Recomend the mildest recoiling 38sp ammo
- Thread starter gilfo
- Start date
Jbar4Ranch
New member
I've loaded a .360 round ball (about 70 grains) over some Hodgdon's Clays... kinda like shooting a pellet gun.
silentargus
New member
If money permits, I'd say that there really is no substitute for a .22LR when it comes to 'breaking in' a new or nervous shooter. Since you already have the practical gun, you could introduce a plinker 'just for fun' and make sure she gets lots of practice.
That said, the SP-101 is just about the easiest-shooting snubbie that's ever been made, owing to its mass and the wide, soft rubber grips. Having shot the 2" as well as the 3" version (which is the one I own) in .357, I can't say I noticed much difference between the two... but either produces much milder recoil than my steel S&W 649. It's a very good compromise between mid-frame shootability and snubbie size.
Just about any .38Spl loading with a 100 grain bullet or lighter will work just fine as a 'beginner load'- lead round nose or wadcutter preferred. The lighter the bullet is, the softer the recoil will be- you're not locked into one loading, after all. As your other half gets more practice, you can (and should) gradually work up to +P's.
That said, the SP-101 is just about the easiest-shooting snubbie that's ever been made, owing to its mass and the wide, soft rubber grips. Having shot the 2" as well as the 3" version (which is the one I own) in .357, I can't say I noticed much difference between the two... but either produces much milder recoil than my steel S&W 649. It's a very good compromise between mid-frame shootability and snubbie size.
Just about any .38Spl loading with a 100 grain bullet or lighter will work just fine as a 'beginner load'- lead round nose or wadcutter preferred. The lighter the bullet is, the softer the recoil will be- you're not locked into one loading, after all. As your other half gets more practice, you can (and should) gradually work up to +P's.
Triggernosis
New member
This is a very gentle factory load that's also very inexpensive:
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=ASB38WC
It definitely has less recoil than 158 gr. Magtech rounds.
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=ASB38WC
It definitely has less recoil than 158 gr. Magtech rounds.
Remington UMC 130 grain metal clad (standard velocity 38 Special ammo; NOT +P).
Remington Product # L38S11
Muzzle velocity about 800 fps from 4" barrel with 185 ft. lbs energy at muzzle with 1.7 inch trajectory at 50 feet.
Box of 50 is less than $18 at Wal Mart (when in stock)
Everyone may agree that this is an easy-to-handle, reasonably flat-shooting and reasonably accurate target round. At 130 grains and 800 fps, it's also a decent if not great penetrator.
Not everyone will agree that it's also good for self-defense, because its round-nosed and it won't expand. That style of ammo is currently out of favor with the hollowpoint crowd. On the other hand, this is the type of ammo that law enforcement and the US military used in 38 Special revolvers for about 50 years, apparently with a lot of success.
The argument for buying it for your wife is that it's good reliable ammo that's cheap enough to practice with and mild-enough to shoot so that she should quickly be able to learn to shoot accurately. Thanks to this ammo's mild recoil, she should also be able to get her gun back on target quickly after each shot, which will allow her to put a bunch of bullets into a target, fast; and, as they say in the insurance industry, "God forbid" that she should ever have to defend herself, but if she does, those 38 Special 130 grain MC's are capable of punching holes all the way through an assailant.
If your wife becomes an accurate marksman (and many 38 Special shooters learn to be deadly accurate marksmen) the holes her 130 grain metal clad bullets make will be located wherever she intends them to be.
Remington Product # L38S11
Muzzle velocity about 800 fps from 4" barrel with 185 ft. lbs energy at muzzle with 1.7 inch trajectory at 50 feet.
Box of 50 is less than $18 at Wal Mart (when in stock)
Everyone may agree that this is an easy-to-handle, reasonably flat-shooting and reasonably accurate target round. At 130 grains and 800 fps, it's also a decent if not great penetrator.
Not everyone will agree that it's also good for self-defense, because its round-nosed and it won't expand. That style of ammo is currently out of favor with the hollowpoint crowd. On the other hand, this is the type of ammo that law enforcement and the US military used in 38 Special revolvers for about 50 years, apparently with a lot of success.
The argument for buying it for your wife is that it's good reliable ammo that's cheap enough to practice with and mild-enough to shoot so that she should quickly be able to learn to shoot accurately. Thanks to this ammo's mild recoil, she should also be able to get her gun back on target quickly after each shot, which will allow her to put a bunch of bullets into a target, fast; and, as they say in the insurance industry, "God forbid" that she should ever have to defend herself, but if she does, those 38 Special 130 grain MC's are capable of punching holes all the way through an assailant.
