in theory jacketed bullets can take more powder.
I usually load Hitek coated bullets like they are jacketed bullets since the coating is that good. Your comment would be correct for lead cast with no Hitek coating. My two cents.
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in theory jacketed bullets can take more powder.
I think its a 1:16 twit in the henry's, so 158's are ideal.I have not tried that one. I've only used 700x and bullseye for 38 special....with cast bullets those powders make a great load for both revolver and the carbine. It's just recently I acquired jacketed bullets at a great price (actually cheaper than what I was paying for cast) so I'm trying to get a load together that'll work for the carbine and revolvers. Learned quick that jacketed 158 for 38 special is a whole different thing than cast lead.
I was considering going to 125 grain jacketed to see how that works but found that the Henry hates lighter bullets. The groupings went to hell with 125s. So I'm trying to work up a 158 grain jacketed 38 load. Even if I have to go to +p I'm fine with that.
If 2400 doesn’t work I think unique would be perfect. It’s a good middle of the road powder.I have not tried that one. I've only used 700x and bullseye for 38 special....with cast bullets those powders make a great load for both revolver and the carbine. It's just recently I acquired jacketed bullets at a great price (actually cheaper than what I was paying for cast) so I'm trying to get a load together that'll work for the carbine and revolvers. Learned quick that jacketed 158 for 38 special is a whole different thing than cast lead.
I was considering going to 125 grain jacketed to see how that works but found that the Henry hates lighter bullets. The groupings went to hell with 125s. So I'm trying to work up a 158 grain jacketed 38 load. Even if I have to go to +p I'm fine with that.
Is 13.5 grains 2400 .38 plus p or 357 mag?Not that what I am shooting is comparable but I am pushing a 158 grain swc hitec coated lead bullet out of my Henry Big Boy using 13.5 grains of 2400. I was using 14.5 grains, but decided I wanted to leave some room for error. No idea about the OAL becuaue I crimp to the cannelure. I suspect it would be around 1.49. It works great. We hit steel plates at 120 yards standing and unsupported. I believe that in theory jacketed bullets can take more powder. I wonder if it would make sense to start a bit higher and work your way down, if there is any concern.
With that said, my expertise in this matter is limited so take my recommendation with a grain of powder![]()
Pete
Or power pistol. I use that for mid range 357 and 7.62x25.If 2400 doesn’t work I think unique would be perfect. It’s a good middle of the road powder.
The owners manual on the Henry carbine even states when shooting 38 special to stay away from 125 and 130 grain bullets and use 158 grain.I think its a 1:16 twit in the henry's, so 158's are ideal.
I might have a half a pound left over, I'll check at noon.
Not sure how far you are from West Bridgewater, but you're more than welcome to it. I'm mostly .38 spl these days and I sold the Rossi, so its just taking up space for me.
This too. There are a lot of mid range powders to use.Or power pistol. I use that for mid range 357 and 7.62x25.
And video it, pleaseI'm going to make up 20 of them with 2400 this afternoon.....may test them tonight.
I wish I had videoed the failures with the 3.5 bullseye for everyone to see. I considered firing one more to get it on camera but didn't feel like actually sticking one in the bore.....and overall it's just a bad idea to shoot ammo you knows not doing the right thing.And video it, please
Bullseye is a fantastic powder for cast and swaged lead. I will still use it for cast bullet loads for both rifle and revolver. I got great accuracy out of it.The anemic maximum pressure for the 3.5gr load doesn't fill me with confidence that Bullseye has been given a fair shake. It will never be a very good choice for that application, I would think, but maybe it would not deserve the adjective "terrible" if the charge were calibrated to put peak pressure closer to SAAMI maximum. Of course, if the pressure goes up rapidly as the charge is increased but little, then it would be time to write it off for that application.
Is 13.5 grains 2400 .38 plus p or 357 mag?
Lyman 50 is telling me 9.4 is Max for 38 special with a 158 grain jacketed.
My goal is 38 or 38 plus p so I can use them on the indoor range......indoors we are only allowed 9mm and 38 special (or plus p) out of a rifle indoors.
