Does anybody have some pet loads that perform well in a 38 S & W? I have a bunch of lead 158 grain bullets that I would like to load for an old Webley revolver I am using to teach the grandchildren to use.

158 is heavy for a pet load.


Can you get some 110gn bullets? I have data for the load I let my younger shooters enjoy in my 357's.

3~3.5gn (three, to three point five grains) of Power pistol powder, with a 110gn plated RN, crimp tight.

As I recall the sights on the 38 Webley were
calibrated for the 200 gr bullet. It will
shoot low with 110 gr.

With any pet load, accuracy is taken away. I figured he wanted loads for the kids to get comfortable with. These are just that, light and easy to manage for new shooters.



On 2nd thought Don, I have been loading 38/357 with 110gn 30 cal sabot's, 3gn's (three grains) of power pistol behind them. You almost cant feel the recoil, they make a light pop sound, and fly true enough on a light charge to target plink. If you want to try some, let me know Ill get you a care package ready.


Here is an example of such loads, don't mind the black talon loads, there for my coonan.

Couple of thing's going on in this picture, Left to Right, 38spl +p case, loaded with power pistol powder, with a AK-47 steel core .308" bullet seated in a sabot, velocity out of my coonan is 2200fps. Next we have a 110gn Sierra .308" RNFMJ, then the same bullet sitting in a sabot, next we have a 75gn brass plated copper FMJRN that makes the best "plink" rounds ever. they need only 2gn's of power pistol (two grains) And then finally a empty sabot, sitting on a BT to represent the cup it has under there to allow for extra powder in short loads. I have a 9mm sabot load, but there a little loud for most people.


http://www.sincitytrader.com/u...12-28%2008.18.05.jpg

I have a mold to cast the 158 grain lead bullets, and have been loading them with 3.0 grains of Unique for comfortable shooting. And the grandchild I have been teaching to shoot pistol is 17 years old, 6' tall and weighs about 180 pounds. He is ok with the recoil, so I am just looking for other powders or methods that might be a little more accurate. The sabots look interesting but I am trying to keep my shooting costs down and want to avoid buying anything else, like bullet molds, bullets or sabots.

Power pistol powder might help there, but if your not looking to buy any new items, keep on doing what you have been, play with the charge a touch!

Hello from England!

I am sure that most will know that the Webley MK IV was produced just before WWII without a s/n prefix and then after WWII with an A or B s/n prefix.

This was, pre-WWII, marked as taking either the 145 or 200 grain bullet. The 200 grain being originally a blunt round nosed lead British military loading the .380 MK I.

However by WWII that 200 grain load was declared illegal and so WWII was fought with .380 Mk II using a 178 grain conical full metal jacket round.

So you may have a Mk IV with a front sight height for any of those three loadings! But they never made one for 110 or 158 grain bullets!

If you have an earlier Webley MK III it will be set-up for plain standard .38 S & W with the plain standard 146 grain lead bullet.

Anyway. Here's what you may want as I shot a lot of these, and the BETTER American S & W "K" made in .38 S & W British Contract:

200 gn ROUND NOSE LEAD.
Hercules Red Dot.
2.0gns An interesting load, which is of full pressure, but not seemingly, over pressure. Shoots to sight settings on Enfield No2 Mk I revolver. Thrown in Lee .3cc plastic measure.

2.1gns. Even better accuracy than the 2.0gn load which has potential to put all in 4" bull or cutting it at twenty yards. Full, but again, not seemingly over pressure. BUT I would not want to exceed this load without a Proof House test to check its pressure. Tested January 1995.

200 gn ROUND NOSE LEAD.
Hercules Green Dot.
2.3gns. A thrown not weighed charge using Lee .3cc plastic measure. Tested December 1995. This gives as good an accuracy as the Red Dot load but at apparent less pressure.

200 gn ROUND NOSE LEAD.
Hercules Herco.
2.7gns. Thrown (not weighed as 3.1gn loading) using Lee .3cc powder measure. An accurate loading with 2"x2 1/2" group at twenty yards off bench. Certainly a good accurate starting load not anywhere near as accurate as the 3.1gn WEIGHED load. Tested November 1995. Did not shoot to vertical point of aim of sights as did the 3.1gn load.

3.1gns. An extremely accurate load in the Royal Tank Corps Enfield No2 Mk I (NOTE NEAR A "MAX" LOAD). Five rounds, off a rest, into 3/4"x1 1/4" group at twenty yards. ALSO SHOOTS TO POINT OF AIM.

Sorry I've nothing for the specific 158 grain bullet. The real watchword in the 38 S & W is AIRSPACE. I'll repeat AIRSPACE. In other words as much as you can seat the bullet as far out of the case as you can.

It is a cartridge that has little margin for error if your loading practices are slipshod especially in a break barreled frame revolver such as the Webley.