Herr Mario

....ok....SP101 Ruger....love to shoot .357mag 154gr in it(125's ok :lol )....while at Wallyworld today I sauntered past the ammo dept to look since they usually have sparse shelves with limited selection,and what they do have is usually well picked thru before I ever get there....saw they had 2 boxes of Winchester 38 SPL. +P 125gr. JHP....labeled"personal protection"....so I had some spare change and figgered I'd try a box....now the question...which in your opinions would be more "appropriate" for stopping power-carry wise....as I said,I love the .357mag,and the 38spl....well....they look so.....uhm.....short-compared to the 357... ....opinions requested pleas..

deputy125

i've got my favorites............but the 38 spl 158 LSWCHP +P is about the most proven 38 round there is in any barrel length.......

barring that, i like the federal nyclad loads which is essentially very soft lead hp with a nylon coating.....done some personal expansion tests with that stuff and it is quite impressive.

Machinist

The very best .38 special loads rated about 70% one shot stops, about like .45 hardball. The 125 grain .357 Magnum rates in the mid 90s and is the standard by which all others are measured. It does better than the .41 or .44 Magnum. The problem is control. If you can not properly control the .357 then you are better with a good .38 that you can hit with. This is the case with most people using lighter guns but there is really no comparison in results. The heavier bullets in a short barrel are another story. They may not get enough velocity to perform properly and be worth the extra recoil and blast unless penetration is needed. For defensive use the 125 grain loads are king and only the very best .40 and .45 loads from decent length barrels can match it.

The old .38s were 50% stoppers so the new loads have improved it considerably, but the Magnum offers a lot more if you are comfortable and confident with it. I am not in a snub but I understand the Sp-101 really tames it down.

I agree with Deputy about the 158 grain LSWHPs, the old FBI load. It is my choice for .38s where I can use it.

Bountyhunter

I think any 38 special +P load made for self defense will work fine. I carried 158 grain jacketed 357 rounds in mine when I had it. If I had it today, I would get 38 special +P rounds for it.

sheepdog

...Deputy nailed THE .38 load, and I've known few men who could shoot four fast shots from a .357 and hit well every shot...with a .38+P, anyone can master it...controlling where that slug goes and how quickly you can get back on target is much more important than the extra power....that's why I carry ONLY the load Dep posted in my .357s, and why I shoot .45ACP instead of EITHER .40 or 9mm...recoil is much more controllable in the .45...nuts...why do I always come back around to the .45?!!! The extra weight of the SP will make you a much better shooter...but I'd still say stick with the "FBI" or "Chicago" load that Dep posted...and among the makers of that load, Remington's the softest lead...giving a bit more expansion than Federal, Winch, or Georgia Arms...You'll pay around $30 per box of 50...

Herr Mario

...this is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for.....I wonder if I should load mine with alternating rounds....one .38spl +p,the next 357mag...alternating to fill out the cylinder...

sheepdog

...never...it'll screw you up in combat...the only mix I would do is what I have done for years...lead out with two Glaser Blue Safety Slugs, then go to the lead rounds...and I don't always do that...especially in cold weather, they don't penetrate as well...and that's a plus or a minus, depending...I would carry a coupla speed strips at minimum...one your .38 load...the second could be .357 with a 158 gr. JHP to penetrate car or building better...but I don't...the less you have to think about the better, and if you grab a snubby as backup gun, you want it to eat your reloads...that's why I stick with one shell...

...Dep, I heard the Nyclads are back in production...gettin' any? they were the equal of our favorite...

...Mac, put any 158gr+P through that rifle yet??? oughta be just north of .22 in recoil...

Herr Mario

....oh Great Dog....I agree with you in your choice of .45....however in my current financial status,the only .45 I have is a 1911-A1,which I love and shoot great,however not practical for CCW for me...which is why I have the SP101 -for now ....hopefully down the road I can swing one of those more 'concealable' 45's out ther on the market,as I prefer the big wham to the badguy over smaller whack...however,I can see using either depending on what my situation may be at the time,so right now its the 101 I greatly appreciate all the opinions

Machinist

I haven't shot it yet, Sheepdog.

deputy125

no one around my area carries the nyclad..........so its the fbi load for me......

as far as alternating ammo, I sort of do it......................

in my duty sig, the magazine in the pistol is loaded with HP. the spare mags on the belt are FMJ.

The magazine in the m-16A1 is loaded with ballistic tips, the spare m-16 mags are fmj.

The 870 has 3 rounds "oo" buck flying out first, the last round in the tube is a slug with spare slugs on a butt cuff.

my off-duty snub is loaded with the FBI hp load, the two xtra speedloaders are loaded with 158+p LSWC.......

sort of a defensive/offensive set-up.

i'm loaded up this way because i figure should i ever empty a weapon and have to reload, i'm in some awful deep kocka and the threat is most likely behind cover so i want better penetration.......i hope i never have to put that theory to test............

sheepdog

...good planning because the rounds all fit the gun...were you to carry .357 and .38 rounds and have one gun of each...therein comes the confoosion....I reverse the plan in the shotgun to give me accuracy should someone have hold of a family member...buckshot last...glad your dept. gives you choice of tools on the street...betcha I know which longarm you grab most often!!!