best 38 special load for defense.
03-25-2003, 04:43 PM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: woodbury CT woodbury ct
Posts: 221
RE: best 38 special load for defense.
i;m a gold dot fan, they seem to always shoot really good for me, although the winchester usa line in my 45 and 357 mag and sig are really accurate with the jhp, i just got some 38 +p and i;m gonna try them out, but you can;t go wrong with any of the big name ammo maker premium line, and some of the " classic" stuff too
03-25-2003, 04:59 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,918
RE: best 38 special load for defense.
Something in 125 grain JHP.Make sure your gun is rated for +P. The older Smith " J" frames were not intended to use +P. Might try Glasser Safety Slugs.
Ruger Redhawk
Ruger Redhawk
03-25-2003, 08:02 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wabash, IN
Posts: 826
RE: best 38 special load for defense.
Good advice so far. The Corbons or Gold Dots are a good choice - especially for outside protection. Federal Hydra-Shoks and Winchester Silvertips are also good choices for this too.
For House Defense, the Glaser rounds are the way to go - won' t penetrate walls but will turn the perpetrator' s lungs into swiss cheese.
For House Defense, the Glaser rounds are the way to go - won' t penetrate walls but will turn the perpetrator' s lungs into swiss cheese.
03-26-2003, 12:13 PM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Texas - BUT NOW in Madison County, NY
Posts: 6,270
RE: best 38 special load for defense.
Use the Keith 173-grain SWC or thed hollowpoint version of this bullet, and 10 grains of 2400! Work up to this load. You might be able to go higher. I used to use 12 gr., but I hear present-day 2400 is faster than it used to be.
03-31-2003, 02:34 PM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wall SD USA & Jamestown ND
Posts: 11,474
RE: best 38 special load for defense.
According to the Marshall report which compiles reports of one shot stops, the 158 grain lead hollow point has the highest percentage of one shot stops with the 38 special. I think several companies load these. I know Winchester and federal do. This load is known as the FBI load. I use them in the +P version. Many gun writers also recomend the full wad cutters in snub nose revolers. These are effective but can hold some disadvantages if a legal case arises as they are known to lawers as Dum-Dums. Handloads of any kind can also cause legal problems as they like to bring up the fact that factory loads were not good enough for this Rambo charactor. These things don' t matter in a life or death case but its something to keep in mind. As of late prosicuters have been going after people who defend their home with a gun big time.
