Wow, 58 replies to the OP and not one mentioned the original mid-range .357 load, the 110gr JHP.

This load has been around for as long as I can remember, and its a good one. The spec is a 110JHP at a nominal 1295 fps for 410 ft. lbs energy at the muzzle.

It was always intended to be the option for those who wanted less recoil in a factory load. At one time loaded by all of the Big Three, now only Remington and Winchester catalogue it, but those, particularly the Remington, are probably the best of them anyway. Why? Here goes:

The bullets are conventional JHP's with plenty of exposed lead at enough velocity to assure reliable expansion from any length barrel. Muzzle energy beats most any 9mm and 45 ACP loads, and the bullet is fragile enough to limit overpenetration through solid surfaces. Some will say that this velocity is too fast for this bullet weight and limits penetration, but the same people then say that a 115gr 9mm+P at the same speed is perfect. Go figure...

Flash and blast depends on the brand, but some Remington's I shot a while ago were not offensive.

The load seems to have been pushed aside in favor of newer ammo with great tactical critical sounding names, but much lower performance. The conventional scalloped jacket bullets always expand at these velocities, and I remember it being reasonably priced.

In your heavy 627 recoil should be no problem, and the price should allow you lots of practice. This load beats any .38+P from your gun. You should give it a serious look.

With that said, allow me to makes some observations on the overpenetration issue, which really comes down to two considerations.

First, an earlier poster said, correctly, that any ammunition with adequate gel penetration is going to penetrate walls and such. That's just part of the deal. But it's a good thing.

Too many people practice for the "bad guy coming up the stairs" shot. They envision an exposed target and a frontal shot. They practice for the best shot and worry about missing, and this is a mistake.

I always try to imagine the worst shot I may have to make in any particular environment. Think about how a bad guy would get into and out of your house. What's in the way that he could use for cover.

In my situation it would be a fiberglass front door, a metal door going to my garage and the island cabinets and table in my kitchen. I can easily see Mr. Bad Guy using these for cover and I want my bullets to be able to punch through and get to him in a useful condition.

Bullets must be able to defeat the toughest cover they may encounter in your environment, period. If they won't you may end up in real trouble.

The second part of solving the overpenetration problem is training those who are in your home. Are you alone? No problem. Wife, kids? Train them how to react if an intruder comes in. What do you do if you are separated in the house?

If your kids are old enough, teach them that on your signal or at the sound of trouble to get under the bed or furniture, flat on the floor. Show them what good, tough cover is in every room of the house and teach them to stay there until you say it's safe to come out. Concealment is not cover. Cover stops bullets, hiding behind the shower curtain doesn't.

I no longer have kids in the house, but when I did my wife knows her job was to secure the kids, if possible, and call 911. She was also ready to defend herself but her main role was to get to cover, get help on the way, and stay put until "all clear".

I know this was a long post, but you said you were a new gun owner and I felt those things needed to be said.

Bullets work by punching holes in things, and using effective ammo safely means thinking beyond just "what's the best load".

Tactics and training are the biggest part of surviving a bad encounter, even more important than the ammunition you select. Always equip yourself and train for the worst situation you might encounter.