Reloading 38 Spl w/ 158 grain SWC "Berry" and Bullseye powder

L

losixxx

New member
I have the "Moderen Reloading 2nd Edition" manual. In the section of 158 grain I can only find 158 grain lead bullet. Is that what I would use to reload SWC?

Powder I am using is bullseye and primer CCI

Is it also necessary to use the factory crimp?

Will be used in the Ruger LCR 38 spl.

Using Lee single stage press and carbide dies.
 
Hello,

My understanding is that plated bullets can use lead cast data. Please bear in mind, I load EXCLUSIVLY lead cast. I have never loaded a plated bullet in my life.
 
You may get many opinions here and your job will be to try and follow the ones that seem best, which is not an easy task. I can only try to justify what I will say with some numbers representing hands-on experience:

Many tens of thousands of plated bullets through my bench and down range through dozens of handguns. I keep strict round counts and a log of the bullets I buy (mostly to remind myself what price I paid when shopping for the next batch)

I am adamant when I say that PLATED bullets are best treated like jacketed bullets when trying to figure out powder charge weights. I believe this to be true in every caliber, but -NOWHERE- more so than when used in .38 Special and in revolvers.

Revolvers offer an easy route escape valve that bleeds off critically important pressure that is necessary to ensure that bullet exits the bore. .38 Special exacerbates this issue because it is a (comparatively) low pressure round.

If you treat plated bullets like lead
...and ESPECIALLY in revolvers
...and even more so in .38
you run the risk of sticking a bullet in your bore.

If you have ever pounded a LEAD bullet out of a bore, forget what you think you know because getting a plated bullet out is far more difficult.

Do yourself a favor and be aware that being OVER CAUTIOUS with plated bullets in .38 Special opens yourself to a new and very unenjoyable pitfall.

The shortest version of my best advice? Start load development with a .357 Mag revolver and make MAX loads for jacketed .38 and reduce from there, carefully.
 
I just want to make sure i have this correct on the bullet Berry 158 grain hard cast Semi-Wad Cutter.

Is hard cast plated?
 
When we old-timers read "Berry's," we automatically think plated. Berry's made their mark in the industry with plated bullets.

But . . . Berry's makes hard cast lead bullets too - sometimes we forget. And it would seem that's what you have - a hard cast lead bullet.

Bullseye is an excellent choice for that bullet, especially since they're going to be shot through a short barreled LCR (nice little gun, btw).

I would recommend starting around 3.4gns. Then work up 0.1gn per step until you get something that shoots "right" for you. For reference, I recommend not going beyond 4.2gn. And they will most likely run most consistent in the 3.6 to 3.8gn neighborhood.

I'm assuming your purpose is for range shooting practice.
 
I hear ya' Sevens.

I was about to get on my soapbox about loading plated bullets to jacketed data too. :p

But I don't think Berry's makes a plated SWC, and that kept digging at me as I was composing. So before I posted, I went back and re-read garryc's posts. Sure enough, our OP is talking about a lead slug - not plated.
 
I have shot thousands of 158 grain LSWC's with 3.5 grains Bullseye. Accurate and shoots to point of aim in my fixed sight revolvers. Older, say 1980's and back, revolvers were sighted in for 158's. Later, like 2000's, many fixed sight revolvers started being zero'd for 125's.
 
Nick, yes you are right target practice at the range. To be honest I find I learn and understand more from the ol timers then I do most, sorta in the category been there done that.

Sevens no problem I found them on Cabelas web site. For $26.99 + S&H for 250 count.
 
Nick and losix have pretty much covered it.

The only thing I will add is that I only crimp .38 special if its going in a Lever action rifle. A little bit of crimp, like enough to take the flare out is OK. Too much and pressures can be raised. With a crimp the less the better, unless you are using H110 or another powder that needs help to burn more uniformly.
 
Berry's definitely makes (or has made?) a plated 200gr SWC in .45, and yeah, they look a little odd! Seems as though it is difficult to get a good polish at the spot where the ledge sits, so the bullet looks a little goofy. Shoots well though.
 
Chrono Data

I load a lot of 38 Special - probably 85% of my bench time is loading for 38 Special. Mostly target ammo with 148 DEWC's, and 158 SWC's. I'll throw in some hotter +P stuff for variety, but most of my 38 shooting is for target and competition.

So I dug into my data to see what I have for 158 Hardcast/Bullseye. Oddly, I don't load that combo much (I usually use W231/HP-38 or Nitro 100 for lead 158's) Anyway, I have two loadings that I chronographed. This info is through a Smith & Wesson Model 67 with a 4" barrel. A 2" LCR will yield less velocity, obviously. Maybe in the order of -80 f/s or so.

3.4gn = 761 f/s.
3.5gn = 800 f/s.

I didn't work up any further because that velocity range was my objective. Notice how adding just 0.1gn of powder yielded 39 more f/s. Such is the nature of Bullseye. It is very fast and energetic. This is me expressing caution. Bullseye can bite if mistreated. It's good - check that - legendary for making extraordinarily consistent target level rounds. It can be pushed a little harder; but that's not really what is does best.
 
Oh, I know, I was just saying that if nothing else, they do offer a plated SWC in.45. Xtreme offers a plated (and cannelured) 158gr 38/357 slug.
 
Xtreme offers a plated (and cannelured) 158gr 38/357 slug.
Click to expand...

Yep. I know. I bought 500 some months back. I've only loaded/shot 30 (through a chronograph) so far. They went straight. I still haven't gotten around to finding/creating a specific use for them. But they're pretty neat looking all shiny in the box :p
 
Xtreme offers a plated (and cannelured) 158gr 38/357 slug.
Click to expand...

Just loaded 50 more of these. 357 Mag; 8.6gn HS-6; CCI 550; with a taper crimp die, to the cannelure.

We'll see how they shoot. Their shoulders are a bit rounded compared to a straight lead SWC. Hopefully, they'll still cut a sharp hole in cardboard/paper. We'll see.
 
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