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Federal American Eagle .38 Special 130gr FMJ Ammo
.38 Special • Federal • Target & Range

Federal American Eagle .38 Special 130gr FMJ Ammo Ballistics

Brass Case • FMJ

Best Price
$0.51/rd
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890
FPS
229
FT-LBS
.174
BC (G1)
130
GRAINS
FMJ
BULLET
BRS
CASING
Subsonic load: 890 fps from the maker's test barrel, under the speed of sound. Compare all subsonic .38 Special ammo · suppressor prices

Trajectory by Zero Distance

Solved from this product's advertised 890 fps, 130gr bullet and G1 BC 0.174, with the sight 0.5" over the bore at standard conditions. Compare every zero for .38 Special.

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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 130gr 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 and never rises more than 0.1" above it (effectively a tangent zero), and is -2.6" at 50 and -16.7" at 100 yards.

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Federal American Eagle .38 Special 130gr FMJ Ammo, 10-yard zero, 0.5" sight height over bore
Range (yd) Drop (in) Drop (MOA) Drop (MIL) Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lb) Wind drift, 10 mph (in)
0 -0.5" 0.00 0.00 890 229 0.1
5 -0.2" -3.53 -1.03 886 227 0.1
10 0.0" -0.04 -0.01 882 225 0.1
15 +0.1" +0.45 +0.13 878 223 0.2
20 0.0" +0.16 +0.05 874 221 0.2
25 -0.1" -0.45 -0.13 871 219 0.3
30 -0.4" -1.22 -0.35 867 217 0.3
35 -0.8" -2.08 -0.60 863 215 0.4
40 -1.3" -3.00 -0.87 860 213 0.5
45 -1.9" -3.97 -1.16 856 212 0.6
50 -2.6" -4.97 -1.45 852 210 0.8
55 -3.5" -6.00 -1.75 849 208 0.9
60 -4.4" -7.05 -2.05 845 206 1.0
65 -5.5" -8.11 -2.36 842 205 1.2
70 -6.8" -9.19 -2.67 839 203 1.4
75 -8.1" -10.29 -2.99 835 201 1.6
80 -9.6" -11.39 -3.31 832 200 1.8
85 -11.2" -12.51 -3.64 828 198 2.0
90 -12.9" -13.63 -3.97 825 197 2.2
95 -14.7" -14.77 -4.30 822 195 2.5
100 -16.7" -15.92 -4.63 819 194 2.7

130gr G1 .174 at 890 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 130gr 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 -2.9" at 50 and -17.2" at 100 yards.

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Federal American Eagle .38 Special 130gr FMJ Ammo, 15-yard zero, 0.5" sight height over bore
Range (yd) Drop (in) Drop (MOA) Drop (MIL) Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lb) Wind drift, 10 mph (in)
0 -0.5" 0.00 0.00 890 229 0.1
5 -0.2" -3.98 -1.16 886 227 0.1
10 -0.1" -0.49 -0.14 882 225 0.1
15 0.0" 0.00 0.00 878 223 0.2
20 -0.1" -0.29 -0.08 874 221 0.2
25 -0.2" -0.90 -0.26 871 219 0.3
30 -0.5" -1.66 -0.48 867 217 0.3
35 -0.9" -2.53 -0.74 863 215 0.4
40 -1.5" -3.45 -1.00 860 213 0.5
45 -2.1" -4.42 -1.29 856 212 0.6
50 -2.9" -5.42 -1.58 852 210 0.8
55 -3.7" -6.45 -1.88 849 208 0.9
60 -4.7" -7.50 -2.18 845 206 1.0
65 -5.8" -8.56 -2.49 842 205 1.2
70 -7.1" -9.64 -2.80 839 203 1.4
75 -8.5" -10.74 -3.12 835 201 1.6
80 -9.9" -11.84 -3.44 832 200 1.8
85 -11.6" -12.96 -3.77 828 198 2.0
90 -13.3" -14.08 -4.10 825 197 2.2
95 -15.2" -15.22 -4.43 822 195 2.5
100 -17.2" -16.36 -4.76 819 194 2.7

130gr G1 .174 at 890 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 130gr with a 25-yard zero

Zeroed at 25 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load first crosses the line of sight at 9 yards, peaks +0.2" at 17 yards, returns to zero at 25, and is -2.4" at 50 and -16.2" at 100 yards.

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Federal American Eagle .38 Special 130gr FMJ Ammo, 25-yard zero, 0.5" sight height over bore
Range (yd) Drop (in) Drop (MOA) Drop (MIL) Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lb) Wind drift, 10 mph (in)
0 -0.5" 0.00 0.00 890 229 0.1
5 -0.2" -3.05 -0.89 886 227 0.1
10 +0.1" +0.43 +0.13 882 225 0.1
15 +0.2" +0.92 +0.27 878 223 0.2
20 +0.1" +0.63 +0.18 874 221 0.2
25 0.0" +0.03 +0.01 871 219 0.3
30 -0.2" -0.74 -0.22 867 217 0.3
35 -0.6" -1.60 -0.47 863 215 0.4
40 -1.1" -2.53 -0.74 860 213 0.5
45 -1.7" -3.50 -1.02 856 212 0.6
50 -2.4" -4.50 -1.31 852 210 0.8
55 -3.2" -5.53 -1.61 849 208 0.9
60 -4.1" -6.57 -1.91 845 206 1.0
65 -5.2" -7.64 -2.22 842 205 1.2
70 -6.4" -8.72 -2.54 839 203 1.4
75 -7.7" -9.81 -2.85 835 201 1.6
80 -9.2" -10.92 -3.18 832 200 1.8
85 -10.7" -12.03 -3.50 828 198 2.0
90 -12.4" -13.16 -3.83 825 197 2.2
95 -14.3" -14.30 -4.16 822 195 2.5
100 -16.2" -15.44 -4.49 819 194 2.7

130gr G1 .174 at 890 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 130-grain is a full metal jacket .38 Special load made for target shooting. Its jacket covers the nose, so there is no bare lead at the tip the way the caliber's plain lead loads have. Muzzle velocity is 890 fps for 229 ft-lbs.

Zeroed at 25 yards, it is 2.4 inches low at 50, still carrying 210 ft-lbs at 852 fps. Estimated recoil lands between Remington's UMC 130-grain and Fiocchi's Range Dynamics 130-grain, nearer the firmer of the two, and the load carries no +P marking.

If you're cross-shopping, Fiocchi's Range Dynamics 130-grain is 60 fps faster at 950 fps with 31 ft-lbs more at the muzzle. Remington's UMC 130-grain goes the other way, 90 fps slower at 800 fps and 44 ft-lbs behind.

Strengths
  • Standard pressure, so no +P rating is needed
  • Within about 2 percent of the estimated recoil of Federal's own Hydra-Shok Deep +P 130-grain, which makes it a close practice stand-in
  • 229 ft-lbs at the muzzle, second only to the Fiocchi among the 130-grain ball loads
Limitations
  • Federal gives velocity and energy from a 4-inch vented barrel and no more, so there is nothing else to set it against
  • Ammo Inc's Signature Line 125-grain TMC starts faster for about the same recoil
  • A conventional jacket with an open base, where Ammo Inc's Signature Line 125-grain TMC is plated all over

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DEALER QTY PRICE/RD
Fast Ammo 1000 $0.51
Black Basin Outdoors 1000 $0.52
Sentry Ammo 1000 $0.53
Fast Ammo 500 $0.54
Sentry Ammo 500 $0.54

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Price History

Average price across all tracked dealers
$0.54/rd
↓ $0.01 (2.2%) in the last 30D
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