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Well like the song says, One Thing Leads To Another...
To help my wife get comfortable with shooting, I picked up a Taurus 38 special revolver.
Rather than get an nicer but more expensive SW, I figured this would be a starter pistol and lead to something else.
Then I started seeing the cost of ammunition.
Alas, the cost of ammunition just triggers my frugal defense mechanisms though my wife would suggest I do make problems more complex at times.
Instead of paying $26 for 20 rounds of 38 special, I'm decided that I'm going to reload some 38 special rounds.
I'll get the defense rounds after she practices a bit.
Picked up a box of 105gr TFP coated bullets from Gallant at Sportsmans, but didn't think the load data might be scarce and well it is rather scarce.
Plated and Coated bullets tend to be best when shot at velocities for lead
because loads for jacketed can be too fast and strip the coating causing lead in the bore.
Best I could do was taking the Hodgdon data for 90gr lead and 125gr lead and averaging it. Fortunately there was a load for Titegroup for both.
This resulted in a starting load of 3.1grains of Titegroup at a pleasant velocity of ~ 800 fps maxing at a load of 3.65gr for a velocity ~ 970 fps
Sure there are a few other powders like Longshot, I stuck with what I had on hand.
While this "cowboy" load will be pleasant to shoot,
I'll have to get more suitable bullets for making better practice loads comparable to actual defense rounds.
Since then I found a few gun stores have 50 round boxes of 38 special for ~ $40 out the door which I probably could have settled for.
Reloading tends to be cheaper and cheaper is good!
To help my wife get comfortable with shooting, I picked up a Taurus 38 special revolver.
Rather than get an nicer but more expensive SW, I figured this would be a starter pistol and lead to something else.
Then I started seeing the cost of ammunition.
Alas, the cost of ammunition just triggers my frugal defense mechanisms though my wife would suggest I do make problems more complex at times.
Instead of paying $26 for 20 rounds of 38 special, I'm decided that I'm going to reload some 38 special rounds.
I'll get the defense rounds after she practices a bit.
Picked up a box of 105gr TFP coated bullets from Gallant at Sportsmans, but didn't think the load data might be scarce and well it is rather scarce.
.38 105gr TFP
Quantity Price 100 $13.00 500 $42.03 1,000 $79.00 Free 4,000 $308.00 Free 105 gr TFP bullet sized to .358 The polymer coating used on these bullets is Hi-Tek Coating. Bullets available on the website are in-stock and ready to ship out.
gallantbullets.com
because loads for jacketed can be too fast and strip the coating causing lead in the bore.
Best I could do was taking the Hodgdon data for 90gr lead and 125gr lead and averaging it. Fortunately there was a load for Titegroup for both.
This resulted in a starting load of 3.1grains of Titegroup at a pleasant velocity of ~ 800 fps maxing at a load of 3.65gr for a velocity ~ 970 fps
Sure there are a few other powders like Longshot, I stuck with what I had on hand.
While this "cowboy" load will be pleasant to shoot,
I'll have to get more suitable bullets for making better practice loads comparable to actual defense rounds.
Since then I found a few gun stores have 50 round boxes of 38 special for ~ $40 out the door which I probably could have settled for.
Reloading tends to be cheaper and cheaper is good!
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