What are some good defense loads for a 6” .357 magnum? I am worried the classic 125 grain SJHPs might expand/fragment too much from the long barrel. Maybe a 158 grain SJHP load might be a better fit? Thanks!

-Jay

I use Underwood 158grn soft point out of my 4inchers... it performs very well, may do better in a 6in gun...

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This is the way....

Thanks, all. Years ago I had a Ruger GP100 with 6” barrel I used for home defense. Hoping to pick up one of those new Colt Pythons and use it for the same.

Just about any quality brand that reads ".357 Magnum" on the box should work.

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'Merica!

I would think one of the heavier HPs would meet your needs. 158gr Gold Dots come to mind, as does the 145gr Silvertip (if you can find it). I recall seeing a 140gr JHP from Buffalo Bore that looked interesting.

.38 Special FBI loads may be worth looking into as well. The added velocity may make them more likely to expand while still retaining good penetration, especially if you're using the Buffalo Bore +P version. Plus they probably won't be as loud as .357 Magnum when fired indoors, if that's a concern.

Just my thoughts.

If your willing,.... give the Winchester Silvertip a try. I use it in a 6" and it performs well in various mediums. I'm sure a 158 grain HP would work just as well.

The old Fed 357B load pushed them 125 JHP's pretty hard . I'm talking the red box loads . Same series bullet used in the 9mm 9BPLE +P+ . Old technology but still very effective . Wouldn't use it if I had to shoot thru any kind of barrier , but against persons with felonious intent for us civilians yeah . I'm sure the new stuff aint as stout , but new bullets are much better . Look at the gel tests & decide for yourself . Shoot your selected & find out what both you & the gun like .

I’ve tested the old red box “Hi Power” next to the current 125 grain SJHP personal defense load they offer and they seem identical in power. Also the current Remington iteration is VERY hot as well.

Seems like one load that hasn’t been watered down over time.

The 125 JHP is a proven street performer........

while the heavy 158 grain might over penetrate and go into areas not intended.

A line of water jugs or milk bottles is a great way to find out how your ammo does out of your weapons.

If you have to use a slab of Baby back ribs...............
your not in my corner !!

The Federal C357B go like lasers to point-of-aim for me in my 686's, so I'm happy. If I were concerned about fragmentation, I might shoot a line of water jugs and see what happened.

Federal makes a 180gr Swift A-frame that won't come apart.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

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Slava Ukraini!

Buffalo Bore makes a 125gr load that is HOT. Pushes about 700 some odd ft/lbs out of a 5" barrel

Federal 129 grain .38 Special +P Hydra-Shok HP.

125 gr .357 Magnum. How many people do you want it to go thru?

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

....I keep a low end load in mine, .357 or .38 spec +P. Our ears are sensitive.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Sorry but you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Back in the day when the 357 Magnum revolver was still common in the holsters of law enforcement officers, the 125 grain SJHP from Federal and Remington were considered to be the best, albeit they were hard on the revolver's forcing cone.

I guess not. Thanks for pointing that out to me.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

The 125 grain HP loads were pretty successful, and I would not worry about erosion in most larger frames. Most people don't shoot enough to cause any such issues. The 145 grain Silvertips are made every couple years, and I watched for the release a couple years back then jumped on them with alacrity. Got about 500 rounds, IIRC. I am sure I will not use them all ...

I'll admit that they are a bit warm for my taste in a 4" M66, but would carry them for some uses (woods where I might meet cranky critters, etc.). Most of the time I use a standard velocity .38 SWC. I shoot them well, and that configuration will work just fine; better than most .38 loads. I might be more inclined to the Silvertips in an N frame.

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NHI, 10-8.

Home Page for Wholesale Hunter has the 145 gr Silvertips in stock. They are showing 229 in stock with a limit of 3 at $47 a box of 50.

I have 125gr Hydoshoks. I got 500 back in the 90's and still have some.

The perfect load is the one that you put through the left eye.

