Black Hills 125 gr. JHP. .357 magnum. If you can handle it, that's what I recommend. A .357 round out of a snubby isn't fun to shoot but it's even less fun to be shoot at. If you cannot shoot .357 rounds then I'b go with 38sp+P. But if you look at the ballistics, a 38sp +P is less powerful than a 9mm. You may get 200-220ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle with a 38+P. You can get 300 ft/lbs with a 9mm. A .357 will give you 400+ft/lbs. More with a 4" barrel. If someone could check my data that would be cool. It's just an estimation. Of course muzzle energy does not equate to stopping power, not exactly anyway.