Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .38 Super Auto with .355 | 84gr | Inceptor RNP bullet and 54 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N330, Hodgdon Universal and ReloadSwiss RS 12.
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: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 2* | <<locked>> | 88% | 28,921 psi | 87% | 1411 fps | 92.4% |
| Accurate Solo 1000 | <<locked>> | 88% | 29,240 psi | 88% | 1388 fps | 100% |
| Accurate Solo 1250ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,994 psi | 90% | 1460 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AP 70N | <<locked>> | 84% | 30,081 psi | 90% | 1486 fps | 99.9% |
| ADI APS 350 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,905 psi | 84% | 1240 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 450 | <<locked>> | 84% | 29,283 psi | 88% | 1302 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 30 | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,124 psi | 90% | 1375 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 50N | <<locked>> | 88% | 29,863 psi | 90% | 1421 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BE-86 | <<locked>> | 96% | 29,182 psi | 87% | 1444 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BULLSEYE | <<locked>> | 84% | 27,528 psi | 83% | 1460 fps | 96.1% |
| Alliant Green Dot | <<locked>> | 92% | 29,385 psi | 88% | 1417 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Herco*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 20,494 psi | 61% | 1309 fps | 91.1% |
| Alliant RED DOT | <<locked>> | 92% | 28,819 psi | 86% | 1385 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Sport Pistol | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,414 psi | 88% | 1496 fps | 96.1% |
| Alliant UNIQUEᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,124 psi | 87% | 1506 fps | 96.2% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100 | <<locked>> | 92% | 29,675 psi | 89% | 1401 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistolᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 20,073 psi | 60% | 1270 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol | <<locked>> | 88% | 29,631 psi | 89% | 1437 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon CFE Pistol² | <<locked>> | 72% | 29,617 psi | 89% | 1473 fps | 99.2% |
| Hodgdon Clays | <<locked>> | 96% | 30,110 psi | 90% | 1312 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon HP38² | <<locked>> | 68% | 29,443 psi | 88% | 1434 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Longshot*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 27,789 psi | 83% | 1453 fps | 87.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 9,340 psi | 28% | 909 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon Universal | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,081 psi | 90% | 1486 fps | 99.9% |
| Lovex S011² | <<locked>> | 76% | 27,427 psi | 82% | 1378 fps | 99.8% |
| Lovex S020 | <<locked>> | 88% | 27,644 psi | 83% | 1440 fps | 97.2% |
| Maxam CSB 1ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,021 psi | 84% | 1421 fps | 99.5% |
| Maxam CSB 2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,224 psi | 82% | 1463 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 3 | <<locked>> | 96% | 29,747 psi | 89% | 1437 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 4 | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,095 psi | 90% | 1424 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 5 | <<locked>> | 84% | 29,182 psi | 87% | 1362 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Silhouette* | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,862 psi | 84% | 1457 fps | 93% |
| Ramshot True Blue*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,601 psi | 86% | 1460 fps | 87.8% |
| Ramshot Zip² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,268 psi | 85% | 1421 fps | 99.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12 | <<locked>> | 88% | 29,486 psi | 88% | 1483 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 8,630 psi | 26% | 892 fps | 90.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,137 psi | 81% | 1486 fps | 97.3% |
| Rottweil P 801 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,964 psi | 87% | 1430 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan A0ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,066 psi | 87% | 1437 fps | 95.6% |
| SNPE Vectan A1 | <<locked>> | 88% | 29,167 psi | 87% | 1421 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9 | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,008 psi | 90% | 1440 fps | 98.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,079 psi | 84% | 1286 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 28,427 psi | 85% | 1437 fps | 99.4% |
| Somchem MP200 | <<locked>> | 92% | 29,863 psi | 90% | 1490 fps | 95% |
| Somchem MS200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 29,240 psi | 88% | 1463 fps | 96.9% |
| Vihtavuori 3N37*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,615 psi | 83% | 1470 fps | 87.8% |
| Vihtavuori N310² | <<locked>> | 68% | 26,803 psi | 80% | 1293 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N320 | <<locked>> | 88% | 27,789 psi | 83% | 1407 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Starᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 16,462 psi | 49% | 1135 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330 | <<locked>> | 92% | 29,283 psi | 88% | 1490 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N340 | <<locked>> | 96% | 28,543 psi | 86% | 1453 fps | 95.9% |
| Winchester 231² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,268 psi | 85% | 1421 fps | 99.9% |
| Winchester 244² | <<locked>> | 64% | 27,644 psi | 83% | 1401 fps | 100% |
| Winchester AutoComp ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,675 psi | 89% | 1467 fps | 99.3% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 2*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 18,768 psi | 56% | 1201 fps | 85.4% |
| Accurate Solo 1000² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,185 psi | 46% | 1089 fps | 98.6% |
| Accurate Solo 1250*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,269 psi | 34% | 1001 fps | 87.5% |
