Help me save some time. I want to find a practice load for .38 Spec. I will shoot it mostly in a Mdl. 15 Combat Masterpiece 4" and also in a Mdl. 27 Highway Patrolman 5".

I do not cast bullets so am looking for commercially available bullets which hopefully will not lead too badly.

What's your favorite recipe? Or what search criteria can I use to lead to good loads?

Thanks.

Midway has some pretty good prices on wadcutters, the hornady comes to mind. For load data check out loadswap, there's a ton of .38spl and .357 loads on there. I just bought a 686 4" myself so haven't had time to work up any loads for it yet. Goodluck

Yep - check "Loadswap" forum on this board. You'll find it on the home page.

Always load 148 WC's with 2.7 gr or Bullseye - a standard .38 Spl target load for the past 50 years or so.

4.3 of 231 with a 158 swc is a good standard speed load. The same bullet with 5.0 Unique is faster and also good.

Always load 148 WC's with 2.7 gr or Bullseye - a standard .38 Spl target load for the past 50 years or so.I shoot a 4" S&W model 15-2 and have found kdub's suggestion to be an excellent practice load. It is very accurate and comfortable to shoot. You can shoot this load all day and not feel like you've been beat up. Both Speer and Hornady swaged hollow base wadcutters (HBWC) perform equally well and do not lead up the barrel. I taught my wife how to shoot centerfire using this combination and now have to constantly remind her that that's MY gun. For something with a little more authority, the 158 gr. semi-wadcutter with 5.0 gr. of Unique is also a good choice. There is a little more recoil and the groups grow a bit but it is still a comfortable, accurate load to shoot.

Thanks for the replies. Just what I was looking for.

I run 4.4 Universal under a 158lswc from Oregon Trail, thrown from a Little Dandy. Sean