.38 load for CAS

[glee]

does any one have a good load using bullseye powder for a 120 gn bullet in a .38 for cowboy action shooting?

[Kappe]

I can only provide what my Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th Edition says.

Under the .38 Special handgun data sheet, the Lyman #356242 (120 gr. round nose) section lists for Bullseye 2.8 grains as the starting load at 690 fps and 8,600 CUP.
Max load is 4.6 grains Bullseye at 1,001 fps and 16,400 CUP.

Test barrel was 4". Both loads were shown in bold, which Lyman uses to "designate potentially most accurate load" among all the powders and loads listed for each bullet section.

[bedbugbilly]

I don't know if this will be any help or not - for a 120 gr I cast from a 356-120-TC Lee mold (since you are talking CAS I'm assuming you are also taking "lead bullet) - they drop from my mold at .358 so I load them in 38 spl. "as cast". I doubt there would be little difference though between the TC and the RN profile.

I load them over 3.5 gr of Bulls Eye with standard pistol primer. I use a light to moderate crimp on mine. All I do is tumble lube them in Alox/Paste Wax (put some in a tupperware bowl - heat with hair dryer - add a dollop of paste wax and melt with hair dryer and swirl 'em - then add very small amount of Alox - set out on wax paper and let dry overnight). I'm shooting them out of 4", 5" Smtjs and ,u 5 1/2" Mew Vaquero. They seem to be pretty mild target loads and accurate out of all of the above pistols. No leading problems.

I don't have a chronograph so don't know what the velocity is but for me, they work fine. Try loading some of your's up with the 2.8 gr starting load and then work up to see how they are as far as accuracy out of your pistol. I have a feeling that they will probably shoot better at the lower loads - at least that's been my experience. I'm usually shooting at anywhere from 10 yards to 25 yards. This is what works for me but YMMV - check several manuals for start powder gr. wt. but start low and work up.

[glee]

thanks for the help