"Easiest" .38 special round for training my GF

[NMGonzo]

She is pretty good with the .380 .... but ammo is scarce.

So, I have this little snubby .357 that is begging to be shot.

I would like to know if there is a well know "softball" load for .38 special.

Who has any experience with it?

Of course, I could always get a bigger .357 magnum and shoot regular .38 special out of it.

 

[HexHead]

Look for "Cowboy" loads. They're generally pretty lightly loaded. Then you can work her up to regular loads.

 

[kanook]

wad cutters and SWC are usually pretty good.

 

[1KPerDay]

pretty much any wadcutter target load.

 

[oneounceload]

another vote for 148 WC - also pretty accurate in most revolvers, and even in the 52 semi-auto

 

[Fiv3r]

WC are awesome. I shot some out of my fairly small framed Model 36 and it was nothing more than a pleasant pop.

As a matter of fact, I'm going to pick up a box this weekend so that the wife can shoot a little with me.

 

[sonier]

if you reload, its pretty easy. just clean revolver good.
blackpowder loads, ive seen a year old handle a blackpowder 357 magnum like it was nothing, and she is a darn little thing lol
blackpowder and a good lead cast bullet, no jacketed only lead cast

 

[JFrame]

Yet another vote for the 148-grain target wadcutter... I could even shoot this load comfortably in my S&W 40 Centennial snubbie with lemon-squeezer grip safety -- the most non-ergonomic configuration ever conceived for a revolver...

.

 

[Snowdog]

I'm a big fan of 2.7gr Bulleye and HBWC. I believe this replicates the factory stuff. There's nothing better than seeing those perfectly round holes cut in the paper.

 

[NG VI]

I've never shot any WC loads, but for factory stuff the Remington (others make something similiar) 130 FMJ load always seemed pretty light to me.

 

[NMGonzo]

I am going to order 100 rounds for her to see if she likes it!

Thanks gentlemen!

... and the rest of you guys too!

 

[wnycollector]

http://mastercast.net/amo.htm sells a 100gr WC lopes along at ~650fps from my M36. It is very, very mild to shoot. As a matter of fact it was the load I taught my wife to shoot with!

 

[ArmedBear]

Yeah, I load 3.2 grains of HP38 under a 125 grain RNFP lead bullet for my wife. She enjoys shooting the things, as do I.

They're fun in a Marlin lever gun, too.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

The 148gr .38spl wadcutters are awesome for beginners or practice.

 

[jaydubya]

http://mastercast.net/amo.htm sells a 100gr WC lopes along at ~650fps from my M36. It is very, very mild to shoot. As a matter of fact it was the load I taught my wife to shoot with!

I feel as if I wrote that myself! Indeed I have several times on several websites. I tried 500 of Mastercast's 100gr WC, and found them to be almost equal to .22 in recoil and sound. Almost embarrassing to shoot at my range -- a real head turner. I know of nothing out there in centerfire more gentle. One minor problem: when fired from a snubby at some targets five yards away, the loping 100gr WC may tear a strip out of the target. This is not a keyhole. The hit will be accurate. This might even be a fair HD round. It should penetrate, but won't expand. (Not my choice; just a thought)

Once she has mastered this sissy round, move up to Mastercast's 148gr WC. That is the load I use at my range, and it will cut a .357 inch hole about 12" deep through ballistic gelatin. My Airweight is loaded with Remington's +p 158gr LSWCHP -- the best FBI load for snubbies. According to BrassFetcher, when fired from a 642 snubby, it will penetrate almost 12" while expanding to almost 0.60". That's not a hole, it's a tunnel.

Cordially, Jack

 

[wnycollector]

I feel as if I wrote that myself!

Jack...I think you may have at times. You usually beat me to the punch at being a shameless promoter of mastercast's products

Mastercast's 148gr WC. That is the load I use at my range, and it will cut a .357 inch hole about 12" deep through ballistic gelatin.

Mastercast's 148gr TCJ/DEWC moves along at a legitimate 825fps from my 5" S&W M&P. I agree that it would make a nasty low recoil round for home defense.

 

[NMGonzo]

So all I have to do is send my brass to Mastercast and they will send me reloads for the advertised prices?

 

[billaroo]

I have some really old .38 rounds, probably from the 1940's. I am hesitant about using them because they may not be anti-corrosive. The casings appear to be brass and I'm not sure if they were stored in a dry location for the entire duration. What would be the worst case scenario if I fired them?

 

[Snowdog]

squib probably. Worse case would be during something resembling rapid fire where the next cartridge is fired before the shooter realizes what occured, resulting in a bulged barrel.

 

[mesinge2]

pretty much any wadcutter target load

I totally agree this using wadcutters

 

[Guy de Loimbard]

Any 130gr. FMJ will work for this purpose. It will not punch nice clean holes like wadcutters, but in my experience out of a 4" steel frame .357 it recoils like a .22.

 

[Mad Chemist]

3.1gr Unique 148gr HBWC. This shoots extremely light in my airweight j-frame, would feel like a .22lr if fired through a steel framed gun. A real pussycat load.

S&B makes an inexpensive widely available 148WC if you are unable to load your own. I've fired hundreds of them through my j-frame, much less punishing than full power defensive loads. They are reliable and as accurate as most other factory ammo.

Factory wadcutters will always be lighter on recoil impulse than the other bullet shapes due to the fact that the WC is seated deeper and leaves less available volume for the powder charge. Too much powder in the smaller available space would produce excessive pressure.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Speer plastic training bullets and cases. (I believe Midway carries them.)

You put a primer face up on a hard surface and press the case down on it with your fingers, then insert the bullet in the case.

I have a "range" in the basement -- the backstop is a sheet of plywood against the wall, the target is stapled to a cardboard box full of newspaper. Only a wild shot that misses the box actually reaches the plywood.

After shooting, empty the box, recover your bullets, deprime with a nail, and reload.