reloading for 38super nowlin barrel 5" open 3 port comp

[super382000]

Well after my first I realized that I had posted in the wrong category. OOPS!

As we all are having the same issues with regards to reloading, I am having a hard time finding reloading components to even get to shoot the 2 38 Supers I had bought a month ago. I currently have a Dillon 650 on order.

I went to a shoot today and talked to the guy that I bought the pistols from and he told me that he had wished that I had told him that I was coming to the cowboy shoot today since he found a bag of ammo for the pistols he sold me that he had left over. At least I have a starting point, when setting up my OAL and such.

After a phone call to Nowlin, I am still unsure of what diameter bullet I will need to order. .355 or .356? Maybe it souunds like I am paranoid, but I dont want any issues as far as reloading with the wrong bullet diameter and causing myself or my 14 year old son harm. I have witnessed 2 pistols coming apart with bad loads/cracked cases and do not wish that to happen, especially with my one in my son's hands.

With the situation today with the ability of getting supplies, I do not want to order the wrong bullet diameter and have to wait that much longer to get the right ones.

I did manage to get 3000 Starline Super Comp brass ordered and delivered within a couple of weeks. Heads up, at the time I placed the order, Starline had a prelimniary ship date of 8MAR13 on their website, but I received them on 6MAR13.

I want to use Small Rifle Primers, which I have a source for locally. I cant get the quantity that I want but at least its a start.

I used to reload with VV N350 solely 12 years ago. As we all know N350 is hard to come by. I have read prior posts and noticed that there are several powders that I can substiute.

VV N105, VV 3N37, VV 3N38. ANy recommendations as to which might work the best for the pistols I have? I am not saying that I have to stay with VV. It is just the manufacturer that I always loaded the 38 supers with.

Also, can someone give me some guidance as far as building up a load to get the comps to work the best? Since I will have a few rounds that were loaded by the previous owner for guidance, I will have a good starting point

After reading prior posts about reloading, I have learned that you can also adjust the overall length of the rounuds to get the comp to work best along with amount of powder. What is the guidelines for this? How do you know when to do one and not the other?

I know it is lot of questions.

Thanks,

Matt

[rishii]

My Schumann barrels work with either .355 or .356, I'll buy what I can get, especially now days.

VV powders are very popular, but I honestly can't tell the difference in my guns recoil if my rounds are loaded with VV, ramshot silhouette, imr 7625 or Hodgon hs6

I would contact the previous owner and ask him for his loads for the gun.

As far as load development, buy or borrow a chrono

Start low, and increase by 2 tenths of a grain checking the chrono for velocity and your brass for pressure signs and if it functions the gun, repeat until your gun cycles and you reach power factor, also for load development, put a mark different on your brass for every load you make, that way when you pick up your brass, you'll know which load it came from. If you get one with excesive pressure signs, you'll know which load it was.

Keep good notes on the above , get a log book, and log in every different load you make, noting caliber, bullet weight and manufacturer, powder charge, brass and primer manufacturer, oal, high-low-average velocities and power factor and any signs of excessive pressure

[BSeevers]

Is this 38 Super or 38 Super Comp