Further food for thought regarding effective rounds out of a 2" J frame from Dr. Gary Roberts who is considered the leading researcher and authority in this arena:
Quote:
.38 (Back Up Gun / J-Frame)
Currently, the Speer Gold Dot 135 gr +P JHP, Winchester 130 gr bonded +P JHP (RA38B), and Barnes 110 gr XPB all copper JHP (for ex. in the Corbon DPX loading) offer the most reliable expansion we have seen from a .38 sp 2” BUG; Hornady 110 gr standard pressure and +P Critical Defense loads also offer good performance out of 2" barrel revolvers.
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Personally, I carry the Winchester Ranger 130gr +P (RA38B).
I have also carried the Hornady Critical Defense 110gr (standard pressure).
The reason I carry the Ranger currently is because of the superior expansion as compared to the Critical Defense but I'd feel confident with either round...and if one is sensitive to the recoil of the Airweight, (I'm not), then the Hornady round may prove superior for your purposes.
I hope this info will be found useful for those of you trying to narrow down your carry ammo choices.
(I generally use American Eagle 130gr FMJ (AE38K) for training purposes.)