Pistol/Revolver reloading confusing S&W 686 and BHP 9mm cant find loads

volks_r_us

volks_r_us

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Hi Guys
I am trying to make my first hand gun reload. Im use to rifle and I am getting very confuse with hand loads.

First lets start with the guns
Browning Hi power 9mm
I have about 300 speer Bullets 125Gr (4602) .356" diam Lead Round nose

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I have couple of book and cant find any load for this bullet even on Loaddata.com

Next is
S&W 686 357mag 6 inch barrel
This is the most confusing part 357 or 38 special

Do they use the same bullets ? how do I work the load
In my books I saw different Diameter .358" .357" .355"

The FMJ on the picture are .355 95gr are these compatible in my smith ? how do I work the load :confused:

The 2 others are .358 148gr Hollow base wadcutter, one seems coated the other not.

I would like to reload thse in 357 mag without damaging my Revolver
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Whats the difference between 38 special and 38 special +P :eek:

this 38/357 thing must the most confising thing to reload ever


I am sure one of you guys know is thing about these. I am not giving it a try cause I have no Ideal what I am doing :runaway:
 
Use 125 gr bullet data for your HP. Pay attention to your col. 38 and 358 use the same bullets. The difference between 38 special and 357 magnum cases is the case length (1/8" longer for the 357 if memory serves, or maybe it's 1/10") and, sometimes, case strength. +P 38 and +P38+ are high pressure 38 Special loadings. The 148 gr wadcutter bullets you have can be used in 38 Special or 357 Magnum cases (and both cases can be used in your 357 Magnum revolver). The .355" 95 gr bullets are generally for the 9mm Kurtz, also known as the 380 ACP. They can be used in 9mmx19 as well, although they are a little light for the caliber. - dan
 
volks_r_us said:
I have about 300 speer Bullets 125Gr (4602) .356" diam Lead Round nose. I have couple of book and cant find any load for this bullet even on Loaddata.com
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You can shoot these from your Browning HP, but you will need to lube the bullets first. What reloading manuals do you have? 125gr. is a pretty common 9mm bullet weight, there should be something there. Check Hodgdon's Reloading Data Center, you'll find data for 125gr. lead bullets.

volks_r_us said:
this 38/357 thing must the most confising thing to reload ever
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Far from it, you'll soon see there's absolutely no reason to be confused. They are two different cartridges that can both be shot from your Smith. The .357Mag has a longer case and is more powerful than the .38spl. If you had a revolver chambered in .38spl, you could NOT shoot .357Mag from it.

They indeed take same diameter bullets (.357" - .358"), but not all bullets are designed for both. .357Mag being more powerful, you should stick to using jacketed bullets or hard-cast lead bullets. The softer, hollow-base wadcutters you have there are only suited for .38spl loads.

.355" diameter bullets are 9mm bullets, not meant to be shot from a .38spl revolver.

volks_r_us said:
Whats the difference between 38 special and 38 special +P
Click to expand...
+P indicates a higher-pressure load. Higher pressure than the .38spl was originally intended for. You can shoot these from any modern revolver chambered in .38spl or .357Mag, but NOT from older .38spl revolvers, usually lighter J-frame, lightweight revolvers.

volks_r_us said:
The FMJ on the picture are .355 95gr are these compatible in my smith ? how do I work the load
Click to expand...
These should be loaded in 9mm cartridges, not .38spl/.357Mag cartridges.

volks_r_us said:
The 2 others are .358 148gr Hollow base wadcutter, one seems coated the other not.
Click to expand...
The coated ones can be shot as is, the others (same goes for the 125gr. 9mm bullets pictured above) should be lubed before loading. I can't help you there as I always buy my lead bullets pre-lubed.
 
The Speer swaged lead bullets come with a sort of film lubrication rather than the grease groove filled with a waxy lube typically found on cast bullets. They are intended to be shot as-is. Lead bullets are typically sized .001" larger than jacketed bullets- .356" instead of .355" for 9mm and .358" instead of .357" for both .38 Special and .357 Magnum.

You can use any published lead bullet data for the bullet weight and type as a starting point; you don't have to find data for the exact bullets you are using. If you are using Hodgdon, IMR, or Winchester powders, there is lots of load data on the Hodgdon website.

One note of caution: Don't try to push the hollow-base wadcutters too fast, as there is a risk of the hollow base separating and getting stuck in the chamber or barrel. They are intended for light target loads in either .38 or .357 cases.
 
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I have been led to believe by a few oldtime ppc shooters that the HBWC should be run at about the 720-750 fps range for best accuracy. This is loaded in the 38 Special case of course.
 
Thanks for tips guys, help alot.
I found load for hornady wadcutters same bullet weight Ill give it a try. 2.9gr titegroup with 830fps and in 38 special it's 2.7gr. these are min load offcourse.

Colin I will try your load in my BHP with my RN lead bullet


Ill let you how it turn out
Thanks again
 
for the 148 WC's in .38 seat them flush with the case mouth and use a very light crimp. Most bullseye shooters load this with about 2.7 grains of Alliant bullseye or 3.0 grains of winchester 231/ hp38. I use 3.0 of 231 and it shoots well with very little leading in my 586. also very accurate but 231 can be a dirty powder. Be very careful of double or tripple charges as 231 and bullseye use very little space in the case. For the 125 grain in the 9mm try about 3.9 of 231 as a start
Andy
 
.355 is 9mm. You can safely shoot them in .38/.357 caliber revolvers but there'll be some loss of accuracy.
38/357 diameter is the same. 38 it the diameter of the grooves while .357 is the diameter of the lands. The 357 cartridge is longer in order not to chamber in 38 only revolvers.
 
Not only would .355"-.356" bullets be inaccurate in .38/.357, but there is also a good chance that you would encounter severe leading as a result of some of the gas from burning powder leaking past the bullet. Gas cutting is probably the most common cause of leading.
 
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