Easiest Self-Defense to fire from Model 60 38SPL

[ebailyn]

My wife and I are brand new to guns/shooting (in fact, neither of us have ever shot a gun), and we purchased a S&W Model 60 38SPL with 3" barrel. We will watch many YouTube instructional videos, practice repeatedly at an indoor range, and, if necessary, take lessons if our aim is suboptimal.

My question is this....Which ammo should we start with (for range practice and for defense load at home)? The qualities we're most interested in are:
- Ease of shooting (lowest reasonable recoil): At first I thought, lower weight (ie. grain) would be my measure of expected recoil, but now I'm thinking that lower muzzle energy is a better measure.
- Effective "stopping" of the intruder: From what I read, JHPs are ideal; unfortunately, I think the local range will only allow FMJ.

I'd really appreciate specific brand, grain, and bullet-style, and I'm less concerned about price, and most interested in being as effective as possible (when/if needed).

I have one box (50 rounds) of each of the following, but I'll order others, as needed:
Winchester, 130 gr, FMJ, 38SPCL
MagTech, 158 gr, FMJ, 38SPCL
Speer Gold Dot, 125 gr, GDHP, 38SPCL +P

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated!
Eric

 

[old bear]

If it were my decision, I would start with any quality 38 special 148Gr. wadcuter target ammo then graduate to standard 38 special ammo. Finally I would buy a 20 round box of the Buffalo Bore 158Gr. 38/44 HD ammo for self defense, at $27.00 + shipping a box it's pricy, but I think it is well worth the investment.

 

[Shootist1954]

I have not tried this in my model 60 38 sp for self-defense, but I have started a thread for opinions on it:

Cor-Bon 02200 Safety Slug

Shooters of America | Cor-Bon 02200 Safety Slug 38 Special Round Nose 80 GR 6Rds

 

[Shootist1954]

Hornady Critical Defense is excellent for self-defense. I odrered a box from Cabelas last week.

Cabela's: Hornady® Critical Defense® Handgun Ammo

 

[cp1969]

Of the three ammo's you listed, the Speer Gold Dot is undoubtedly the best for your situation, but only after you've gotten acclimated to the gun. Until then, stick with 148 gr. wadcutters. They will be the lowest recoiling round you can get and there is nothing at all wrong with using them as a defense round. If you do your part and place the 148 gr. wadcutter in the right place, it will do the job. If you don't, no other round is going to make up for that mistake.

edit: Hornady Critical Defense--I have a box of their .38 SPL 110 gr. I don't know if other people have had this problem, but I'm watching mine slowly corrode away while sitting in a speedloader.

 

[xopher88x]

Of the three ammo's you listed, the Speer Gold Dot is undoubtedly the best for your situation, but only after you've gotten acclimated to the gun. Until then, stick with 148 gr. wadcutters. They will be the lowest recoiling round you can get and there is nothing at all wrong with using them as a defense round. If you do your part and place the 148 gr. wadcutter in the right place, it will do the job. If you don't, no other round is going to make up for that mistake.

edit: Hornady Critical Defense--I have a box of their .38 SPL 110 gr. I don't know if other people have had this problem, but I'm watching mine slowly corrode away while sitting in a speedloader.

It looks like it's trying to be "zombie" ammo.

 

[blujax01]

Remington 125 grain SJHP. If it's good enough for a cop's ankle gun, it's good enough for me!

 

[What the]

Ebailyn,

For the most part, any brand 148 grain Wadcutter ammo runs the same velocity.....light recoil and easiest to practice with. Buffalo Bore makes a very good hard cast Wadcutter that many people use for self defense out of your very gun.

I reccomend the BB's for you for home use. I also use LSWC, LSWC-HP all at regular pressure, no Plus P's. Many use Gold Dot Plus P's and they are highly recommended, but the recoil may be a bit stout for follow up shots.

You both may be best served by taking some professional training for beginning shooters, the you tube videos are certainly entertaining but no substitute.

Welcome to the great hobby of handgun shooting and enjoy your new gun!!

 

[Shootist1954]

Of the three ammo's you listed, the Speer Gold Dot is undoubtedly the best for your situation, but only after you've gotten acclimated to the gun. Until then, stick with 148 gr. wadcutters. They will be the lowest recoiling round you can get and there is nothing at all wrong with using them as a defense round. If you do your part and place the 148 gr. wadcutter in the right place, it will do the job. If you don't, no other round is going to make up for that mistake.

edit: Hornady Critical Defense--I have a box of their .38 SPL 110 gr. I don't know if other people have had this problem, but I'm watching mine slowly corrode away while sitting in a speedloader.

Regarding the Hornady's, how long have you had them? What environment do live in? Humid? Salty air? Just curious.
Roger

 

[358156hp]

At low velocity, you cannot count on bullet expansion. If recoils a serious issue for you, I too suggest 38 Wad Cutter ammunition.

 

[Diablo982]

My local dealer sells 148 grain wadcutters from Atlanta Arms and Ammo. They are remanufactured, so the price is right and they have been 100% reliable. If they don't have a dealer near you, they will ship to your house. As said by many others, 148grain is the way to go for target practice.