If your wife becomes an accurate marksman (and many 38 Special shooters learn to be deadly accurate marksmen) the holes her 130 grain metal clad bullets make will be located wherever she intends them to be.
aarondhgraham
New member
One more vote for wadcutters,,,
Wadcutters are traditionally for target shooting,,,
Slower velocities are actually desired in this sport,,,
Those slower velocities make for an extremely mild recoil.
The first time I used these in a 4" S&W Model 15,,,
I checked the bore after the first shot,,,
I thought I had a "squib" load.
Surprisingly enough the flat shape of the wadcutter,,,
Makes it a reasonably effective SD round,,,
At least that's what an ER doc told me,,,
Something about "tearing".
Make a $20.00 investment and give them a try,,,
You will be surprised at how gentle they are.
Aarond
Wadcutters are traditionally for target shooting,,,
Slower velocities are actually desired in this sport,,,
Those slower velocities make for an extremely mild recoil.
The first time I used these in a 4" S&W Model 15,,,
I checked the bore after the first shot,,,
I thought I had a "squib" load.
Surprisingly enough the flat shape of the wadcutter,,,
Makes it a reasonably effective SD round,,,
At least that's what an ER doc told me,,,
Something about "tearing".
Make a $20.00 investment and give them a try,,,
You will be surprised at how gentle they are.
Aarond
I have not linked this for a while - so here we go one more time "Wicked Wadcutters" from Guns and Ammo Handguns archives http://www.handgunsmag.com/ammunition/HG_wickedwadcutters_200901/
"Hear me out before you get all outraged. What are the advantages? Cast-lead bullet mavens from Elmer Keith to Veral Smith have demonstrated that the sharp edge of a bullet efficiently cuts in the wound track even without expanding. The late Jim Cirillo experimented with full wadcutter bullets when serving on the NYPD Stakeout Squad."
"Hear me out before you get all outraged. What are the advantages? Cast-lead bullet mavens from Elmer Keith to Veral Smith have demonstrated that the sharp edge of a bullet efficiently cuts in the wound track even without expanding. The late Jim Cirillo experimented with full wadcutter bullets when serving on the NYPD Stakeout Squad."
I recall seeing a police story about a guy that had somebody kill a judge, or maybe it was a prosecutor. They gave the person a snub, and told them to get wadcutters because it's a good killing round. The shot's were fire up close and the person died.
My point is, the killy with ties to the drug world, knew something.
My point is, the killy with ties to the drug world, knew something.
Back in the day...we used wax loads. This was the predecessor to the fancy new plastic bullets.
Any brass you can scrounge...simply reprimed with a lee priming tool.
Plain old canning wax, the white stuff. You heat it, pour it into something like an old cookie pan about 1/2 inch deep, simply press the case mouth into the wax.
They have zero recoil, minimal noise, are super accurate (less than 1" at 5 yards or so).
When used with a bb trap, collect them, remelt and reuse.
Fun as heck on stuff like horseflies.
Any brass you can scrounge...simply reprimed with a lee priming tool.
Plain old canning wax, the white stuff. You heat it, pour it into something like an old cookie pan about 1/2 inch deep, simply press the case mouth into the wax.
They have zero recoil, minimal noise, are super accurate (less than 1" at 5 yards or so).
When used with a bb trap, collect them, remelt and reuse.
Fun as heck on stuff like horseflies.
Glenn E. Meyer
New member
Get a model 10 and the mildest 38's. If it doesn't work, go to the 32.
Easy.
Easy.
+1 on the 148gr. wadcutters. Deep penetration, very accurate, low recoil, and the sharp edge of the wadcutter slices skin instead of pushing it aside. Makes a full .38 caliber hole. Lots of the older guys used them when the 158gr. LRN was the standard load. Only a few loads actually expand from a short barreled revolver. They are of course hot. The wadcutter is sometimes a good choice.
Someone already gave the answer earlier in this thread, but since I'm not set up to reload .38 yet, I'm not gonna repeat what they said.
I don't want to lose my source for the great, soft-shooting, .38 target loads I shoot in my snub at the range.
I dread going to their site for fear of seeing "Out Of Stock".
I don't want to lose my source for the great, soft-shooting, .38 target loads I shoot in my snub at the range.
I dread going to their site for fear of seeing "Out Of Stock".