Light low recoil 38spl loads needed

M

Metal god

New member
Hey guys , I have one of those small super light Ruger 38spl+p revolvers and standard loads are unpleasant to shoot , +p is an actual pain . I've been loading 357 for about a year now maybe longer but never loaded any 38spl .

Couple weeks ago I thought what the hell I'll try it out . I had/have some 125gr xtp and thought Titegroup would be a good choice in a really short barrel . All and all it was . I found a good load at max standard 38 charge but all the loads were very snappy and uncomfortable to shoot . Hated every second of that load development .

I'm bringing this up because a buddy of mine had some factory wad cutters there ( don't remember the brand ) and that light little gun was wonderful to shoot with those . Super low recoil and I want something like that to practice with .

What powder , bullet weight combo gets me a nice friendly load ?

I don't have a lot of the 125's but have many 158's both lead and jacketed

Powders I use are
Titegroup
HP-38
Unique
WSF
HS-6
and the standard magnum powders .
 
each gun will feel differently in the hands. the actual load data is up to you to worry about and test.

i have a big 357 magnum. it has a 6 inch barrel and weighs 45 ounces empty. Its not a baby size gun by any means. 357 magnum loads from federal 158 grain jsp has more muzzle blast and rise and slightly more force in the hand then any 38 special load from a FACTORY...

148 grain hbwc i have loaded with Bulls Eye and Red Dot loaded flush in 38 special cases, have had the most recoil and caused the most hand pain. same, maybe more felt recoil/hand pain then 158 grain speer swc loaded over 13 grains of 2400 in a magnum case.

Your tiny gun may need better grips. But HBWC are commonly loved in airweight snubs
 
Twow suggestions

I inherited my father's 2" aluminum frame snubbie and went through the same process. First, I haven't tried all of the powders you listed. I've found HP-38 / W231 shoots the softest. For projectiles, I loaded some MBC 105 or 125 grn coated TC to 600 and 650 fps which were as pleasant as it will get. Rubber grips also helped.
 
I got a Ruger LCRx 38 +P for my wife to shoot at the range.

She is very recoil sensitive, and I was surprised how low in recoil I had to go to get below her "it hurts" threshold.

It was no - go for 125gr bullets and heavier.

I ended up with 110s and either 2.8 Promo or 2.5 gr TiteGroup for just over 600 fps.

It really does not take much to punch holes in paper targets.

The little gun shoots pretty good and to the same point of aim with either powder.

Note that even I found the recoil to be seriously "not fun" when I loaded some +P 158s. I was OK with standard power 38s with 125 gr bullets, but I would prefer to go a little less if I planned on shooting a lot at one time.
 
The guns usually shoot to point of aim with 148 grain wadcutters (doesnt matter what kind) or 158 grain cast bullets. Of the powders you listed there, go with the HP38. Bullseye and Green Dot are also good choices. Look up load data for target loads. Red Dot and Clays will work too, but might be a little too fast.

I really like 2.7 grains of Bullseye and a cast DEWC bullet. The same load with HP38 or W231 will probably be about 2.9 or 3 grains, but look it up to make sure. I've also use 2.5 grains of Promo, and that worked okay but I shot the Bullseye loads better.

3.5 grains of Bullseye with a 158 lead grain bullet is a good load, but will probably be snappier than you want in a lightweight gun.
 
I loaded some .38spl's for a friend of mine with 3.0 gr of Bullseye and 158gr plated bullets.
This was in a Taurus 85 and the recoil from those loads was pretty easy to deal with I thought.

You could try putting a bigger set of grips on it, that fills your hand better, that will do wonders for it.
 
Two soft shooting 38 spl loads that I use all the time are:
2.7 gr bullseye under a 148 WC or 158 SWC
3.1 gr HP-38/ Win 231 under the same bullets.
both tend to shoot to the point of aim with fixed sight J frames, and are easy on the wrists and hands
 
The classic 38 Special wadcutter factory mimic load used for decades by bull's-eye shooters is 2.7 grains of Bullseye under a flush-seated swaged lead wadcutter over a mild standard primer. The factory load is usually HBWC to be sure the light load seals the chamber and bore. The charge has to be kept low in those so muzzle blast doesn't blow the skirt of the HBWC open, which destroys accuracy.

QuickLOAD thinks 2.8 grains of 231/HP38 will give you the same performance, aiming at about 750 fps from a 6" barrel (before barrel/cylinder gap is taken into consideration), but you'd want to chronograph that as the QuickLOAD model for Bullseye is a bit better than its 231/HP38 models, so Mike's 3.1 grains may be correct. I don't know why Hodgdon's loads start at 869 fps. That's much warmer than normal target loads. SAAMI gives the 38 Special Match load the same pressure limits as regular 38 Special loads but says 148-grain (wadcutter) velocity is 700 fps from a vented barrel (one with a gap that mimics the barrel/cylinder gap) that is 4" measured from the gap forward like a revolver barrel is, and 800 fps from an unvented test barrel that is 5.631" measured from the breech like a pistol barrel is.

Federal, Remington, and Winchester all claim 710 fps for their match loads in this range, so the Hodgdon velocities are just outside the normal match window. Pressures are more in the 10-12 kpsi range.
 
