38 Special+P vs. .357 Magnum from 2.5 or 3" Barrel

[chief38]

I have a bunch of .357 revolvers but admit to shooting hand loaded 38 Specials from them 80% of the time when target Shooting or Plinking. I do hand load .357's too, but keep them around 1250 - 1300 with 158's from a 6" bbl. Only go through a hundred or so a year.

Years ago I was not into the BB like I am now and I use his stuff for personal SD and protection against wild game while in the woods.

My point was that in a gun with a barrel of 3" or less unless you are hand loading or using BB ammo in .357 most people are probably better off using BB HEAVY 158 gr. 38 Special +P's as I have found that in short barreled guns they are basically equivalent to the current crop of .357 ammo from the Big 3 - give or take a few fps. (in 158 gr. weight of course) without the noise, recoil and flash.

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
I was going to leave this one alone but can't..
First, You Will Not be blinded by the flash from a handgun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We trained to use the flash to find other targets,,,,,,,..........
Two Eric is more often right than wrong..
Three The modern HP's act like hunting bullets [ classic teardrop ]
Great for hunting , for SD ????????????????
As Keith said , the nose does all the work, flat nose have more slap.
To stop an attacker we need to #1 damage or destroy the computer
a small armored target.
#2 cut off the power Aka blood pressure drop from bleeding [ Shock, takes 10 to 30 sec or more]
Or 3# overload the system with input Aka pain..
Pain comes from nerves, most nerves in skin, then mussel , organ, fat and bone.
Many bullets work opposite .
The 357 125gr with much lead at the nose will deform the fastest.
damaging more nerves causing more slap [ pain]
The input causing the computer to think about something other than us.
Aka Stop.
The slower opening bullets may cause more bleeding but less pain.
The target Dies faster but after it has beat the XXXX out of us.
Some rounds so not have the size or speed or weight to make much pain so the bleeding will half to do. [ like a .22/.25/.32/etc.

 

[LOBO]

http://hipowersandhandguns.com/38vs357snub.htm

 

[shouldazagged]

First, You Will Not be blinded by the flash from a handgun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We trained to use the flash to find other targets,,,,,,,..........

I'm not clear on how one trains not to be briefly blinded by the hellacious muzzle and cylinder-gap fireball of a full-house .357 Magnum fired in darkness, especially from a short barrel. I'd be interested to know, because when I referred to that problem in another thread months ago an LEO described concern about being partially blinded by the flash from 9mm service pistols in night training.

I can't shoot magnum loads anymore due to arthritis; but when I did, shooting them in low light worried me about how it would be in full darkness. I'm more concerned now that my eyes are nearer eighty than seventy years of age and adjust much more slowly. Maybe it's just a young man thing...

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
There in lies the key, your eyes don't adj.
The flash ,like a flashbulb, is too fast .
Your gun blocks the most intense part of the flash, at the muzzle,
something the target will see.
You get the "fringe".
The effect can been seen by shooting a camera flash at night.
The area will be lighted up for a short time ,you will "see" the area
and any targets as a quick flash- remember where they are and shoot there.
The flash from a gun will be longer lasting and easier to use.
The blinding most think of happens when you look AT the the flash.
That means from in front not when you look PAST the flash as when
you are behind.
Take your camera or real bright light out some night and try it.
We have all had pitchers taken so we know about the in front part.

 

[amd6547]

...Besides which, when I draw my 3" GP100 for SD at night, the flashlight next to it will be in my left hand.
Right now, it is loaded with 125gn Critical Defense, which does 1350fps out of the 3" barrel, and which I find easy shooting.

 

[LOBO]

...Besides which, when I draw my 3" GP100 for SD at night, the flashlight next to it will be in my left hand.
Right now, it is loaded with 125gn Critical Defense, which does 1350fps out of the 3" barrel, and which I find easy shooting.

Is that velocity that you have chronoed?

 

[ralph7]

The final test should be going into a small dark room some where with no direct lights near by and firing three rounds of 38 and magnum short barrel loads........ with out ear protection.

That should help you figure out what load you might use..........

In the old days ( Zane Gray )the cowboys closed their eyes when shooting Indians at night..............

Surely you jest.

 

[amd6547]

Is that velocity that you have chronoed?

Yes, it is.
Check out TNoutdoors test:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lTWFbuzX-l8

 

[kuda427]

This is just an awesome thread
I was just about to start something similar
Ive just recently started carrying a 66-1,2 1/2
And was looking for an all around load for it
I too am in NC....western mountains...where we see bear quite regularly
never an issue yet
I carry daily everywhere I go
And Yes...I do hike the woods quite a bit
I guess Im more concerned about the human stopping power more that anything else
Im looking at 158 gr flat nose jacketed soft point
Thoughts on this pick??

 

[Don 73]

When I took my son to the circus (YEARS ago) I carried my 92F with a mag full of 115gr +P+ JHPs and I had a spare mag of FMJ, just in case I encountered a non human threat (yes I was a bit paranoid with my toddler son around a bunch of "trained" wild animals) I figures the 115 gr HPs wouldn't do much more that tick off a large animal, not that the FMJ would do much better, but at least they would penetrate better.