Load advice

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I have a MP 125-359 mold. I beagled it so that it dropps at .360. My SP-101 needs that size of boolit since I reamed the cylinders on it. (long story there). I have been using 3 grains of Bullseye behind it. The boolit weighs 131 to 132 grains. This round is for my wife and for target shooting. I have been looking for a load using Unique but haven't found anything yet that is real close. I was thinking of using 4 grains of Unique. I want something that doesn't have the recoil of Bullseye. Cindy is just starting to shoot and my 13 yr. old granddaughter wants to start also. I figure if I can find something real mild to start with, they would enjoy it more. So what would be the minimum load of Unique I could use or is there something better?
It seems that most don't like Unique of a light boolit. I don't know if 131 grains is a light boolit or not.
I got this from an old post:
The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd Ed. lists the following loads for cast 38 SPL tested in universal receiver (to get the CUP press.#s) with a groove diameter of .357:

Lyman 141 gr cast # 358495 linotype
Unique start- 3.8 10,300 CUP
I would think that would work....

[runfiverun]

a lot of guys i know use 5 grs unique in their 38's.
one of my best loads is 4 grs 231 or titegroup. my 38's like the 231 more with 125's [my squirell load]
but do better with titegroup and the 148-158 gr swc's and wadcutters.
in fact i load for my ancient [according to her] m.i.l. using 4 grs 231 and a 125 gr rn for her to use for home and practice.
a similar load of unique would be a good start.

[rintinglen]

I belive your missing the boat by denying Bullseye a shot. Bullseye has been used for over a Century for standard and light target loads. It is the most used powder for ultra-light 38 special Loads. I loaded many, many 358-101 75 grain WC boolits for my daughter to learn to shoot her M-36 with. 2.0 grains of Bullseye worked great for that purpose. For short range, initial training, I think 2.5 grains of Bullseye under your 125 grain boolit would be accurate, and easy on the hand. You could try 3.5 grains of Unique, but I don't see where you would gain anything--in fact, you'd be increasing the recoil a smidge. You might also get a lot of carbon blow by on the cases if the pressure wasn't quite enough to force the brass solidly up against the cylinder walls. Another possibility would be 2.1 grains of Red Dot, or 2.7 grains of WW-231.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Thanks guys. I will give those ideas a try.

[Echo]

+1 for rint. A light load of BE (2 grs, say) will still probably expand the case to seal the blow-by.