Need a soft .38 load...

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CMV

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...using what I have on hand. I need to make the softest shooting .38 Special load I can for a recoil sensitive new shooter. Will be for a 2-4" revolver - say an LCRx for now but she hasn't bought it yet.

On hand I have:

CCI #500 # #550 primers

MBC hard cast 158 gr SWC
Speer 158 gr JHP

Win231
HS-6
H110/W296
A1680
H335

Or do I need to go out & buy different weight/profile bullets & different powder to get something dramatically softer than what I could make with what I already have?
 
CCI #500
W231 -> 3.2gr - 3.3gr
158gr LSWC.

That should be a pretty pleasant, minimal recoil, round.

My fiancé shoots a 158gr plated bullet, in a 357 casing, over a CCI #500 and 5.6grs of W231. This is out of an LCR. She will shoot all day with this load, and does not like recoil much. I assume the light load I have you above should for your bill!
 
Thanks! Will give it a try.

A big problem as i work this up is all I have is a 6" stainless GP100 so I'm afraid I won't be able to tell the differences & everything will feel soft. Then it'll go in the lighter gun & not be what I thought it was.

Is any kind of filler needed? That's a lot of empty case volume.
 
Hodgton Universal works well in .38 for light to medium loads. Just a little dirty..
 
CCI #500
W231 -> 3.2gr - 3.3gr
158gr LSWC.

That should be a pretty pleasant, minimal recoil, round.

My fiancé shoots a 158gr plated bullet, in a 357 casing, over a CCI #500 and 5.6grs of W231. This is out of an LCR. She will shoot all day with this load, and does not like recoil much. I assume the light load I have you above should for your bill!
That's all good. I don't know what A1680 is, but those other powders aren't good for light loads. There's actually no problem with the Speer bullets, except it would be a waste of money.
 
Stick to your lead 158 grain bullets or buy some 148 grain Wadcutters.
I have loaded less then 3 grains of WW231/HP38 and it works fine.
 
This is a load I got from somebody on this forum many years ago when my wife first became interested in shooting. Pistol used was a S&W 642. This is low recoil and shoots to POA out to at least 20 yards. Used it to get her used to shooting and used the same load to get my daughter-in-law interested in shooting.

2.5 grains Bullseye
148 grain lead wadcutter
 
Buy some 125 gr. cast bullets and go to the Hodgdon site and look up Cowboy Action loads. There are a lot of options there with your Winchester 231.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Try Trail Boss powder. I doubt you can pack enough powder to make a hot load. No filler required. I use it in several forearms.
 
If you can find Trail Boss, Titewad, Clays, Red Dot, e3, Extra Lite or any of the fastest shotgun/pistol powders possible, you can start with 2.5g - 3.0g and with a 158g bullet, you will feel a very mild recoil in the LCR. I've used Clays/Red Dot/Titewad/e3 in my Ruger Service Six and when my kids shot it, they were not intimidated at all, in fact they said it felt like shooting a 22LR pistol. You don't even need to crimp the cases, the recoil is so light the bullets will not walk out.

You can get away with light rounds with slightly slower powders, but you will typically end up with very smokey shots, sooty cases and dirty residue in the gun. W231 is the only powder you list that has a chance of working at low speed loads, the other powders will simply not work at these ultra low loads. With the W231, you'll need no less than about 3.5g to get a clean burn and at that level, you'll be shooting a little lighter than a standard 9mm recoil load.
 
I agree, 3.2gr w231 w/CCI-500 primer and that 158gr SWC bullet you have will produce a nice light .38 Special load. To go lighter go with a lighter bullet. A 125gr lead bullet over 3.5/3.6gr W231 will feel even lighter.
 
I know its not on your list but trail boss makes my 357 recoil
like a .22 , 158 gr swc 3.5gr tb super light load
 
I don't understand why folks keep making recommendations for powers the OP doesn't have. Read the original post - he wants to use what he has ON HAND. Of the powders listed, only the W231 is suitable for lighter .38 loads. If other powders were readily available, and he wanted recommendations, I'm sure he'd ask. Well meaning, I'm sure, but read the post folks, and don't answer the question that wasn't asked...

