Got a bunch of 158 g 38 Sp but reload data only for 147 g

[Sierra Steve]

Getting back to reloading after many years. Dusted off and will use my old one at a time RCBS equipment. I've just purchased a couple of new reloading manuals, but only one offers cowboy reload data. But their data is for 147 g bullets and I've already got a bunch of 158 g that I want to use up. And anyway the cowboy ammo I've been buying have usually been 158 g, but some 125 g too. How do I interpolate the reloading data to reload 158 g bullet from 147 g bullet data? Also, I'm confused about using reload data for pistol when I will also be using these same reloads in my lever rifle. Don't see any cowboy data for 38 Sp to be shot in the rifle. Got to get the bullet out of the rifle barrel but I don't want to exceed SASS rule limiting power of pistol ammo. Is there data that cowboy shooters regularly safely use to reload SASS legal 38 Sp, and that includes different weight bullets (say 158 g, 147 g, 125 g, etc) and that is available without buying yet one more reloading manual (I have five, two new ones and three I've had for a while)?

[Bart Solo]

Go to the Hodgdon reloading data site. They have cowboy loads. Load for your pistol, shoot the same bullets out of your rifle. If your rifle can't handle more pressure than your pistol, buy a new rifle.

[Fingers McGee]

Just fill the case up with BP and you won't have to worry about load data.

 

Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee

[Big Jake1001]

A good rule of thumb is the velocity of a pistol load (6 inch) will come out of a rifle (20 inch) 300 feet per second faster. My 44's are 750 fps in a handgun and 1050 in a 20 inch carbine. I used a Chrony to verify this. Way under SASS maximum and comfortable to shoot. 200 grain bullet. My 38's are about the same. Just sayin'

 

Big Jake

[Ventura Slim, SASS #35690]

I use the same light load for both pistol and rifle and it works ok. Its good to shoot paper first. I prefer a 158 bullet. Load up different powder loads and paper them.

[Malpais Mike]

Hello the camp! Bart had the right idea; here's the right page. Keep yer powder dry. mm

 

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

[Tarantula Jack, SASS # 12841]

Try 2.5 grains of RedDot for any bullet weight from 125 gr. to 158 gr. Gives you a sweet load at just over 600 fps in pistol or rifle with little recoil and enough zip to ring the steel or knock dock most knockdowns. Been using this for 5 years and converted many a cowboy ( and a lot of cowgirls) to it. It's clean and inexpensive.

[Sierra Steve]

The link Bart gave ya is a pretty good one--Hodgen makes a lot of different powders that work good for cowboy loads---about any load ya can put thru ya pistol will go thru ya rifle--velocity will increase due to barrel length----O.A.L. is biggest thing about 38's in rifle (most are chambered for 357's)----so ya usually have to load em a little long so they will cycle o.k.---sass regs limit velocities to 1000 fps for pistol--1400 for rifle--so bout any thing on HODGEN SITE IS OK THERE-( COWBOY LOADS) SITE WILL HAVE TELEPHONE # SO IF LOADS DON'T LIST EXACT BULLET WEIGHT--GIVE EM A CALL-THEY c will help ya out!

 

 

I tried to follow up with a semi detailed report of what happened with my first couple dozen home made cowboy reloads. For some reason my email went POOF and I suppose it was mailed off to you unfinished. If so , please respond and I'll follow up. Basically my question is this: will OAL on 38 Sp reloads be OK in a Marlin lever action if the OAL is from 1.472 to 1.475 inches (most were 1.472 or 1.473) My test reloads had some problems recycling cleanly - most did fine but too many needed encouragement to cycle completely.

[Guest diablo slim shootist]

"Try 2.5 grains of RedDot for any bullet weight from 125 gr." to 158 gr

Listing loads is a no-no on the wire- sorry Tarantula.

Oops I just did it again!!!

[Jack Houston # 35508]

Most Marlins want at least 1.50 OAL to cycle right

[Rio Brazos Kid]

I tried to follow up with a semi detailed report of what happened with my first couple dozen home made cowboy reloads. For some reason my email went POOF and I suppose it was mailed off to you unfinished. If so , please respond and I'll follow up. Basically my question is this: will OAL on 38 Sp reloads be OK in a Marlin lever action if the OAL is from 1.472 to 1.475 inches (most were 1.472 or 1.473) My test reloads had some problems recycling cleanly - most did fine but too many needed encouragement to cycle completely.

 

Most people report that Marlins work OK with loads of 1.530, however I find that a better number is 1.555 or better, and find these to work well in about any Marlin you put your hands on. That number may require 357 brass, (and often does with lite bullets), but that's not that much of a problem if you get flawless feeding 100% of the time.

 

Good gunsmiths can make Marlins feed the shorter ammo very well, but that costs time and money, and it really isn't that hard to load acceptable length ammo without going to that expense.

 

RBK

[Krazy Kajun]

Welcome to the fire....

 

I shoot a Marlin and went through LOTS of trial and error on OAL. I ended up with an OAL of 1.52 which is a sweet spot, at least for my Marlin...YMMV. I tried 1.54 but in a .357 Marlin that is only supposed to hold 9 .357 rounds you'll find 10 rounds of 38 brass loaded to 1.54 will just barely load but the spring is compressed really tight. When you work the action to load the first round the spring kicks out the first round pretty speedy and it will not always load smoothly. When I reduced the OAL from 1.54 to 1.52 the spring had a little less compression and the action was smooth and the first round loaded OK. You can cut a coil from the spring and use the 1.54 but I wouldn't.

 

+1 on the weblink provided, there is a Cowboy load page and you can find pretty much what you need there if you want to use their brand of powder. I use Clays for my rifle and pistol rounds and also my shotgun rounds. Since the pistol will shoot the rifle loads just load for the rifle and you'll be fine.

 

Good luck.

[Wrangler Jones, SASS # 64178]

Would it be safe to say that virtually any **standard velocity** .38 Special load (about mid-range on published load data) would meet SASS velocity requirements? No need to look for specific "cowboy" load data.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

SS, PM'd ya with load info.

Cheers,

LG

[Sierra Steve]

Would it be safe to say that virtually any **standard velocity** .38 Special load (about mid-range on published load data) would meet SASS velocity requirements? No need to look for specific "cowboy" load data.

 

 

I am a beginner again at reloading. But I think the SASS ammo restrictions are meaningful on the lower end of power factors not the upper end. My Speer manual gives the maximum charge with the heaviest bullet commonly used (158 g) as resulting in a muzzle velocity of 967 fps which is still under the SASS 1,000 fps maximum. That translates to a SASS power factor of about 153 but so what, the only maximum SASS limit is on velocity - which is 1,000 fps. Using standard published reloading tables, you could only exceed 1,000 fps in a six inch pistol by using a much lighter bullet i.e., 110 g - according to Spear's tables. Winchester's commercially sold 'cowboy" 38 Sp is advertised as a 158 g bullet with 800 fps velocity using a six inch barrel. But their "straight" 38 Sp 158 g LRN is advertised as having 755 fps (out of a four inch barrel). So answer seems to be yes you can shoot SASS legal using any ordinary lead bullet 38 Sp if you use a heavier bullet such as 158 g. This leaves open the question of why use up the unnecessary powder.