.38 for revolver and under lever.

[nagantino]

OK I got my Rossi 92 during the week. I read lots.......I'm talking lots....about reloading .38special for the Rossi. I made up a handful of rounds loaded  4.1 HP-38 under 158 RNFP at an AOL of 1.5. The round seems very long but today they recycled fine and accurate also. Anyone else load this combination? I want the same configuration for the Uberti Cattleman coming this week. I can keep this reload for both right?

[pony express]

If it functions well in your rifle, then it should be fine for the pistol also. Rossi 92's are pretty picky about the OAL, so load for that. Pistol doesn't really care, as long as they fit in the chambers.

[Litl Red]

For cowboy matches, using one load for both rifle and pistol usually has the load tailored for the pistol.  And most everybody goes for a lot lighter bullet to cut down on pistol recoil.  They also go for loads that use powder amounts closer to the start charge than the max charge published for the same reason.   That winds up with pistol loads that're around 800fps that are easier to shoot fast.   

Rifle is so much easier to shoot than pistol that any load usually works in your rifle with no problems as long as they cycle.

The 158 isn't really needed for any reason.  You might try some a lot lighter for the pistol.  It's the one that needs more load work than the rifle.  have fun... 

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[treebeard]

In my RossI I found the 38 Specials functioned OK but was smoother if using 357 mag brass loaded to CAS levels. The 
improvement was significant in my older Rossi.

[nagantino]

Thanks everyone........i don't  have any 357 cases, it's kinda hard to find here as everyone hoards their own stash. At the range many of the guys, like me, are new to CAS so we sort of bounce off each other. The reason for my original post was the idea that, while a bullet would exit the barrel of a revolver easily, it might get lodged in the barrel of a lever action rifle if the powder charge was too little. What's too little? After reading here and elsewhere, I think my powder load of 4.1 of HP38 under a cast bullet of 158 LNFP is sufficient for both Uberti revolver and Rossi 92.....maybe a little too much for CAS. I'll stick with this configuration for now.  The Rossi cycles the rounds smoothly in the workshop and shoots well at the range.

 I'm trying to follow the advice to :  1. Load long 1.5 AOL.
                                                       2. Crimp into the lead bullet.
                                                       3. Load light.
Have I missed anything?

[pony express]

For me, .38s don't have that much recoil anyway, I stick with something similar to standard loads. Never used HP38, usually went with 3.0-3.5 Bullseye, or similar level load with Titegroup (don't remember the exact load).

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Nagantino; When you are advised to `load light`, be careful. Consult a reliable load table, like from the producer of the powder, and load at least the starting, or minimum, load. Some powder manufacturers have `cowboy`load data, and that`s OK but don`t go any lower.

[nagantino]

Sir Charles,  I appreciate your advice. I think 4.1 of HP 38 (W321) is good. At the range there is kinda race to the bottom.........see who can run their guns on the lowest charge of powder. I'm wary of this now and as Pony Express said, .38 doesn't have a lot of recoil anyway.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Nagantino; Practice is a better route to success than "tricks"!  The year or three that I was at the top of MY game was when I was able to shoot a case of 5,000 rounds of .22rf per year.  And trap twice a week.

[Litl Red]

You say you wish to crimp into the lead bullet and load light.   

If the slugs you're buying have a crimping groove, it's obviously a good idea to crimp into the groove.  Most commercial cast bullet makers advertise their bullets being hard to reduce leading.  Trying to crimp into that lead can be counter productive.  If you really are trying to crimp into the lead, it would be a good thing to compare whatever you get doing that with identically loaded rounds that don't have the brass cutting it's own groove.   Unless you are trimming your brass to uniform lengths, chances are good that varying crimps and random cuts into your bullets will actually contribute to leading the barrel and getting wider velocity spreads.   

As for light loads..........
Looking up your HP38 load online suggests your charge is .1 grain below the maximum for that slug weight (from one powder chart).   Using the minimum charge would be closer to giving you what you're looking for.   Working from published data is simple when working for highest velocity.   Increasing the charge from the minimum suggested up, we're supposed to stop at the first pressure sign or the powder maximum in the data.   Working down can be a problem. 

When the drive to find wimp loads started in the early years of cowboy shooting, almost every match was blessed with a cowboy or two shooting loads that popped every so often.  You'd even see flame curling UP out of the cylinder gap and muzzle during a sequence every so often.   Trying for extra light powder charges has a problem not everyone sees immediately.  A lot of the powders don't meter uniformly when the powder measure cavity is cranked down small.  And a lot of powders don't ignite completely at lower pressures. 

It's a really good idea for most new reloaders to abide by the max AND the minimum published data.    If anyone suggests a recipe below published data, ask 'em what brand of chronograph they have.  If they don't have one, find someone else to take advice from.   And keep in mind that having the right tool doesn't insure they know what to do with it.

A chronograph will tell you when a load amount isn't uniformly igniting.  In fact, there are a number of powders that aren't very uniform at "safe" minimums.  So stick to published, both max and min. 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I agree with Litl Red; except that I understood that softer lead bullets leave less leading in the bore. I never have leading in my cap'nballers.

[rickk]

If you are "crimping into the lead" and would prefer that you had a crimp groove in the proper place on the bullet, Corbin makes a hand operated tool that will put a crimp grove anywhere you want it to be.

[Litl Red]

I agree with Litl Red; except that I understood that softer lead bullets leave less leading in the bore. I never have leading in my cap'nballers.

We both understand that harder bullets actually contribute to leading.  If they do not obturate they are subject to gas cutting.  That is why it is false advertising for retailers to say their bullets are, "hard cast to resist leading."   8 BHN is what I try for with my own casting, gotten primarily with the addition of tin. 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Most wheel weight metal comes to about 10bn, mostly with zinc. Adding about 10% 50/50 bar solder approximates "No.2 Alloy".