I’d like to change the following default settings for bullets (in levels 1,2,3 - different settings for every level):
I tried to edit them via “Format” → “Bullets and Numbering …”,
but the configurations were forgotten by libreoffice.
I’d like to save those configurations. How do I achieve that?
The key concept in LO is the style. Styles come in 5 flavours: paragraph, character, frame, page and list (aka. bullets and numbering). In your case, your bulleted paragraph should use a named “list” style.
In the Format → Bullets & Numbering... dialog (or F11), click on the rightmost icon (List formats) and modify one of the predefined styles to your liking. You can also define a brand new style.
Click on the leftmost icon (Paragraph formats) and modify one of the predefined styles Numbering x or Bullet x (or create a new style from scratch). The association between this paragraph style and the list style is located under the Outline & Numbering tab. Select your customised list style from the Numbering style drop-down menu. Click OK.
All you need to do from now on is to give this modified style to your paragraph to see your settings take effect.
If you want your settings to become persistent (for several documents), save your style in a template as suggested in the preceding answer.
Something is weird, it seems that we have a different version of Libreoffice, perhaps. I don’t have “List formats” in that location. But I did set “List 1” in the Format -> Paragraph -> Outline & Numbering -> Numbering style. Then, I change the style of “List 1” via the “Styles and Formatting” toolbar.
The List style is saved when I quit libreoffice and enter the same document. But how do I tell libreoffice to choose a default style for the bullets?
My LibreOffice version is 4.2.
Caution! There are 2 ways to change that styling. Format → Paragraph modifies the current paragraph only. Format → Bullets & Numbering plays on what you prefix on paragraphs in so-called list styles which can be shared. Format → Styles & Formatting is located near the middle of the menu and causes display of a meta-dialog allowing to manage ALL styles: paragraph, character, frame, page and “list”.
Saving one’s own style as default for personal documents is not very straightforward.
Solution 1: load styles from an existing document through Format → Styles & Formatting icon at top-right
Solution 2: store your styles into a template; next time choose File → New → From template (not in 4.2) or double-click the template document
I understand now. Still, despite of doing everything you wrote, when I click the Bullets On/Off button - (for some reason) the regular style is applied to the list… I still need to specifically click on the List 1 or Numbering 1 style. In addition, sometimes I would like the list to be numbered, while other times to be “bullets”, therefore linking the Text Body paragraph style to only one of them - isn’t what I need… At least now I have a better understanding of LO 
Styles are there to help you structure your text (semantically speaking). Do not hesitate to create styles if the text they’re applied to has a different meaning (this use of styles goes far beyond the graphical effects they display). If styles are only a variation on nother one, link them to this latter one and only specify the differences. You thus build a hierarchy with tremendous update possibilities.
Remember that clicking on Bullets On/Off does not change bulleting style, but …
… but only applies some implicit direct formatting to the current style. List 1 or Numbering 1 in the context you describe are paragraph styles. What you need is to link some paragraph style to a bullet/numbering style (so called “list” styles).
If you need sometines a numbered, sometime a bulleted style, either create your own custom styles linked to Text Body and associate them to your custom “list” style through the drop-down menu in the Outline & Numbering tab of the style …
… dialog, or modify List 1 or Numbering 1 so that their Outline & Numbering tab drop-down menu reference your customised “list” style(s).
@ajlittoz: The OP asked about the default position settings for bullets. You write: “Remember that clicking on Bullets On/Off does not change bulleting style, but only applies some implicit direct formatting to the current style”. Does this mean there is no way for me to configure this “implicit direct formatting” that results from just clicking Bullets On/Off?
@Lightknight: I’m afraid you can’t. There may be some parameters in the Expert configuration but I didn’t discover which one(s).
This might be an option.
Configure document how you want it and save as a template. (File/Templates/Save As Template…)
When you need a new doc with your saved settings create from template.
That is exactly the problem - how do I configure the bullets?
The configurations are deleted after I click the “OK” button.
The configurations always apply to the current bullets list that I’m creating.
When I create a new list - I need to reconfigure the settings…
I have the same issue, and have yet to find an answer to the same question. How to create a default bullet for shift F12 or clicking Bullets On/Off. Or how to make List 1 style the default style for bulleted lists.
Any movement on this? I tried to make custom bullets ListStyle as part of a Conditional paragraphStyle, but the condition doesn’t seem to trigger 