105gr vs 125gr .38spl bullets

[Blind Squirrel]

I did a search of the forums and didn't find anything about this.

 

I'm looking to find out the pros/cons of 105gr and 125gr bullets. Why did do you choose to shoot the bullet you shoot?

 

Thanks.

 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Generally the lighter the bullet the lower the recoil.  That is the theory and the reason.  That is the reason people shoot 125s instead of 158s in .38s or 180s instead of 250s in .45s.

[G W Wade]

I use a 125 FPRN because it feeds flawlessly in my rifles.  I refuse to load rifle AND pistol ammo.  Truthfully, I do not have the skill / expertise to tell the difference the the difference between the loads.   Especially after the beeper goes off       GW

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

I can't tell the difference either.

And like GW - I am not loading different ammo for rifle and pistol.

But as I was able to find a loading and length in 105 grain that worked in both rifle and pistol AND 105's were slightly cheaper - I chose 105 bullets.

 

And because I'm lazy - my knockdown rounds are the same powder load just with a 158 grain bullet.

 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

A few weeks ago Longhunter posted a photo of the round he uses.  A 105 in a .38 case with the bullet crimped in the grease groove.  This gives an OAL of 1.510 which is about perfect for feeding in a toggle gun.  I could not find the photo so I mocked one up real quick.  As soon as I use up my remaining 125s I will probably go with this round for rifle and pistol.

 

[Hoss]

I did a bit of a test. My Pard would load my pistols with 105s or 130s.  I did not know what i was shooting. Depending on the sweep, when shooting the 105s my pistol sweeps were about 4/10 seconds faster. On none were the 130s faster. Again, this was not a hugely scientific study, just an afternoon of shooting. 4/10 second ain’t much. But 4 seconds in a 10 stage annual is!  
 

I found with my rifle, while it fed the 105s, I preferred the heavier bullet at it gave me a lithe more feedback. 

[Barry Sloe]

I've loaded both 105s, revolver, and 125s, rifle, for my better half.  We now only load 125s.  She couldn't tell the difference between the two loads, as far as recoil, and she preferred the 125s for any revolver or rifle knockdowns.

Bottom line, it's simpler to make up one load than two.

 

BS

[WHITE LIGHTNIN,SASS # 527]

I just got a 105 gr mold like long hunter was talking about and I have shooters that use it in pistol and rifle with same powder charge and are pleased with accuracy and recoil in the pistol and it feeds good in the rifle

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

PLUS ONE for Pettifogger.  And the answer to the different recoil levels is Physics.  Equal and Opposite which is driven by the weight of the payload.  Lighter bullet, less recoil.  At one time, the hot ticket for the fast crowd in pistols was a 90Gr bullet, to reduce/eliminate muzzle flip.  In most shooters, when the buzzer goes, they can't really tell the difference between 105s and 125s.  I personally load a 130Gr Barnstormer in 45 pistol (Cowboy 45 Special) rounds and it feels like a 38.  I also have one of my rifles set up for C45S cases with 180Gr RNFP.  Works a treat.  Other 45 Rifles run 45 Schofield rounds with 180Gr RNFP and can't really tell the difference.  The real key for the rifle is to load the round so it feeds really well.

[slow poke gear]

I have done an experiment with my wife on this I didn't tell her we were shooting at our range not a match. 3 rounds 125s 3 rounds 105s. She shot the 125s first I was standing to the side. She handled the 125s fine then the 105s went off with noticeably less recoil.  She looked at me and said she liked the second ones better. After we shoot up our 125 stock we will be switching her to the 105s.

Just my two cents.

 

These were shot with same powder charge and duelist style. 

[Geronimo Jim SASS # 21775]

If your mife said it, it must be true!

[slow poke gear]

1 hour ago, Geronimo Jim SASS # 21775 said:

If your mife said it, it must be true!

Thank you

[Tall John]

Some report that the lighter 105grn bullets don’t perform well with knockdown style targets especially if loaded really light.  Personally, I’m running 125grn in my pistols and 147grn in my rifles.

