Many Precision Pistol shooters report having a hard time making accurate .38 Special 158 gr. lead ammunition in order to practice for, and compete in, the NRA Distinguished Revolver and the new (2022) CMP Service Revolver event. The NRA rules previously (before 2018 or so) specified “lead ammunition only,” however, now the rules don’t enumerate anything more than:

“3.3 (e) Ammunition - Any safe .38 caliber ammunition using the 158 grain round nose or Semi-Wadcutter bullet only.”

With the rule change, it is presumably possible to now use a load with a jacketed bullet; the idea being that more accuracy could be achieved in doing so.

In the newly introduced CMP Service Revolver event, the rules for ammunition state:

“4.4.3 Service Revolver Ammunition - CMP Service Revolver competitors may fire any safe, single projectile ammunition.” There are some restrictions to caliber; revolvers may be chambered from 9mm/38 Special to 45 caliber, per rule 4.1.7 (b). So, 32 S&W Long need not apply, even though it was a service round for NYPD during Teddy Rosevelt’s time as police commissioner.

Regardless of the NRA rule change & ambiguity around jacketed ammunition, this page is mostly concerned with lead bullets, swaged or cast, that will work for both NRA and CMP events. Naturally, as I am unable to be responsible for your loading practices, nor of the possibility of error in text, it is solely your responsibility and liability to check that you follow best reloading practices.

What powder, what case, what bullet, etc. are all questions that frequently arise in the course of building an accurate load. To make matters even more difficult, not all revolvers are created equal, and it is often said that what works in one may very well not work in another. Lastly, some revolvers just struggle to shoot, no matter what you do.

NRA Distinguished Revolver Loads

Powder Powder Charge (grains) Primer Bullet Bullet Type Case Average Velocity (fps) Mean Group Radius Notes
Accurate Arms No.2 3.6 Remington 1 1/2 Magnus No. 517 Swaged LRN Starline 714   First 6 point leg obtained with this load.
Accurate Arms No.2 3.6 Federal #100 R-P SWC 158 gr Swaged SWC Starline 738   Many legs won with this load.
W231/HP-38 3.8 CCI 550 Magnus No. 503 Cast SWC Starline      
Titegroup 3.5 CCI 550 Magnus No. 503 Cast SWC Starline      

CMP Service Revolver Loads

Powder Powder Charge (grains) Primer Bullet Bullet Type Case Average Velocity (fps) Mean Group Radius Notes
W231/HP-38 3.5 CCI 550 Bobs Bullets 148 gr Cast DEWC Starline 748   Excellent short line load.
WST 2.7 Remington 1 1/2 R-P HBWC 148 gr Swaged HBWC Starline 746    
WST 2.7 Winchester SPP R-P HBWC 148 gr Swaged HBWC Starline 727