Any Good Load Data For .38 Super Comp?

[RaymondMillbrae]

Hey folks,

my buddy just took the plunge and purchased a new open pistol, specifically a .38 super comp.

Is there any load data that yall can share with me/him?

He is new to this caliber, so he has not even purchased powder or bullets yet. (I told him to "slug" his barrel to get the best bullet size).

Any good load data would be great.

Thanks.

In Christ: Raymond

Edited April 3, 2010 by RaymondMillbrae

[JThompson]

Search Ray there is a ton of it here....

[AlamoShooter]

I think 5% of the forum is load data for 38 super. you can get up date data at Hogdon's web site =it has a good list

I Like 9gr of HS6 and 121 MG (7.5 of IMR 7625 & 121 MG) -

He will have to try fast and slow powder / 115 to 125 bullets eveyone likes something different and each gun is different.

[RaymondMillbrae]

Is ".38 super" load data the same as for ".38 super comp"?

And as for .38 super comp, what are you meat-eaters out there using...and why?

In Christ: Raymond

[JThompson]

Is ".38 super" load data the same as for ".38 super comp"?

And as for .38 super comp, what are you meat-eaters out there using...and why?

In Christ: Raymond

The only difference is semi rim (super) and rim-less(Super Comp) otherwise, they are the same and the load data should therefore be the same. From what I know, it was Matt McLearn who came up with the design to improve feeding and round stacking inside the mag.

So look up 38s or SC and the load data should be valid...

JT

Edited April 3, 2010 by JThompson

[G-ManBart]

The only difference is semi rim (super) and rim-less(Super Comp) otherwise, they are the same and the load data should therefore be the same. From what I know, it was Matt McLearn who came up with the design to improve feeding and round stacking inside the mag.

So look up 38s or SC and the load data should be valid...

JT

Actually, SC has thicker walls in the web area for some added strength and that gives it a bit less case capacity. Take a normal Super load and drop maybe two tenths for the equivalent in SC (at least with Starline brass). Minor point, but SC does still have a semi-rim, it's just much, much smaller....about .003" per side or a touch more depending on brand. R,

[G-ManBart]

I wouldn't bother slugging the barrel....if it's in 38SC it's going to be .355" and that's the bullet diameter he should start with.

There is a ton of data for Super/SC on here, but it's not all in one place. Most folks are running a 124/125gr bullet. The rest are either using a 115 or a 121. Yeah, there might be a few using something else, but it's not common.

Powder choices are pretty varied in that you can make Major with quite a few, but the style of gun makes a big difference. If the barrel has hybrid ports or if it has a huge comp it'll change what powders are more likely to work well. For something like an SV IMM setup he's going to be limited to the slower powders like 4756, 3N38 or N105. If it's something like a TruBor he has a lot more choices.

Since he's just starting out, I'd say get some 124/5 bullets from MG or Zero (if he can find them) and a powder in the middle of the range like N350 or maybe the new AutoComp and see how he likes it. Then, get with the local Open shooters and try some of their ammo (they'll give him some, I'm sure) and he can decide if he wants to change. Typically it takes a while before a new Open shooter can take advantage of a different load....i.e. most people aren't even coming close to being able to shoot the gun as fast as it can cycle and reset, so the ammo doesn't make as big a difference.

Jeff Maas' site has a lot of good data, but it is a little older. Take off a couple of tenths to make it compare to SC brass and start below what these folks have listed.

http://www.k8nd.com/documents/hl38sup.pdf

[JThompson]

The only difference is semi rim (super) and rim-less(Super Comp) otherwise, they are the same and the load data should therefore be the same. From what I know, it was Matt McLearn who came up with the design to improve feeding and round stacking inside the mag.

So look up 38s or SC and the load data should be valid...

JT

Actually, SC has thicker walls in the web area for some added strength and that gives it a bit less case capacity. Take a normal Super load and drop maybe two tenths for the equivalent in SC (at least with Starline brass). Minor point, but SC does still have a semi-rim, it's just much, much smaller....about .003" per side or a touch more depending on brand. R,

A case is "rimless" when the diameter of the rim doesn't exceed the diameter of the case. Therefore, 38sc is rimless.

As to the case volume itself, you're right, but it's such a small difference that your load data will be valid. Taking into account the loads will be chrono'd you aren't going to blow up a gun using a S load in a SC case. It will get you right there and you will have to tweak it. It's almost moot in that the barrel and the gun the load data came from is going to give you more variation than you are going to get from the slight case volume discrepancy.

In general though, you can never go wrong listening to what our fed friend has to say.

JT

Edited April 3, 2010 by JThompson

[GrumpyOne]

The only difference is semi rim (super) and rim-less(Super Comp) otherwise, they are the same and the load data should therefore be the same. From what I know, it was Matt McLearn who came up with the design to improve feeding and round stacking inside the mag.

So look up 38s or SC and the load data should be valid...

JT

Actually, SC has thicker walls in the web area for some added strength and that gives it a bit less case capacity. Take a normal Super load and drop maybe two tenths for the equivalent in SC (at least with Starline brass). Minor point, but SC does still have a semi-rim, it's just much, much smaller....about .003" per side or a touch more depending on brand. R,

A case is "rimless" when the diameter of the rim doesn't exceed the diameter of the case. Therefore, 38sc is rimless.

