K-38 revolver with Unique and cast wadcutter question for Bullseye Shooters

[inthebeech]

I am working up the most accurate load I can find for my K-38 with hard cast 148 gr wadcutters from my lyman mould.  While my best load of 3.0 gr Bullseye is very accurate, I was tooling with trying to find an equally accurate load with Unique.  The odd thing about my 4.0 gr load of unique is that it is extreemly accurate, perhaps a bit better than my Bullseye load, but the extreeme spread for five shot strings is huge- about 100 f/s - but the load was very accurate over multiple five shot groups (at 25 yd rapid fire B8 target) - enough to be stitistically confident that this is no fluke.
Questions;
    1.  Do you ignore the ES at such a short distance if you're getting great accuracy or do you continue your load development because sooner or later it will bite you?
    2.  I was thinking of eliminating the crimp and seeing if the ES drops- thinking perhaps that with such a low charge, even slight variations in crimp (perhaps due to very slight variations in case length) are the cause.  With such light loads, I doubt that the bullets will move.  Unfortunately, I also crimp my Bullseye loads and they do not show the same ES (10-12 f/s) so this is not likely the cause of the high ES.
 
     I am fine just bagging the Unique and sticking with the Bullseye load but I wanted some input on the concern folks have for ES and whether anyone has honestly developed a good 38 load with the 148 gr WC and Unique, and is it common to see large ES numbers with Unique when your charge is quite a bit below this powder's sweet spot.
 
     Throughout all of this testing, I do not alter bullets, alloy, sizing diameter, primer, case, case prep process.
 
    3.  Are there any published guides out there, specifically for Bullseye shooters and their 38's, for NRA Bullseye event target loads with the popular bullets.  If it contained loading advice for the 22 and 45 as well, even better.
 
Thanks fokls,
Ed

[sgtt]

I don't know of any published loads.  Word of mouth at the matches is always good.  I would crimp any loads for a revolver.  I believe ES is over rated as a concern.  The ten ring doesn't care how fast the bullet was going.

[Mikey]

Your ES may be a factor of mixed brass thickness, length variations and crimp pressure but at 25' it may not matter.  However, I would crimp to prevent bullet travel under recoil that might lock up your action.  You can eliminate some of the variances in your loads by using one make of brass and a taper crimp die rather than a roll crimp and see if that reduces the ES. 
 
The older Lyman manuals used to have listings of accuracy loadings for different calibers and bullets: for example, the old Lymna 141 gn cast wadcutter, bullet #358495 is shown with a accuracy loading of 6.8 gns of Unique for 1295'/sec from a 6" Model 14 - probably not what you would want for indoor range use though.....  The newer Lyman Pistol and Revolver reloading manuals contain more options.  HTH.

[guzzijohn]

With just three grains of Unique you have a lot of empty room in the case. You might try being sure that the powder is against the primer each shot and see if that reduces the spread.
GuzziJohn

[StrawHat]

I shot PPC competition for a few decades and never used a chronograph.  I still don't own or use one.  The most important part of a target load is how it groups on paper.  The most important part of a hunting load is how it groups and hits.  I can test both of those without a chronograph.
 
If loading strictly for competition, a crimp is not necessary and may destroy accuracy by reforming your bullet.  I loaded 2,8 grains of Bullseye under a 148 HBWC for quite a while.  I was buying the HBWC for competition and using my own cast DEWC for practice.  Then I noticed my scores were the same so I quit buying HBWC and switched to my own cast bullets.  The alloy I used was fairly soft, about 30/1 (lead/tin.)
 
I also use the 38 Special for small game and cast the 148 WC with a bit tougher alloy, 20/1.  I also upped the charge to get about 900 fps.  The full caliber meplat certainly hits with authority and is as accurate as my target load.  Recoil is enough that I never used it in competition.
 
+/- 5 grains of Unique will get you around 900 fps.  So will 3.5 of Bullseye. 
 
I have used a lot of powders in the 38 Special but have settled on those two.  Older manuals are more generous and neweer ones a bit conservative but either of those two powders should serve you well.