Lee Loader

Hi guys
For my "K" Frame S&W I am loading .38 spec. 158gr LSWC bullets with Bullseye. This is for shooting paper at 25 yds with a red dot.
Can anyone tell me if there any advantage of loading to +P loads @ 3.9gr. will the shots be more accurate or am I wasting powder?
Thanks

First be certain that you K-frame S&W is rated for P+. Certainly my WWII vintage K-frame 38spl S&W isn't.

The only way to find out ( assuming you S&W is P+ approved) is to do the load work up and test. Personally I never seen any performance improvement in any handguns by pushing max loads. For me bullet selection has been the answer for improvements. But honestly at 25 yards it is more my gun control than anything else.

I know many reloaders seem to think max loads is the measure of performance. I guess it depends on what your goal is, target, knock down power or long distance. Certainly long distance requires higher velocities.

For paper punching unless your accuracy improves with increased loading why put up with the increased recoil and wear and tear on the gun. I've found that in the pistols I'm working with sub max loads generally are more accurate, but I have a Ransom rest with inserts for some of them and it takes it to show the differences. I've found over the past year that pistol caliber rifles are another ball game entirely.

Make smoke,

Target shooting at 25yds there would be no advantage at all, unless some kind of competition trying to make some power factor. As said, just more recoil and harder on the weapon. Don't want to beat up on a nice S&W for no reason.

I guess I'll stick to my 3.2 gr of Bullseye and maybe 3.0 gr (below min). 3.2 feels great as far as recoil and muzzle flip.
Thanks all

It's all relative. Under 4gr Bullseye in .38 ain't no boomer anyway....way less than 1000 FPS. +P has a definition but we sometimes have trained ourselves to imagine a flame ball load just because it's marked +P. Not so with .38 Special.

You can load one extra round "free" per six loaded with the powder savings by not loading to +P in this case.

Poppop wrote:I guess I'll stick to my 3.2 gr of Bullseye and maybe 3.0 gr (below min). 3.2 feels great as far as recoil and muzzle flip.
Thanks all

I don't know the load data for your application but I don't believe I'd go below the minimum powder charge. Usually, somewhere in the mid range between min and max will be your "best" results for target work.

Never could figure +p or +p+ ??? Yea, yea I know all the usually & published reasons but,
I always figured +p ?? I'll just use a Magnum ???
I do recall, many moons ago when +p was the newest rage, the Smith I was working
under got loads & loads of revolvers damaged (shot loose) &/or tweaked from a steady
diet of +p. But that was before the advent of +p rated revolvers. Hey, just my 2 cents.

Sub minimum loads? Can you say stuck bullet? Just one can ruin your day.

Make smoke,

Ohio3Wheels wrote:Sub minimum loads? Can you say stuck bullet? Just one can ruin your day.

Make smoke,

Had that with my 9mm. Carrying a chop stick in my box came in handy