In the past I used 452AA for light loads. When I ran out of 452 and could not get it any longer I just picked a load for a powder I had on hand witch was 700X. I have been loading 3 gr 700X under a 158 gr LSWC it works but I'm sure there are better loads for short range target shooting. So my question is what is your favorite light recoil load?

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Old Age Ain't For Sissies

I use 3.0 grains of Clays and 125 grain truncated lead bullet. Have shot thousands

3. 0 to 3.5 Bullseye with a 158 SWC is a nice mild load.
If I remember right 2.7 Bullseye was kind of a standard 50 foot paper puncher load, years ago.

But, that much Bullseye doesn't take up much room in a 38 spl. case. And even a triple charge might be hard to see. So, be careful.

Usually I prefer a powder charge that fills the case about 40%.

( always check any internet expert load against a good reloading manual )

38 Short Colt with a 135 grain Bayou bullet over a light charge of Bullseye.
I use Starline cases.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

148 grain HBWC over 3.4 grains of 231

I started with 700x and it did just fine. I switched to Bullseye because it seemed to always meter consistently, compared to usually metering consistently.

If the 700x meters in your powder measure, then I expect you will have excellent accuracy.

Will

2.7 grains of Bullseye topped with a 148gr hollow base wadcutter.

My favorite light load powder for 38 spl was W452 and I still have 1+
lbs of it. I've tried it's replacement, WST, but it falls way short of 452
in 38 spl in my opinion. I've found that the 158 gr RN gives better
accuracy than the SWC in light loads for me. 700X gives good accuracy
at 3.3 grs with the RN. But my new favorite just might be 3.0 grs of
Hogdon Titewad with the 158 gr RN. I haven't shot enough of them
yet to really say for sure but it is the cleanest burning load that I
have ever put together yet.

I mainly use x-lite loads in my J frame M49 at only 21 oz. since the K frames and larger have enough weight to help in the recoil of most loads.

I only use these light loads in the "Snub Nose" since I do not know if they have enough energy to make it through a 6" barrel.... except for the 148gr loading.

These are my lowest target loads for the family and youngsters old enough to shoot and enjoy the outings. (teenagers)

I have added the recoil ft/lbs at the end, to give you an idea of the amount of recoil for my gun. While amount of powder can raise recoil, so will the weight of heavier bullets.

125gr lead..... TrailBoss 600 fps........... 1.91 ft/lbs.
148 hbwc ..... Bullseye .. 630 ............... 2.62
158 lead ...... Bull/Trail .. 572 ............... 2.58
158 Rem +P "FBI" ....... 860 ................ 5.94

The last load will get your attention in a light J frame.

I run 700x in my 66-3 and airweight. I'm using my own cast Lee 105 grain swc, powder coated. What a great shooting little round. Been running 3.5 grains with s&b primers, mixed brass. The old model 66 never ceases to amaze me how accurate it is. Could probably go lighter yet on the charge but like others mentioned 700x isn't the best metering especially as you go smaller with charges. Meters really well for me at 4.5 grains and up(45acp loads).

148g DEWC with 3.0g W231. I've been using this for 30+ years and hopefully for 30 more.

148gr DEWC with approx. 2.7gr Bullseye. Accurate and quite pleasant from a snubby J-frame even.

158gr. LSWC and 3.5 grains of WST.

158 RNFP Xtreme over 3.9gn AA#2. Just makes power factor for IDPA out of 686SSR. Very soft shooting.

3.0 gr Bullseye with a 158 grain lead semi wadcutter = bunny fart load. Shoot it all day long.
Starting round for beginner for centerfire cartridge. If you cast, cheaper than today's 22 lr

I've used lighter boolits and lighter loads but something like "148g DEWC with 3.0g W231" is awfully hard to beat for either accuracy or gentle recoil.

Ive used some 130 truncated cone cast lead that work pretty good, but the DEWC sure make better looking holes to inspire ever better POI focus.

