Ammo for .38 special

[DaidPR]

I realize that this may be a matter of personal preference, but I'd like some help/info on selecting the right round for my .38's.

I have two - a S&W .38 special 640 with 1-7/8" barrel and a S&W .38 special 60-4 3" barrel (see picture).

The book said +P is okay for both, although I really don't know what the +P means. I'd like information on ammo brand, type and grain for personal defense and target practice.

Thanks
David

 

[Bamabred]

+P just means the cartridges have added pressure. It's a hotter round (and snappier). I'm no expert on .38sp. I carry Buffalo Bore semi-wadcutters in my snubby (LCR).

 

[ArchAngelCD]

+P designates Plus Pressure and is just a little "hotter" than standard pressure .38 Special ammo. It is available to add velocity to the bullet to insure proper bullet expansion.

As for which to buy, most name brand defense ammo will do a good job so I feel you should fine the one that is most accurate in your revolvers and go with it.

In my J frame revolvers I usually carry the 135gr Speer .38 Special +P Short Barrel Gold Dot HP ammo or 158gr .38 Special +P Lead Semiwadcutter HP ammo commonly known as the FBI load.

Good luck and remember, the best bullet and ammo in the world will do you no good unless you make good hits. Accuracy is key.

 

[MightyMouse4466]

I found this helpful he tested all the major variety's in the same test.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/

 

[ContinentalOp]

I was going to share my personal philosophy when it comes to self defense ammo, but I'll spare you the novel. Here are some quick suggestions...

I prefer rounds that have a proven track record in actual shootings. In .38 Special the two most-proven rounds I'm aware of are the Speer 135gr Short-Barrel Gold Dot HP +P and the FBI load (158gr LSWCHP/LHP +P, made by various makers). I carry the Speer load in my 642-1. I would have no problem carrying the FBI load.

In general, Google "Dr. Roberts ammo list" for self defense ammo suggestions. It's hard to go wrong with anything he recommends.

The best self defense ammo in the world isn't of any use if you can't shoot it well.

For practice ammo, pick whatever's cheapest, ideally with the same bullet weight as your SD ammo, but that's not necessary.

There have been lots of threads discussing this topic. I'd recommend doing a forum search if you haven't done so already.

 

[Nevada Ed]

My short barrel 38 loves the 148 gr wc target load.

In the 6" 38's, the 158gr LRN design loads a lot easier and will
be as accurate as the 148 round.
You might find that the 158gr Lwc design might shoot better?
Just a matter of what your weapons like for standard target loads.

+P is only needed for SD use and some standard ammo will work
in a 4" barrel or longer, without the recoil.

Enjoy.

 

[chief38]

One of the best performing and popular .38 special's is the Speer +P 135 grain Short Barrel Gold Dot. The other outstanding round and my personal favorite, is the Buffalo Bore "HEAVY" 158 grain +P LSWCHP-GC which from a 2" barrel will do an honest 1,025 feet per second and give 361 foot pounds of energy - low end Magnum performance without all the negatives.
To me anything else is for plinking - but that's just my opinion.

 

[16thVACav]

Speer Gold Dots, as several have previously mentioned.

 

[Bill Lear]

I realize that this may be a matter of personal preference, but I'd like some help/info on selecting the right round for my .38's.

I have two - a S&W .38 special 640 with 1-7/8" barrel and a S&W .38 special 60-4 3" barrel (see picture).

The book said +P is okay for both, although I really don't know what the +P means. I'd like information on ammo brand, type and grain for personal defense and target practice.

Thanks
David

Liberty Defense 50 grain solid copper hollow point in .38 Special is an IDEAL load for 14-15 ounce alloy J-frame revolvers.

They rounds are so light they add very little to the carry package, and when they hit, they fragment into four, very deadly choices...three going lateral to the impact trajectory, and the single, center cup going forward. Initial energy dump is profound, though penetration is limited.

I firmly believe a single shot to the face with one of these round would stop the threat.

 

[S&WsRsweet]

I also like the 158 grain semiwadcutter as your energy with a 38 special or any handgun is going to be limited and my personal thinking is I want a balance of power for penetration and accuracy .A selfdefense load is something that will depend on your ability and also your use someone like myself who lives and works out in a rural area will have a different need from a person who lives in an apartment and spends much of their time in the city so pick you load or loads for the purpose and place you feel you may need .

