A 158gr lead bullet with 5.4grs of Unique in a K frame is a
very nice +P load and usually very accurate but if by chance
you are shooting a ................


J frame, snub nose at 16 to 20 ounces, most of us are happy with 5.0 grs and a few can handle the 5.2 grs that is very close to Remingtons +P loadings ........and is all the recoil that I can handle for quick repeated shots,on target.

For practice loads you can't do much better than 4.0grs of
w231 or HP38 powder unless you happen to find a bottle of Trail Bosss that was made just for lead bullet loads in the
38 spl for nice light target loads.