What is the lightest 38 Special load?

[Orion8472]

I'm eventually wanting to get a Single Action revolver in 38 special and am wanting the lightest load possible....something with a not so loud sound. I will only be using them to shoot a paper targets anyway.

Or,....should I just look at 38 Long Colt [or even 38 Short Colt] rounds?

 

[Englishmn]

Primed case with a wax bullet.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

148 wadcutters are my favorite target load. I load with a light charge of Bullseye, Red Dot or similar.
I have tried 90 grain bullets, didn't like them but they can be pretty quiet.
I'd just go with a 22 if something not so loud was important to me.

 

[1KPerDay]

I assume you reload? I'd work up a 125 grain LRN over Trail boss at about 550-600 fps. Or just load traditional WC bullseye loads. 148 over 3.1 bullseye.

When I was trying to find the lightest recoiling load the 125 grain over starting charge of Trail boss was by far the lightest of any combo I tried.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

3.1gr of Red Dot and a 158gr lswc has been a very pleasant load to shoot, and very accurate as well. In a 3" GP100 it has about the same recoil as most .22lr revolvers.

 

[mcb]

Remington loads a 38 Short Colt. 125 gr LRN bullet that I chrono'ed @ 585 fps from my S&W model 10 4-inch barrel. Very quiet pleasant load to shoot.

 

[bannockburn]

First handloaded cartridge I made was a .38 Special 148 grain wadcutter over 2.8 grains of Bullseye. Made them for my Charter Arms Undercover. It was a nice round, pretty quiet, almost no felt recoil, and very accurate.

 

[entropy]

Primed case with a wax bullet.

The Speer plastic cases and bullets (propelled by a primer) about tie that.
My lightest other that the Speers is 3.0 bullseye with Hornady HBWC. Like bannockburn's load, nice & light low recoil and accurate.

 

[Jim Watson]

Do you reload? If so, a lot of Bovine Persons are using 105-125 grain .38 bullets and the lightest powder charge that the shot timer will "hear."
Post 4 has one "recipe."
A couple of posse members here load a 125 gr cast bullet and 2.9 gr of Clays.

CAUTION: Use cast bullets for such light loads. It is quite possible to stick a jacketed bullet or just its jacket with these very light loads.

If not, see Post 6.
Also, Magtech has a very mild .38 Special Short. How that differs from .38 Short or Long Colt, I do not know.
https://magtechammunition.com/products/38-spl-short-125gr-lrn/

 

[Mn Fats]

First handloaded cartridge I made was a .38 Special 148 grain wadcutter over 2.8 grains of Bullseye.

2.8 gr Bullseye is the lightest I've gone. With 158 gr swc. In 38/357 I have a S&W 686, DW 15-2, and a Blackhawk. The recoil is just about non existent out of these guns.

As to the sound, I can't comment. My ear muffs are on so I don't notice a difference between light 38's and factory 38's.

 

[mcb]

Do you reload? If so, a lot of Bovine Persons are using 105-125 grain .38 bullets and the lightest powder charge that the shot timer will "hear."
Post 4 has one "recipe."
A couple of posse members here load a 125 gr cast bullet and 2.9 gr of Clays.

CAUTION: Use cast bullets for such light loads. It is quite possible to stick a jacketed bullet or just its jacket with these very light loads.

If not, see Post 6.
Also, Magtech has a very mild .38 Special Short. How that differs from .38 Short or Long Colt, I do not know.
https://magtechammunition.com/products/38-spl-short-125gr-lrn/

Magtech's 38 Special Short is the same as what others call modern 38 Short Colt. In my experience Magtech brass is not very good so I tend to use the Remington version. I actually prefer the Remington 38 Short Colt brass to even the Starline I have when loading up my much hotter 38 Short Colt I use for USPSA competition.

In someways 38 Special Short is probably a better name since the original 38 Short Colt was actually a heeled in bullet (like modern 22LR) as it was intended for some of the cartridge conversion cylinders for the Colt 1851 Navy. Later the bullet was changed to a .358 diameter bullet much like 38 Long Colt and 38 Special of which it is the parent case.