| ADI AP 70N*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,331 psi | 49% | 1181 fps | 94.8% |
| ADI APS 350² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,767 psi | 53% | 1060 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,940 psi | 51% | 1079 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 30² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,663 psi | 44% | 1063 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 50N² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,258 psi | 46% | 1106 fps | 98.1% |
| Alliant BE-86*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,618 psi | 35% | 1027 fps | 91.6% |
| Alliant BULLSEYE*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,084 psi | 45% | 1142 fps | 86.2% |
| Alliant Green Dot² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,388 psi | 43% | 1083 fps | 97.6% |
| Alliant Herco* | <<locked>> | 88% | 16,215 psi | 49% | 1191 fps | 86.8% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,822 psi | 41% | 1060 fps | 99.8% |
| Alliant Sport Pistol*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,578 psi | 50% | 1188 fps | 86.9% |
| Alliant UNIQUE*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,098 psi | 45% | 1158 fps | 85.3% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,082 psi | 39% | 1037 fps | 95.1% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 7,905 psi | 24% | 873 fps | 89.5% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,126 psi | 39% | 1083 fps | 96.4% |
| Hodgdon CFE Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,044 psi | 60% | 1280 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,750 psi | 41% | 997 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon HP38² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,626 psi | 68% | 1306 fps | 99.1% |
| Hodgdon Longshot*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 24,497 psi | 73% | 1388 fps | 85.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 5,192 psi | 16% | 666 fps | 86.4% |
| Hodgdon Universal*² | 3.8 gr | 60% | 13,793 psi | 41% | 1099 fps | 92.2% |
| Lovex S011² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,927 psi | 54% | 1175 fps | 96.6% |
| Lovex S020*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 14,243 psi | 43% | 1122 fps | 87.3% |
| Maxam CSB 1*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,950 psi | 33% | 981 fps | 87.1% |
| Maxam CSB 2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,138 psi | 30% | 1017 fps | 92.6% |
| Maxam CSB 3*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,749 psi | 38% | 1047 fps | 94.7% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,706 psi | 41% | 1070 fps | 98% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,809 psi | 47% | 1109 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Silhouette*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 19,769 psi | 59% | 1280 fps | 87.3% |
| Ramshot True Blue*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 25,976 psi | 78% | 1411 fps | 86.1% |
| Ramshot Zip² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,669 psi | 65% | 1289 fps | 98.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12² | 3.9 gr | 60% | 13,285 psi | 40% | 1129 fps | 98.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14* | <<locked>> | 80% | 6,512 psi | 20% | 771 fps | 85.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 15,084 psi | 45% | 1178 fps | 87.5% |
| Rottweil P 801² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,447 psi | 49% | 1184 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan A0*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 16,955 psi | 51% | 1165 fps | 87% |
| SNPE Vectan A1*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,301 psi | 43% | 1083 fps | 93.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,706 psi | 41% | 1060 fps | 88.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,695 psi | 56% | 1119 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,995 psi | 39% | 1056 fps | 89.7% |
| Somchem MP200*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 18,289 psi | 55% | 1234 fps | 87.1% |
| Somchem MS200*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 15,026 psi | 45% | 1122 fps | 86.6% |
| Vihtavuori 3N37* | <<locked>> | 96% | 24,918 psi | 75% | 1417 fps | 86% |
| Vihtavuori N310² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,031 psi | 66% | 1214 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N320² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,242 psi | 40% | 1086 fps | 98% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | <<locked>> | 60% | 7,208 psi | 22% | 820 fps | 97.3% |
| Vihtavuori N330*² | 4 gr | 60% | 12,125 psi | 36% | 1073 fps | 90.8% |
| Vihtavuori N340*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,374 psi | 46% | 1148 fps | 86% |
| Winchester 231² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,724 psi | 53% | 1198 fps | 96.4% |
| Winchester 244² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,685 psi | 74% | 1348 fps | 99.8% |
| Winchester AutoComp *² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,979 psi | 33% | 991 fps | 85.4% |
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 54 powders for .38 Super Auto loaded with the .355 | 84gr | Inceptor RNP. Alliant UNIQUE delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,506 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 892 fps to 1,506 fps. Accurate Solo 1250 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 44 of the 54 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (230 MPa), the top charges use 26–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Accurate Solo 1250, Alliant Herco, Alliant UNIQUE 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. Vihtavuori N330, Hodgdon Universal, ReloadSwiss RS 12 rank at the top here: for .38 Super Auto with the .355 | 84gr | Inceptor RNP they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate No. 2, Alliant Herco, Hodgdon Longshot burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Accurate Solo 1000, Accurate Solo 1250, ADI APS 350 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.