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

This is pretty universally famous as a target load. I don't know if it gets any better than this in most guns.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

My favorite load as well!
Jim

I load 4.0 grains of SR4756 under a 148-grain hollow-base wadcutter. Yes, I know that powder is no longer being manufactured but it burns ultra-clean with great accuracy and gentle recoil so what remains of it on dealers' shelves is worth searching out. I found seven one-pound bottles between two shops and another member of this Forum sold me a near-full eight-pound jug of it. Seek and ye might find!

Ed

Me too. Shoots easy and clean.

Thanks for the replies. Out of twenty replies nine prefer Bullseye four like W231. These are two powders I don't have and have not been able to find. I agree that 700 X does not feed well. I do have some HP38 witch is suppose to be close to W231. I'll try the HP38 while I continue to look for Bullseye.
Thanks again for the help. Dan

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Old Age Ain't For Sissies

HP38 isn't just close, it is actually W231. They come from the same place, but go into different bottles.

Mike

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NRA Certified Pistol Inst.

I had read that before but my burn rate charts have two powders between HP38 and W231.

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Old Age Ain't For Sissies

I usually use the old classic bullseye load of 2.7-2.8 gr bullseye under a 148 gr WC. Other suitable powders are HP38, WW231, 700X, Red Dot, and VV 310. Don't overlook Trailboss, either! Unique and Herco are a bit slower but great, too, if you can find it!

Jim

Bullseye, W213/HP-38 are fast powders, so they work really well, in light charges, for a low-recoil load.

And yes, HP-38 and Win 231 are the same powder. Been beat to death all over the forums in internet-land... They are the same. Period.

If you can find some Ramshot Zip powder, it's very similar to W231/HP-38 and behaves accordingly. I use it when I run out of W231 or HP-38. Acts very similar, has a bit more "zip" to it, thus the name!

A little late getting to the show but these are my favorite light loads shooting 158 LSWC out of a 6" barrel.

Clays - 2.7 gr
HP38/231 - 3.1
Trail Boss - 2.9

Out of these 3 powders I would think HP38/231 would be the easiest to find followed by Trail Boss.

Maybe a better approach is tell what you can your hands on and we can tell you if it will fit your needs and at what load.
I also shoot Red at 3.2 gr and True Blue at 4.8 -5.0 gr and my notes say to do Unique again at 4.3 gr.

My notes are a little weak, most of the feedback I write down is accuracy and whether it is "hot".

Nuff said. Excellent load. Always check your manual(s).
Dave
SWCA#2778

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mr mom
Fire Chief, Retired

133gr SWC with 3.5gr of Bullseye.

Don

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NRA Cert. Reloading Instructor

I use 3.5 grains of Trail Boss behind a 158 grain cast swc. Hard to beat Trail Boss as it fills up the case and replicates original black powder loads.

With arthritis and dupuytrens contracture in my right hand I find 2.6 gr of Trail Boss with 158 gr LSWC a very comfortable load in both my N and K frame revolvers.

Mick

Trail Boss is well known as a good, 'bunny fart' load powder that fills cases well. It's the "magic formula" in many recipes for low-recoil rifle rounds as well!

It's a reloader's best kept "secret"! :-)

Lee makes a 105 grain bullet mould , 358-105-SWC , that is just the ticket for light loads. I started using it when my supply of free wheel-weights started drying up and I was looking to stretch the supply I had.
Load with your favorite wadcutter powder for pleasant and economical shooting.
Gary

I currently have eight powders on hand that can be used in 38 special. AutoComp CFE Pistol PB AA#5 700X HP-38 Titegroup and Nitri 100. My Hornady 7th edition manual shows light loads for 700X, HP-38, Titegroup and Nitro 100 using 148gr WC. I just recently got the HP-38 after looking for it and Bullseye for close to two years. Based on what I read here I think the HP-38 might be the best of what I have for light loads.Thanks again for all the advice.

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Old Age Ain't For Sissies

I don't reload but out of the box for range/target use I prefer Buffalo Bore Low-flash, Low-recoil .38 Specials. For home defense I carry Barnes TAC-XPD .357 Magnum. Both great in a S&W M60.

3.5 gr of PB under a 158gr swc is super accurate and very light almost no recoil.

I prefer Bullseye for light loads. 3-3.5 grains under 158 LSWC's shoot great in my M28 and Python.

