230 gr .357 pin loads?

[kframe_mike]

Hi guys!I know this probably belongs in the reloading section,but I figure this is a pretty darn wheel gun specific question.I've got some 230 gr .357 wadcutter bullets that I was told were used for pin matches.I've got enough of them to shoot at least a couple of matches with,so I figured I'd try to load them up.I was wondering if any of you had any loads for these that you'd be willing to share.I know they get loaded in 38 cases,but beyond that I have no idea.As far as medium/slow powders,I've got some Unique,some 2400,and maybe a little HS-6.I figure the 2400 would probably be the best.Now I've got an old 28 I could do the testing with,but I'd like to shoot them out of a 586 for the matches.I realize they'll probably be a little "out there",so please feel free to PM me if you're not comfortable posting the loads on a public forum.Thanks,-Mike

[Carmoney]

I shot tons of those "Lincoln Logs" back in the day. Blue Dot is the powder we all used.

For real pin loads, you can start around 6.8 gr. and work your way up (very carefully) to about 7.8 gr.

In my 8-3/8" Baumannized 27, I could get those babies up to 1050-1100 fps, and they sweep pins better than anything I ever tried in a handgun, and yet still controllable. Shot my way to second place overall at Second Chance back in the early '90s with that combination.

[Carmoney]

I'd be curious to know if 230-gr. .357 bullets are still on the market. Most of the casters who made them (Butte, B&B, etc.) are long out of business. Gary Thibodeaux used to make and sell them--anybody know if he still does??

(I still own a 4-cavity mold somewhere......)

[Tom E]

I'd be curious to know if 230-gr. .357 bullets are still on the market.

Bullets plus some loading data:

http://www.pennbullets.com/38/38-caliber.html

Edited April 7, 2008 by Tom E

[kframe_mike]

That right,some of the ones I have are from Penn.The others are from R and R in Chadron NE,although they might be out of the casting business now.Sounds like Roger isn't sure he wants to keep casting with the high lead prices.Thanks for the info Mike,I've got some Blue Dot too.I'll probably only drive them to about 850-900 or so.Should be OK in an L frame.-Mike

[hdgun]

A friend of mine modified a 158gr wad cutter bullet mold and now he makes his own 230gr logs. He makes them for me but I really don't shoot pins any more. The load we used was 7.2gr of Blue Dot in a 38 special case. This load will take off the most heavy of pins. ( shot in a 5" 627 V barrel ) Good Luck!!

[Carmoney]

I have a few thousand of the R&R 230s downstairs, didn't realize they were still around. Actually, I liked the original Butte Bullets design a little better. They used H&G molds. I think it's the same design Gary T. made and sold through his G.A.T. Bullet company.

Properly loaded, these flat-faced 230s work frickin' great on bowling pins!

[Pin Shooter]

Somebody please bring back a big pin match.....................

[kframe_mike]

I can tell you that its alive and well in this part of the world.Folks seem to really like pins.We actually had to limit people to 2 guns for our matches.I think our record was something like 80 guns last year.We run double elimination,so that made for a long day...lol.It really makes me wonder why pins died out.-Mike

[DougCarden]

At the risk of pissing someone off..... The ones I went to deteriorated due to match direction and the shooters perceiving (remember, it may not be accurate, but perception is all shooters pay attention to....myself included ) that they were getting ripped off with High Entry fees and the quality and quantity of prizes were lessened. Pin Matches used to have a buttload of guns as prizes.....Ahhhh the good ole days.....

It got so bad at one match that we went in a group and asked the match director specifically what prizes he was going to give out so we had witnesses and knew there would be payback before we spent cash and shot it. It may sound mercenary to the uninformed, but when it is advertised that there would be payouts by certain sponsors and then even after the announcements are made and they change it again on the prize table......people feel as though they were getting the shaft, and would not return to those matches......

That was, and is the opinion of a lot of my friends, and unfortunately, I have to agree with them.......

Back on topic.....I have a buttload of the 230s under my bench loaded....please someone have a match.........

DougC

Edited April 8, 2008 by DougCarden

[Revopop]

Back on topic.....I have a buttload of the 230s under my bench loaded....please someone have a match.........

There won't be any prizes, but if you feel like driving for a couple of hours the Ames Izaak Walton League's Wednesday night steel match is adding a pin match this year. I've not been there yet, but I hear good things, and it happens every Wednesday night.

[DougCarden]

Sawheeet! keep us informed! If we can do range improvements to the West Liberty range I will add on to my single tiered pin table and get something going there.......

DougC

[kframe_mike]

Well,I dug out my 450 measure and loaded a few up at 6.8.It actually felt like metering Blue Dot that day too.Next step is to dig out the old Hi-Po and test them.Thanks for all you're help on these guys.-Mike

[Revopop]

Sawheeet! keep us informed! If we can do range improvements to the West Liberty range I will add on to my single tiered pin table and get something going there.......

DougC

I definitely will. The steel match is every Wednesday night at 5:30. They're talking about doing the pins every other week. The match fee for the steel is only $5, and I can't imagine that the pins match would be much more. Hopefully I'll make it to the match next week, and I'll do a little recon for ya.

[DougCarden]

Interesting.....It would be fun to see who is running the show there now. A bunch of us used to go over there for the plate matches and, well........we didnt go there anymore.