OP, stick with the data on that powder, and the lead bullets as recommended above, and you'll do fine.
 
I have gone as low as 3 gr of 231 pushing a .358 lead bullet, but to go even lighter (if your gun will do it based on bore size) try cast 9mm bullets over 2.5 gr 231. That my load for little hands. You can watch the bullet travel on a sunny day.
 
I don't understand why folks keep making recommendations for powers the OP doesn't have. Read the original post - he wants to use what he has ON HAND.

Not necessarily:
Or do I need to go out & buy different weight/profile bullets & different powder to get something dramatically softer than what I could make with what I already have?


Of the powders listed, only the W231 is suitable for lighter .38 loads.

Agreed

If other powders were readily available, and he wanted recommendations, I'm sure he'd ask. Well meaning, I'm sure, but read the post folks, and don't answer the question that wasn't asked...

While most powders are not readily available, some are becoming more available and are readily available in some locations. For instance, this is what someone saw at his local club store this week (see pic). So maybe the OP does have the opportunity to find a different powder locally.

I understand that it is frustrating to read when an OP asks for one thing and folks suggest something completely different, but in this case he did ask for other suggestions. W231 will sort of work, but there are better powders out there, it's just a matter of knowing what to look for when going out shopping.
 

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Haven't seen shelves like that in forever... Hope it's coming back soon.

RS, I get what you're saying, but I guess I just read the OP different. W-231 will give him a soft load, and he does not need to go find another powder to give him a dramatically softer load. None of them will, IMO. I would recommend Red Dot, for example, but would not say it would give a softer recoiling load, when I've shot both. If all I had used was Red Dot and could not compare it to W-231, I could not say he needed another powder than the 231. Guess I'm too literal. Personal flaw of mine. Sorry to anyone who felt that I flamed them.
 
I understand that it is frustrating to read when an OP asks for one thing and folks suggest something completely different, but in this case he did ask for other suggestions. W231 will sort of work, but there are better powders out there, it's just a matter of knowing what to look for when going out shopping.
I have to disagree, W231/HP-38 is a very good choice for loading light .38 Special loads. I don't think there is a better powder available for loading the .38 Special and 45 Auto. Sure there are other choices and some are as good but I don't think there is anything better.

Zip, AA#2 and Red Dot come to mind but he already has what I think it best, W231.
 
I have had good luck with light loads of HP38 (231) Hodgdon lists a start of 3.1 gr with a 158 gr lead bullet so I would start there.
If you are after light loads the next time you order bullets from MBC you might want to get the BHN12 bullets for them.
I have used the BHN 18s for light loads but the 12s work better IMO.

(.357 listed bullets are BHN 18 most of the .38 Special listed bullets are BHN 12 for lower vel and pressure loads, they are just listed 2 places unlike the .45 bullets that show BHN 12 and 18 bullets in the same place.)

Win231 - Best bet
HS-6 - works better in heavy loads, you might be able to make it work in light loads in a pinch
H110/W296 - No, full power loads only (you are not supposed to reduce charges when using these powders)
A1680 No experience with it, but No designed for rifle rounds
H335 - No rifle round powder, .223 etc

I have used Bullseye and Promo (think Red Dot) for light loads as well.
IMO either might be a little more accurate than 231 but not by much.
 
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i wouldn't down-load that speer jhp bullet, if i were you. it may get stuck in the bore (even with the w231). lead is best in this situation, imo.

murf
 
3.8 gr of 231 under 158 lswc has been great for my daughter and me. We have shot a couple of thousand through a Rossi snub nose. Have also shot quite a few through a S&W airweight and a 6" GP100. Not a lot of recoil, but very accurate.
 
I agree, 3.2gr w231 w/CCI-500 primer and that 158gr SWC bullet you have will produce a nice light .38 Special load. To go lighter go with a lighter bullet. A 125gr lead bullet over 3.5/3.6gr W231 will feel even lighter.

Agreed, A classic load and will work great.
 
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