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Any favorite load for 158-160 gn .38 special that makes minor power factor?


Vincerama

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Hi, maybe this should be in the reloading section, but since 9mm and .38 are lumped together, I thought I'd go directly to the revo shooters and ask.

 

So today I brought my new 627 pc (5" barrel) to the range to break-in. I wanted to make sure everything worked from the factory. (And sad to say I got 3 light strikes on winchester primers ... from the factory!)

 

The only ammo I had was some I loaded up for SASS, and it's basically .38 special loads in .357 magnum cases (they magnum cases are more reliable in a .357 lever gun).

Anyway, I had the standard 158 gn lead semi wadcutters (Bear Creek Moly) with 3.5 gn Bullseye powder (OAL was whatever put the rim into the crimp groove).
and I had the same OAL, primers etc but with 3.5 gns of Trail Boss.

Normally, I'd just shoot the bullseye (powder) load because the Trail Boss load is bunny fart and will in no stretch of the imagination meet minor PF for USPSA. But ... I did notice that my groupings with the Trail Boss were noticibly tighter than the bulleye load. 

Usually I shoot whatever load works OK, but the noticable difference (was it because I wasn't flinching on follow up shots from bunny farts versus seeing the flames of bullseye flash out the cylinder gap?) has me wondering if maybe the load really actually makes a useful difference. So.... I'm asking here what some of your favorite loads are. Now, I get that posting load info is a touchy (liability wise) thing, but maybe just powder recommendations then.

In anticipation of USPSA and moonclip loading, I bought a bunch of 160gn rounds nose coated bullets from SNS (my go to supplier for no real reason other than I've used them for years).
I have jugs of Bullseye, Clays (just clays, not international or whatever), Win 231 (and HP-38 since HP-39 USED TO BE cheaper at Powder Valley than 231 for some reason, but they caught on - my 9mm powder), WST (my .45 acp powder) and some smaller containers with N320, Power Pistol, WSF, Unique, and probably some other stuff I can't recall right now because i'm a hoarder, and of course I have some Trail Boss which I'll reserve for cowboy stuff if I ever get around to going again.

If this really should be kicked to the reloading forum for 9/.38 then mods, please banish it there. However, I'd like to hear the experience of the revo guys.

Oh, and I'll be loading .38 special cases, though I did buy some Long Colt to try (and maybe cut down) later, and someone was very nice and sent me a sample of .38 Short Colt... but never mind the colt stuff for now, I'll be using .38 specials mostly.

Thanks so much in advance!

 

Vince

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My Dillon 550 just will not meter Clay's, e3 or and large flake powder so I've been using RamShot Competition . 

My standard match load is a 165 gr. Ibejihead over 2.8 grs RamShot Competition at 1.53" OAL

for 160 gr. I use 3.0 grs. Competition at 1.53" OAL and for what I think is going to be my new favorite bullet

the 170 gr. NLG RN B&B casting (Tony Moser) I'm using 2.7 grs Competition at 1.54" OAL.

All of these loads will make power factor from a 4" barrel for IDPA with enough extra to knock over steel so they might give you a good starting point to 

work up a load for USPSA power factor.

Edited by eggman
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3 hours ago, eggman said:

My Dillon 550 just will not meter Clay's, e3 or and large flake powder so I've been using RamShot Competition . 

My standard match load is a 165 gr. Ibejihead over 2.8 grs RamShot Competition at 1.53" OAL

for 160 gr. I use 3.0 grs. Competition at 1.53" OAL and for what I think is going to be my new favorite bullet

the 170 gr. NLG RN B&B casting (Tony Moser) I'm using 2.7 grs Competition at 1.54" OAL.

All of these loads will make power factor from a 4" barrel for IDPA with enough extra to knock over steel so they might give you a good starting point to 

work up a load for USPSA power factor.

I've never had trouble with Clays in my 550 above 3 grains.  Below 3 grains, I use 2.7 for 38 short colt, it does bridge across the fill hole of the bar.  Dillon makes a "small charge" powder bar, it has squared corners rather than the tapered, it took care of the problem for me.

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Clays meters like poo. I've been using it for a long time. 

 

The Xtra small powder charge bar helps, as well as attaching some sort of vibrating device on your powder drop. I use a cheap fish tank air pump electrical taped to my tube and it's helped out immensely getting consistent results dropping Clay's on my Dillon. 

