Load for 158 gr. Berrys with clays

[Rick B]

Any suggestions on a load for a 38 special around a 120 to 125 power factor? I will be using a 158 Berrys round nose and regular Clays powder. Thanks

[revchuck]

Any suggestions on a load for a 38 special around a 120 to 125 power factor? I will be using a 158 Berrys round nose and regular Clays powder. Thanks

Rick - I recommend you try a different powder. You can't get near that PF within published data. About four grains of Titegroup will put you in the ballpark, but it burns too hot for my liking. 4.3 grains of TG makes a 130 PF from my 4" guns. The max +P loads of PB, 7625 and 4756 make just under 800 fps from a 4", so if it's for a 6" gun they might work. PB and 7625 were pretty clean, 4756 was pretty dirty.

I'm in the search mode for 158 grain Rainiers, which should be pretty close. I'm looking at 231 and Solo 1250 as my next tries.

[mwx40x40]

Any suggestions on a load for a 38 special around a 120 to 125 power factor? I will be using a 158 Berrys round nose and regular Clays powder. Thanks

Rick - I recommend you try a different powder. You can't get near that PF within published data. About four grains of Titegroup will put you in the ballpark, but it burns too hot for my liking. 4.3 grains of TG makes a 130 PF from my 4" guns. The max +P loads of PB, 7625 and 4756 make just under 800 fps from a 4", so if it's for a 6" gun they might work. PB and 7625 were pretty clean, 4756 was pretty dirty.

I'm in the search mode for 158 grain Rainiers, which should be pretty close. I'm looking at 231 and Solo 1250 as my next tries.

+1, Clays and Berrys is great ICORE load, but never could make Minor safely, especially with plated bullets. 231 and titegroup would be better choices.

[10mmdave]

Any suggestions on a load for a 38 special around a 120 to 125 power factor? I will be using a 158 Berrys round nose and regular Clays powder. Thanks

I don't think it's in the books but I use 4.0 grns of Clays and the Berrys 158 RN DS at 1.50 OAL

Gives about 125 pf IIRC out of my 6 inch ported 627 8 shot

Never noticed anything bad about it, use the same load for 150 grn LRN also.

This was with RP brass and Starline 38 spcl.

As always, use at your own risk.

[BlackSabbath]

3.9 grains of Clays is a 127 PF in my 627. Very tight chrono numbers too.

Edited December 18, 2008 by BlackSabbath

[revchuck]

Dave - Book max is 3.2 grains...just FYI.

[10mmdave]

Dave - Book max is 3.2 grains...just FYI.

I realize that rev, I tried the max using Clays 38 spcl data and saw that it was

WAY under powered, that's how I came up with the 4.0 load.

357 Mag data lists 4.6 grns as max so I felt I was safe.

Now, back to RickB, if your looking for a load for a 20-30 yr old airweight,

then don't use the above, if your looking for a load for a 38/357 mag revo

then the posted load of 3.9/4.0 might do the trick.

AND !!! that's with a plated Berry's type soft lead or lead rnd nose load,

all bets are off if you switch to jacketed bullet heads.

[revchuck]

Dave - If you're using it in a .357, you're fine. I've got several .38s though, so I wouldn't want something that much over the book load around. 3.4 grains makes the PF with 160 grain Billy Bullet RNLs from my 6" M14. I'm guessing that's +P territory, since the book only shows standard pressure.

[paul788]

Try Titegroup instead. 3.9 gr of titegroup produced 825 using a 158 gr. lrn from a 4" K-frame. You will be in the plus P section of the manual to get to 125 pf. I use 3.2 gr. of Clays as my ICORE load.

Paul

[Rick B]

Thanks for the good information. I plan on using this load for ICORE, steel challenge and uspsa production, in my 627 limited gun. I will start low and chrono up.

Rick

[BlackSabbath]

Dave - Book max is 3.2 grains...just FYI.

I realize that rev, I tried the max using Clays 38 spcl data and saw that it was

WAY under powered, that's how I came up with the 4.0 load.

357 Mag data lists 4.6 grns as max so I felt I was safe.

Now, back to RickB, if your looking for a load for a 20-30 yr old airweight,

then don't use the above, if your looking for a load for a 38/357 mag revo

then the posted load of 3.9/4.0 might do the trick.

AND !!! that's with a plated Berry's type soft lead or lead rnd nose load,

all bets are off if you switch to jacketed bullet heads.

+1

[Bomanone]

Anybody using Universal Clays? Would like to try the Berrys 158 gr plated RN in quality .38spl brass in a S&W 686.

Looking for 125 pf.

Hodgdons web site only has data for a LSWC and Hornady XTP. I think the plated would fall in between but would still be close to max loads for 125 pf.

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[kframe_mike]

I got to many unburned flakes with Universal.I use WST for reasonable pressure Minor .38 Special loads.-Mike

[Revopop]

I did not like Universal for .38spl and .45ACP. Too much unburned powder. In a typical match, it'd be really easy to get some stuck under the ejector star.