Favorite light recoil load for 38 special

Favorite .38

You hit a sweet spot here.
Have fallen hard for the splendid little .38 special.
3.2 grains 231, 148 grain Berry's DEWC, Colt Nat'l Match 1911
3.6 grains 231, 148 grain Berry's DEWC, SW Model 52

The above guns and loads exaggerate my real ability at the range.
 
Lots of good reading in this thread. My wife has a J frame snubbie and I have some loads made up, 158g plated RN over 3.8g AA#2. This load in my L frames is bunny fart material but my daughter asked me to teach her how to handle the J frame and so my hands were tied, I had to drop everything and take her to the range.

At the range I even have to admit that the above mentioned round is a handful in an airweight snubbie. So I have been trying a few things in an effort to give my daughter softer ammo that will encourage her to shoot.

After reading some and looking over my books I decided to try a lighter bullet and thus I'm using Hornady XTP 110g JHPs. I made up a selection using Clays, starting at 3.2g and up. I noticed that the 3.4 was accurate and soft shooting, the 3.8 was beginning to get a bit uncomfortable.

Sooo, I have loaded up a 25 rounds using 3.2g Clays and the JHPs and 25 rounds using 3.4g Clays for further testing. After re-reading this entire thread I'm thinking that I should probably make up some using 2.8 and 3.0 grains also.

So, now it's an emergency as I took both of my kids shopping for their Christmas gift and my daughter picked out a J frame #442 for CCW use. I have to say that it was a thrill for me to watch her pick out the gun and go through the paperwork with the salesmen who couldn't believe that she is 22 years old. But I'm looking for a very soft shooting but accurate load as I want to encourage her to practice often. Any advice to my particular situation will be greatly appreciated.

BTW, my son picked out an M&P Shield 9mm. They both know that I like S&W and I had my son look at others (Springfield, Beretta and Walthers) but he really seemed to want the Shield. With both of them I backed away and let them interact with the salesmen, fill out the paperwork and so forth, it was a real thrill watching them go through the process as this was the first time either have bought their own firearms.
 
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Well Done, Thomas! I've recently gone to a similar load for my wife and her best gal-friend who occasionally joins us at the range. The plated DEWC over a light load of fast burning powder seems to keep the ladies hands cleaner....;)
 
I do not reload and practice with the same grain size round that I carry for CC .. are these light loads for a carry weapon practice ??

I wondered why someone wants to shoot light loads for practice on a carry pistol ?? If one ever had to use their weapon in a defensive situation the firing of a standard load will your reaction be different then with a light load you have been practicing with ?? Repetition, muscle memory is what I have always been taught to train to and using light loads to practice to me seem to contradict that ..

Trying to understand ..
 
Just because I happen to have a 4lb. jug of VV N320 I use 2.7 - 3.2 gr under a soft cast Accurate 148WC.This target was shot with my 2.5" Model 19-3, sitting in a chair, double action at 7 yards (has been shown before). The group is about half again as large at 20 yards firing single action.
zqcplla
 
I've been using 700X too, because it's available. If you can figure out a way to strap a cheap aquarium pump ($7 at Walmart) to your powder hopper the low level vibration will make it throw 700X more accurately than most powders will throw without it. Slightly annoying but works well.

I use 4.0 gr of 700X / 125gr cast LRN.

I have also used TiteWAD with 148gr HBWC but won't list the load here as there is zero published data for TiteWAD in .38 spl. You're going off the reservation with that.
 
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Whitwabit said:
I do not reload and practice with the same grain size round that I carry for CC .. are these light loads for a carry weapon practice ??

I wondered why someone wants to shoot light loads for practice on a carry pistol ?? If one ever had to use their weapon in a defensive situation the firing of a standard load will your reaction be different then with a light load you have been practicing with ?? Repetition, muscle memory is what I have always been taught to train to and using light loads to practice to me seem to contradict that ..

Trying to understand ..
Click to expand...

