Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .38 S&W (Colt N.P.) with .357 | 125gr | Nosler HP bullet and 27 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol and Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 60% and propellant combustion ≥ 80%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 4"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate Solo 1250*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 14,576 psi | 84% | 830 fps | 94.2% |
| Alliant BE-86² | <<locked>> | 68% | 14,750 psi | 85% | 840 fps | 96.9% |
| Alliant Herco* | <<locked>> | 84% | 14,881 psi | 86% | 860 fps | 87.6% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,737 psi | 90% | 823 fps | 100% |
| Alliant UNIQUE*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,389 psi | 88% | 873 fps | 88.2% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,055 psi | 87% | 814 fps | 98.2% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol | <<locked>> | 84% | 14,895 psi | 86% | 846 fps | 99.5% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,519 psi | 89% | 856 fps | 99.1% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,563 psi | 89% | 768 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 8,949 psi | 51% | 666 fps | 97.4% |
| Hodgdon Universal² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,185 psi | 87% | 853 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex S020*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 14,460 psi | 83% | 840 fps | 90% |
| Maxam CSB 1*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 14,808 psi | 85% | 830 fps | 94.6% |
| Maxam CSB 2² | <<locked>> | 72% | 14,127 psi | 81% | 863 fps | 98.6% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 64% | 14,518 psi | 83% | 817 fps | 97.9% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,534 psi | 89% | 830 fps | 99.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 8,209 psi | 47% | 653 fps | 92% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 15,519 psi | 89% | 892 fps | 90.7% |
| SNPE Vectan A0*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,505 psi | 89% | 837 fps | 87.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,693 psi | 90% | 837 fps | 93% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,185 psi | 87% | 840 fps | 94.5% |
| Somchem MS200*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 14,170 psi | 81% | 817 fps | 87.9% |
| Vihtavuori N320² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,548 psi | 89% | 853 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star | <<locked>> | 96% | 15,142 psi | 87% | 814 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330² | <<locked>> | 68% | 15,606 psi | 90% | 886 fps | 96.9% |
| Vihtavuori N340*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 14,489 psi | 83% | 837 fps | 87.5% |
| Winchester AutoComp *² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,708 psi | 90% | 863 fps | 94% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 4"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate Solo 1250*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,400 psi | 66% | 748 fps | 90.2% |
| Alliant BE-86*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,893 psi | 68% | 771 fps | 94.1% |
| Alliant Herco* | <<locked>> | 80% | 13,576 psi | 78% | 827 fps | 85.9% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,750 psi | 79% | 781 fps | 100% |
| Alliant UNIQUE*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 13,851 psi | 80% | 833 fps | 86.2% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,329 psi | 77% | 774 fps | 97% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol*² | 2.8 gr | 60% | 8,021 psi | 46% | 659 fps | 92.2% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,460 psi | 77% | 814 fps | 98% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,562 psi | 84% | 748 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 4,612 psi | 27% | 482 fps | 86.5% |
| Hodgdon Universal*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,561 psi | 78% | 814 fps | 94% |
| Lovex S020*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,908 psi | 74% | 804 fps | 88% |
| Maxam CSB 1*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,037 psi | 63% | 732 fps | 89.8% |
| Maxam CSB 2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,356 psi | 60% | 764 fps | 95% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,807 psi | 74% | 778 fps | 96.5% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,533 psi | 84% | 810 fps | 99.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 5,787 psi | 33% | 551 fps | 85.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 12,647 psi | 73% | 814 fps | 86.5% |
| SNPE Vectan A0*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 13,982 psi | 80% | 801 fps | 85.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,112 psi | 81% | 801 fps | 91.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,821 psi | 74% | 781 fps | 91.8% |
| Somchem MS200*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,720 psi | 73% | 778 fps | 85.9% |
| Vihtavuori N320² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,590 psi | 78% | 810 fps | 99.2% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | 2.2 gr | 60% | 7,049 psi | 41% | 610 fps | 98.4% |
| Vihtavuori N330*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,328 psi | 71% | 807 fps | 93.5% |
| Vihtavuori N340*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 12,995 psi | 75% | 797 fps | 85.4% |
| Winchester AutoComp *² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,052 psi | 64% | 745 fps | 88.1% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
* not dangerous but load has suboptimal powder burnt with possible characteristics such as extensive muzzle flash or inaccurate loads.
² fill rate low - you might want to consider using a filler to ensure proper ignition.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 27 powders for .38 S&W (Colt N.P.) loaded with the .357 | 125gr | Nosler HP. ReloadSwiss RS 20 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 892 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 653 fps to 892 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 5 of the 27 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (120 MPa), the top charges use 47–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol, Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star rank at the top here: for .38 S&W (Colt N.P.) with the .357 | 125gr | Nosler HP they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate Solo 1250, Alliant Herco, Alliant UNIQUE burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Accurate Solo 1250, Alliant BE-86, Alliant Herco stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.