That's my choice as well for my 1983 Chiefs Special.
Hornady ammo is my first choice for each caliber I own.
It consistently test out well and I have yet to read of a failure.

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Stay protected my friends.

4.7 grs. Unique with 158 hardcast swc,standard pressure good stopping power and Penetration. Same as 158 swchp FBI load it never opens up anyway and in snubbys that is the norm.

The human body needs blood and oxygen to the brain........

If a tire gets a injury and looses air, it is just a matter of time
before it goes flat.

A "Slow" WC at low speed will give people......... "Flats".
You don't always need a "Blowout" to stop a car.

Good post. 'Stopping Power/Energy/etc.,etc.' are a commercial sales 'prospective' when dealing with rounds under 2000 fps.

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ShooterScooter.

That's what I use. Hornady.

Better than a big stick.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Quite true, and if a flat is all I can get, I'll take it over nothing -- but if the car's speeding my way, I'd sure prefer a blowout.

One can get higher velocities with standard pressure IF one uses a slower powder. In short, typical 'fast powders' jump up to their maximum quickly, which does not allow any more powder charge.

(Which is why neither .357 nor .44 Magnums use Bullseye or W231 for maximum loads.)

I find Power Pistol to be suitable for 'stronger' loads staying under 'standard pressure' limits. I think there are some loads in some of the newer loading manuals and there are some on the internet blogs as well.

Bullets: I'm not sold on 'expanding' bullets anyway. In .38 Special they seem to be a bit 'iffy' what with velocities and all. So, Matt's Bullets (check on the web) sells a 157 grain, full diameter meplat - minus just enough relief so it fits into the cylinder of a revolver - lead bullet. It looks like a wadcutter, but does not have a hollow base and is loaded like a conventional bullet so the powder chamber isn't crowded.

I get a 157 grain bullet at 746 fps from a two inch revolver. This is 'standard pressure' load according to Speer #13 and #14.

However, I'm not sure this is a load one wants to shoot frequently from a five shot J frame. Not for the gun's good, but for one's hand.

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Yeah, I could thumb cock an S&W revolver, but why bother?

I never tried the slow Unique powder with a 148gr bullet.

Does that 5.0grs of Unique get any where near 780 fps?

Red Dot did better than Bullseye in my J snub getting to 198 ME, just under the +p recoil settings in a full standard load.