Fortunately I have never had to fire my sidearm in a true self defense situation but I have read plenty from authors who have.
Pretty much every one of them never feel the weight of trigger pull, hear the sound of the round fired, comment on the recoil of the gun, and many never remember the actual number of shots fired.
I see an absolute advantage to practice with light loads. It builds confidence and trigger control thus increasing accuracy.
The huge advantage we handloaders have is the ability to gradually increase the powder charge and bullet weight as our students progress. The last thing I want is to have a student carrying a gun that they have total fear of recoil when they press the trigger rearward.
I start with a 115 gr. cast flat point and very light charges of a fast burning powder.
Increasing is easy. Decreasing, not so much.
My 2¢
 
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whitwabit, do you think that my target (just below your post) with it's light loads would have no effect on the recipient? Indeed, these light loads are what I carry. They are .2 gr. above start and .3 gr. below max. I think 6 in one hole might stop most of anything headed my way.
 
stu1ritter said:
whitwabit, do you think that my target (just below your post) with it's light loads would have no effect on the recipient? Indeed, these light loads are what I carry. They are .2 gr. above start and .3 gr. below max. I think 6 in one hole might stop most of anything headed my way.
Click to expand...

My question was .. if the light loads were also used in carry .. not saying a light load wouldn't stop the BG .. I was questioning whether if you reloaded and shot light loads if you also carried those same loads ..

Other wise muscle memory would be different if you were to carry full loads in what ever caliber you're shooting ..

A nice group .. see its offhand using 2 hands but
it would be unlikely your group would be that tight in a self defense situation where you and the BG are both moving .. so same hole shooting is very unlikely ..
 
Whitwabit, indeed, I agree, I think it would be foolish to carry full tilt defense loads if you only practiced with light target loads. The recoil when you set off that first round would tend to discombobulate your shooting as you would not be used to it and any light load training would rapidly go out the window. Fortunately, I have never been in a situation where I had to draw my revolver. I hope never to have to also.
 
My plan is to start out light and increase gradually once skills and confidence increases.
 
Whitwabit said:
My question was .. if the light loads were also used in carry .. not saying a light load wouldn't stop the BG .. I was questioning whether if you reloaded and shot light loads if you also carried those same loads ..

Other wise muscle memory would be different if you were to carry full loads in what ever caliber you're shooting ..

A nice group .. see its offhand using 2 hands but
it would be unlikely your group would be that tight in a self defense situation where you and the BG are both moving .. so same hole shooting is very unlikely ..
Click to expand...

I don't know about unlikely. Two very different firearms in the attached pictures. Got both of them right behind the ear. 15 yardsish standing 2 handed grip. Shooting Gophers in the hayfield is tricky they move fast and only 1chance for a shot. Not much time to think about trigger pull or how the load is going to recoil. The one taken with the 66 was a medium target load of mine with a 125gr Rainier plated hp over 4.4gr HP-38 and the other with my .40 shield and some Federal classic hp 180gr defense rounds.

My point? Shoot a lot and become proficient with your firearms at any charge. A little pressure on having to make the shot is not always a bad thing. I'm not anything special in the marksmanship department my targets don't reflect this kind of precision, but a lot of practice and learning to keep focus with any well performing ammunition doesn't hurt. Burn lots of rounds of all kinds and enjoy the sport. I miss the bull on paper a lot. Don't miss the gophers much. My Sigs shoot them just as well.

Also, how about a little love for the old 66-0? Still effective after all these years.
 

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Made my usual round of the pawn/LGS this afternoon and to my surprise I scored a lb. of Bullseye and a 9 oz. of Trail Boss. Two more powders recommended here that I can try. I paid $25 for the BE and $20 for the TB which I think is high but I have never seen TB before and can't remember the last time I saw BE on the shelf. How does this compare to the going rate in other areas?
 
perryhd said:
Made my usual round of the pawn/LGS this afternoon and to my surprise I scored a lb. of Bullseye and a 9 oz. of Trail Boss. Two more powders recommended here that I can try. I paid $25 for the BE and $20 for the TB which I think is high but I have never seen TB before and can't remember the last time I saw BE on the shelf. How does this compare to the going rate in other areas?
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same here in Oregon. I think last time I found a pound of trailboss here it was 18.00 for a 9oz. You might find it online for less but shipping and hazmat fees negate the savings unless buying greater quantities. I have not seen bullseye out here for at least 3 years but 20 doesn't sound bad from what I've seen locally.
 
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