Federal .38 Special American Eagle 158gr LRN Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • LRN
Federal .38 Special American Eagle 158gr LRN Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • LRN
Solved from this product's advertised 770 fps, 158gr bullet and G1 BC 0.206, with the sight 0.5" over the bore at standard conditions. Compare every zero for .38 Special.
How to read it: filled circles are the near and far zero, where the bullet's path crosses the line of sight;the triangle is the peak (max ordinate). The shaded band is the 4" vital zone, ±2" either side of the line of sight. The dashed line marks the edge of the hold-dead-on window. The chart is zoomed to where the zero matters; the tables below run to 100 yards.
.38 Special 158gr with a 10-yard zero
Zeroed at 10 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load touches the line of sight at 10 yards without ever climbing above it (a tangent zero), and is -4.1" at 50 and -23.3" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 770 | 208 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.16 | -0.92 | 767 | 207 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | -0.02 | -0.01 | 765 | 205 | 0.1 |
| 15 | 0.0" | +0.11 | +0.03 | 763 | 204 | 0.2 |
| 20 | -0.1" | -0.53 | -0.15 | 760 | 203 | 0.2 |
| 25 | -0.4" | -1.48 | -0.43 | 758 | 202 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.8" | -2.60 | -0.76 | 756 | 200 | 0.3 |
| 35 | -1.4" | -3.82 | -1.11 | 753 | 199 | 0.4 |
| 40 | -2.1" | -5.09 | -1.48 | 751 | 198 | 0.5 |
| 45 | -3.0" | -6.41 | -1.86 | 748 | 197 | 0.6 |
| 50 | -4.1" | -7.76 | -2.26 | 746 | 195 | 0.7 |
| 55 | -5.3" | -9.14 | -2.66 | 744 | 194 | 0.8 |
| 60 | -6.6" | -10.53 | -3.06 | 742 | 193 | 0.9 |
| 65 | -8.2" | -11.95 | -3.48 | 739 | 192 | 1.0 |
| 70 | -9.8" | -13.38 | -3.89 | 737 | 191 | 1.2 |
| 75 | -11.7" | -14.82 | -4.31 | 735 | 189 | 1.4 |
| 80 | -13.7" | -16.27 | -4.73 | 732 | 188 | 1.5 |
| 85 | -15.8" | -17.74 | -5.16 | 730 | 187 | 1.7 |
| 90 | -18.1" | -19.21 | -5.59 | 728 | 186 | 1.9 |
| 95 | -20.6" | -20.69 | -6.02 | 726 | 185 | 2.1 |
| 100 | -23.3" | -22.19 | -6.45 | 724 | 184 | 2.3 |
158gr G1 .206 at 770 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
.38 Special 158gr with a 15-yard zero
Zeroed at 15 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load touches the line of sight at 15 yards without ever climbing above it (a tangent zero), and is -4.1" at 50 and -23.4" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 770 | 208 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.26 | -0.95 | 767 | 207 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | -0.13 | -0.04 | 765 | 205 | 0.1 |
| 15 | 0.0" | +0.01 | 0.00 | 763 | 204 | 0.2 |
| 20 | -0.1" | -0.63 | -0.18 | 760 | 203 | 0.2 |
| 25 | -0.4" | -1.59 | -0.46 | 758 | 202 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.9" | -2.70 | -0.79 | 756 | 200 | 0.3 |
| 35 | -1.4" | -3.92 | -1.14 | 753 | 199 | 0.4 |
| 40 | -2.2" | -5.19 | -1.51 | 751 | 198 | 0.5 |
| 45 | -3.1" | -6.51 | -1.89 | 748 | 197 | 0.6 |
| 50 | -4.1" | -7.86 | -2.29 | 746 | 195 | 0.7 |
| 55 | -5.3" | -9.24 | -2.69 | 744 | 194 | 0.8 |
| 60 | -6.7" | -10.64 | -3.09 | 742 | 193 | 0.9 |
| 65 | -8.2" | -12.05 | -3.50 | 739 | 192 | 1.0 |
| 70 | -9.9" | -13.48 | -3.92 | 737 | 191 | 1.2 |
| 75 | -11.7" | -14.92 | -4.34 | 735 | 189 | 1.4 |
| 80 | -13.7" | -16.37 | -4.76 | 732 | 188 | 1.5 |
| 85 | -15.9" | -17.84 | -5.19 | 730 | 187 | 1.7 |
| 90 | -18.2" | -19.31 | -5.62 | 728 | 186 | 1.9 |
| 95 | -20.7" | -20.80 | -6.05 | 726 | 185 | 2.1 |
| 100 | -23.4" | -22.29 | -6.48 | 724 | 184 | 2.3 |
158gr G1 .206 at 770 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
