I have a SS rifle with a .38 Special liner in the barrel and am looking for loading information that will produce the greatest accuracy.  With a burn time in a 24" barrel significantly longer than that of a 6" revolver it seems logical that you would look for a slower burning powder than that recommended for a handgun.  If my thinking is at all correct, what powder would you choose for shooting a 159 gr semi wad cutter~?  What yould the starting powder load be~!  Can this information be found in any manual~?

I would start with the handgun loads. The most accurate powders for my 32-40 are all Magnum Pistol powders. I started with Ramshot Enforcer, then moved to H110, and settled on 300mp. Most people use 4227. Heck, the most accurate smokeless load in my 45-70 is with Unique

Depends on the end use, and what bullet is employed. To me, a .38 Special in a rifle represents a grand plinker/informal target proposition and small game up to, say, coyote-size beasts at fairly close range. To that end I would simply employ standard pistol bullets with standard .38 pistol powders, maybe upping things a bit with heavier bullets + slower powders such as 2400/4227/etc. for increasing the yield for occasional shooting of the larger varmints (but I have other better rifles for that purpose anyhow).

If I were designating a pistol cartridge rifle rifle specifically for, again coyotes and  their ilk, I would re-chamber/re-barrel for .357 Magnum and call it better. Beats dancing around with murderously hot +P+ .38 Special loads in an effort to approach .357 performance. Such a gun would be ok for close range deer hunting too.

If "ASSRA-sanctioned" target work were contemplated I can think of a bunch of other cartridges that would beat a .38 Special. Although, I guess if one were to employ a fast twist barrel and use 200+ grain bullets and slow-ish powders, in a rifle structurally up to the task, it might well box above its weight class. 

All that said, I'm intrigued by the thought of a .38 Special rifle too and am looking hard at re-boring a Martini Cadet for that purpose. I often wonder why I don't see more .38 Special rifles. Again speaking only for myself, it would be for ringing steel plates and punching paper out to 100 yards not to mention murdering dastardly empty beer cans.

gnoahhh wrote on Oct 14^th, 2025 at 11:09am:



How did those dastardly beer cans get empty?

look at loads for TC contender with a 14" barrel. i played with one a long time ago and as i remember the 2400  was to go to, dont remember the load