If you think those 240s were snappy, don't bother trying 180s. When I bought my first 629, a 6.5" Classic, I bought some Hornady XTPs in both bullet weights to see which one the gun liked better. I handload all my target ammo but since I only shoot full-power loads for hunting, I just use factory loads for that.

While the 240s are pretty stout in the recoil department, the 180s could be called violent. A cylinder-full was enough for me and I'm not terribly recoil-sensitive. I have a T/C Contender in 7-30 Waters, a .30-30 Winchester necked down to .284", and it is pleasant to shoot by comparison.

For punching paper, I handload 240-grain lead semi-wadcutters for my .44s at about 950fps and it is a comfortable load to shoot.

Ed