Lowest Recoil .38spl Ammo

[Alfredo912]

Would like info on lowest recoil .38spl ammo for target shooting only, for my wife using a Ruger SP101 .357 Mag.revolver with a 4.25 in barrel. If possible please indicate where to purchase.

 

[fxvr5]

Matt's Bullets:

https://mattsbullets.com/ammunition...oducts_id=28&zenid=u80jajaritb8cc6rttcimivq01

Other source would be 38 Short Colt ammo, but it's hard to find at the moment.

 

[RON in PA]

Also consider 148 grain wadcutter .38 special ammo made by all the major ammo manufacturers. This was designed for target shooting with low recoil.

 

[UncleEd]

Go to a gun store and see what
can be done for you.

 

[jstert]

https://cavalryammunition.com/products/38-special
free shipping if a veteran. i’m on my second order. it all works great, though i prefer the semi wadcutter, copper colored rounds by a bit.

38 wadcutter and short colt cbc by magtech reduced recoil ammo are other options. i got a bunch several years ago at decent prices from various online vendors and wadcutters from georgia arms at gunshows. i haven’t seen the online stuff lately. georgia arms wadcutter prices have tripled, no thanks anymore.

 

[mcb]

Remington also offers a modern 38 Short Colt loading that is very mild and the brass is much nicer than Magtech if you're a reloader.

 

[JERRY]

I've found that Remington target wad cutters (148gr. in box of 50) costs about the same as Hornady critical defense 90gr. Ftx light (for two 20 round boxes). Both loads are the lightest recoiling commercial loads I've shot. I purchased both locally, however any reputable online retailer would have both.

 

[defjon]

Wadcutters or 130 gr fmj is mild. 158 gr lrn also mild.

Wadcutters will be mildest. Critical defense lite is probably mildest in expanding ammo

 

[Agsalaska]

https://www.shawarms.com/products/fiocchi-sas_fio38spcwc-5176

Will not get a better deal on low recoil wadcutters than this.

 

[wcwhitey]

Wadcutters or 130 gr fmj is mild. 158 gr lrn also mild.

Wadcutters will be mildest. Critical defense lite is probably mildest in expanding ammo

I agree with the Wadcutters. I have a few boxes of the Critical Defense NON +P Standard Pressure. I picked them up for a song and for travel thru the states that do not allow hollow points and an Old Colt Agent I have. They shoot fine but recoil wise they are not light almost identical to the Speer 135+P Short Barrel that I normally carry (cannot tell the difference in recoil). They do have a “light recoil” in a pink box with a super light bullet. No experience with those.

 

[defjon]

I personally didn't find the critical defense standard pressure 110 grain jhp to recoil much, but your mileage will vary.

I started on the 90 grain lite critical defense, moving from wadcutters to an expanding round. Recoil from an airweight is very, well, "lite". An alternating cylinder of wadcutters and those would ensure expansion with penetration.

Or, carry with wadcutters and use the lites for a quicker reload. They are pointy and fall in easily.

 

[wcwhitey]

I personally didn't find the critical defense standard pressure 110 grain jhp to recoil much, but your mileage will vary.

I started on the 90 grain lite critical defense, moving from wadcutters to an expanding round. Recoil from an airweight is very, well, "lite". An alternating cylinder of wadcutters and those would ensure expansion with penetration.

Or, carry with wadcutters and use the lites for a quicker reload. They are pointy and fall in easily.

It wasn’t what I call “much” just not light for what it is. I would imagine the 90’s much better. Pink box and all.

 

[defjon]

Lol, yeah, it's for breast cancer awareness or some such...

Decent load though if you're looking for light recoil

 

[defjon]

Kinda pricey for targets though! Definitely wadcutters, bonus that they ain't bad for self defense

 

[Zendude]

Inceptor ARX ammo has a relatively light recoil. It’s available at MidwayUSA

 

[derek45]

3.0gr CLAYS power with a 125-130gr cast bullet.

mild, accurate, and clean burning.

