Anyone have any experience with this stuff,
marked Speer GoldDot "Personal Protection"?
.357 ammo has been almost as scarse as .22 hsa been around here.
I found some in G'mountain today they have a variety of bullet weights, 125, 135 and 158 grn.
I got some of the heavier stuff for my Marlin. I'll give it a try this wekend.

It's superb defensive ammo. I'm partial to the 135 grain short barrel load in anything 4" or less. As a rule I don't care for .357 for most personal defense scenarios, but the Speer GD SB is powered down to very controllable, low flash levels while still hitting hard.

I have been carrying the SB 135gr Gold Dot .38's in my M&P 340 for a couple of years. I have been looking for the .357 version to compare. Does anyone know anything about it and how it compares to the .38 SB Gold Dot? I also do not know where to find any!!!

I don't want downloaded for carbine use, so maybe it will go with my 13-3

.. I was one of the lucky' last ones to get in on the RCBS
"Buck's or Bullets" rebate shortly after the last election,
with a $300.oo or more purchase (chargemaster 1500' combo)
you had the choice of either 50' bucks or 500 Speer Gold Dot's ...
.. No Brainer!



~ Don

The Speer Gold Dot .357 Magnum ammo is some of the best factory .357 self defense ammo out there.

The 135 grain Gold Dot bullet was designed by Speer for the NYPD's 2" .38 Special revolvers. The bullet reliably expands at the lower velocities achieved by short barrels.

By specially designing the jacket and the depth of the hollowpoint, Speer is able to get reliable expansion AND good penetration out of the bullet when fired from a short barrel. The bullets work well in guns from 2 to 4 inch barrels, but when driven faster from longer barrels, the bullet will fragment after expansion and actually penetrate less. The NYPD and LAPD have had excellent actual shooting results using the .38 Special load.

The .357 load is just a little bit more powerful. Actually a '.357 Lite.' Muzzle velocity is 990 feet per second from a short barrel. This is a great .357 load for short barrels because its easy on recoil, and has much less flash and blast. The bullet does what it is supposed to do and reliably expands AND penetrates. I use the GDSB loads in my 2" Model 60 and 3" 13 and 65's.

The 158 grain .357 Gold Dot is a great load for revolvers with 4" and longer barrels. Also works great in the 16 and 20" carbines. The bullet has a tougher jacket and penetrates deeper for penetration of light barriers or hunting. The 158 grain load has a muzzle velocity of 1,235 feet per second from a 4" barrel as tested by Speer. Velocity will be even more from a carbine. I use this load in my 4" 686 and my 20" Rossi carbine. Details are at the Speer website here:

Speer Ammo - Ballistics Tables

No, I don't work for Speer, I have just studied this ammo before I decided to trust my life to it.