in my 66 i put 1 shot shell followed with 2 rounds of hand loaded hbwc loaded backwards over a good charge of 231 then 3 125 jhp over a hot load of 2400 this makes it 1 for snakes2 for rats 3for hardheads
hey y'all...a few changes so here's an update; unfortunately dad has a chronic ilnness and has moved in with my sister to be close to the grandkids; he gave me all his firearms and hunting equipment; his 642 is in better shape than mine (wasn't carried much or shot much); I also found a few boxes of Remington UMC 125gr sjhp .38 spl +p and they are more abundant than the Winchester WWB Personal Defense 125gr sjhp .38 spl +p in my area; I'm pretty much gonna keep his 642 for HD after a shooting session to get acclimated (his trigger is a wee bit stiffer than mine); with all that said...
his 642: Remington UMC sjhp 125gr .38 spl +p or Remington Express 158gr lswchp .38 spl +p
my 642: same for HD and CCW; when at hunting camp doing chores it will get Mastercast remanufactured 158gr lswc solids .38 spl (hardened for reduced fouling with sharp shoulders and a flat tip)
I'm gonna 'stash' the Winchester WWB Personal Defense 125gr sjhp and Winchester Silvertip 110gr jhp loads that I have left
I'm currently carrying the .357 mag Speer 135 grn GDHP in my 649 Bodyguard but the Remington Golden Sabre 125 grn also shot well. I recently ordered a few boxes of 158 grn LSWCHP in .38 special. Mr Ayoob is on record as favoring this load for his J frame. I do know that my old Model 28 shoots this load like a dream ... bang bang bang all day long.