I purchased a Taurus 85 .38 Ultra-Lite and I have taken it to the range once.  I used Winchester Cowboy Action Loads, 158 gr.  I realize that because it is a Ultra-Lite and a snub nose, that it would have more recoil, but DAMN!  The recoil on this gun absolutely killed my hand.  After shooting 10 rounds, I retired it to it's case and shot my other guns instead.  Part of my palm was actually a little swollen!  So, I hate the gun because it is not comfortable to shoot.  

That being said, my questions are:

Will a lower grain round reduce the recoil?
Why does it seem that many lower grain rounds are more expensive that higher grain?
A lot of lower grain rounds have the "+P".  I understand this means more pressure but will that add to the recoil?
It came with two sets of grips, Rosewood and black rubber.  Would the black rubber grips help with the recoil over the hard Rosewood grips?

Finally, any recommendations for target shooting and personal defense?

I'm curious myself.

The rubber grips will help but it's not going to make it fun to shoot. GD 135 +P's are one of the best rounds but don't know about the recoil. That gun serves a specific purpose and that's it. Shoot it enough to hit your target and master the trigger. You probably won't notice the recoil as much under stress and won't care about your hand hurting. Otherwise you'll have to look into auto's, Glock 26/27, P & PM9, M&Pc, etc.

I already have autos; this is my first revolver.  I realize that it wont be "fun to shoot" and that if I need to defend myself with it, I wont be worried about my hand hurting.  I still prefer, like I said, to be comfortable with a gun that I might use for cc.   I appreciate the ammo suggestion but that really doesn't help me without knowing the answers to my other questions.

+P will add to the recoil, some lighter loads have less but not always. Check out Best Choices for Defense above threads, only 2 pass the tests, GD 135 +P's and DPX's. Buy a box of each and try them, good luck.

I hate shooting small-gripped wheelguns for just that reason - the recoil is decidedly painful.  My 10mm Glock 20 with full-power rounds is far more comfortable, as is even a normally-gripped .44 Magnum.  Those small .38's just sting your hand mercilessly, and small .357's are flat-out brutal.

It is what it is - a concealed carry piece that you will only really fire when "it" hits the fan.

lol, you should try a SW 340PD with real .357 loads some time.  It's make your gun feel like a .22.

Yes, the rubber grips will make it much more comfortable.  Especially if they cover the metal back strap between the grips.

+P will increase recoil.  Find some lighter non +P loads to try.

If that doesn't help, get a pair of padded gloves to allow you enough practice to shoot it good enough for self defense.  Snap caps and dry fire practice will also help you get the trigger pull down without hurting your hand.

Recoil is based in momentum, mass x velocity.
The mass is the bullet and the powder weight, but in most handgun calibers the powder weight is a small fraction f the bullet weight.

Felt recoil is the actual recoil plus whatever effects the grip, quickness of powder burning, etc. throw into the mix.

If you shoot a round with lower momentum, it should recoil less in the same gun firing a round with more momentum.

[(MV + 4700P) ÷ 7000]² ÷ [64.3481] ÷ [W] = free recoil energy (expressed in fpe)

where-
M = bullet weight in grains
V = bullet velocity in feet per second
P = powder weight in grains
W = weight of weapon in pounds

This is why many who carry JFrames load them with 148Gn Wadcutters for both practise and self defense.

Quoting one expert on the subject:

"...With few exceptions, such as the Speer 135 gr +P JHP and Barnes XPB, the vast majority of .38 Sp JHP's fail to expand when fired from 2" barrels in the 4 layer denim test. Many of the lighter JHP's demonstrate overexpansion and insufficient penetration in bare gel testing. Also, the harsher recoil of the +P loads in lightweight J-frames tends to minimize practice efforts and decrease accuracy for many officers.

Target wadcutters offer efficient tissue cutting and good penetration. The mild recoil of target wadcutters, along with the addition of CTC Laser Grips, has resulted in many officers routinely getting good hits at 25 yards; wadcutter use has resulted in increased qualification scores, even better, officers are actually practicing with their BUG's."



FWIW My JFrame is currently loaded with Winchester 148Gn HBWC. For spare ammo i use 135Gn GDHP in speed strips. The rounded profile of the GDHP makes reloads faster than it i carried the WC for spare ammo.

BTW:

There are two Standard pressure loads that may offer less recoil if you want a HP bullet.

Hornady Critical Defense 110Gn

The reintroduced for 2009 Federal Nyclad 125Gn HP

Both should have less recoil than any +P load or standard pressure 158Gn

The lowest recoiling .38 load I have ever shot is the discontinued PMC tubular bullet load. It was acookie cutter design that used no lead, discontinued in the early 90's.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=120111522#PIC

Thanks for all of the advice.  I purchased some of these today.  I didn't have time to try them out but hopefully I will be able to tell a difference.

I purchased them at the local range for $19.95 a box (obviously 25 rds), any resources for a better deal, provided I respond well to them?

Even back in the old days when I carried a 357mag
I would use 38spl+P most of the time

I could shoot alot faster and stay Tight