Seating depth on 158gr SWC in .38 special.

[OverUnder725]

I have been casting 158 SWC for my S&W 19-4 that showed up in the mail last Friday and have been setting up the dies to start loading. When I look at the specs in my Hornady book, it says to seat that particular bullet to obtain 1.455" C.O.L. When I do that, the top lube groove on the bullet is exposed from the case, is this the norm? I have done some reading and some say they aren't worried at all about C.O.L in a revolver but the number exists for a reason, does it not? Wouldn't excessive seating dept increase pressure? I also would like to know what you are using for a crimp. Right now, I have it set up as a light crimp on my Lee die.

 

[TIPPY91]

i load my 38 special 158gr lead swc to 1.475"-1.480" col and use a roll crimp.

 

[Ganderite]

I usually ignore the COAL in the book, and look at the cartridge and the gun.

The 158 SWC I use have a crimping groove. That is where you seat the bullet. Use enough crimp to push the rim in a bit, into that groove.

The hotter the load, the more the crimp, so the bullet does not pop out under recoil and jam the gun.

 

[OverUnder725]

I will have another look at the seated bullet and see if the rim of the case is landing in one of the lube grooves and use that as a crimp groove.

 

[Chrossphyre]

I will have another look at the seated bullet and see if the rim of the case is landing in one of the lube grooves and use that as a crimp groove.

I think the lube groove on most cast boolits is too wide and deep use as a crimping groove - it wouldn't support the case mouth properly and the boolit will creep. Seat the boolit down further so that the lube groove is below the case mouth and crimp above that (assuming you are not mistaking the crimp groove for a lube groove here - not to be critical, just checking...). If you have to seat so far down that you are compressing the load significantly, then I would be rethinking the use of those boolits at all.


For the grammatical purists out there: "boolit" - a cast lead projectile.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

seat to the crimp grove, start low and work up your powder charge. the OAL is a general guide line but doesn't mean much as your gun is different from any other gun.

 

[OverUnder725]

I am loading a TL158gr SWC from a Lee 6 cavity mold. It doesn't have a crimp groove per say, just micro bands for lube. I did some more reading and discovered that crimping into the micro bands works fine.

 

[LUTNIT]

I am loading a TL158gr SWC from a Lee 6 cavity mold. It doesn't have a crimp groove per say, just micro bands for lube. I did some more reading and discovered that crimping into the micro bands works fine.

That's what I do. I use the same bullet in .38 special and .357 mag brass and just seat to the top most groove.

 

[Chuckbuster]

I usually ignore the COAL in the book, and look at the cartridge and the gun.

The 158 SWC I use have a crimping groove. That is where you seat the bullet. Use enough crimp to push the rim in a bit, into that groove.

The hotter the load, the more the crimp, so the bullet does not pop out under recoil and jam the gun.

This is pretty much my approach too. I don't think I've ever checked OAL on .38Spl.