J Frame Snub Owners: What is your favorite carry load?

[Talldog]

The only J-frame I own is a 351PD, and when I do carry it, it's with Hornady Critical Defense.

 

[duane_wade]

I carry 125 gr Golden Saber .357 in my 360 AirWeight, practice with handloads of equivalent weight and velocity.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[dbescher]

90% of the time, its the Buffalo Bore 20D "standard pressure low flash" 150 grain wadcutter .38 special for me in my 340 PD. Mainly because it's surprisingly accurate. They definitely don't flash as much as any other factory load I tested. Occasionally I'll carry BB's 158 +P 20A. If for some reason I thought I should armed with an actual magnum round I'd probably carry my Conan A or a 29 and leave the J frame at home.

 

[DWalt]

Aside from the fact that discussions such as this one are normally nothing much more than platforms for baseless personal opinions, many believe that .38 Special lead full-wadcutter loads will perform about as well as any bullet design to keep you on the green side of the grass. Especially from a light snubby revolver. "Accuracy" (I detest that term as it is so often misused) is totally meaningless in most real world situations in which you might find yourself having to use a snubby for self defense.

 

[Data]

"Aside from the fact that discussions such as this one are normally nothing much more than platforms for baseless personal opinions, many believe that .38 Special lead full-wadcutter loads will perform about as well as any bullet design to keep you on the green side of the grass. Especially from a light snubby revolver. "Accuracy" (I detest that term as it is so often misused) is totally meaningless in most real-world situations in which you might find yourself having to use a snubby for self-defense."


@ DWalt

You're always welcome to post your favorite J Frame Snub Load.

Best,
Data

 

[jaguargolf]

For the past few years I shoot what I can find because I do not reload.

For the past 2 years I have carried and practiced with 135gr jacketed or semi-jacketed hollow point +p advertised for short barrels.

Thankfully I have not had to use them and see first hand how they work in the real world. I rely on the opinions of people who do these kinds of investigations and collection of data for their livelihood.

whatever you carry I believe accuracy counts and you must aim, or at point your firearm with purpose.

 

[Alk8944]

, Please stay on topic and help prevent digression for the benefit of everyone. Thank you.

Sincerely, Data.

Certainly you jest, this bunch stay on topic! What a laugh!

 

[pasound]

I have several favorites. 146gr wadcutters (Magtech factory or factory-similar popular Bullseye or W231 loads), 146gr lead hydrashok (leftover Alberts swaged bullets from the early 80's, loaded like DEWC), PPU factory, and factory similar handloaded 158gr SWC. All shoot very close to POI in my snubbies. I have two big ammo cans of Winchester 110gr Silvertips. The Silvertip usually expands in a milk jug, even out of my 60 and 36. Just have to hold the front sight high in the fixed sight groove, because it is still fast out of a short barrel, and will shoot low otherwise.
My hand mades:

 

[Model19man]

I stoke my M37 with 148 grain Winchester wadcutters.

 

[torizus]

Just a question of curiosity ...

As for myself, I carry a J Frame Snub as well. My current configuration is the 360 PD. Albeit, an ultra-lightweight Scandium/Ti J frame. Recently, I have switched over to the .38 Special instead of the high-powered .357 load. I have been carrying Federal's Classic C357B 125gr. JHP for nearly two decades. As a result of this particular load being out of production, I have decided to switch over to a different round. My current load is the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel .38 Special +P 135gr. The recoil is still fairly mild compared to the full house 125gr JHP. I do keep a stash of .38 Special Ammunition in various brands and loadings as well. i.e. Wadcutters, GDs, HSTs etc, etc.

^^^^^^^^ what he said +

 

[badge 851]

Hornady Critical Defense non plus P load

I use this load also!

 

[jensb]

Federal 129 Hydra Shock in S&W M60

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Currently my J frame carry ammo is the Speer 135gr GDHP .38 Special +P Short Barrel ammo.

 

[mgriffin]

Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel .38 Special +P 135gr out of my 442.

 

[max503]

158gr SWC in either solid or HP form over 5.5gr Unique.

That sounds like a very stout load for a 38.

 

[crc4]

Hornady Critical Defense 110 - either standard or +p makes little difference so which ever is cheapest and/or available.

S&W Bodyguard M 49.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Federal's micro HST 135gr JHP-WC with 4.5gr Unique.....

CHEERS!

I like the Federal Micro HST JHP load in my M49 for the lightest
factory SD loading recoil, over all the middle weight bullets.

However "My" factory Micro HST ammo is a little different, in that
it only comes with a 130 gr JHP bullet weight.

 

[Valmet]

On the occasion I carry my 442 Airweight or Model 60 it's generally with 135-gr+P Gold Dots. I like the load pictures above (Federal 158-gr+P) but I've had several instances in my Airweight where recoil will jostle bullets outward in the cylinder and thus prevent it from turning properly.

 

[rockquarry]

Always.

Obsession never hurts anything, but the wallet. But, it's fun to obsess every now and then. I am guessing that it's true with firearms as well. Aesthetics are important to me, but I know better that function overrides beauty in the eye of the beholder.

With guns and loads, like other things, obsessing is a waste of time, an avoidance of doing what is useful and productive. Hopefully, as we mature and become more educated, we grow out of obsessive tendencies. For reasons unknown, this often doesn't seem to hold true for the easychair Internet gunfighting aspirants.

 

[diyj98]

Any 158 grain load (except full metal jacket) that shoots to point-of-aim or very close to it at any distance up to and including 25 yards, has recoil that I can quickly recover from, and is accurate. It may be a standard pressure load or a +P, may be a hollowpoint, cast, jacketed, etc. It's far more important to hit the target than obsess over Internet gunfighting loads.

I'll go along with that. I'm not even stuck on the 158 grain. I use to worry about tests and shooting results, etc., but now I just find something that shoots to point of aim and I can actually hit with.