Best .38 Special and .38 Special +P for my brand new S&W M&P 340CT .357 Mag. Revolver

[ArchAngelCD]

You are correct, the quote of 860 fps with Speed Gold Dot Short Barrel .38 Special +P ammo is from a 2" barrel and I have confirmed that velocity and a little higher myself. That ammo is also very accurate in my S&W M442.

I can't agree with the above statement, Buffalo Bore is the BEST ammo. Sure it's good ammo with a very high price and they produce very high velocities but that doesn't make them the best. Sorry but the highest velocity does not translated into the best ammo.

I highly suggest finding the ammo which is most accurate in your revolver and use that ammo. Most current SD ammo on the market will do what it should do if you do your job. The best ammo in the world using the best bullet will do you no good without hitting what you aim at.

BTW, if you have no intention of shooting .357 Magnum ammo why spend twice what you need to spend on an Airlite J frame instead of just buying an Airweight J frame? I carry a M442 and before that I carried a M642 and both are very reliable but half the price of the M340.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

Since they've been mentioned, here are but a few
of the many Mika Pocket Holsters around here...

When it comes to ammo. My primary carry load is the Buffalo
Bore 158 gr. +P LSWCHP (lead semi wadcutter hollow point.)

I also use the 135 gr. Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel ammo &
some of Buffalo Bore's standard pressure .38 SPL offerings.

 

[JTMcC]

handgun for personal protection ONLY. Sport shooting is not for this kind of a weapon.

You should consider that YOUR personal opinion only, not a blanket statement covering every human on the planet.
People shoot, for fun/sport/entertainment a LOT of different and odd firearms. What you consider torture might be great fun for someone else.
Don't throw your big blanket over the entire world because it doesn't work out.
Good luck with your heater/load choice.

JT

 

[chief38]

Of course this is a personal opinion but mine is that a 357 Magnum has no business being shot out of a 2" revolver. Way too much muzzle flash, noise, recoil and truly offers little to no advantage over a good .38 special in that size gun. In a 2" barreled gun, most of the advantage of a 357 magnum is wasted because the extra pressure does not have the time (barrel length) to accelerate the projectile, and creates more "problems & difficulties" than advantages.

Start off with mild 158 grain 38 specials and I would recommend either the Buffalo Bore (heavy) 158 grain SWCHP-GC +P, Speer 135 grain short barrel JHP +P after some practice and familiarization with your new gun.

In a 2" barrel, the BB 158 grain heavy +P will do an honest 1025 - 1040 fps out of your revolver, the Speer will do about 880 fps or so, and a 158 grain .357 Magnum won't do much over 1060 to 1120 out of the same gun - but what it will do is create a lot of muzzle flash, kick and noise. The 125's are not recommended in small frame revolvers and I would avoid them. I think once you have tried shooting .357's out of your gun you will have come to a similar conclusion.

Chief38

 

[moxie]

I like the Speer SB also. But another not mentioned that
is also good is the Rem. Golden Saber 125+P.

During your testing be sure to check for "bullet jump." This happens under the stiff recoil experienced in these small guns. The bullet in a chambered round can "jump" out of the case slightly, sometimes a bit more with each round fired, finally sticking forward into the forcing cone locking up the cylinder. Measuring with a caliper is good, but eyeballing next to a round that hasn't been in a chamber when another round was fired is also good. Be sure to check #5 in the cylinder especially, as it's been exposed to recoil 4 times. The 110 gr. rounds are notorious for this due to the decreased bearing surface available. But check in your gun.

 

[ozo]

There still is...only one way
for you to know which ammo is
your favorite and best for you.
[you know that answer]

Practice a lot with light .38's [like Magtech]
and carry the SD rounds of your tested choice.

 

[philly3458]

Critical defense 110gr is as good as any. Low recoil, better accuracy under stress, reliable expansion and sufficient penetration b

 

[Nevada Ed]

Even though that 13oz revolver is rated to shoot .357 magnum loads one has to remember one thig................

the 158 FBI load in a J frame has around 5.55 ft/lbs of recoil
and the same weight gun shooting a 125 gr JHP magnum will have about..................

11.99 ft/lbs of recoil,or more.............

Proper pistol grips and a shooting glove,my be in order if going to shoot a bunch of these ?