Have reloaded 38 with Bullseye since 1960. Measured well from my old Redding measure. 2.7 grains with 158 LSWC is great. Just as well with 148 DEWC. Actually went down to 0.8 grains for a "rat load" (shot a lot of rats with this). Do NOT recommend this light, it can stick a bullet in a long barrel!
Have not been able to buy any Bullseye lately so tried some things I had lying around. 231, 452AA, Red Dot and Unique. 2.7 to 3.2 of any are a nice light load but only the 231 seemed to measure really well. Then I tried something new, Titegroup. Wow. Set the Redding measure, or my new Lee measure, to 3.2 grains and it measures 3.2 every time! Have tired as light as 2.5 g and works well in my model 17, model 36 and a Colt 357. This is my new "recommendation". Keep having fun.

3.0 grains Bulls eye, 148 gr HBWC and a tissue paper over powder wad

You might try a 125 LFP. I loaded some using Trail Boss and ran them over a Chronograph. Here are my loads and results;

Pistol -- S&W MODEL 64-5 with a 4 in. barrel

3.0 gr Trail Boss = 634 fps avg. Very light recoil.
3.5 gr Trail Boss = 718 fps avg. Light recoil. (My favorite of these)
4.0 gr Trail Boss = 760 fps avg. Light to moderate recoil.

Trail Boss fills the case about 1/2 way or a little better and is easy to check. Fun loads to shoot! Very good for practicing trigger control.

Interesting reading and makes me wonder if I am on the wrong track. Why such heavy bullets? I have been shooting Bullseye for almost a year, and I am loading a 125 gr flat nose from Xtreme and 4.5 grs of Titegroup. It seems to work really well. I prefer using Bullseye powder but it's still very hard to find. For me 700X didn't meter very good in my Hornady powder measure, plus to me it seemed dirty. Just curious about the heavier bullet weight.

38- 125 FP

Trail Boss is another powder I would like to try but can't find.

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Old Age Ain't For Sissies

Of the powders you've listed as available to you, I'd go with HP-38 first. Great powder for light loads, pretty accurate as well!

sckothmann, next time I order some bullets I will get some lighter ones, in the 125 range.

Lee, my mind set, right, wrong or whatever, was that heavier bullets take longer to get going so the recoil was less. I think this thinking process comes from rifle loading. Light bullets, faster burning powder more recoil. Heavier bullets slower burning powder less recoil. I can tell the difference between 115 gr 9mm and a 147 gr 9mm. And I shoot 124 gr 9's. Next order I get some lighter 38's. I did follow a post, I think of another forum, about shooting 90 gr. and 95 gr. 9mm and how soft and accurate they were. This guy was competing in weekend shoots. Might be something to the lighter bullets.

148 Grain Double End Wadcutter (Hard Cast Lead) and now Xtreme CopperPlated Wadcutter over 2.8 grns. WWSTAA (Super Target)

Like the idea of tissue wad over powder. Have plastic bag of old cast WC's that lube has smeared on bases. Been reluctant to use thinking powder would be contaminated by greasy base. Do you try to fill all area between base and powder?

[QUOTE=colt_saa;138840220]148 grain HBWC over 3.4 grains of 231[/QUOTE

Been shooting a similar 148 grain load for years with the powder reduced to 3.0 grains of 231. When I run out of 231 I'll have to find another light kicker.
Jim

Coming in a little late (old and slow ya know).

100s and 100s of 148gr. bbwc over 2.8grs of 700-x.
No problems with powder measure feeding accuracy
using Hornady equipment.

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Armed and Dangerous

"Light loads"

3.5 gr- titegroup
3.9gr- bullseye

158 gr xtreme RNFP 1.445" oal or col. Lite crimp and not even in the cannelure! These are plated and i wouldn't want to run them any lower. In a 6" barrel they sound like 22s.

SI woul go with the recipe recommended by gregintenn - 148 gr HBWC over 2.7 grains of BullsEye powder. This was/is "the" load in shooting Practical Police Combat (PPC) matches with the revolver. A good shooter could get consistent x-ring performance at 50 yards with negligible recoil.











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