.38 Special
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- Joined
- Sep 15, 2006
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So how do you use that ballistics chart to tell what is a nice, low recoil load?
Is it FPS, like 700 FPS means it's a low recoil load?
I'm not exactly sure what you are asking here, so I will start from the beginning and hope you will forgive me if I seem patronizing.
FPS=feet per second=velocity of the bullet. The faster the bullet, the more the recoil.
The same is true for bullet weight. The heavier the bullet, the more the recoil, assuming the velocity is the same.
The "standard" bullet weight for the .38 Special is 158 grains. Historically, the factories loaded these at about 850 feet per second, give or take.
The traditional "light" load is a 148 grain bullet loaded to about 650 FPS. This load has a reputation for excellent accuracy and very light recoil, and I use it and recomend it.
More recently - like the last few decades - it has often been suggested that lighter bullets loaded to higher velocity are more effective for defense. So we have seen lighter bullets - most commonly 125 and 110 grain hollow points - loaded to maximum velocity in the .38. Those kick, despite the lighter bullets.
So, short version: there is no official line between "standard recoil" and "low recoil". If the box says "low recoil" then it probably is. Otherwise, you will have to look at the bullet weight and velocity. Choose the lightest bullet at the lowest velocity - bearing in mind that 158/850 is roughly average - and that will allow you to make good decisions.
Or you could just buy anything loaded with 148 grain wadcutters and be assured that you are nearly guaranteed to have an accurate, low-recoil load.
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