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Speer 135 grain Gold Dot 38 Sp+P and 357 Magnum

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Cal44

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I'm trying to understand the real difference between these two loads:

Speer Gold Dot 135 grain 38 Special + P

Speer Gold Dot 135 grain 357 Mag short barrel

How much real difference in ME and velocity between these two loads in a 2" snub like my LCR 357.

And the same question in my other "carry-able sized" 357 Magnum -- a 3" M60-15.

Is it really worth going with the magnum round?

Do there two round use the same bullet?
 
150-200 fps difference from what I've seen. The .38 averages about 840-850fps in my 2" 442-2 and LCR .357, the .357 short bbl hovers around 1000-1050fps and 1150fps in 3" guns.
Provided the .38's are hitting consistent mid 800s in your gun, I'd lean toward them in the super lightweight guns fir more control and easier ejection. In a steel gun, the .357s.
 
Last edited:
I haven't seen any of the MGN version in a long time. 5 years or so.
I use the plus pee version in my M642, but would like the MGN for my 3 inch M60. An advantage to staying with the plus pee for both is I can carry the same pouches for either revolver.
The bullets should expand in any case, as that was a design criteria of the Short Barrel bullets.

Best,
Rick
 
Same sausage; .357 has more pepper. From a magnum-capable snubby, I think the .357 option will have a little more "breathing room" to expect that it will properly perform; the flip-side is in barrel's beyond 3", the .357 stands a better chance of being overdriven and the bullet may underperform.
 
In a LCR 357 the 135gr will be ok but.........

in a real steel 357 K frame or larger the 125gr is all that is needed for a SD load with a JHP design.
 
While loaded into a 357 Magnum case, the Speer Gold Dot 135 grain 357 Mag short barrel load is not loaded to 357 Magnum pressure and falls quite a bit short of true 357 Magnum performance.

It is more like a 38+P+ type of loading

It is a great choice for folks that have not yet become proficient with true 357 Magnum ammunition in their snubbies or those that are recoil sensitive.
 
riverrat38 said:
I haven't seen any of the MGN version in a long time. 5 years or so.
I use the plus pee version in my M642, but would like the MGN for my 3 inch M60. An advantage to staying with the plus pee for both is I can carry the same pouches for either revolver.
The bullets should expand in any case, as that was a design criteria of the Short Barrel bullets.

Best,
Rick
Click to expand...

Neither have I. I still have the last five rds from the last box I bought, but haven't seen any for sale in years. .38 version is a lot easier to find.
 
petepeterson said:
Neither have I. I still have the last five rds from the last box I bought, but haven't seen any for sale in years. .38 version is a lot easier to find.
Click to expand...

This company has them is stock. I just ordered 4 boxes.

Also, a while back I bought 5 boxes 50 rounds each of the 38 special +P so I have enough to last a long while.

I don't know how much longer we Californians will be able to mail order ammo, so I figure I'd stock up on these "rare" types.

Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Handgun Ammo 23917, 357 Magnum, Hollow Point (HP), 135 GR, 1000 fp - Able Ammo
 
I love the +P version in my airweights. The 357 would seem to make a good load for my SP101 snub. I'm still actually leaning toward buying a handful of boxes of the Buffalo Bore +P FBI Load for my Ruger and my 4" steel guns. Pricey, tho. I'd still keep the Speer for my aluminum guns.
 
Cal44 said:
This company has them is stock. I just ordered 4 boxes.

Also, a while back I bought 5 boxes 50 rounds each of the 38 special +P so I have enough to last a long while.

I don't know how much longer we Californians will be able to mail order ammo, so I figure I'd stock up on these "rare" types.

Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Handgun Ammo 23917, 357 Magnum, Hollow Point (HP), 135 GR, 1000 fp - Able Ammo
Click to expand...

Thank you for the link.

At that price, I think I'll just shoot my target with 3 Golden Sabers!
 
riverrat38 said:
I haven't seen any of the MGN version in a long time. 5 years or so.
I use the plus pee version in my M642, but would like the MGN for my 3 inch M60. An advantage to staying with the plus pee for both is I can carry the same pouches for either revolver.
The bullets should expand in any case, as that was a design criteria of the Short Barrel bullets.

Best,
Rick
Click to expand...

Target Sports has had the Magnum version as recently as 6 months ago, when I bought a case of it. Unfortunately the magnum only comes in 20 round boxes while the .38 spec version does come in 50 rd LE boxes for about the same price.
 
The Speer .38 Special load is rated @860 fps and the so called .357 Magnum load is rated @990 fps. It's hardly a magnum load at all and was only produced to make those who bought a ultra light j frame feel better about the price because they are shooting something called magnum. I would and do shoot the +P Speer load because it's accurate they costs less than the Magnum load and the bullets in both will expand at the velocities generated by either. (all IMO of course)
 
ArchAngelCD said:
The Speer .38 Special load is rated @860 fps and the so called .357 Magnum load is rated @990 fps. It's hardly a magnum load at all (all IMO of course)
Click to expand...

At 860 fps the 38+P load delivers 222 ft lbs.

At 990 fps the muzzle energy of the magnum load is 294 ft lbs.

That's nearly 1/3 more energy.

Could be significant. Also, the higher velocity makes the magnum version more likely to fully expand.

Is the magnum version worth the extra flash and recoil? -- that's the question IMO.
 
Well, it looks like you guys bought up the stock of the 357 Short barrel. That's one I would have liked to have tried.
 

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Cal44 said:
At 860 fps the 38+P load delivers 222 ft lbs.

At 990 fps the muzzle energy of the magnum load is 294 ft lbs.

That's nearly 1/3 more energy.

Could be significant. Also, the higher velocity makes the magnum version more likely to fully expand.

Is the magnum version worth the extra flash and recoil? -- that's the question IMO.
Click to expand...
Buffalo Bore 158g 38 +P heavy LSWCHP and Underwood 125+P 125g GDHP make about 300 and 311 ft/lb respectively. I clocked them both. The line between 357 and 38 is definitely blurred here. I don't particularly like shooting either one and don't care to shoot enough of them or a similar loading to get good at followup shots. So on second thought, I don't need to try the 357 short barrel, since it probably kicks just like they do in a 340. I can easily duplicate the 38 short barrel load for lots of practice.
 
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