I like the Hornady 110gr FTX std pressure out of a LCRx .38. Even the +p is pretty soft.

148 wadcutters.

I have a S&W model60 in 38special and it is really uncomfortable to shoot. So I put some Hogue grips on it and it’s a whole different animal now.

Also have a Taurus 85 ultralight...it came with good grips and it shoots well with anything

The 148 grain HBWC (hollow base wad cutter) is an ideal practice round for the .38 Special or .357 Magnum, full-size or snubby. Because it uses a soft lead bullet, the round is loaded to low velocities (700-850 FPS) that have very mild recoil. The soft lead bullet conforms readily to the rifling and thus tends to be very accurate.

Fiocchi, Remington, Black Hills, Federal, etc., offer 148 grain HBWC rounds with mild loads; Underwood and Buffalo Bore have similar rounds with a bit higher velocities.

It is not an easy round to hand load but not that hard, either. The case has to be adequately belled, and the soft lead bullet has to be aligned properly, to avoid the bullet being “shaved” as the press inserts it to the right depth.

The HBWC round, whether store-bought or hand-loaded, is a little funny looking. The bullet is typically loaded over the light charge to be flush with the case opening. These have been visually confused with “blanks.” It sounds implausible, but in 2016 in Florida a police officer conducting a citizen class shot a student in the stomach, killing her, thinking his revolver was firing a blank.

To borrow a picture of a .38 Special 148 gr HBWC round from Lucky Gunner:

The magtech Lead soft nose 158 grain .38 specials shoot pretty softly.

I have shot Liberty Civil Defense ammo in 9mm and it was low recoil. Expensive though.

For just messing around....there is a product made by MagTech called a "38 special short". 125 grain bullet loaded to 680 fps ( 130 pounds of energy.

Much reduced recoil but not for self defense.

For self defense , I carry InceptorARX ammo...shoots a 77gr.polymer bullet at 1100fps (213 ft pounds).

148-160gr hard cast lead bullet on top of 3.2grs of W231 served me well when I shot only revolvers.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Yeah, the Federal Nyclad 125 grain load was sweet. I've 25 rounds left. Man, I wish Federal would put it back into production.

I only have one box left myself.

I’m partial to Federal 130gr HST micro ammunition in non +P loads for 2” & 4” barreled guns myself.

quote:

Originally posted by CQB60:
I’m partial to Federal 130gr HST micro ammunition in non +P loads for 2” & 4” barreled guns myself.

Yes, and easier on your hand than a lot of +P ammo. It is milder than the Remington +P range ammo but still does really well in penetration. I load it in my Night Cobra and my 642. In my speed loaders I keep Remington Golden Saber +P since the HST micro is harder to load quickly due to their wad cutter shape. For easy shooting though you can't beat the 148 gr. wad cutter.

The HST is a powder puff through either my 2” model 64-2 or Colt SF-VI. I also use the Rem GS +P load you mentioned

quote:

Originally posted by Ogie:

quote:

Originally posted by CQB60:
I’m partial to Federal 130gr HST micro ammunition in non +P loads for 2” & 4” barreled guns myself.

Yes, and easier on your hand than a lot of +P ammo. It is milder than the Remington +P range ammo but still does really well in penetration. I load it in my Night Cobra and my 642. In my speed loaders I keep Remington Golden Saber +P since the HST micro is harder to load quickly due to their wad cutter shape. For easy shooting though you can't beat the 148 gr. wad cutter.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Yeah, the Federal Nyclad 125 grain load was sweet. I've 25 rounds left. Man, I wish Federal would put it back into production.

Gave my last 25 a guy I sold my 36 to, it was for his mother so I figured the Nyclads were good karma to give.