which can cut the plating and give very poor accuracy. I crimp the .38 shorts with a 9mm taper crimp die, and then all I do is remove the flare. Lead or jacketed bullets have a "cannelure" groove to crimp into, which sets the OAL. The measurement doesn't matter. What is the load for? I can give you some that work in my SP101 or 627. W231 should work great.

I paid $80 for one custom made for my v-comp, with the DOH attachment. It took awhile, but they did a nice job. I put in longer screws, and they have no tension whatsoever. Put blue loctite on every screw! I also cut the top of it to the limit of uspsa production rules. It's pretty slow to get such a long gun out of, but still the best production legal holster I've seen. I would think the barrel profile would have to be similar for it to work, it's pretty closely molded. I can't see th v-comp fitting into a 625 holster, but the regular barrel looks much more likely. The kydex has also made a mess of the finish on the gun, but hey, it's just a tool! My safariland 002, however, is quicker and felt lined, but I had to put a beer bottle in it and blast it with the wife's hairdryer for awhile to get the gun out at all!

I don't load 9, but I do load .38 short colt with 158 grn bullets, which is nearly identical but with a rim. I wouldn't worry about keeping pressure low, as long as it is under the max for the cartridge/gun. I would definitely be looking at the fastest powders if just punching paper, which will list roughly the same pressure as anything slower, but with less recoil, noise, or velocity. Red dot or clays are fast and are "fluffy" enough that you can't double charge with them and still seat a bullet, which may be worth something to you as a safety measure. I like that about them. W231 and Bullseye might be worth a try, also. Alliant, Hodgdon, and Winchester all have data online, I would imagine that Vihtavouri does, too.

I had them on order with Roze for two months, then they finally told me they couldn't get them. They had 125s ready to ship. Zeros are as good as Speer and Nosler, and for a better price! I found an old box behind the seat of my truck to use in yesterday's match, now I'm really out! Thanks to those that offered out of their personal stashes, but the boss was being funny about buying stuff through the mail from private individuals and so did not approve of the transaction. Thanks for offering, my loss. I think I'm going to try to figure out how to make this thing shoot to 100 meters with lead bullets. I have a bunch of LRNs that I sized and lubed myself that are great, but I can't load them into .357 cases because they are too long and I don't want to deal with .38 trajectory. A friend had some SWCs with an overload of bullseye that I let him try in my gun. He was banging away at the 100M ram, but they were sticking in the chambers. He shoots them out of a Freedom Arms. I'm using 158 jhp with 10.5 blue dot, would it be a good powder for lead bullets at magnum velocity?

I'm imagining a k frame is easier to reload than an L, the holes being closer. Anybody have both? I mostly shoot my 627, I can't ask for more in a revo, but they're towards the top of the price scale. Moons are pricey, but I was fortunate enough to score 30 used ones for a buck a pop. .38 sure is finicky about moonclips and brass, .45 isn't a problem. I had to buy short colt brass brand new, and it's now pushing $20/100 but I have about 15 loadings on mine without many splits, and of course we get it all back. What games and uses do you most see yourself using it for?

Has anyone gotten any 158 jacketed bullets recently? After two months on order, Roze told me they couldn't get them, and I've tried Midway, Graf, Powder Valley, MG, Midsouth, etc. I'm willing to pay up to $130/K, I can't afford any fancypants $30/100 stuff.

There's been a good point made about the cost to feed a .45 vs. a .38, and I imagine since that nearly all of us reload, we're just looking at component costs. To buy factory ammo, the difference will be even more. .45 dominates uspsa because of major scoring, but many other games would favor the .38. The other big plus with a .357 is that it is so versatile. .38 wadcutter is arguably the most accurate pistol cartridge and very soft, .38 round nose is readily available factory and will work for a competition round, .38 short colt handloaded minor is even better, light bullet .357 is one of the most successful defense rounds ever, and heavy bullet .357 will work for hunting or long range shooting. The trigger stroke on a Ruger is longer and the smoothness is hit or miss. I've done trigger jobs on 3 sp101's, and they were all different. It's a shame, because I feel that the basic design is superior. S&W seems to put more time into fitting the small parts. Colts are expensive and not even built anymore. Taurus is a "price" gun and built for the casual shooter. Have fun with your new revolver!

You shoot it well? That's all you need in this game. I'd shoot L10 with it until you're sure the gun is holding you up. Major scoring or a production legal gun would be better, but hey, if you like it, why change? A different gun isn't going to make you suddenly awesome or anything, at least it's never worked for me! I've handled them but never shot one, they look very well built.

The crimp is the main thing, but it wouldn't hurt to polish down the belling die a little so it doesn't open up the cases as much. I had a problem with the lee fcd and full wadcutters once.

