38 spl. vs 357 mag reloading question

[swampratt]

4.0 gr of 231 with same case and primer and bullet.
It kicked much more and cored a hole through the first encyclopedia and turned into a mushroom in the second encyclopedia.
The 296 load never made it out of the first book.
So 231 load is much more velocity and louder than the 296 load.
here is that mushroomed lead bullet and the case from the 231 load.

 

[Shadowrider]

4.0 gr of 231 with same case and primer and bullet.
It kicked much more and cored a hole through the first encyclopedia and turned into a mushroom in the second encyclopedia.
The 296 load never made it out of the first book.
So 231 load is much more velocity and louder than the 296 load.
here is that mushroomed lead bullet and the case from the 231 load.

Good comparison. This goes to show that 296 was engineered as a true magnum powder. It just won't perform at low pressures like in .38. It was made solely for "full house fire breathing" loads.

 

[swampratt]

I can see a very good use for it though in 38 special.
For instance buddies wife has a very light weight 38 and it kicks so hard it hurts the palm of your hand and sends shooting pain into your wrist.
I made some light loads with 231 and it still kicked ridiculous ..I feel that 10 gr load of 296 might make it easy to practice with.
I will get that 38 and try loads in it.

 

[swampratt]

I dropped down to 7.0 gr of 296 which is the same as 110 powder and my cast lead bullets that are powder coated.
I used CCI 550 powder as there was what looked like walnut media in the 8.0 gr cases after being shot.
Not all the powder is burning up.
The 7.0 gr load is a pussy cat and it kicks less in that small polymer Ruger than 2.7gr load of W231 powder.
7.0 gr 296 left a lot of sticky on the outside of the case and dirty black.

You know what that means.. not enough pressure to seal off the chamber. Extraction was a little harder. Keep it clean between shots or up the charge. To the 10 gr or closer range as that case was clean inside and out.

The 2.7gr W231 left a little of the same walnut media look inside.
I did not clean these with wal nut they were pin tumbled.

That is just what the powder left behind.

I shot a jacketed 38 special Federal Factory load Not knowing the bullet weight though and it went through 3 books and a 1/2" piece of oak and buried into the other 1/2" piece of Oak.
Much hotter than all the above loads I played with today.

These loads work in the guns I have you decide if they are good for you.
Kind of hard to consult a manual if they do not offer that load though.

Enjoy!

 

[Shadowrider]

I load my 148 HBWCs with WST powder. They are just flat fun to shoot.

Red Dot, e3, Bullseye, AA#2, most any fast powder will work good for light loads. Small charges of fast powder = light recoil.