Since you are a YouTube viewer, look or TNOutdoors9. His video reviews on ammo, including .38 special are outstanding. Some ammo may be better than others, but most SJHP should work for home defense.

 

[hotrod150]

x2 for 148 grain wadcutters for low-recoil practice as well as for self-defense use. It's fine to say that in the heat of the moment, you won't notice the recoil if you have to light off a souped-up hollowpoint in a self-defense situation-- but I think the truth is that the increased muzzle blast & recoil will be detrimental to your shooting, whether you "notice it "or not.
Unfortunately, with the panic-buying going on these days with both guns and ammo, you're gonna have to settle for what you can get.

 

[cp1969]

Regarding the Hornady's, how long have you had them? What environment do live in? Humid? Salty air? Just curious.
Roger

Salty air? Not really, I live in Kansas. It gets humid outdoors, but this ammo is stored in the house, so I would not consider humidity a factor, either.

I have had them about three years.

 

[Nevada Ed]

A bare minimum would be the 148wc target bullet,if nothing else works out but in my 2" snub nose I have had these non +P loads that come from various companys. Since you have a 3" you may gain maybe 30-50fps depending on gun and elevation.

Win 110 at 875fps @ 187 ft/lbs energy Recoil 3.27 ft/lb
Federal 125 Nyclad 836 @ 194ft/lb R 3.68
148wc reload 775fps @ 197ft/lb ......... R 3.99
158 Lwc 730fps @ 187 ft/lb ............ R 4.15

A factory 158 "FBI" load 830fps @ 242ft/lbs has R 5.55 !!
the Speer 135gr at 850fps @ 217ft/lb has a recoil of R 4.37.

Go with the load that you can handle and shoot accuratly.... without flinching and that you feel confident and are comfortabe with. If you don't have a range near by, try in a safe shooting area, with white paper plates at six feet and then later at ten feet.

Good shooting

 

[beemerphile]

 

[shawn mccarver]

My wife and I are brand new to guns/shooting (in fact, neither of us have ever shot a gun), and we purchased a S&W Model 60 38SPL with 3" barrel. We will watch many YouTube instructional videos, practice repeatedly at an indoor range, and, if necessary, take lessons if our aim is suboptimal.

My question is this....Which ammo should we start with (for range practice and for defense load at home)? The qualities we're most interested in are:
- Ease of shooting (lowest reasonable recoil): At first I thought, lower weight (ie. grain) would be my measure of expected recoil, but now I'm thinking that lower muzzle energy is a better measure.
- Effective "stopping" of the intruder: From what I read, JHPs are ideal; unfortunately, I think the local range will only allow FMJ.

I'd really appreciate specific brand, grain, and bullet-style, and I'm less concerned about price, and most interested in being as effective as possible (when/if needed).

I have one box (50 rounds) of each of the following, but I'll order others, as needed:
Winchester, 130 gr, FMJ, 38SPCL
MagTech, 158 gr, FMJ, 38SPCL
Speer Gold Dot, 125 gr, GDHP, 38SPCL +P

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated!
Eric

I recommend the 38 Special Mid-Range load, also called the 148 grain wadcutter, for target practice.

For self-defense, good choices are the Speer Gold Dot short barrel (Cat. #23921), which I believe is a 135 grain load, or the so-called "FBI Load," which is made by Winchester (X38SPD) and Remington (R38S12), and is a +P, 158 grain Lead Hollow Point. Federal no longer makes this load as near as I can tell.

 

[cjw3]

THIS for defense; wadcutters to practice with.

 

[358156hp]

Scoff not at the lowly wadcutter. The std velocity wadcutter loads are better than the target loads, read Buffalo Bores load information for std pressure wadcutters here:
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=111
For the recoil sensitive, they're hard to beat.

 

[hotrod150]

I'm not convinced anymore that a hardcast bullet is the way to go. BuffaloBore seems to offer the 158 gr SWC in either hardcast or soft lead, but the full WC is only offered in hardcast. With soft lead in either a wadcutter or SWC-HP, you get penetration and maybe some expansion-- the best of both worlds. BB's no doubt good stuff, but kinda spendy, not sure it's the best deal- a standard mid-range HBWC load or a SWC-HP load by one of the mainline mfr's might be just as effective and more reasonably priced to boot.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO since neither of you have shot a gun before starting with a 22LR would have been a better idea than starting with a short barrel J frame revolver. A J frame revolver is more difficult to shoot well because of the length of the barrel, weight of the trigger and how light the revolver is. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of the short barrel .38 Special and carry one daily but it's really not a beginners revolver. If not a 22LR a heavier 4" barrel .38 Special would have been a better choice and a great revolver for Home Defense.

Ammo is in short supply these days so it's hard to recommend anything. Any standard pressure .38 Special with a lighter bullet is probably best for practice. Nothing wrong with a FMJ bullet for practice, they are generally cheaper than JHP ammo anyway. For home defense/self defense a JHP bullet is probably the best choice. I'm a big fan of the time tested FBI Load. (158gr Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point .38 Special +P) I also like Speer Gold Dot ammo for SD. I carry the Speer Short Barrel 135gr .38 Special +P load in my S&W M442. In my older M36 I carry the FBI Load.