[LoneStar]

Just purchased a Colt series 80 in 38 Super, now I need to find some loads that work...HELP if you can...

 

[38 Super Man]

Lone Star:
I might be able to help you. Do you want major or minor power factor loads? Is your 38 Super comped or just a 5" stock gun? Answer these questions and I will get back with you. I have several 38 Super loads.

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LOVE THEM 1911s

 

[Walking Point]

There's definitely a difference between major PF competition loads and plain old shooting loads.

I've been working on a few cast bullet loads lately and have a small stockpile of jacketed loads.

I like the flexibility of the .38 Super. Any auto that can use anything from 88 grain bullets to 160 grain bullets with good results makes me very happy.

 

[Houston1944]

I now use only Alliant Power Pistol for my 38 Super. It meters as good as any powder I have ever used and is clean burning. I don't know what you are looking for but I can offer you the following:
Target / Practice -
7.2 gr Power Pistol with 115 gr Montana Gold HP. OAL 1.253
Hunting / Self Defense
7.6 gr PP with 115 gr Hornady XTP OAL 1.251
6.3 gr PP with 147 gr Hornady XTP OAL 1.260
All three loads are capable of 6 shots in one hole at 15 yards. The 7.6 with 115 Hornady is probably the most accurate.
Have only Chronograph the 7.2 load --ave 1264 FPS. (If CCV would quit breaking his chrono then I would have more data for you)
The above loads do not exceed the "Book" loads for 38Super. I hope you enjoy your 38S, I certainly do. It is a lot of fun to fire, very economical to reload, and gives you some extra firepower if you ever need it.

 

[KLN]

The .38 Super is a great cartridge, but requires a bit of extra care in loading. It is fairly hot to start with, and is frequently loaded even hotter. It is sensitive to bullet seating depth, and can easily be loaded in such a manner that bullets can become deep seated during the chambering cycle of the pistol. I have one such case I keep on my reloading bench as a reminder: it has a great bulge near the base and the primer is expanded to about large pistol primer size. Luckily, the pistol did not come apart.

The key to avoiding this problem is an expander plug that is not too large. It should be well under bullet diameter, and the loaded rounds should have a definite hour glass shape. Pushing the loaded round nose first on the reloading bench as hard as you can by hand should result in no (zero; nada) bullet movement into the case.

Most of my loads used Winchester 540 and 571 powders. There are better choices today, so I won't quote loads, but you can get full .357 Magnum performance with this cartridge. It is a great medium game round, with proper bullets.

Take care now, ya hear?

 

[LoneStar]

Originally posted by 38 Super Man:
Lone Star:
I might be able to help you. Do you want major or minor power factor loads? Is your 38 Super comped or just a 5" stock gun? Answer these questions and I will get back with you. I have several 38 Super loads.

It is a Colt Commander Model I'll use it for basic paper punching, Thank you all your help LoneStar

 

[fedaykin]

if you want the best data on .38super loads, do a search for "maass'ipsc resources"
this will take you to the site of jeff maass. he has a huge table on load data for the .38super covering all types of loads from light steel loads to super powerful fully compensated major power loads in every powder type you can think of.

hope this helps

 

[38 Super Man]

I would recommend one of the VihtaVuori powders. In my pistol reloading I use about 95% VihtaVuori.

For a 5" Stock gun (no comp) I would starting with one of there fast burning powders. In burn rate order they are, N320, N330 & N340.

For a bullet I would start with a 124 gr. JFP or JHP. For just a paper load I would push them out at about 1100 fps. that comes out to be a 136400 pf. If you want a little heavier bullet do the samething with a 147 gr. JFP or JHP. That would be somewhere around 925 fps. for the same 136400 pf.

All my 38 Supers are full house comp guns, but if I had a stock 5" 38 Super pistol this is where I would start. Hope it works out for you.

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LOVE THEM 1911s

[This message has been edited by 38 Super Man (edited 08-28-2001).]

 

[eerw]

try this link...

a acrobat pdf file with a lot of loads major and minor ipsc loads...
http://home.columbus.rr.com/jmaass/documents/hl38sup.pdf