I'd say many of the data publishers agree it's not a good powder for jacketed 158 grain......I had to dig to find a published load even using bullseye at all for a 158 grain jacketed projo
In fairness I could have tried up to 4.1 grains bullseye according to nosler......but after almost sticking one in the bore.......I'm going to quit there.
Here's the thing.....there are jacketed bullet factory loads out there that "work" out of the Henry. Problem I'm having is they are 125 or 130 grain projos that the Henry won't group well. So that's why I'm at the 158 grain jacketed 38 hand load conundrum.After rifling through a couple of reloading books at noon, Found .357 jacketed for rifle (listed a lot of slow powders, long barrel), but not .38 spl.
Found bullseye listed for .38 spl jacketed, but not for .38 spl jacketed out of a rifle.
Found bullseye listed for cast .357 rifle, but cast 38spl was just for handgun
Looks like you might have better luck working up a .357 load for both the rifle and the snub. But again, whats hot out of a 18" barrel might be the equivalent of fast-ball speeds out of the snub, or at least throw some really good flames.
1. indoor range requirement (no 357 mag rifles indoors)
3. I can't use lighter projos because the Henry doesn't like them as far as accuracy
2. Economical reloads.
My indoor range in Gloucester is the same as Whacko's. We also can't use jacketed bullets indoors so whacko's range is better in that regard lol.Don't know where you live, but Hopedale Pistol and Rifle Club now allows most pistol caliber rifles indoors from the 50' line. Rifle calibers allowed are: .22 rimfire; including .22 Winchester Magnum and “.22 Mini- Mag” Cartridge and the following handgun cartridges:
a. .32 S&W Long
b. .32 H&R Magnum
c. .38 Special
d. .357 Magnum
e. 9mm
f. .44 Special
g. .44 Magnum
h. .45 Long Colt
i. .45 ACP
Damn that's an accurate load! Nice shootinThat might be true. Sometimes guns are idiosyncratic about what ammo they like.
I posted this awhile back. It was my best group with my 20" Henry Big Boy Steel at 100 yards with 125gr Zero JHPC bullets over 7.5 grains of Universal in .357 magnum cases with Federal Small Pistol Magnum Match primers. I later measured muzzle velocity for this load at about 1400fps. The average 5-shot group was more like 1.5". Let's call it a 2 MOA load in that gun to be conservative.
View attachment 327822
Cast round nose flat points...158 grain using bullseye powder makes a great 38 soecial load for the Henry. Its like shooting 22lr recoil wise.....but it's actually a good load as far as bullet weight/velocityI'm curious of your results as well. I have only shot .357 out of my Henry so far and was looking to try .38 spl for the economy.
I'll find a powder that works no worries!I know I was the one who told you about the cheaper jacketed bulletsbut would it be too much of a PITA to use coated bullets? You can get coated 158 gr SWC from blue bullets for just over 8 cents each (must buy 2,850...). Otherwise it's about 9 cents per 750 shipped.
That's what I do with 44 mag. I run jacketed bullets for full house magnum loads then coated for the light powder puff loads using Bullseye powder and more recently, Sport Pistol (burn rate is very similar to Bullseye but burns cleaner). These are shot in my DW 744 and Henry 44.
I'm in the market for a stainless 357 mag lever rifle and once I find one, I'll be loading my powder puff 357's with the coated 158 gr SWC's. Full house magnums will be loaded with the Zero 158's over 2400.
Damn that's an accurate load! Nice shootin
FWIW, Speer used to sell a 180g SIL bullet. [snip]
I’ve run this bullet with a pinch of clays powder in my 38 lever guns and it’s like shooting a .22 LR. The gun doesn’t move.No, sorry "meh", that was more in response to "whacko's" dilemma.
The Lee 356-120TC is a handy bullet for the .38 Special and .357 Magnum (reduced loads). Technically, it's a 9mm bullet, but my mold drops them so I can size them for .38 and 35 Remington use. I don't know how smoothly it will feed in your lever gun, but the truncated cone profile makes for slick speed loading in the revolver.
Being a plain-base bullet, I suppose it is GTG for cowboy action shooting; don't they (SASS) require non-gas-checked bullets?
I’ve run this bullet with a pinch of clays powder in my 38 lever guns and it’s like shooting a .22 LR. The gun doesn’t move.
super fun.