38 special reload recipe needed

[Bigturk]

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Here are my ingredients that I would like to use to load some low recoil, accurate target loads for my GP100.

Bullet: Campro 148 gr plated HBWC. Designed for exactly what I would like to shoot. Plated for indoor use and reduced exposure to lead. Hollow base to allow for base expansion giving a good seal. Wad cutter for nice clean holes in paper. Campro suggests to seat them flush with a heavy role crimp to increase pressure and they suggest you could lose 100 fps without a good crimp. Campro suggested loads:

Suggested loads
Loads suggested for standard cartridge (for example: Winchester Brass, Federal Brass)
Cam-Pro Copper Plated HBWC These loads are for 38 SPL, Flush Mount and Heavy Crimp
Bullseye 3.2
HP38 3.6
231 3.5
Titegroup 3.3
Unique 3.7

Powder: I would like to use SR 7625 as I have 8 lbs and like this powder in my 9mm. It is an excellent powder for 9mm and should work well for light 38 SPL loads. The Hodgdon web site only has a Lead HBWC in this size listed. They suggest starting at 2.5 of SR7625 to a max of 3.0 for the lead HBWC.

Case: A 38 SPl case to reduce the amount of empty case under the HBWC with light powder charge.

Primer: CCI small pistol primer.

Do you have any experience or suggestions for a starting load for this bullet/powder combination? I am thinking of a starting load around 3.0 gr of SR7625.

Your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.

Dave

 

[Boolitcaster]

I also load 9mm and 38 Spl with SR7625.

You should be able to use the same load data for plated as for cast. Jacketed is another story entirely.

With cast 148 grain WCs, 2.7 grains of SR 7625 produces as nice light, accurate load out of my Blackhawk, with just a few more leftover powder granules than in my 9mm. (probably due to the larger case capacity)

 

[Ganderite]

7625 WAS an excellent powder for general purpose pistol ammo. I used to use a lot of it. It is no longer made, so if you have it, I suggest you decide what favorite loads you will use it on and then get another powder for other loads.

7625 is similar to Unique in speed (but meters much better). It is best suited to medium to medium full power loads.

For light accuracy loads you are better off with a faster powder. I use TiteGroup. Other excellent powders are Clays, Bullseye, 700X, 231.

When I used 7625 for 148 HBWC, I used 3.5gr.

 

[ted_dent]

Just an FYI, Berry's also makes a plated 148 HBWC and they state that you need to shoot these at over 800 fps to achieve maximum benefit from the HB. I'm guessing that the old standby 2.8 gr. of Bullseye wadcutter load won't push the bullet that fast so you might need to juice it up a bit. YMMV.

 

[sunray]

Forget the heavy crimp. Forget crimping altogether. Isn't needed. Really bad for accurate WC loads too.
3.2 of Bullseye is over max for a 148. Plated bullets use cast data. The HBWC data is what you want. Max is 3.1. Reduce by 10%, but use 2.5 to 2.8. That's been the standard .38 WC target load for eons.
Better to load .357 cases to .38 velocities as well. Doesn't matter with plated bullets, but with regular lead bullets it eliminates the lube gunk build up in the cylinders. Doesn't matter at all if you never shoot .357. Comes out easily with a .45 calibre brush anyway.