Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 38 advice

I'm the one hold out for the mp 340 in .357. The last few hundred fps seem to make a .357 diameter bullet open up a bit better.

Steelhead,

What is your effective range for the CCI shot cartridges from the 642? Have not considered using them in my 642 until I saw your post.

In my experience the CCI Shotshell loads are good for about 10 feet on big Rattlesnakes here at the Ranch out of a snubby in 38sp.

But it beats the hell out of a short stick!

Yep...

If the need arose that would work for me.

Fairly dense pattern at ten feet or so?

Haven't seen - CCI .38 shot shell for sale in 18. Mos. Did, however, brain a 4-foot timber rattler last summer w a BB 150 gr. HCWC outta my well-worn 442 last summer.

All other calibers available at LGS, but no .38s.

Venturino did an article years back about making your own shotshells using gaschecks. I've done it and it works. You can use a chamfering tool to sharpen a case mouth to use as a wadcutter for cutting cardboard wads if you don't have gaschecks. Cut open a couple cheap shotgun shells for shot if you don't want to buy a 25lb bag.

woods: Check out the article "Snakestopper Loads" in the archives at gunblast.com

You guys may be interested in Wifeys carry load for her 38, I load the 110 gr Barnes hp's to an easy 1050 fps in her snub, no recoil and they WILL open in wet news print and water jug testing, and penetrate very well.

Descent speed and great performance imho.

I'm partial to lightweight centennial snubbies. With crimson trace laser grips.