I have a bunch of federal 158 grain jacketed soft points and was wondering if these would be any good for revolvers ranging from 2 3/4 to a 3 inch barrel. Over penetration issues?

Thanks

As I just posted in another thread, I would load them in .357, but 158gr jacketed in .38 SPL is pretty slow.
I really like the Speer 135gr Short Barrel bullets for .38 Spl.

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Science plus Art

Do not expect any expansion from a JSP bullet as they are not designed for expansion, but for deep penetration. This type of bullet typically behaves like a semi-wadcutter and the jacket is there to prevent barrel leading.

Using Ballistics by the Inch .... muzzle energy will be in the 425-450 ft/lb range out of a 3" barrel.........

you have 2 threads going on this .........so FYI

Out of a 4" barrel muzzle energy is in the 600 ft/lb range

note: out of a 16" carbine the muzzle energy jumps to over 1000 ft/lbs

I carry Elmer's heavy 38 spl. load in my 38's when carrying a 38 spl!

I saw a post on another forum - “If you invade my house I am going to fill you with holes from the cheapest ammo I have. I’m not going to waste expensive ammo on you”

Hit someone a few times in the right place with almost anything, game over.

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Just hanging with my dogs

My take on that comment... handgun rounds are already marginal. I am going to use the ones that are proven to expand and penetrate as long as I do my job of putting them on target. I won't cheap out on mine or my owns safety.

On that note a 12 gauge protects my realm. Handguns are only for those times I have to venture into the jungle.

That being said, in 38 special, I carry Speer Gold Dot 135gr..... has a proven record on the streets with NYPD and other agencies. If the recoil is too much, a lot of professionals including Jim Cirillo who had a little experience with these things had nothing but good things to say about good old low recoil 148gr wadcutters.

Ditto on the 12 ga. An intruder into my domicile will be looking into the business end of an 18" long very large bore, which will issue forth a heavy dose of 0.33" pellets!

You didn't mention if they were 357 magnum or 38 special. Federal markets the 357 magnum 158gr JSP for self defense, varmint, wild Boar, deer hunting etc. Regardless of what caliber they are, in short, Yes, either one will "get the job done". The point of self defense is simply that, You are defending yourself. Whether or not the attacker succumbs or not is irrelevant.

[QUOTE=15mtyler;140045501]I have a bunch of federal 158 grain jacketed soft points and was wondering if these would be any good for revolvers ranging from 2 3/4 to a 3 inch barrel. Over penetration issues?

Thanks[/QUOTE

Over penetration is a red herring concern in my view: the real issue is missing.

Statistics from sd shootings tell us that even well trained cops miss over 2/3rds of the time.

It’s the misses that constitute the danger to the proverbial innocent bystander, not the over penetrating hit. Remember the New York cops who wounded 11 bystanders shooting at a guy who’d just killed his target with two well placed shots?

A fundamental rule is to know what’s behind your target. Most folks don’t learn to practice this rule since their shooting is done at a formal shooting range so they have no concern about what’s behind the target.

Those of us who have done a fair amount of hunting are much more likely to have internalized this rule.

Spend your time learning to hit what you’re shooting at and you’ll minimize your chances of hitting the innocent bystander much more than fussing about ammo worrying about over penetration.

In terms of sd ammo, my primary concern is adequate penetration. I have no confidence in handgun ammo reliably expanding in real flesh and bone (as opposed to ballistic gel) at handgun velocities. If it does expand, it defeats the goal of good penetration.

Learn to hit what you’re shooting at. Be aware of what’s behind your target. Worrying about over penetration is a red herring.

Placement is King. Penetration is queen.

You need to know the places to hit to have the most success if you need to use deadly force, and how to place shots there consistently. Then, the round chosen must penetrate far enough to do as much damage as possible to the target area. As noted, "over-penetration" is an overhyped issue that is not near as bad as missing.

That said - when it comes to ammo, the first general rule is to use the recommendations of Dr. Roberts for duty/SD ammo. In an auto pistol or a revolver chambered for such a round (I have 9mm/45ACP), I follow that religiously. In .38/.41, moderate velocity full weight SWCs are a winner, except that I will use .38 WC in a snubby.

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NHI, 10-8.