Groo here
The original SJHP loadings were not like the more modern bullets
With that much lead unsported by a jacket , the nose often broke off.
The jacket was heaver to withstand the pressures.
In a 125 gr ,,, in 38spec the bullet expanded nicely.
In the 357 4in the bullet expanded greatly.
In a 6in barrel the bullet lost about 25gr of lead and became a wc.
You would think the bullet was self adjusting depending on barrel.
If you want a less viloent load use 110 SJHP ..
They were loaded down.....

I'd run a 158 grain. 38 +P load for self defense.

Since I handload, I'd use my load of 158 grain hardcast SWC at about 1000 fps.

I'll agree with that. I have fired numerous different loadings of .357 ammo (even FMJ) into water-filled 3 Liter soda bottles lengthwise (firing into the bottom). Every one exploded the bottle forcefully. It's easy to overthink things like this.

While I use a 4", it would seem that the same rounds that are effective from a 4" would be just as good from a 6" barrel. The 125 grain is proven to be effective, without excessive penetration that could be considered a liability. Honestly, .357 is so fast that every load seems to work well: from 110s to 158s either from snub nosed or long barrels. Load what both you and that gun shoot best. Only accurate loads are interesting.

If you are worried about fragmentation of a 125 grain load due to the extra velocity, just use a "bonded" bullet like a Gold Dot, one of the Lehigh solid copper from Underwood or a Barnes solid copper HP...

I like the 125s vs. the 158s as the recoil is much less so the recovery time is less...

Bob

I have used the 145 grain Winchester Silvertips in 2 1/2" and 4" revolvers since the 1990's. It you can find them, they'll work just fine in your 6" gun.

In .357 the mid-range bullet weights have always interested me.

I've read quite a bit about the effectiveness of the Winchester 145 gr STHP, and actually had a friend that was cleaning out stuff for a move give me several boxes of it.

The Barnes 140 gr TSX all-copper HP did a great job on a Whitetail buck I took a few years back - ~35-40 yards and DRT. Did not recover the bullet, but there was evidence of great expansion and penetration.

Long ago, I had access to some SuperVel brand (yes, dating myself) bullets that were 137 gr JSP. IIRC, I drove those pretty hard with Blue Dot and they worked great.

Same experience with Speer's 140 gr JHP, long before Gold Dots came out. Could run them quite a bit faster than 158's and they held together in test mediums better than the 125's.

Another favorite was the Sierra 150 gr JHC - it has many fans.

Now that there are bonded JHP's, 125's may behave much better.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

Good Morning JayFramer.

I approach bipedal self-defense from another angle that might be many degrees off from others apexes. How much velocity do I need?

For decades, I've carried the FBI load in .357 Mag revolvers for a lot of reasons. Armorers employed by the agency from which I'm retired have recommended that I switch to Speer God Dots 135 Grain .Special +P Duty Ammunition. I have.

For bipedal self-defense, mag ammo isn't necessary and might be a liability.

If I could have a do-over, I'd of carried standard pressure .38 Special ammo in my 2" Model 60. But the FBI load was our issued duty ammo, so it was an easy transition to use it in my off-duty handgun.

357 believe it or not can be intimidating to less experienced shooters . Muzzle blast & the sharp report plus recoil some can't handle well . Don't know if you have ever shot one inside a building or a vehicle . Your ears will ring for a week . Before that all my SD handguns were 357's . After that they're all 45acp . Much easier on the ears should the need arise . For home defense inside the Buffalo Bore +P 38 special 20A load is hard to beat .

Thanks, guys. I just ordered some boxes of Federal 357B.

From what you guys are saying, it should almost be a “self adjusting” load and while the front of the round might fragment, the base should punch through to vitals, even from a 6” barrel? This load has a stellar reputation for effectiveness. I might do some ballistics gel testing for the load but would need to research how to properly do that.

Thanks all!

Federal's 357B was a top performer back in the 1980's-90's when many LEO's still carried 357 Magnum revolvers.

The 6" barrel wouldn't have any problem generating very good velocity with any defense loading. I feel that a.38 snub is somewhat on the ragged edge, though still good enough to do the job.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Disregard. I see that you ordered. Best of luck in your selection.

Ensuring good placement is the first issue in defensive use (and hunting). Everything else, as long as you have adequate penetration, is of modest importance.

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NHI, 10-8.

Remington 158 SJHP.