 

[D Brown]

I found this helpful he tested all the major variety's in the same test.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/

To go straight to the .38 Special Results click on this link:
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/revolver-ballistics-test/

 

[iPac]

I don't know why Federal doesn't release the HST bullet in regular revolver calibers.

Speer has a large chunk of the market with their SB GDs. Federal could easily tap into that with a normal HST load in 38spl & 357mag. I would take the HST design every time over Gold Dots, due to my own tests.

Right now I roll my own SD loads using XTP bullets, but I would switch to HST if they made a good load for 357mag. Other than that, I don't think the "boutique" prices of modern SD loads are worth it, so therefore don't buy or use them.

I got some vintage Hydra-Shok in 147gr. +P+ 38spl. They were much cheaper than other current name brand loads. Might not be the best performing, but I'm confident with them.

 

[oneounceload]

ANY of the various makers make excellent ammo, from 125 to 158 for your guns. You need to buy and shoot several brands to see what works best for YOU in YOUR guns. Even if you and I have the same model, they might not prefer the same ammo. +P in small lightweight J frames can get to be a handful after a few rounds.

 

[SA1911]

W-W 158 grain SWC or SWCHP +P, AKA: FBI Load.

You ain't gonna find a better bipedal self-defense .38 Special load than either of the aforementioned 2. In fact, I'd rather use the FBI load in a .357 Mag handgun than any .357 Mag rounds for bipedal self-defense.

 

[Rpg]

Good old target 148 gr lead wadcutters are fine sd rounds as well as target rounds.

Hitting what you’re shooting at is the most important factor in effective self defense.

Misses and perifieral hits with a 38, regardless of the ammo is pretty ineffectual.

Good hits with target 148 wc ammo is a proven effective combo.

I’m a big fan of using the same ammo for practice and carry. Unless you have a lot of money or a federal grant, you’re not likely to do much practicing with boutique ammo.

 

[gwpercle]

Shoot a few different loads, pick the one you can shoot accurately , the first shot is the most important in a gunfight , follow ups should also be accurate. Why ? Because a miss will get you or innocent bystanders killed, only hits count.
I carry 160 grain Wadcutters because I can shoot them better than any other load. The 160 weight shoots to the guns fixed sights..very important in my book.
All the plus P's and super whiz bang hollow magic exploding bullets do nothing if you can't put them on target.

Gary

 

[Nevada Ed]

As mentioned, +P is just added pressure from std 38 to maximum pressures.

It is a game of seconds...........
True the FBI +P 158 lead HP 780-850fps out of a 2" 38 was king in its day, with two shots......

Does that not mean that a 158gr lead swc at 755fps with three
shots in the same time is not as good ?? !!

I tend to believe that the FBI bullet seldom expands past .41"
so what is the difference of a solid at .38" in expansion if you can add
one more bullet to the problem and also have less recoil for repeated shots.

However there is always a chance that one bullet or none will stop the problem.

Later.

 

[rwsmith]

Hornady..

Hornady, Federal, Remington and other major brand companies make excellent SD ammo. Speer makes one that is especially designed for short barrels and 1 7/8" is a short barrel.

 

[Mike6735]

Appreciate the link of D Brown (#11) for the Lucky Gunner ballistic tests for the .38 Special but was shocked to see the dismal results for the Federal version of the FBI load- 158 grain +p LSWHP. For the 2" barrel- 19" penetration, .35 inch expansion; for the 4" barrel, 22.9 penetration, .35" expansion. You might just as well use RNL- probably would get the same results. What gives here- I know that Federal in the recent past lowered their velocity on their stats for this round from 915 fps to 890 fps. Velocities for both barrel lengths- 792 for the 2" and 892" for the four inch- are consistent with what I would expect for both barrel lengths given the velocity reduction by Federal. Can that small difference in velocity be responsible for these dismal results or is something else going on here?

 

[Wishoot]

Liberty Defense 50 grain solid copper hollow point in .38 Special is an IDEAL load for 14-15 ounce alloy J-frame revolvers.

They rounds are so light they add very little to the carry package, and when they hit, they fragment into four, very deadly choices...three going lateral to the impact trajectory, and the single, center cup going forward. Initial energy dump is profound, though penetration is limited.

I firmly believe a single shot to the face with one of these round would stop the threat.

Pretty sure a single shot to the face with darn near any bullet will stop a threat.