Baer45 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I am getting ready to load 38 Super for the first time to shoot in Kart 5" 1911 and am looking for a good practice accuracy load. The 9mm posting of loads was so helpful back when I started 9 I hope some of you would be willing to post a quick "favorite" practice load for those of us new to 38 Super! Thanks for any help- Semper Fi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark R Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Try 8.1 grains of IMR 4756 (green label) with 124 gr Montana Gold JHP with OAL of 1.250" Out of my STI Trubor 5" with 5 port comp (3 top, 2 sides)it makes 171-172 PF at 70 degrees OAT. That was with mixed brass. I went with IMR 4756 vs VV N350 for cost and availability...and Jerry (the Burner) Barnhart used it, so it can't be that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark R Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 When you switch your gun to 38 Super Comp, try 8.0 gr....1/10 less than 38 Super. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 10.5 of VV N105 with a MG 115 JHP @ 1.235 out of my Trubor. Makes 172PF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Well I'd jump in but there wasn't enough information in the post. Are you shooting an un-compensated gun? Are you looking for a minor or major velocity. Just how accurate are you expecting it to be. Certainly the bullet you choose will have a lot to do with accuracy, Sierra's are a bit expensive but are very accurate etc. What kind of shooting are you intending to do? 38Super or 38Super Comp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urodoji Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 4.6 gr Unique, 147 grain JK cast bullet, mixed brass, Federal Small Pistol primer. Shoots very well for me, and the recoil is very mild. A little smokey though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baer45 Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) Well I'd jump in but there wasn't enough information in the post. Are you shooting an un-compensated gun? Are you looking for a minor or major velocity. Just how accurate are you expecting it to be. Certainly the bullet you choose will have a lot to do with accuracy, Sierra's are a bit expensive but are very accurate etc. What kind of shooting are you intending to do? 38Super or 38Super Comp? Thanks CocoBolo- It is an uncompensated Les Baer 5" 1911, 38 Super Single stack. I am looking for a comfortable load to shoot steel and targets.I always like to try and find the most acurate load I can for each of my guns...I have plenty of lead as well as fmj bullets. Bullseye accuracy....Thanks for any help- c Edited January 23, 2011 by Baer45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH45 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Well I'd jump in but there wasn't enough information in the post. Are you shooting an un-compensated gun? Are you looking for a minor or major velocity. Just how accurate are you expecting it to be. Certainly the bullet you choose will have a lot to do with accuracy, Sierra's are a bit expensive but are very accurate etc. What kind of shooting are you intending to do? 38Super or 38Super Comp? Thanks CocoBolo- It is an uncompensated Les Baer 5" 1911, 38 Super Single stack. I am looking for a comfortable load to shoot steel and targets.I always like to try and find the most acurate load I can for each of my guns...I have plenty of lead as well as fmj bullets. Bullseye accuracy....Thanks for any help- c LOL, I kind of figured from your screen name it might be a single stack. I was running a Zero, 125 grain, .356, jhp, with 4.5 grains of VV320 through my Premier II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baer45 Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 Well I'd jump in but there wasn't enough information in the post. Are you shooting an un-compensated gun? Are you looking for a minor or major velocity. Just how accurate are you expecting it to be. Certainly the bullet you choose will have a lot to do with accuracy, Sierra's are a bit expensive but are very accurate etc. What kind of shooting are you intending to do? 38Super or 38Super Comp? Thanks CocoBolo- It is an uncompensated Les Baer 5" 1911, 38 Super Single stack. I am looking for a comfortable load to shoot steel and targets.I always like to try and find the most acurate load I can for each of my guns...I have plenty of lead as well as fmj bullets. Bullseye accuracy....Thanks for any help- c LOL, I kind of figured from your screen name it might be a single stack. I was running a Zero, 125 grain, .356, jhp, with 4.5 grains of VV320 through my Premier II. Well, that's helpful. I just need some different starting places. I've been messing around with VV-N330 with 9mm jhp loads all day and that combo doesn't work to well in the Baer Barrels so now I'll switch over and try your 320 load. the Premier II is my favorite 1911 of the dozens I own and it was the first one I bought! c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Well, that's helpful. I just need some different starting places. I've been messing around with VV-N330 with 9mm jhp loads all day and that combo doesn't work to well in the Baer Barrels so now I'll switch over and try your 320 load. the Premier II is my favorite 1911 of the dozens I own and it was the first one I bought! c I don't know how Baer cuts their Super barrels, but the traditional size is .356" in the grooves and that's what the big name companies (Win, Rem etc) make their .38 Super ammo around. The standard 130gr FMJ load was always with a .356 bullet that had a pretty blunt profile, which gives it a ton of surface area for the rifling to grab...how does it shoot with commercial .38 Super ammo? A .356" or .357" bullet will often give better accuracy out of barrels cut to traditional size than .355" bullets (most common 9mm size). Montana Gold makes a pretty nice 130gr FMJ sized .356" and Zero offers at least a couple in that same ballpark (121, 125 and 135). R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baer45 Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 The one thing I have noticed is the 9mm barrel shoots all MG bullets well but not so good with WWB or Ranier,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 The best accuracy I have seen in any of my guns so far has been MG 121gr IFP bullet, with 7.4gr of Autocomp. That load gave me some under-half-inch groups at 15 meters. It is also pretty soft and pleasant to shoot. Produces 169 PF out of a shorty with no holes. I have loaded up to 7.7gr with no noticeable loss of accuracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Pistolero Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I have a friend with a Baer 38 Super and he uses 4.7gr of WST with a 125gr HAP. He was using MG's but they wouldn't shoot very well. The load is very soft but still makes 120pf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm iprod Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I am with Action Pistolero on this. 125gr Projectiles are a good way to get accuracy with softness. I have an older STI that is 5" 38Super barrel, no comp. I like WST and Hodgdon Titegroup, you can also use N320. I can't recall the WST data but I do have records for the followng. 125gr JHP - 4.2gr TG = 1000fps - 4.3gr N320 = 1020fps - 4.7gr 231 = 1000fps OAL on all was 1.225. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baer45 Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Great Help- I looked and Ihave a bunch of Zero 121 JHP loads but I can find no load data on them in a book or thus far in search. Anyone used these yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_Z Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Wow! what ever happened to vv 3n37? Did it fall out of favor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH45 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Great Help- I looked and Ihave a bunch of Zero 121 JHP loads but I can find no load data on them in a book or thus far in search. Anyone used these yet? I haven't tried 121 grain bullets, but, I'd try starting with 4.5 grains of VV320, or, maybe 4.3 grains of Titegroup. Let us know how it all works out. Are you shooting a standard, 3" gun, or an 1 1/2"?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcx6 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I just found an accurate load today for my 38 super; 143gr swc H & G #73 .357, 2.6gr Tightgroup, 2" at 50 yards. Very soft shooting, don't have a chronograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38supPat Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I have one, let me know if you want to chrono anytime, its usually in my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blurryvisions Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 is this load data for a minor load, i see the first couple of posts are for a super hot major load...be careful what u take from the forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 If you want a light .38 Super, it is called the 9x19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baer45 Posted June 11, 2011 Author Share Posted June 11, 2011 1.5" vv3n37 is by far the best powder so far.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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