Clean brass isn't necessary.

Whatever 38 bullets you find a good price on will be fine.

I shoot 148 grain hollow base wadcutters, 158 grain wadcutters, and 158 grain lead round nose. They all pretty much shoot to the point of aim. Bullseye is a great powder for these.

My Rossi rifle won't reliably chamber wadcutters, so I mainly shoot the round nose in it.

3.6 grains of Bullseye topped with a 158 grain LRN is an accurate plinking load in my revolvers and rifle.

Loading handgun rounds is easier than rifle rounds because you rarely need to trim the brass, and with carbide dies, you don't need case lube. Just size/deprime, flare the case mouth, reprime, add powder and a bullet. I set my bullet seating die to crimp in the same operation as bullet seating. Some will tell you this isn't a good idea, but it works for me.