Keep up posted!

DougC

[oldtrooper]

I called Bear Creek today to order some .38 158RN and noticed they list 230gr FP .38 as a Bowling Pin Bullet for $42.50 per 500. I asked if they still stocked them and after looking he said they had none on the shelf. He did say however that if someone was interested he would make up 100 and send them out for them to try.

They are not on the Internet now but you can place orders by phone at: 209-874-4322.

[underlug]

I called Bear Creek today to order some .38 158RN and noticed they list 230gr FP .38 as a Bowling Pin Bullet for $42.50 per 500. I asked if they still stocked them and after looking he said they had none on the shelf. He did say however that if someone was interested he would make up 100 and send them out for them to try.

They are not on the Internet now but you can place orders by phone at: 209-874-4322.

Did they finally get some lead in? I've been calling them for three months about some 170 grain round nose.

[kframe_mike]

Hopefully they can carry on.I really like their bullets.I haven't placed an order with them for a while though.

[357454]

Hi guys!I know this probably belongs in the reloading section,but I figure this is a pretty darn wheel gun specific question.I've got some 230 gr .357 wadcutter bullets that I was told were used for pin matches.I've got enough of them to shoot at least a couple of matches with,so I figured I'd try to load them up.I was wondering if any of you had any loads for these that you'd be willing to share.I know they get loaded in 38 cases,but beyond that I have no idea.As far as medium/slow powders,I've got some Unique,some 2400,and maybe a little HS-6.I figure the 2400 would probably be the best.Now I've got an old 28 I could do the testing with,but I'd like to shoot them out of a 586 for the matches.I realize they'll probably be a little "out there",so please feel free to PM me if you're not comfortable posting the loads on a public forum.Thanks,-Mike

Mike: We have a local caster here in SLC that has designed a 240 gr flat nose with a slight ogive for easier loading. I load them in a 38 spcl case with 6.8 gr of Blue Dot. I shoot these in my Eight shot, it gives me an edge on the 625s when I happen to miss a pin. I have fired these in my 38 J frame with no signs of excess pressure.

Email Bruce at blaser3@yahoo.com for pricing and availability

[oldtrooper]

I called Bear Creek today to order some .38 158RN and noticed they list 230gr FP .38 as a Bowling Pin Bullet for $42.50 per 500. I asked if they still stocked them and after looking he said they had none on the shelf. He did say however that if someone was interested he would make up 100 and send them out for them to try.

They are not on the Internet now but you can place orders by phone at: 209-874-4322.

Did they finally get some lead in? I've been calling them for three months about some 170 grain round nose.

They had the 158gr RN in stock and will ship. He didn't mention anything about not having lead.

[Revopop]

Interesting.....It would be fun to see who is running the show there now. A bunch of us used to go over there for the plate matches and, well........we didnt go there anymore.

Keep up posted!

DougC

I think some younger blood's taken over at least in this area of the club. They also do IDPA matches there regularly, which is usually a sign that the grumpy old codgers are on their way out. Once I actually shoot there, I'll see what's going on.

[Carmoney]

They also do IDPA matches there regularly, which is usually a sign that the grumpy old codgers are on their way out.

You have gotta be kidding. Don't you know the whole reason IDPA was formed was that a bunch of grumpy old codgers had gotten so tired and slow they were no longer competitive in IPSC/USPSA anymore???

(Sorry, Bill N., I've been pretty good lately, but I couldn't resist taking a swing at this nice softball floating right down the middle....plus it is historically accurate.)

[Revopop]

They also do IDPA matches there regularly, which is usually a sign that the grumpy old codgers are on their way out.

You have gotta be kidding. Don't you know the whole reason IDPA was formed was that a bunch of grumpy old codgers had gotten so tired and slow they were no longer competitive in IPSC/USPSA anymore???

(Sorry, Bill N., I've been pretty good lately, but I couldn't resist taking a swing at this nice softball floating right down the middle....plus it is historically accurate.)

Point taken, so I hear. Lucky for me, the only IDPA matches I've been to have been run by a hardcore "gamers", so I haven't encountered any of the BS, just super fun. Now if we could just convince them to get rid of that "tactical reload" crap...

[underlug]

I called Bear Creek today to order some .38 158RN and noticed they list 230gr FP .38 as a Bowling Pin Bullet for $42.50 per 500. I asked if they still stocked them and after looking he said they had none on the shelf. He did say however that if someone was interested he would make up 100 and send them out for them to try.

They are not on the Internet now but you can place orders by phone at: 209-874-4322.

Did they finally get some lead in? I've been calling them for three months about some 170 grain round nose.

They had the 158gr RN in stock and will ship. He didn't mention anything about not having lead.

I have been told for 3 months that the reason he hadn't made up the 170 grainers was that he was waiting on a lead shipment

[Bill Nesbitt]

[quote name='Carmoney' date='Apr 11 2008, 01:48 AM' post='739033'

(Sorry, Bill N., I've been pretty good lately, but I couldn't resist taking a swing at this nice softball floating right down the middle....plus it is historically accurate.)

Mike, I'm proud of you. I've been trying to be good too. I haven't been thrown out of any of the "Elite Snob" groups for a while although I am still on a watch.

Bill