Most of us are shooting .38 short colt, it avoids the whole issue. If it were mine, I'd send the cylinder to be cut for moonclips and just order short colt brass.

Nu Finish and spirits freshen it up, god bless the wives for saving old dryer sheets!

The two things I know about primer pockets are that military ones are crimped, which can be removed, and that the flash hole can be reamed to be uniform among cases. I don't personally reload military brass and can't use the accuracy the flash hole project will provide. Spend your dough on practice ammo, that's what will get you ahead. If the primers fit tight, all the better. They won't fall out. Don't worry about it. Any extra work will be a waste of time. I also shoot silhouette, but in this game, accuracy only need be so good. Of course you want confidence in your equipment, but I doubt many people even bother to sort brass. Load 'em and shoot 'em!

S_I is kinda funny

$1450 American dollars?

What if they look like a Pepsi bottle? It's defective. Send it to me for disposal.

Julie, Thanks for taking an interest in us lowly revo shooters! Also, I just sent my 627 in for repair, and S&W did a great job and turned it around quick. 1. What sports do you shoot your revolver in (USPSA, ICORE, IDPA, Steel, NRA, etc.)? USPSA production, rarely USPSA revo, and NRA hunter pistol silhouette 2. How often do you shoot revolver at the club level? 2-3X per month 3. How many majors do you shoot each year (state/regional/areas)? And with a revolver? none 4. Do you shoot a national championship with your revolver and if so which one(s)? no 5. Would you consider crossing over to other shooting sports with your revolver? If so, which ones and why? The only games i shoot without it are smallbore rifle silhouette and trap 6. Why do you like to compete in the revolver divisions? I get my brass back, and they're easier on the eyes. Plus I like the built in excuse! Most of the bottomfeeders I talk to say they don't want to shoot an 8 round neutral course with a 6 shot gun. I don't either. There hasn't been ICORE locally for a few years, and I don't care for the IDPA format. I would like to shoot some steel matches.

Yet another vote for Nu Finish, or more frequently a capful of mineral spirits to wake it back up.

Somebody chime in with sources for cheap/good .40 bullets!

Cast bullets are way cheaper! z40acp is correct, guns will be finicky about size. I shoot revolvers, but for any gun in uspsa you won't have to work too hard to figure out a good enough cast bullet load. They can equal jacketed for accuracy. You should also get more velocity for a given load, and less wear on the barrel. The main complaint with them is the smoke, which is actually mostly from the lube. Certain lubes (the bullets will always come lubed) and certain powders will smoke more, and the smoke, under certain conditions, can actually be hard to see through. The other problem is that a new barrel or certain bullets may get some "leading". It looks like dark streaks in the barrel that stay after you clean it. If they get real bad, the gun will get inaccurate. If you shoot some jacketed bullets through it, they will disappear. Welcome to reloading! It's a real luxury to be able to experiment with all of the different components, you'll have an edge over those that don't, and save a ton of money, too!

I'll trade it for Vista!

I'm concerned when they don't look like a coke bottle!

Ever cleaned fouling out of a comp? That's enough reason right there.

Calipers are for case length and oal, + or - .001". Micrometers are for bullet dia. to the tenth (.0001") I seem to get bullets a little undersize all the time, probably because my gun likes them a little big. I have some harbor freight cheapies that I beat up at work. They give erratic readings when the batteries are low, but are good for .001" otherwise, same as my Mitutoyos and Browne and Sharpes. I've dropped them on concrete a dozen times, too! Of course with anything Chinese, you'll get duds. Technique has something to do with it, the micrometer usually has a ratchet thimble to keep you from turning it too hard, but a caliper can be forced to read small.

They're very different cartridges from one another, but that doesn't mean you couldn't only stock one powder - .38 has extra case volume and some powders will give inconsistent velocity. I tend towards the fastest burning powders for it. .357 was made to use the extra volume with slow powders which will give big velocity, noise, and recoil. I don't load nine, but something that shoots well in it should be workable in .38 and make a nice "mid range" load in .357 that has more punch than .38+p but softer and quieter than full .357. I've never tried Universal, but it and Unique should work well enough in all three. Titegroup and Clays are two more that you could try. .38 hollow base wadcutters over bullseye, w231, red dot, etc. work for me as an accurate, very light short range plinking load, and 158 zero or speer JHPs over H110 or Blue Dot are what I use for 100 meter handgun silhouette. The H110 load is really loud and fast, Blue dot is more reasonable and just as accurate for me. One of the best things about reloading is being able to "tailor" a load to the gun and shooter, so you would do well to try out different powders and test them against one another in your gun with you shooting it. If a powder doesn't work out in the nine, you could always burn it up loading .38!