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38 S & W wadcutter & clays powder

ENBLOCENBLOC Member Posts: 327 ✭✭
edited September 2009 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Anyone have any recipes for Clays & 148 grain wadcutters? I have S & W Victory model with 5 inch bbl. THX!
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Comments

  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,870 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Start at 2.3gr. and go to 2.5gr. MAX of Clays.
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  • kshockkshock Member Posts: 59 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I shoot 2.4 grains of clays with the Remington 148 grain lead wadcutter. Shoots very clesn. The bottle of powder shows 2.5 grains of clays as a max. One of my manuals shows 2.3 grains as a starting load with 2.5 grains as a max load. I shoot this load from a Custom PPC (.38 Special) gun and it seems to be very accurate and as stated it shoots cleaner than some of the other loads I have shot. I am assuming your gun is a 38 Special. If it is a 38 S&W and not marked .38 Special the load data would be different and do not use the data for the 38 Special.
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  • geeguygeeguy Member Posts: 1,047 ✭
    edited November -1
    +1 on the above. 2.4 gr is my load for S&W K-38, and also used on S&W52 auto. Friend on mine just shot 286 out of 300 at camp perry with my K-38 and ammo.

    Sidebar: Sucks to loan a gun to a good shooter and get whipped so badly with you own gun and ammo, plus he never shot revolver before the match, so I can't blame my score on that ammo.

    Sorry, missed the 38S&W part: 700X, Bullseye, and Clays are very close in burn rate. Older Bullseye chart shows to start at 2.0 grains to a max of 2.9 gr. Nothing about seating the bullet, but I would assume you would not have room unless the bullet sticks out.

    Best of luck
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  • ENBLOCENBLOC Member Posts: 327 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thank You, but IT is 38 S & W NOT 38 Special. I do use the 2.5 grains in my S & W Model 64 .38 Spl.and it's very accurate. The older manuals do not have Clays info. They show the wadcutter crimped half way out this short case. Should I start at 2.3 grains of Clays up to 2.5, or step it down to 2.0 Clays first in the Old S & W. This is a Victory model for Great Britain with 5 inch bbl. I do shot 158 grain Semi-Wadcutter over Unique but was wondering about the wadcutter perhaps giving me better groups.
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  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,870 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think the 2.3gr. load with the bullet seated out will be OK. Load five or six and shoot them and look for pressure signs. What load are you using for the 158SWC? The same powder charge will be less pressure with the 148gr. bullet.
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  • ENBLOCENBLOC Member Posts: 327 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dear DSC Shooters, I checked this weekend while at reloading bench and I have loaded 158 grain semi-wadcutters over 3 grains of Unique.
    Perhaps six of each---- 2.3 gr. Clays vs. 3 gr. of Unique under the 148 gr. Wadcutter and see what looks the best down range! THX!
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  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,438 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Whoa. Stop.

    Some of the posters here have listed loads for the 38 SPECIAL. Please disregard all loads listed above.

    Hodgdon doesn't list any Clays loads for the 38 S&W in their Annual Manual. The closest cartridge shown is the 38 Short Colt with 135-gr lead bullets. That's a close comparison, but not exact. Still, the highest load for that round is 2.1 Clays.

    I would use 1.5 Clays and absolutely nothing over about 1.8 - and even then I'd seat that wadcutter out to normal OAL for the 38 S&W.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
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  • ENBLOCENBLOC Member Posts: 327 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dear Rocky: Thx for your insight. Maybe Clays is just too fast for the 38/200 or 38 S & W. I'll just try the 3 grains of Unique under the 148 gr. Wadcutter and seat it out the same O.A.L. as the 158 gr. semi-wadcutter and see what I get.
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  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    Ken Waters listed a load of 2.5 grains of Bullseye in his "Pet Loads" book for a 200 grain bullet to duplicate the original 38/200 loading.

    I load 148 gr full wadcutters with 2.1 gr of bullseye seated out just so they chamber ok, it's a pretty mild load.

    That doesn't help you with your clays question but gives you a point of reference anyhow.
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  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,438 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Those are both good, safe approaches, especially for that fairly strong S&W Victory. Keep us posted, enbloc. I suspect there are more people who would shoot and load for those pleasant shooters if only they knew how.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
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  • 5mmgunguy5mmgunguy Member Posts: 3,092 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you can find a Speer reloading manual number 13, it has loads for the 38 S&W...not sure if Clays in one of them.
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  • PearywPearyw Member Posts: 3,699
    edited November -1
    For best accuracy, use hollow based 148 wadcutters. The base will seal better since the factory 38 S&W bullet is .361" diameter. I load mine with 1.7gr of Trail Boss.
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