 

[cfullgraf]

If you do not reload, Fiocchi 38 Wadcutters are pretty light.

 

[Texas10mm]

I've got two Lyman molds that drop a 121 gr full wadcutter. That bullet in front of 2.4 gr of Bullseye kind of rolls out the muzzle.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

For commercial loads, I really like Remington .38 Short Colt. They are real pop gun loads with hollow base lead bullets, so they can be shot in 38 special and true 38 Short Colt revolvers. But they are hard to find unless you order online.

I have reloaded .38 Short Colt and Long Colt cases with Trail Boss and 125 gr cast truncated cone too. They are even quieter, but you will have to watch that you don't get too light and stick a round in a longer barrel.

125 grain lead/cast with Trail Boss in 38 special cases are really quiet too.

Part of the fun of reloading is trying different things until you find what suits you.

 

[hdbiker]

I've shot a lot of 158 grain wad cutters over 3 grains of bullseye. hdbiker

 

[Barry loyd]

Warning: this could hurt your hearing!

Shoot as many .357mag loads without hearing protection as you can stand. After that ALL .38sp loads will be soft and quiet. In all seriousness I load a 158gr swc over 3.2-3.3gr of titegroup. My ears can’t take anything but a .22 without HP.

 

[Monster Zero]

Warning: this could hurt your hearing!

Shoot as many .357mag loads without hearing protection as you can stand. After that ALL .38sp loads will be soft and quiet. In all seriousness I load a 158gr swc over 3.2-3.3gr of titegroup. My ears can’t take anything but a .22 without HP.

Believe it or not, even a .22 will damage your hearing over time if you don't use hearing protection.

 

[BobWright]

Primed case with a wax bullet.

You got it! Though the flash holes need to be opened up to prevent case set-back tying up the revolver.

Bob Wright

 

[silicosys4]

.38 special loads that are so weak they will regularly stick bullets in a 4" barrel are still loud enough to make your ears ring without hearing protection.

Chased my tail on that one for a while before I gave up

 

[LRDGCO]

The lightest . 359" cast bullet you can find and 85% of the load to bullet base with Trail Boss.

Neither the 38 Long Colt not the 38 Short Colt are interchangeable with the .38 Special.

 

[Crunchy Frog]

I can’t tell if the OP is looking for load data or for a source for ammunition. If the latter, look up “Bullets by Scarlett” and order her .38 Special “Cowboy Cartridges”.

 

[Jim Watson]

Neither the 38 Long Colt not the 38 Short Colt are interchangeable with the .38 Special.

Yes they are.
One way, shorter into longer.
This used to be catalog information by Colt and Smith.

 

[mcb]

The lightest . 359" cast bullet you can find and 85% of the load to bullet base with Trail Boss.

Neither the 38 Long Colt not the 38 Short Colt are interchangeable with the .38 Special.

Clearly the USPSA guys did not get the message we have been shooting 38 Short Colt in our 627/327/R8 by the 10,000's a year since the rule change in 2014 and the ICORE guys have been doing it even longer than we have

Maybe you are thinking of 38 S&W? This is visually very similar to 38 Short Colt but is not compatible with 38 Special. The bullet in 38 S&W is .361 vs .357 for the other. 38 S&W will only chamber in some of my 38/357 revolver but not all.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

The original .38 Short Colts used .375-.379 heeled bullets, but we’re replaced long ago in commercial ammunition with .357 hollow based bullets that expand to fit the grooves of the larger .38 Short Colt barrels. This ammunition (with hollow base bullets) can indeed be used in .38 Special and .357 Magnum revolvers as can .38 SC cases that are loaded with .357-.358 bullets. I would be careful if you run into hand loaded .375 heeled bullets loaded specifically for the Short Colt.

 

[mcb]

Does anyone still load traditional heeled in bullets in 38 Short Colt? All the commercial 38 Short Colt I have seen is the modern version.