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 makesl 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.
