j frame loads

[rickinil]

1st post long time lurker! have gotten lots of good info here - thanks! now its my turn did a search but really didnt know how to phrase my ???
have a 442 .38 -new to these and i think i remember reading these were factory set up for 158gr lead semi wadcutters --is this the fbi load? but at what distance to target is optimal (design) for this load with its fixed sights? what is the practical distance to practise at?

[NCHornet]

The best ammo for small J fames is the Speer Gold Dots in 135 grain. It says right on the box that these were designed for small barreled guns. It is all I carry in my 38 and when I can locate them in 357 I will order some for it as well. Otherqwise it's silvertips in the 357. I hope this helps you out. Oh and I believe the FBI load was a 158 gr LSWC, I don't shoot any more lead through any of my guns, I prefer FMJ.

NCH

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

"FBI load" is lead SWC HP +P. I believe that the best factory load for a 442 may be lead SWC HP standard pressure, because it penetrates sufficiently. Some people believe differently. IMO, the best way to find out would be to find gelatin tests of the various contenders conducted with 2" barrel, and see what the penetration is under various conditions. You might even find that my belief is wrong according to my own standards. Obviously, I don't think so right now.

Another issue, as you allude to, is POI in relation to POA. Only you can test this, because the results depend partly on your grip, particularly in so light a pistol. In the past, there has been a tendency for many J-frame .38s to shoot to POA with the load I recommended. However, this is not always so. Also, if you find that another factory load that is better shoots lower, you can lower the front sight with a file. This is not so easy to reverse, however.

Handloading opens up a whole new set of questions. IMO, Erich provides the best answers.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Forgot to answer your question about distance. While there are certainly plenty of folks who can make head shots at 25 yards, they would probably like an easier target. Also, a non-LEO would perhaps be unlikely to have a need to shoot from such a distance, his effort usually being better spent increasing the distance from 25 to 125, preferably out of sight. That said, it seems to me that 15 or 17 yards would be max distance for most snubby practice, and you should at least try out 7 yards if your shooting facility permits. At some point, there should be an attempt to shoot very quickly at short (and eventually long) range.

[JayDubya]

To amplify, the "FBI load" is a +p load with a 158gr LSWCHP (lead semiwadcutter hollow point) bullet. Several major, and some minor manufacturers provide versions of it. The majors are Winchester, Federal and Remington. The first two use hardcast bullets, which expand nicely from 3" barrels and longer, but cannot be trusted to do so from snubbies (nominally 2"). The Remington load uses dead soft lead bullets, and normally will expand to almost 0.6". This is what I have in my 637 Airweight. The Speer +p 135gr Gold Dot SB is highly regarded as well. My Browning High Power is loaded with its near twin, the 124gr Gold Dot.

I shoot weekly at my range, and sometimes (ouch ouch) do so with my Airweight -- but never beyond five yards. All I want is five inside the nine ring of a lifesize silhouette target. I am not a sworn officer, so I practice solely for HD/SD. Any shots I fire at someone twenty-five yards or more away from me are almost impossible to defend, so I don't even practice them with a handgun.

Cordially, Jack

[Tracer_Bullet]

My J-frames are all steel, so I'm not sure about the airweights but would not expect a significant difference. I currently use the FBI load (158gr LSWCHP +P) from Remington as a carry round in guns that are rated for +P, or Buffalo Bore's standard pressure 158gr LSWCHP in my older guns that are not +P rated. The Gold Dot (136gr +P short barrel) is also reputed to be an excellent round, I have carried them before and I am looking to replenish my stock of them (I frequently shoot what I carry). As long as I do my part all of these rounds hit within about an inch of point of aim with the appropriate J-frames out to at least 10 yards, which is the maximum range I have ever tried to hit anything with a snubby. They are good out to at least 20 yards in my 4" Model 10. I also have tried 125gr +P Golden Sabers and they also hit close to point of aim for me.

[paragon1]

1. Speer GDHP 135 +P SB
2. COR-BON DPX 110 gr +P
3. Winchester Bonded PDX1 130 +P

[rickinil]

you guys are awesome!!
thanks for the info!

[safearm]

The 158 grain LSWCHP+P was orginally developed for the St Louis, MO police department. A number of other large departments, including the FBI, later adopted it. Where I worked in northern Illinois, it was known as the Chicago load, as CPD also issued it.

[681ismyfavorite]

Remington 158gr. LHP +p is what i use and would recommend.