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38 Special and Sport Pistol


MJF

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I want to load practice and target loads in 38 Special to shoot out of my 357. With powder being very difficult to find I am left to using powder I already have. I will be using Blue Bullets 158gn SWC bullets. I have a lot of Sport Pistol on hand and would like to use it, if feasible. Have any of you had success with this powder and the 38 Special? 

 

Thank you,

 

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  • 8 months later...

I know this is an older thread but it is perfect to add data. I've been searching this forum and the internet for 38 Special loads using Sport Pistol.

 

Here is my results from a new 4" Colt Python using a LabRadar shooting in a 25 yard indoor range. For the SD and ES numbers I'm showing the value for the 12 rounds +/- shot  and the number is parentheses is throwing out the highest and lowest velocity shots. I'm not 100% that some of the numbers might be wonky from being indoor and the radar bouncing off of walls and ceiling so have the alternate with the two numbers thrown out:

 

Sport Pistol - 3.5 grains

SNS 160 Grain Coated Roundnose

Ave muzzle velocity - 717 fps

Velocity at 11' - 710

Power Factor at 11' - 114

OAL - 1.562"

Primer - WSP

SD - 28 fps (12*)

ES - 104 (35*)

(Alliant data shows 778 fps for 3.5 grains and a 158 grain SWC)

 

Other loads tried same day with same primer, bullet and OAL:

Bullseye - 3.5 grains

Velocity at 11' - 789

Power Factor at 11' - 126

SD - 27 fps (6*)

ES - 103 (18*)

 

Unique - 4.5 grains

Velocity at 11' - 854 fps

Power Factor at 11' - 137

SD - 25 fps (18*)

ES - 92 (50*)

 

Unique - 5.0 grains

Velocity at 11' - 907

Power Factor at 11' - 145

SD - 15 fps (10*)

ES - 49 (28*)

 

( *) - high and low shots removed from 12 shot string numbers

 

I'm going to use the Bullseye load for an ICORE match on Saturday and an IDPA match Monday night.  It shot significantly more accurately than a max load of Trail Boss under an SNS coated 158 SWC that I have been using. That said, I want to develop a Sport Pistol load for the 160 grain SNS since I have 8# that I want to use for 38, 45 and 9mm as I run out of other powder.

 

Any suggestions from anyone using Sport Pistol for 38 Special with 158-160 coated bullets? I'm looking for a PF in the 125 to 130 range.  I'm not too far off right now and will probably try 4.0 grains and see if I need to go up (or down) from there.

 

As an aside, the standard 148 HBWC load with 2.7 grain of Bullseye meets the minimum IDPA power factor in my revolver. 

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4.1 grains does it for me. But I’ll say Sport pistol is just so-so in 38 special. ES is a little too high and other powders are more accurate. It is very clean. And I do use it in both 9mm and 38 short Colt for ICORE. 
My favorite powder for 38 special is Ramshot Competition. I use it for NRA Action Pistol matches. Most accurate and least ES by far. 

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Bullseye... Unique is good but dirty.  Bullseye was used in target loads for decades with 148 wadcutters.  I know that's not what you're loading, but I think you'd have good success with bullseye.  I've also used Red Dot with good results.  Nice revolver.  I do like Pythons.  I had a 4" 686 but let it go; wish I'd kept it!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Radny97,  I decided to try 4.1 grains of Sport Pistol with the 160 coated SNS and got the following. I does nail the PF needed for ICORE (and definitely IDPA). The ES and SD are definitely not as good as 3.5 grains of Bullseye (which I also ran today and the results were identical to those I posted on the 14th, which is satisfying). The accuracy with 4.1 is better than 3.5 SP but not quite as good as Bullseye, but close. Everything you said was dead on! Thanks!

 

Here are the stats from LabRadar for the 4.1 grains of Sport Pistol:

Stats - Average 798.59 fps
Stats - Highest 832.11 fps
Stats - Lowest 748.63 fps
Stats - Ext. Spread 83.48 fps
Stats - Std. Dev 21.56 fps
Power Factor (11')              126.4  
No shots                18  

 

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  • 4 months later...
On 10/29/2021 at 5:38 PM, radny97 said:

BHBret, glad that worked!  Try some Ramshot Competition you won’t be disappointed. 

radny97, any recommended 38 loads for Competition with coated 160 grain RN’s? (I have Bayou and SNS). 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Competition does appear to be more accurate. The SD for 18 rounds of Competition yesterday was 11 fps. For 18 rounds of Sport Pistol in October SD was 22 (see previous post for details). The groups I fired offhand at 10 yards were tighter with Competition. There is definitely less flash with Sport Pistol and the recoil was also softer. But dang, the improvement of accuracy is definitely nice. I'm going to run this load for awhile. Also I'm using Bayou bullets instead of SNS and Magtech primers instead of WSP (because I'm almost out of WSP).

 

Trying to duplicate my 4.1 grain load of Sport Pistol with Ramshot Competition and here it is with 3.6 grains of Competition using 160 Bayou roundnose and Magtech primers:

Stats - Average 813.93 fps
Stats - Highest 838.82 fps
Stats - Lowest 798.48 fps
Stats - Ext. Spread 40.34 fps
Stats - Std. Dev 10.92 fps

Number of rounds - 18

 

As a check, I also fired 6 rounds of 4.1 grains of Sport Pistol with 160 SNS and WSP primers:

Stats - Average 812.85 fps
Stats - Highest 832.6 fps
Stats - Lowest 792.43 fps
Stats - Ext. Spread 40.17 fps
Stats - Std. Dev 17.8

fps

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