38+p 125 Gold dot. Any Good?

[Spikedog]

I know that everyone likes the 135 gr Gold Dot, but these are near impossible to find. I have found some of the .38 Special 125 Grain +P GD rounds in stock. After looking at a couple of videos, they look OK. You know how videos/online 'experts' go!

I'm looking for a good round to use for my MP340 that doesn't break my wrist. So, what is your opinion of the round?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[federali]

Gold Dot ammo enjoys a good reputation. I feel that if you do your part, you won't have to worry about the round doing it's part.

 

[crazyphil]

Speer advertises that the 135-Gr. is made specifically for snub nosed
revolvers and a lot of the Gurus swear by it. I haven't found anywhere
they say the 125-Gr. is made for snub nosed revolvers. That's probably
why they can't keep up with the demand.

 

[Big Cholla]

Good? NO, they are far better than that. If you do your part the Gold Dots will not fail. IMHO, the 135 gr. bullets are better for short barreled handguns than the 125 gr., but the margin is very small. Go with the 125s and practice, practice, practice. ..........

 

[Eddie Southgate]

If you don't want to carry reloads go with the 125's if that's what you can get. If you don't have a problem carrying reloads ( I don't ) Graf had 135's in stock the last time I ordered.I am about out of the Winchester 125 gr lead Hp factory load I have carried for years and it appears it is no longer in their line so I am playing with the 135 SB's and a load of Longshot.

Eddie

 

[Spikedog]

If you don't want to carry reloads go with the 125's if that's what you can get. If you don't have a problem carrying reloads ( I don't ) Graf had 135's in stock the last time I ordered.I am about out of the Winchester 125 gr lead Hp factory load I have carried for years and it appears it is no longer in their line so I am playing with the 135 SB's and a load of Longshot.

Eddie

Where did you order the 135's?

 

[TAC]

Consider Remington's Golden Sabers. It performs well in all the reviews I've read. I carry it.

 

[Arm]

I've had satisfactory results with Winchester 110 gr hp +P for my snub revolvers. Very accurate.

 

[ContinentalOp]

The 135gr SB-GDHP is my favorite snub load. The thing to keep in mind regarding availability is that Speer makes them in cycles. If I'm not mistaken I believe they become available about every 3-4 months or so. The best thing to do is find a good online retailer, like SG Ammo, and sign up for e-mail notifications so when they get them in stock you can order it.

With that said, I'd say you should be fine with the 125gr GDHP, presuming you can shoot them well and they're reliable in your gun.

Some other options that I would consider, but don't have any firsthand experience with, include Winchester's Ranger and PDX1 130gr +P loads. If recoil is a concern I would also look at Winchester's Defend 130gr JHP load.

Normally, my second choice would be some version of the FBI load, particularly Buffalo Bore's standard pressure version, but LHP loads can experience bullet pull in S&W's scandium guns so it may not be a good choice in a MP340.

I think as long as you pick a good quality hollowpoint with a medium-to-heavy bullet (125gr or heavier), it's reliable in your gun, and you can shoot it well, it's hard to go wrong for defensive purposes.

 

[murphydog]

Where did you order the 135's?

How about here?

Speer Gold Dot - 38 Special +P Gold Dot Hollow Point Ammo | SGAmmo

The difference between the regular and Short Barrel 135 gr. bullets is the latter has more cuts in the jacket to expand better at low velocities. Any of the 125 or 135 gr. loads will work for your 340. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Valmet]

I'd feel confident with any Gold Dot load personally. But don't get too bogged down in the particulars, with nearly any reputable, modern SD ammo and lots of practice, any of it will do what you need it to.

 

[Cal44]

There is also a standard pressure 125 gr Gold Dot.

It's in Speer's law enforcement line:

It's also not real expensive.

Speer Gold Dot LE Duty 38 Special Ammo 125 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point

 

[crazyphil]

ARM: I believe S&W warns not to use less than 120-Gr. in those very light
weight revolvers like the 340. Maybe it's just the ones with titanium cylinders?

 

[Arik]

The 125 HD is good but their 135 is ade for short barrels. You may not get the extension needed/desired with the 125, which are mentioned for 4 in barrels

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[gto364ci]

I did shoot a variety of defensive ammo out of my 442 and the Gold Dot 125+P felt somewhat milder than the rest with more or less the same ballistics. Found a case of 10x50 boxes for a good price and went with it. I'm personally comfortable with less expansion than the 135s, depends on what you are looking for.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Where did you order the 135's?

Graf & Son's on 10 / 14 they were in stock @ $ 21.59 a hundred.

Eddie

 

[Newburydave]

I run Remington Golden Saber 125 gr .38 +P Hollow points for carry ammo in my Airweight J-Frame. They've been around for ever and have a good rep.

The "expert" gell tests online (yeah, I know) seem to indicate that out of snubby revolvers they expand more reliably than some of the others in that weight range. They're relatively inexpensive for carry ammo in all the ranges and shops I go to.

I've tried the 130-135 gr rounds dubbed short barrel rounds, but my old hands can't keep em all in the box at 7 yds.

Seems to me that in the box with something a bit lighter that will expand is better than a miss with a heavier round.

my $0.02 worth.

 

[gtoppcop]

SpikeDog,

All good gouge from everybody. One thing that folks don't talk about is the weather. Believe it or not, the vaunted Speer 135gr GDHP's expansion from a short barrel is partially dependent on the ambient temperature.

If you look on this forum and other tests of the round out of a 2-inch barrel, you'll find that the colder it is, the less the round expands. There have been numerous issues with it not expanding when the weather is cold. Sounds crazy, but look it up.

With that said, I like the round, but carry the Remington 125gr Golden Saber (nearly available everywhere...) +P. Be sure to get the older 25 round boxes. I hear that the newer packaged rounds aren't as good as their older counterparts.

The internet is replete with all manner of opinions about this round over that round. Suffice it to say, the placement of the round is the most important. The GDHPs are good bullets, provided they hit where they're supposed to. I just happen to prefer the Golden Saber.

I do use the 125gr GDHPs (out of the Buffalo Bore .38 +P loading). At 1,100 fps out of a 4-inch barrel, that's plenty good. I happen to shoot my .38s out of 4-inch tubes. The Golden Saber does about 1,000 fps. The Speer 125gr GDHP +P does about 950 fps from a 4-inch barrel. Pick your poison...

Just a quick aside if you will. I go back and put a heavy roll crimp on my Speer 135s, Golden Sabers and Buffalo Bore 125 GDHPs. I find that it makes the round a bit more accurate and cleaner. I'm sure it also raises pressure a bit more.

Bottom Line: The 125gr GDHP is a good bullet. Do your homework and research the bullet's performance. I think handloader.com has a matrix of the different rounds' performances. The Golden Saber from a 2-inch has a 69% one-shot stop average, while the 4-inch using the same round has an 80% one-shot stop average. The 125 GDHP is slightly lower.

 

[Nevada Ed]

If you have a J frame snub nose, go with the 135gr GD if possible.

+1 on post # 7...........
the 125gr Golden Saber will work in a 2" barrel.

I tested several 125gr GD bullets in jugs of water and had one
that FAILED to even start to open up.
As with all factory ammo, there will be high and low fps in the box of shells.
I had as much as a 3 gr difference in a box of factory 125gr GD ammo, out of four boxes that I bought.

Now if you have a 4" barrel, you are good to go.

 

[Stopsign32v]

I like my UNDERWOOD 125gr +P Gold Dot.

Advertised 1200fps