38-40 / 140g loads?

[Rancho Roy 257]

I want to load some 140g lead bullets I have in my 38-40 revolvers (not rifle)

What ya got for a recipe?

[Three Foot Johnson 1,874]

My lightest .38-40 bullet is a 155 grainer from a cut down Lee mold, and I'm using 4.6 grains of American Select.

[KH24 25]

Just started to work on a load.  Trying 3.8gr TB with Federal Magnum primers.

Shot the lasts local match with it.  Almost the same as shooting the 38s.  

[Rancho Roy 257]

I’m loading 4g and 5g of RedDot under 140g bullets. Will try them out tomorrow. If it stops raining!

[Yusta B. 1,237]

5 hours ago, Rancho Roy said:

I’m loading 4g and 5g of RedDot under 140g bullets. Will try them out tomorrow. If it stops raining!

Sounds pretty good. Depends on what recoil you want out of it.

[Rancho Roy 257]

Thanks folks. Looking for minimum power factor. I've been shooting 5g TB under a 180 and although great in the rifle, a bit much in the revolver.

[Rancho Roy 257]

Went to the range this AM.......The 4g and 5g RED DOT  load under the 140G bullet did not work out great. Both loads had primers back out and locked up the cylinder. Not enough pressure to keep the case against the recoil shield. Now I could enlarge the primer holes a bit and that might solve the issue, but I don't want to go down that path.

 

These were real "mouse fart" loads.....I doubt they were making minimum power factor.

 

I'll need to figure out where to go from here for these 140g bullets.

 

I tried the same load under a 165g bullet with good results....no backed out primers. The heavier bullet allows the cartridge to build up more pressure. Recoil was mild. About like my wife's 38spl with 125g bullets.

 

Onward and forward!

 

 

Edited March 26 by Rancho Roy

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L 160]

I'll check this evening when I get back home. I use 140 lead in my revolvers and 160 lead in my rifles. Actually us the same powder load in both just different seating depths. All 38-40.

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 1,021]

Sounds to me like Ya Should give them .38 WCF guns to a good home ,,, where these will see a steady diet of Goex 3 F under 180 gr. bullets ...

Dit Ya know that 34.9 gr. makes real Nice Smoke ???

 

Jabez Cowboy

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L 160]

Checked my load and I'm using 4.4 grains of Clays with both 140 gr bullets in revolvers and 160 gr bullets in rifles just with different seating depths.

[Rancho Roy 257]

Thanks Scout!  Much appreciated!

 

Jabez....I shoot all my guns Holy Black at times. But usually I use an original 1873 Winchester or an 1881 0r 1889 Marlin, Or a Whitney/Kennedy all in 38-40....With a pair of 1860 London conversions.......Lets keep it real here!