Save your brass and start handloading. I work these up on a Dillon 650 in batches of 1000.

amounts like this let you really practice affordably and often.

this leads to an increase in skill level and confidence

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Handloading is your best friend here. My powder-puff .38 Special load is a 110 grain wadcutter over 3 grains of Trail Boss. This load accurate, light recoiling and still produces several times the energy of a .22 LR from a revolver.

https://www.mattsbullets.com/index....ducts_id=254&zenid=u1e1p9gvijl7ddfam51em854l2

 

[Monac]

Handloading is your best friend here. My powder-puff .38 Special load is a 110 grain wadcutter over 3 grains of Trail Boss. This load accurate, light recoiling and still produces several times the energy of a .22 LR from a revolver.

https://www.mattsbullets.com/index....ducts_id=254&zenid=u1e1p9gvijl7ddfam51em854l2

That sounds like a load I would love. If you don't mind a dumb question, do they get the bullet weight down to 110 grains by making it shorter, or by using an alloy with a reduced proportion of lead? (I am not a handloader, so this is not obvious to me.)

 

[fxvr5]

That sounds like a load I would love. If you don't mind a dumb question, do they get the bullet weight down to 110 grains by making it shorter, or by using an alloy with a reduced proportion of lead? (I am not a handloader, so this is not obvious to me.)

It's shorter. Alloys don't change weight that dramatically.

 

[fxvr5]

If you handload and you want a really light load, Matts has the bullet and load data for that;

https://www.mattsbullets.com/index....ducts_id=231&zenid=u1e1p9gvijl7ddfam51em854l2

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

That sounds like a load I would love. If you don't mind a dumb question, do they get the bullet weight down to 110 grains by making it shorter, or by using an alloy with a reduced proportion of lead? (I am not a handloader, so this is not obvious to me.)

Yeah, the 110 grainers are considerably shorter than the more customary 148 grain wadcutters. Once loaded, this is not visibly apparent because wadcutters are usually loaded flush with the case mouth. The hollow-base wadcutter (HBWC) is even longer than the solid double-end wadcutter (DEWC) because of the former's deep base cavity.



FWIW, I've bought these 110s a couple times from Matt's in lots of one thousand.

As fxvr5 states, the weights of different lead alloys don't vary much. However, bullets are not just made from lead. Here is a comparison of common bullet metal densities:

Density, g/cm3
Mild Steel 7.85
Copper 8.93
Bismuth 9.81
Lead 11.34

Machined copper bullets are pretty common these days as a substitute for lead in lead free hunting regions; steel and bismuth are probably the most common substitutes for lead shot.

I recently began looking into the possibility of casting my own lead-free bullets for hunting using a bismuth alloy. I haven't actually started experimenting yet, but I've got as far as acquiring a second lead furnace for the project. This is the alloy I'm considering -- it's almost 30% lighter than lead:

https://www.rotometals.com/lead-free-bullet-casting-alloy-bismuth-based/

The problem right now is that, AFAK, cast bismuth alloy bullets are strictly an experimental, DIY proposition. There are evidently some casting quirks to master as well -- for one thing, I understand that Bismuth alloy bullets come out a bit larger than lead bullets from the same mold.

I've seen some exotic ammo with lighter than normal bullets loaded to 'hyper' velocities, but I think you'll find their cost excessive in both dollars and muzzle flash, and that's assuming you can find any right now. One that jumps to mind is the classic Glaser Safety Slug.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2371116396

Another in this category is the polymer bullet ammo produced by PolyCase (I carry this ammo in my CCW revolver):

https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/tested-the-polycase-arx-bullet/

Again, this stuff's hard to find now and expensive when you do. Affording enough for regular practice is a rich man's game.

 

[fxvr5]

This review of Matts bullets comfort plinker says they have 1/3 the recoil of a 38 wadcutter.

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/review-matt-s-bullets-comfort-plinker-38-special-ammo/

I think the bullet has changed from his current product but I imagine the result will be the same. See the link in post #2 for the current product.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO you will want a 148gr Wadcutter ammo. They are low recoil, usually very accurate, Super easy to score and fun to shoot.

https://www.shawarms.com/products/fiocchi-sas_fio38spcwc-5176

I have never bought from them, I got the site off Ammoseek and it seems to be a ligit site. Of course check it for yourself.
I hope this fills you needs...

 

[Tallball]

If you look at the boxes of ammo, there is usually info on the back.

 

[cfullgraf]

I'll agree with the target wadcutter group, they are about the lightest recoiling commercial ammunition available in 38 Special. The blunt nose of the bullet does make gun reloads slow, if you are planning to use the wadcutters for defense.

If you reload, it opens up lots of possibilities. About any bullet can be downloaded to reduced recoil levels with an appropriate choice of powder.