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8 hours ago, MikeyScuba said:

While I don't use Clays, I've found the Arredondo Plastic Powder measure with the micrometer installed works great for drops under 3grains.

I've never used any vibrator on my press.  Will have to check out the Arrendodno measure though.

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On 3/25/2019 at 7:17 AM, eggman said:

My Dillon 550 just will not meter Clay's, e3 or and large flake powder so I've been using RamShot Competition . 

My standard match load is a 165 gr. Ibejihead over 2.8 grs RamShot Competition at 1.53" OAL

for 160 gr. I use 3.0 grs. Competition at 1.53" OAL and for what I think is going to be my new favorite bullet

the 170 gr. NLG RN B&B casting (Tony Moser) I'm using 2.7 grs Competition at 1.54" OAL.

All of these loads will make power factor from a 4" barrel for IDPA with enough extra to knock over steel so they might give you a good starting point to 

work up a load for USPSA power factor.

Sound like something I need to try. I have a jug of ram shot competition because people said it was “poorman’s Vv320”. Then was later warned that it can’t make major of in .40 without going quite a bit beyond the published max. I don’t know if that is true but as a result I just left the jug unused. I’ll test my way up with it in .38 hopefully it will work. I also have a jug of clays to try as well. Thanks for all the tips guys, I’ll work some of them up to see what works for me and the 627!

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I have some Sport Pistol too. (I buy powders whenever PV has a hazmat free day and often go overboard). But I like Sport Pistol in 9mm so I'll save it for that.

 

 

(off topic, maybe PM if you want)...

Also, you're in Toronto? I grew up in Mississauga!


How is the pistol competition scene up there? I started after I moved to California. I have a friend in Mississauga/Oakville area that has some nice guns that I can't buy in California (Shadow 2 for one), but he's not into IPSC, which I keep trying to push him to try.

 

 

Edited by Vincerama
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IPSC Ontario has ~1300 members, lots of matches but only 3 L3’s this year.  2 of which are at our home range.

 

icore seems a bit flat match wise.  Nothing scheduled from our home range but we are traveling this big matches in Cali this weekend and the CO, MO MI matches and IRC . But the Regionals are in bc but accounced late so we have dates already scheduled for the us matches

 

i think the black badge course might keep people out as it’s a decent time commitment and not to many are being held.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
1 hour ago, elguapo said:

 

What is that?

http://www.ipsc-canada.org/training.html

 

Basically a holster safety course and learning the rules of IPSC.  If the instructor doesn’t think you are safe you don’t get admission.  Also 2 DQ’s within 365 you have to re-do parts of the course.  At least you know when you go to a match everyone at least has been vetted so to speak.  It’s also a good way to make friends.  It’s about 24hrs total over 3 days 2/3 range time 1/3 classroom.

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IMO the black badge course is a money grab, and if you let your membership lapse for more than 3 years , you must take it again.

 

The course costs $225.00'ish for Ontario.

 

Membership is $70.00/year.

Edited by RePete
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8 minutes ago, JAB said:

Its all a money grab in canada not just ipsc but ppc idpa icore and so on you have to take some kind of course  so you can shoot 

 

No course for ICORE, the IDPA course I teach, in Canada, will cost $20.00 and there isn't a course in the US (just like USPSA),  I also instruct PPC and it's only $25.00, but it's all but dead in the east.

 

IDPA membership is $40.00/year, ICORE is, IIRC, $25.00/year and USPSA is $25.00, PPC? I don't know.

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You need some kined of holster course  to shoot any of them you cant just show up and shoot icore or idpa or any of the others without taking there own safty course  or having your BB

Edited by JAB
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On 3/26/2019 at 8:56 PM, MikeyScuba said:

IPSC Ontario has ~1300 members, lots of matches but only 3 L3’s this year.  2 of which are at our home range.

 

icore seems a bit flat match wise.  Nothing scheduled from our home range but we are traveling this big matches in Cali this weekend and the CO, MO MI matches and IRC . But the Regionals are in bc but accounced late so we have dates already scheduled for the us matches

 

i think the black badge course might keep people out as it’s a decent time commitment and not to many are being held.

 

 

Is this a legal requirement or a program requirement as in a Safety Check for new competitors many clubs in the U.S. do?

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