In HBWC 148gr slugs I like 2.8gr of BE, but with DEWC 148gr slugs I like 3.1 gr BE. I’ve never tried it in my .38’s but in my 9mm my favorite is Clays, for whatever reason it just seems to have a softer recoil with very good accuracy behind 124gr bullets.
 
Thanks guys lots of good info

my favorite plinking .38Spl. load is 3 grains of Bullseye
Click to expand...

I hear this A LOT , not so much 38spl specific but rather my favorite is "bullseye" I don't want to add a powder but if I were to replace a powder I already use which would bullseye replace ?

I don't know why Hodgdon's loads start at 869 fps. That's much warmer than normal target loads.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing about Titegroup . My 125gr XTP load is 4.5gr and is quite snappy , I think I started at 3.9 which was still snappy . If I'm reading the responses correctly dropping down below minimum with W-231/HP-38 should be fine ? what about Titegroup ? Also is the faster Titegroup what makes for the snappy recoil rather then a slower powder likely to give more of a push ?

The different grip idea sounds good but I've went down that rabbit hole once before . Not to get a bigger grip but to find a grip that pointed the muzzle down more . The factory grip and my natural hold has the muzzle pointed up quite a bit and since this is a point and shoot firearm . I needed a grip that when I quickly "point" the gun it's more on a flatter/level plain . It was hard to find something to fit the bill but did find a Pacmyer grip that does bring the nose down a good bit . It however is a hard plastic that can't be helping any with felt recoil . For SD type of thing the hard grip is not a big deal but shooting 20 or 30+ rounds at the range gets annoying after awhile . I'll add this Pacmyer grip is cheaply made . Not sure why but in my head I remember 20yrs ago Pacmyer was the go to grip . I'm quite disappointed with this one as far as quality but it does work for the purpose it was bought .

Any links or model # of grips you guys might think are bigger and help point the muzzle down
 
Last edited:
A bullet I have become fond of is the Missouri Bullet .357 and .358 diameter 148 grain DEWC. I was shooting them over 3.0 grains of Bullseye but any of the powders you mentioned should give equally good results. Tightgroup about 2.5 grains should make for a light load.

38%20Wadcutter.png


Ron
 
Metalgod said:
If I'm reading the responses correctly dropping down below minimum with W-231/HP-38 should be fine ? what about Titegroup ?
Click to expand...

Yep. You have to get below 450 fps to start worrying about the possibility of getting a bullet stuck in the bore.

The single most accurate wadcutters I've shot came out of one of these molds. Shot as-cast, they grouped half the size of Federal Match loads out of my K-38.
 
Years ago I fired 38 spec with a 148gr WC and 2.5 grs Bullseye. It was a very nice load! Not sure how it would do in one of those silly light weight guns. I tried some factory 158gr RN in a S&W Detective Special and like to took my hand off. Then I am pretty sensitive to recoil
 
Unclenick said:
Yep. You have to get below 450 fps to start worrying about the possibility of getting a bullet stuck in the bore.

The single most accurate wadcutters I've shot came out of one of these molds. Shot as-cast, they grouped half the size of Federal Match loads out of my K-38.
Click to expand...
I really like those too. But I'm not a good enough shot to compare them with any other. I lube them with a mixture of Alox and paste wax, and crimp them in the top groove with maybe 1/8" sticking out.

I think they'd be a decent self-defense bullet for an airweight revolver, just load them a little hotter than target loads but not much.
 
Metal god, the prevailing theme is fast propellants. All else being equal, a faster propellant is going to have less "thrust" (residual pressure, whatever the technical term is) as the bullet exits the barrel. This is what yields less felt recoil. I have extensive experience with every powder you mention, except WSF (which I have none). Of those, TiteGroup is the hands down winner for light recoil. HP-38 would be #2.

I load a lot of 38 Special; and specifically, DEWC's (see reloadron's pic). And also 125 JHP's. In my years of loading and chronographing 38 Special, I have found myself in situations where I have loaded the same bullet to the same velocity, with different propellants. And without exception, the slower propellant will be the higher recoil load; the faster powder will be the lower recoil load.

You didn't mention the bbl length of your "super light Ruger," but I suspect it's short. Short bbl guns behave better all around with fast powder loads. Less flash (especially revolvers); less recoil; less noise; quicker recovery time, etc. It's the way to go.

Aside from TiteGroup, I have also had great luck with AA#2, Bullseye, Nitro 100, and N-310. Of those, I am particularly fond of AA#2.
 
Nick_C_S said:
Metal god, the prevailing theme is fast propellants. All else being equal, a faster propellant is going to have less "thrust" (residual pressure, whatever the technical term is) as the bullet exits the barrel. This is what yields less felt recoil. I have extensive experience with every powder you mention, except WSF (which I have none). Of those, TiteGroup is the hands down winner for light recoil. HP-38 would be #2.
Click to expand...

WSF is a wonderful powder, a little slower than Unique; about like Herco. I think it is quite popular on Brian Enos's forum. I don't know why Winchester (Hodgdon) doesn't publish much handgun data for it. Or maybe they do now and I just haven't checked in a while. But it would be a poor choice for MG's application.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top