over five times as all exceed major power in my guns.

Several are extremely accurate and will average less than 3 inches at 50 yards. Although I have included one load with the 115-grain Hornady, I don't shoot bullets lighter than 124 grains in competition. Chamber pressures generated by major-power loads with 115grain bullets make me a bit uncomfortable, not to mention the fact that they are hard on guns. As is common practice when loading the .38 Super to

major power, I use Small Rifle primers because their thicker cups are better suited for containing the pressure. Several of the Level IV loads are extremely accurate and will consistently average less than 4 inches at 50 yards in the Springfield and Wilson guns. I particularly like the Hornady 124-grain FMJ pushed along by 9.0 grains of WAP. Equally accurate is the NosIer 135-grain FMJ combined with VV-N350, HS-6, W-540 or HS-7. I also like the Bull-X 150-grain SWC with 7.2

grains of WAP. With that load, I placed second overall and won Master class in the Unlimited division at the 1995 Tennessee Sectional Championships. High-capacity pistols in 9mm Luger that could virtually be loaded on Sunday and shot all week were once the rage, but the passing of the Brady Blll that placed a 10-round maximum limit on magazine capacity seems to be bringing the old Government Model in .38 Super back in style. Actually, the Colt magazine holds only nine rounds, but 10-shot magazines (which are actually superior in quality to the factory magazines) are available from Wilson's as well as C.M. Corporation (PO Box 90127, Austin TX 90127). They fit flush with the bottom of the grip just like the 9 rounders do. I find it interesting that while the Super was celebrating its 60th birthday, SIG introduced a bottleneck cartridge of the same caliber with virtually the same ballistics as the CorBon +P loading. Called the .357 SIG, it is rated at 1,370 fps with a 125-grain bullet for 520 it-Ibs. This compares closely with the Cor-Bon .38 Super load with its 124-grain bullet at 1,350 fps and 501 it-Ibs. That's darned impressive when you consider that various l25-grain, .357 Magnum factory loads are only 100 fps or so faster. I also find it interesting that the .357 SIG . and Cor-Bon's modern .38 Super load just about duplicate original .38 Super energy rating that called for a 130grain bullet at 1,300 fps and 490 ft-Ibs. If you prefer heavy bullets, don't overlook the fact that when handloaded to maximum performance for a gun with a full-support barrel, the .38 Super will shove a 180-grain bullet out the muzzle as fast as is possible with the more modern .40 S&W cartridge. A grand performer, the .38 Super. As a competitive cartridge, it is to Unlimited class IPSC competition what the 6mm PPC is to benchrest shooting. I don't see that changing in the near future. As personal defense cartridges go, I prefer the .45 ACP, but if I had to choose between the .38 Super and 9mm Luger, I would pick the Super simply because I doubt that anything you can buy in 9mm will equal the performance of Cor-Bon's loading of the Super.

Trap 4.0 velocity charge (grains) 915 7.2 883 8.0 971 8.4 982 8.3 968 951 7.5 859 Dot 926 974 964 WAP charge Nosier Bullseye powder JHP (fps) 933 9.0 HS-7 10.2 Dot HS-6 10.5 10.0 Bull-X FMJ 1,361130 1,339 6.5 1,240 147 Winchester 1,34010.0 RemingtonHS-6 1,346 9.0 1,093 3.5125 Cor-BonSWC/LD HS-6 1,3358.5 1,1384.6 1,258 150 HornadyLoads 1,012 4.0 1,109 40 1,451 1,3583.7 1,348 7.6 1,227 130 Winchester 1,347 1,118 6.07.8 Sierra RN/LD ISTHPN350 1,255 1,179 6.5 FactoryN350 JHP W-571 1,292 4.1 1,133 3.5 Sierra FMJ 1,062 1,504 1,139 8.7 1,231 1,192135 1,442(fps) Nosier BlueII3N37 +PW-540 1,368 1,1406.5 115 HS-7 HS-7 FMJ. HS-7 1,458 9.0 170 velocity100bullet 1,5787.0 1,2366.7 1,081 10.0 1,09610.0 Bull-X FMJ Clays BlueHS-7 1,188 1,156 9.7 1,2445.0 5.2 1,368 1,447125 1,142 8.4 124 (grains)3N37 (grains)W-5401,216 1,431 6.47.9 powder FMJWAP 4.0 Level IV Loads. continued JHP WAP W-540 N350 W-231 1,118 3.5 10.4 8.9 160 H~rnady FMJ 115 should 147 were HornadyFMJbutbeIV TMJbarrels made listedin for andLevels forII and .38 loads; Winchester arewere primers loads. guns 115 Nosier inrespectively, FMJ all loads.standardSpeerfired for Bechargeswere usedcannotguns.III I,andthe loads tor errorsbe cases WSR loadindata. 20 percent,Winchester powderprimers originally Coli in others.RemingtonIII nickel-platedloads and used not factory alert loads other accept responsibilityAuto. All in reduced safe usedthe published by 10 and in author's guns Level all WSPin starting - Publisher chambered fired in "by Levels IV should

.38 Super Load Data

guns in excellent condition chambered

must Notes: These loads are for modern not be

for the .38 Super cartridge

April -May 1996

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