As to the case volume itself, you're right, but it's such a small difference that your load data will be valid. Taking into account the loads will be chrono'd you aren't going to blow up a gun using a S load in a SC case. It will get you right there and you will have to tweak it. It's almost moot in that the barrel and the gun the load data came from is going to give you more variation than you are going to get from the slight case volume discrepancy.

In general though, you can never go wrong listening to what our fed friend has to say.

JT

I would think, that even though the rim is extremely small on the SC, it's still there. 3 thoudandths of an inch on each side would make it stick out further than the case walls, therefore making it "semi rimmed". Even if it were .001 on each side, it would still be semi rimmed. Only when it matches the exterior of the case will it be called rimless. Smaller than the exterior of the case would be a rebated rim.

http://38super.net/Pages/Brass.html

Edited April 3, 2010 by GrumpyOne

[CocoBolo]

Just got back from a crono session with my 38 SuperComp gun.

Here are some sample loads to give you and I idea.

125gr .355 Zero Set at 1.235 all loads are between 166 & 170+pf in a good gun. Sunny conditions 85 degrees. Pro Digital Crono set a 15 feet from muzzle.

7.9gr of N350

10.2gr of AA#7

8.0gr 3n37

8.0gr TruBlue

7.3gr IMR7625

Bayou Bullet 125gr with Gator Snot Lube .356 http://www.bayoubullets.net

10gr AA#7 (oal on these is 1.260 so that you can crimp on the full diameter section of bullet). Both my guns ate them up and even ran some at 1.275.

In my 5" bedell Ti comp no holes gun AA#7 at 10.5 gr and 174.7pf shoots best very flat and not much recoil. My friend that was shoot TruBlue 8.0gr at 1357fps avg said my gun felt like an airsoft compared to his. The 10gr AA#7 Bayoubullets avg 1345fdps and were not as flat but might be if I pushed up powder charge. The Bedell comp needs a lot of gas to get flat.

In my 5" no holes Brazos comp gun the 10gr AA#7 and BayouBullets were very flat and soft but fell just under 165pf. That gun shoots the same .356 bullets -40fps and .355 its down 60fps. I ran 100 rounds of bayou bullets thru the gun and no goop in the comp or in the barrel and it grouped as well as the zeros at 25 yards.

[G-ManBart]

A case is "rimless" when the diameter of the rim doesn't exceed the diameter of the case. Therefore, 38sc is rimless.

JT,

You may want to go check on that. The rim diameter of .38SC IS greater than the case diameter New Starline .38SC measures .379 at the start of the extractor groove and .386 on the rim. So, it's a small rim, but it's not rimless.

I've seen .2gr difference from Starline Super to SC, but as you said, every gun will be different, so it's a good starting point. Regardless, they'll still have to drop down and work up as you would with any other new load. R,

[GrumpyOne]

A case is "rimless" when the diameter of the rim doesn't exceed the diameter of the case. Therefore, 38sc is rimless.

JT,

You may want to go check on that. The rim diameter of .38SC IS greater than the case diameter New Starline .38SC measures .379 at the start of the extractor groove and .386 on the rim. So, it's a small rim, but it's not rimless.

I've seen .2gr difference from Starline Super to SC, but as you said, every gun will be different, so it's a good starting point. Regardless, they'll still have to drop down and work up as you would with any other new load. R,

+1 They may call it rimless, but it ain't! Said that 2 post up!

[CocoBolo]

When you start loading for a used Race Gun, aka open gun with all the variances in the gun itself it is just a SWAG. The powders and loads I listed above will get you in the ball park. My 2 38 SuperComp guns are 1/2 gr apart for the same FPS. Now admittedly thats is a little distrubing, but my friend's gun shoots my loads even faster than the faster gun, but only about 10 pfs so go figure.

Load up some ammo and go out and crono, then when you get a load in the major zone shoot it a bit to get the feel, does the dot track up and down in a trackable fashion or does it do the hoola while going up and down, does it bounce. When you think you have a couple candidates then set up a drill and run it with a timer which one makes you fast. The final authority is always the timer. I use a plate rack, and accuracy is sure a factor on it. Times under 4 seconds are good for me. But what about the double tap, I track my dot, I consider the double tap spraying, that's a controverial item as my smith believes you take two shots as fast as you can even with eyes closed and the one with the holes closests is the best load.

Limited guns are very simple to load for, and powders don't make a whole lot of difference but the open gun is anohter kind of beast where the right load and its like a whole different gun. The average open shooter has probably tried 6 or more powders. I can't track how many I have tried. If its an old school gun its going to like something that takes 10 or more grains to hit major and may shoot a lot better with 121gr or 115gr rather than 125gr. I advise caution start a little low and as you go up check for pressure signs.

One more thing, your first range session should be to check your zero. Then with each load you try check your dot, it can move way off from one load to the next. While you are doing all this its a good time to check all of your mags to see if the gun runs with them. Good Luck.