[Bison Bud]

Yeah, reduced recoil is the primary reason folks use the lighter bullets, but some folks seem to take this to extremes, at least in my opinion.  Lighter bullets generally require more propellant and possibly even a magnum primer to develop enough pressure to burn properly, cleanly, and consistently.  So, be careful about downloading using the lighter bullets.  Anyway, as a Gunfighter, a bit of recoil can be a good thing as it helps the handgun roll back in the hand a bit for easier cocking while shooting the one in the other hand.  My go to load used a 140 grain bullet made from a Saeco Cowboy mold which unfortunately doesn't seem to be available any more.  However, I've shot 10's of thousands of these bullets in both the handguns and the rifle and done pretty well with them.  In any case, the true beauty of rolling your own is the ability to taylor your loads to your needs and what works best in your firearms.  As for the actual difference in using 105 versus 125 grain pills, I seriously doubt that there is big difference and some experimentation might be in order to find which works best for you and your firearms.  Good luck and good shooting to all.  

[Silver Creek Jack]

I load and love the 105 gr.coated bullets with 3.5 gr. N320 or 3.2 gr. Of tite group. Very accurate in both pistols and rifle crimped in the crimp groove they feed flawlessly through my 73’s and pistols. Almost zero recoil or muzzle flip. I do carry 50 125 gr. Loaded with 5 gr.tite group in case of tough knockdowns but have only used 10 of them in one match a few years ago, the 105’s usually do the job without a hitch.

[Go West]

I've been all over the map with various bullet weights and prefer the 125s loaded long like the picture. They work better for those spotters who listen for hits  and they take down knockdowns without resorting to a heavy load and/or bullet. How many of you have witnessed someone having a mix of light and heavy in a gun but used up their heavies before shooting the knockdowns? 

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

When I started shooting black powder there was advice on the Wire to avoid shooting bullets lighter than 125-grains so I don't.  I like that there is plenty of published load data for 125-grain bullets and the smokeless powders I shoot.

[High Spade Mikey Wilson]

For me it was simply cost. 125 gr bullets were cheaper than 158 gr bullets at my LGS.

[Geronimo Jim SASS # 21775]

For years I have shot 105's in my pistols and 125's in the rifle over 3.0 grains of Clays.

Occasionally I will shoot the 105's in the pistols and you can really tell the difference.

 

[Rye Miles #13621]

I use 125 gr bullets for pistol and rifle. They work just fine!

[Long Hunter SASS #20389L]

IMO, the best feeding 38sp round in the 73/66 and Marlins is the one Pettifogger posted above.

[Eyesa Horg]

Ellie is running 125's with 2.8gr. of Clays in both rifle and pistol. No problem with KDs and even took the plates off the Texas star,phew!

[Chancy Shot, SASS #67163]

I'm using 130 RNFP because a pard is casting them and selling them really cheap.  And I don't have to melt off the smokeless lube before using them with BP.

 

Chancy

[El Chapo]

I use the 125 Lee RNFP.  I have the 105 mold but it doesn't feed through the rifle as smoothly as the 125 does.  I still have a bunch of 105s that I might just load for revolver only because they're ready to go and I might as well shoot them.  I guess when I finish my current reloading projects I'll get to it.

[watab kid]

i run a heavier bullet for reasons ill not go into , the reasonsfor the lighter were well lain out by LEP above , 

[Chickamauga Charlie, SASS #47963]

Simple economics. Less lead, less cost.  105TC in both hand and long guns. 

[watab kid]

like GW i only load one for both rifle and revolvers , i made my choices to get proper length ., crimp and the results i wanted for SASS limits 

[Shooting Bull]

I switched to 105s years ago for the reduced recoil. I couldn’t tell one lick of difference. The only thing that changed was the lighter pills wouldn’t reliably knock down the occasional reactive targets we come across. For that reason I switched back to 125s and haven’t had an instant of regret. 

[Lefty Dutchman, SASS #41480]

I will be going to Bordertown in October and seeing that I will be flying the maximum amount of ammo that is allowed is 5 kg. Therefore, loading a 105-grain bullet makes a lot of sense.

[watab kid]

thats why i dont fly among other reasons of the past , i get all of the above but we are really talking nothing in cost , extra lead vs extra powder , nothing is cheap these days and i get it that the penny should get saved over the big picture , but im at the end of my life , im not looking at a penny here or there anymore - i already did that all my life , today i load what i want and like , i treat my arthritis as an aggravation to be dealt with and thats easy so far , wjen it gets hard i might change my thinking or i might quit shooting , as for now i cope and do as i like for my rounds ,