dob is aprox 1980.2 1/2 inch mint condition looks like it was never fired. i would like to carry. what would be the best ammo to use for cc.

My 2.5" 66 is presently stoked with Speer 158gr. Gold Dot .357s. In any of my K-frame .357s, I either keep that load, or Speer 135gr. Short Barrel .357 or Remington 125 gr. Golden Sabers. Any of these are good self-defense loads, and won't beat your gun or your hand to death.

I like the Winchester 145gr Silvertips.

I carry a 3" bbl Md 65 loaded with Remington 357 mag 158 gr SJHP. It shoots exactly to point of aim in my 65 & is very accurate. I chrono'd it @ 10 ft from the muzzle at 1240 fps.

thanks guys

If you want full magnum loads, nothing beats the 125 grain JHP. I prefer Federal, but other makers have the same recipe. In a .38 Special +P, I'd go with either the 158 grain LSWCHP+P by various makers, or the Speer Gold Dot 135 grain +P.

Steer clear of the "exotics" and anything under 125-130 grains.
More good than bad out there anymore!

You should probably get a selection of defensive ammo and see which one/ones your gun likes best.
I have .357s that shoot 158 grain loads well. Others like 125 or 140 grain loads.
Most of my .357s also seem to like the Cor-Bon rounds loaded with Barnes 110 grain DPX bullets.

I've always picked my SD ammo by finding the most accurate load first. As long as it is some kind of hollow point, it should work well. In my gun, I chose the Speer +P .38 Special 135gr Gold Dot Short Barrel hollow point. I lucked out as not only is this a great bullet, but super accurate in my gun.

My favorite .357 "defense" loads, depending on circumstance and gun, are the 125 gr Remington Golden Saber for reduced recoil and blast, the 145 gr Winchester Silvertip for a slightly less than full power load, and just about anybody's 125 gr jhp for its long reputation of good effects with all the attendant flash and bang.

I typically use Golden Sabers or a 38 +P LHP in a light 3" .357. In a 2.5" I might do a little digging into the Speer .357 135gr short barrel round...the .38 has gotten good reviews.

The full house 125gr loads really beat these size S&Ws up badly, I'd suggest the 125gr Golden Saber, the 135gr Gold Dot, or the DPX, they are lower velocity and won't wear on the gun as badly (or on you either).

I would use the Win Super X 145 Silvertip Magnum
or would go either Remington 38+P 158 LSWCHP
or Federal 38+P+ 147 Hydra Shok.

125gr Magnums from a 2 1/2" K frame would be brutal.
I don't like them even in an N Frame!

I've shot a ton of 125 gr. Remingtons from my semi-cheezy Taurus 605 snub and it's still going strong. It did need a trip back to the factory for timing and endshake issues, but that's part of the price if you want super hard hitting guns. I really need to get my SP-101 set up how I want so that the Taurus can enjoy a life of semi-retirement.

As far as hotrod 125s in J frame size guns, one can spare themselves a ton of wear and tear by only firing a couple cylinders during a practice session, and using .38s for the bulk of the time on the range. I tend not to follow that last bit of my own advice as well as I should, so I get to enjoy a good beating when I practice with my snubs.

I would use heavier bullets in a K frame and avoid the 125 gr. issue altogether. There are super-duper hard hitting loads in heavier weights available and the .357 magnum is a hard cartridge to screw up anyway. I'm thinking that Corbon's 140 gr. JHP would be perfect for a revolver masochist such as myself. Utilizing Sierra JHPs and being loaded Corbon hot, they probably behave a lot like a classic 125 gr. .357 JHP.

All that said, full throttle loads in a snub 66 wouldn't be for everyone.

Buffalo Bore Tactical Short Barrel Lower Recoil Low Flash .357 Magnum 158g semi jacketed hollow point (that's a mouthfull)

For Bears, I like the Buffalo Bore 180 Gr. .357 hard cast bullets. Out of my 2.5" 66 I CHRONOGRAPHED 1400 FPS. That's huge out of a short tube. For two legged animals...... their 158 Gr. JHP moves out at about 1425 fps. These loads have a little more recoil than the Fed, Rem or Win. loadings, but nothing that prevents me from carrying them. VERY accurate. POA=POI The Fed. Win. & Rem loadings (158 Gr.) .357's move out of the same gun at 1150 - 1200 fps, which is quite a big difference. I like the BB.

chief38

The load I carried in my old 66 3" and will be carrying in the 19-5 2 1/2" I picked a while back will be the mid-range Remington 125 Golden Sabers. The load is accurate, easy to control, and it does hit with plenty of authority. For a practice load I will be working up a 158 grain jacketed load at +P .38 Special velocities. It may shoot a little bit higher than the carry load but still be close enough for practice. Hope this helps.

I also like the 158 GN speer gold dots, the blazer brass 158's do well too.

THese are what I like in my 257mag snubs. The 145grWSTHP expands well & has decent muzzle blast & controllable recoil. They make 1175fps im my M66.

__________________
NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

"one can spare themselves a ton of wear and tear by only firing a couple cylinders during a practice session, and using .38s for the bulk of the time on the range"

This can be a very bad idea,,,,, under Santayana's admonition "He who ignores history is doomed to repeat it".

The CHP troopers killed in the Newhall fight trained with .38s but carried magnums on duty, they achieved a 0% hit rate in that fight with their duty revolvers and this inability to hit the bad guys (among other things like bad tactics) cost them their lives.


The double edge to this sword is guys like Bill Jordan, but then Bill fired hundreds of thousands of .38 rounds per year building up his skills. Most of us can't really afford to do that without official assistance.

If you are going to train with .38s, then you need to end your training sessions with a couple of cylinders full of your carry load, or an equivalent load recoil wise.

Frankly, I think there is little reason to use full house magnums out of a K frame, the cost benefit ratio as far as stopping power vs recoil/blast/gun wear just isn't worth it, but then, it's your gun, do what you want with it.

Just remember, not only does the rule "only hits count" apply, but in real life only really good hits count, misses and/or shooting them around the edges a bit counts for nothing.

I should have said "a couple cylinders of .357s during a practice session, and using .38s for the bulk of the time on the range". I'm thinking the same as you are, I just didn't articulate myself so well.

Thank you for clarifying things.

I have a 3" K-frame that I use primarily as a "night stand" gun. It is loaded with Federal 38 Special 158 gr SWCHP +P (model# 38G). They shoot nicely out of my M65 as well as my 4" M19. When praticing, I use standard 38 Special 158gr LSWC or LRN. I really can't tell much difference in recoil or muzzle flash between the standard and the +P. I mean, there is some, but not as much as between a standard 38 sp and a 357 magnum. I would say, if you are going to practice all the time with 38 specials, carry a quality 38sp +P load like the Winchester PDX-1 130gr or the Federal SWCHP 158gr. If you are going to carry 357 mags, then IMO you should practice with 357 mags. I would stay away from the lighter weight bullets in a K-frame however.