Light 38 special loads

[gdun]

So yesterday i bought a pre lock SW686. After my ten days are up
I will be taking it to the range. My step mom wants to shoot it, and she's never shot a handgun. So my question is, can anyone reccomend any light 38special loads?

[J-cat]

Any factory 148gr. HBWC.

[CSACANNONEER]

For real light loads, load your own. If you can find an old "button" mold, it would be great but, I load light loads using a 150ish grain wadcutter and my wife loves them.

[ept000]

I shoot 125 grain plated with Solo 1000 powder for really light loads. Works great.

[Mr. Beretta]

Yesterday I shot a box of WWB 38Spc. FMJ I purchased from Walmart. Worked great in my 4" model 19. Very little kick. Try them! Good luck.

[Fishslayer]

I use one I found on Alliant Powder's website. They list it as a "magnum" but really, it's a powderpuff.

3.8gr Bullseye behind a 158gr LSWC in a magnum case. Great accuracy & hardly more recoil than a .22, especially in my N frame 28-2 with 6" barrel.

BTW, good luck finding .38 Special commercial rounds... in a 6" 686 any of 'em should be pretty mild to shoot.

[gdun]

I don't reload, but i am planning to start sometime soon.
Thanks for the input guys, i bought a box of Sellier & Bellot, 148 Gr Wc.
We'll see

[BigDogatPlay]

3.8gr Bullseye behind a 158gr LSWC in a magnum case. Great accuracy & hardly more recoil than a .22, especially in my N frame 28-2 with 6" barrel.

^^This^^ would be an excellent load.

3 grains (+ / - a tenth once you dial it in) of WW 231 makes an very good wadcutter load.

2.5 grains of Hogdon Hp-38 is a very nice wadcutter load as well.

[SCMA-1]

My standard .38 Spec. load is 4.0 gr. of Bullseye behind a 158gr LSWC, but you can go much lighter than that (2.5-3.0 gr) if you want.

[checkenbach]

I use 3 grains of Titegroup with 148 grain HBWC bullets in .38 or .357 magnum., works great, minimal recoil as well.

[railroader]

Pretty much any factory non +P 38 special ammo is going to be light in a 686. That revolver has enough heft to it too tame the load. Mark

[Harbinger]

For 38 I'm using 3.1gr of Trailboss behind a 125gr Bear Creek LRNs. To me, it feels like shooting .22 snap caps and is very accurate at <25yds.

[BenjaminCA]

railroader has it right, I just picked up a 686P 4" and that thing has almost zero recoil with regular .38 special rounds. I would have her try out the store bought .38 rounds and tell her they were loaded "light" maybe the placebo effect will work on her. Otherwise there seem to be some pretty good recipes here to choose from.

[andalusi]

Yesterday I shot a box of WWB 38Spc. FMJ I purchased from Walmart. Worked great in my 4" model 19. Very little kick. Try them! Good luck.

I second this. I fired a box of these through my 586 and recoil was very light.

[Argonaut]

Any of the wad cutters will be great. They are the best there is on paper, Like using a paper punch and very light ( No) recoil.