.38 Special 158gr with a 25-yard zero
Zeroed at 25 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load first crosses the line of sight at 7 yards, peaks +0.3" at 16 yards, returns to zero at 25, and is -3.3" at 50 and -21.7" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 770 | 208 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.1" | -1.64 | -0.48 | 767 | 207 | 0.1 |
| 10 | +0.2" | +1.50 | +0.44 | 765 | 205 | 0.1 |
| 15 | +0.3" | +1.64 | +0.48 | 763 | 204 | 0.2 |
| 20 | +0.2" | +1.00 | +0.29 | 760 | 203 | 0.2 |
| 25 | 0.0" | +0.04 | +0.01 | 758 | 202 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.3" | -1.08 | -0.31 | 756 | 200 | 0.3 |
| 35 | -0.8" | -2.29 | -0.67 | 753 | 199 | 0.4 |
| 40 | -1.5" | -3.57 | -1.04 | 751 | 198 | 0.5 |
| 45 | -2.3" | -4.88 | -1.42 | 748 | 197 | 0.6 |
| 50 | -3.3" | -6.23 | -1.81 | 746 | 195 | 0.7 |
| 55 | -4.4" | -7.61 | -2.21 | 744 | 194 | 0.8 |
| 60 | -5.7" | -9.01 | -2.62 | 742 | 193 | 0.9 |
| 65 | -7.1" | -10.42 | -3.03 | 739 | 192 | 1.0 |
| 70 | -8.7" | -11.85 | -3.45 | 737 | 191 | 1.2 |
| 75 | -10.5" | -13.29 | -3.87 | 735 | 189 | 1.4 |
| 80 | -12.4" | -14.75 | -4.29 | 732 | 188 | 1.5 |
| 85 | -14.5" | -16.21 | -4.72 | 730 | 187 | 1.7 |
| 90 | -16.7" | -17.68 | -5.14 | 728 | 186 | 1.9 |
| 95 | -19.1" | -19.17 | -5.58 | 726 | 185 | 2.1 |
| 100 | -21.7" | -20.66 | -6.01 | 724 | 184 | 2.3 |
158gr G1 .206 at 770 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
Product Overview
Federal American Eagle 158-grain LRN is a plain lead .38 Special load made for target shooting. A lead round nose is the oldest bullet shape in the caliber, with no copper over it anywhere. At 770 fps it makes 208 ft-lbs.
Zeroed at 25 yards, it is 3.3 inches low at 50, where it still holds 746 fps and 195 ft-lbs. Estimated recoil runs a few percent above Remington's UMC 158-grain LRN and Magtech's 158-grain, the two softest 158-grain lead loads in the caliber.
If you're cross-shopping, Remington's UMC 158-grain LRN and Magtech's 158-grain are the same bullet 15 fps slower, at 755 fps and 200 ft-lbs. Sellier & Bellot's 158-grain LRN breaks away from the lot of them at 997 fps and 349 ft-lbs.
- Federal states a 4-inch vented barrel for the 770 fps, which few makers at this bullet weight do
- 208 ft-lbs at the muzzle, the most of the caliber's mild 158-grain lead loads
- Standard pressure at the soft end of the caliber, which suits an older revolver
- An unjacketed lead bullet, which some indoor ranges restrict. Hornady's 158-grain XTP is the jacketed bullet at this weight
- Softer in the hand than either of the caliber's cowboy loads, so it is no stand-in for one
- Federal gives velocity and energy and nothing more for it
Similar Products Compared
| PRODUCT | WEIGHT | TYPE | VELOCITY | ENERGY | BC | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158 gr | LRN | 770 fps | 208 ft-lbs | 0.206 |
$0.95
50 Rounds
|
|
| 158 gr | LRN | 755 fps | 200 ft-lbs | 0.165 |
$0.57
1000 Rounds
|
|
| 158 gr | RNFP | 840 fps | 248 ft-lbs | 0.159 |
$0.59
1000 Rounds
|
|
| 158 gr | CNL | 800 fps | 225 ft-lbs | 0.15 |
$1.25
50 Rounds
|
|
| 158 gr | LRN | 755 fps | 200 ft-lbs | 0.149 |
$0.44
1000 Rounds
|
|
| 158 gr | LRN | 997 fps | 349 ft-lbs | 0.17 |
$0.91
50 Rounds
|
All Federal .38 Special American Eagle 158gr LRN Ammo Prices
| DEALER | QTY | PRICE | SHIPPING | TOTAL | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Ammo | 50 | $37.26 | $9.99 | $47.25 | $0.95 |
| Sentry Ammo | 50 | $37.26 | $11.99 | $49.25 | $0.99 |
| Black Basin Outdoors | 50 | $38.44 | $10.99 | $49.43 | $0.99 |
| Guns.com | 50 | $36.99 | $14.99 | $51.98 | $1.04 |
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