Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .38 Special with .355 | 147gr | ALSA PRO FMJ bullet and 16 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ReloadSwiss RS 14 and Hodgdon TrailBoss.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 68% | 18,942 psi | 87% | 948 fps | 98.5% |
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 68% | 18,405 psi | 85% | 932 fps | 98.1% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 68% | 18,579 psi | 85% | 892 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 68% | 17,927 psi | 82% | 876 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 16,882 psi | 78% | 823 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 16,665 psi | 77% | 817 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 15,534 psi | 71% | 827 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 15,302 psi | 70% | 817 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil P 806*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 19,029 psi | 87% | 1020 fps | 90.6% |
| Rottweil P 806*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 17,941 psi | 82% | 994 fps | 89.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 19,029 psi | 87% | 951 fps | 92.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 18,115 psi | 83% | 925 fps | 91.1% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | <<locked>> | 76% | 19,537 psi | 90% | 853 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | <<locked>> | 76% | 18,666 psi | 86% | 837 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N350*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 18,840 psi | 87% | 965 fps | 93.5% |
| Vihtavuori N350*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 18,304 psi | 84% | 948 fps | 92.8% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 4"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,447 psi | 71% | 873 fps | 96.4% |
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,808 psi | 68% | 850 fps | 95.6% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,823 psi | 68% | 820 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,620 psi | 67% | 814 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss² | 2.9 gr | 60% | 7,789 psi | 36% | 607 fps | 99.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss² | 2.9 gr | 60% | 7,731 psi | 36% | 604 fps | 99.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14² | 2.9 gr | 60% | 7,455 psi | 34% | 607 fps | 97.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14² | 2.9 gr | 60% | 7,092 psi | 33% | 591 fps | 96.8% |
| Rottweil P 806*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 16,491 psi | 76% | 961 fps | 87.7% |
| Rottweil P 806*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,418 psi | 71% | 935 fps | 86% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,592 psi | 76% | 896 fps | 89.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,143 psi | 74% | 883 fps | 89% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,242 psi | 61% | 741 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,821 psi | 59% | 732 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N350*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,708 psi | 77% | 915 fps | 91.5% |
| Vihtavuori N350*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,143 psi | 74% | 899 fps | 90.6% |
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 16 powders for .38 Special loaded with the .355 | 147gr | ALSA PRO FMJ. Rottweil P 806 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,020 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 817 fps to 1,020 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 4 of the 16 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (150 MPa), the top charges use 70–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, 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. ReloadSwiss RS 14, Hodgdon TrailBoss rank at the top here: for .38 Special with the .355 | 147gr | ALSA PRO FMJ they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Rottweil P 806, Rottweil P 806, SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Alliant Herco, Alliant Herco, Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol 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.