Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP – Great SASS Ammo

Description

Cowboy action shooting has its own rules about ammunition and its own reasons for them, and the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP is built to meet both. Lead bullet, flat point, and a deliberately mild 700 feet per second, which is fast enough to ring steel reliably and slow enough to be safe and comfortable shooting it at close range.

• Why cowboy loads are loaded down
• Full specifications
• Revolvers and lever guns together
• Honest notes before you buy
• Lead bullets and keeping the bore clean
• The bottom line

Why cowboy loads are loaded down

Competitors shoot steel targets at distances that would be reckless with full power ammunition, because splash back is a real hazard. Match rules cap velocity for that reason, and the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP sits comfortably inside those limits at 700 feet per second while still producing a clear, audible hit.

The lower velocity has a second benefit that matters more to your scores. Recoil and muzzle rise are what slow down a string of fire, and the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP produces very little of either. Splits get faster, sight recovery gets quicker, and your times come down without any change to technique.

Full specifications

• Caliber: 38 Special
• Bullet weight: 125 grain
• Bullet: lead round nose flat point
• Muzzle velocity: 700 fps
• Muzzle energy: approximately 136, calculated from the published velocity ft-lbs
• Ballistic coefficient (G1): not published for handgun ammunition
• Case: reloadable boxer primed brass
• Quantity: 20 rounds per box
• Part number: 00451, 50 rounds per box

The flat point is not cosmetic. A round nose bullet can glance off a steel plate at an angle instead of transferring energy, and in a tube magazine lever gun a pointed bullet resting against the primer ahead of it is a genuine safety problem. The flat meplat on the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP solves both.

Revolvers and lever guns together

Most cowboy action competitors shoot two revolvers and a lever action rifle, and a 38 Special load has to work in all three. The Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP is sized and loaded with that in mind, feeding through a tube magazine and cycling a lever gun without the fuss that a wadcutter or a hollow point profile can cause.

Shooting one load across all your guns simplifies everything. One point of impact to learn, one supply to manage, one thing to buy. Keeping a supply of the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP means you are not sorting ammunition at the loading table on match morning.

Honest notes before you buy

It is also a pleasant load for teaching. A new shooter handed a full power 38 in a light revolver often flinches from the first shot onward. The Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP at 700 feet per second is gentle enough that they can focus on sights and trigger instead of bracing for recoil.

Be clear about what this is not. At 136 foot pounds this is a target load and nothing more. It is not a defensive round, it is not a hunting round, and a lead round nose flat point does not expand. If you want a 38 Special for carry, buy a proper defensive load and keep the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP for matches and practice.

Lead bullets and keeping the bore clean

Unjacketed lead at 700 feet per second fouls very little, which is one of the quiet advantages of a mild load. Leading happens when velocity outruns the hardness of the alloy, and at these speeds the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP stays well inside that limit. A bronze brush and solvent at the end of a match day is all it takes.

Some indoor ranges restrict unjacketed lead because of airborne lead from the exposed base. That is worth checking before you turn up with a case of the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP. Outdoor ranges and match venues, which is where this ammunition will mostly be used, rarely have any such rule.

The bottom line

For cowboy action shooting, plinking or teaching someone to shoot a revolver, the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP is a soft, clean and well made choice. You can read more about the bullet design at swiftbullets.com, or browse the rest of our stock on the MAG5 Firearms ammunition page.

MAG5 Firearms keeps the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP in stock and moving, and we are glad to talk through bullet choice before you order. If you are working up a load for a new rifle, a single box of the Atomic Cowboy 38 Special 125gr LRNFP is a sensible place to start.