New Gold Cup .38 Super inbound , anyone have pet loads or info to share as a starting point for me.

I have a govt model Colt. When I get home later this will I can send you load data. Fantastic cartridge by way

I've still got load data that I used to make major power back when I was competing.

But I don't think you would be interested in that

very good write up on the Super by Brian Pierce..............


https://www.handloadermagazine.com/38-super-automatic-p

The 38 Stupid in an unsupported chamber is strictly limited to factory loadings, unless you want to blow a gun. The bang, clang sound. Just about every month we had someone come to our range with a 1911 and unsupported chamber, blow the magazine out or apart and blow the grips off, their gun. We just call it the 38 Stupid.
In a handgun with a supported chamber barrel the 38 Super is a fine cartridge and capable of very good performance, approaching a 357 Mag in an auto pistol.

They can be a pretty good round to
put through a properly built 1911.
My daddy had one that he used to put a
stop to a break in at his plant when he was
working late at night. The criminal lost all
interest in pursuing any further action.
Frank Hamer used one after he shot his
Remington 8 dry in Louisiana, despite
Costner's choice of a SAA for his film
Don't have one myself. I use a 45ACP

Pearce has pretty much become my source for real world load data, right after posting I went digging through my back issues and came up with the issue you mentioned, thanks for the tip.

I use Starline plus p brass only and have never blown one out. Or bulged one despite the factory unsupported barrel…
130 grain NOE hollow point 7.8 long shot does 1405/30/9
Same bullet with 10 grs of #7 1419/23/6
Both loads are very accurate
150 NOE Elco hollow point 8.4 #7 1270/32/11
Same bullet as above in cup nose
8 grs #7 1233/16/6

So Power Pistol got the nod (7.5 grains) for the new Gold Cup's maiden session, 124 XTP's and 124 Gold Dots. Considering I was shooting in a rain storm and the pistols ridiculous trigger pull (7 plus pounds) I don't think we did too bad. In addition to the dog shiiit trigger, the front sight is a fiber optic job and sucks. Blue grips don't float my boat either. So in addition to a new mainspring housing with mag well, grips, trigger parts and a Novak gold bead front sight are enroute.
Unique gets a try in the morning, hopefully the rain will have passed.

I shoot the .38 Super quite a bit, currently I'm liking CFE-Pistol for plinking powder loads. I like the 115 and 124 HAP bullets Hornady makes for such purposes. They really shoot well in most Supers. I have one "conventional" Super, a Colt , and three Springfields in 9mm, that I've added Super barrels to, they are all ramped barrels. I don't shoot all-out handloads in mine, I have other pistols for that, but I really like the cartridge and it's the most fun cartridge to shoot in a 1911.

IF you have a choice, PMC and Aguila are making pretty good ammo right now, I'd avoid Armscor like the plague (it's loaded lighter than 9mm, and the primers are soft, which plug up the firing pin channel), Winchester, Remington, and Federal all sell Super ammo, but it's expensive for what you're getting. Starline, of course, has the best brass currently available.
For plinking loads, Unique, HS-6, and CFE-Pistol are pretty good, and still give good performance, for hotter stuff, AA#7 and #9 work well, as do a lot of the VV powders. Longshot is also supposed to be pretty good.

Supers are a lot of fun, I was shooting mine the day before yesterday, had a great time, and they were shooting well.

Cut to the chase and added a dot, load development is over.



Managed to get bloody before the rain put a stop to my fun.

I have been shooting 7.4 grains of power pistol for years in my supers. Aint nothing stupid about the cartridge.

I'm still diggin the Super

Nice groups! At what distance?
Phil

All the pictured groups were 25 yards off the bags.