[gunsmith]

I carry for security work and also plan to
go camping in bear/cougar country.
For work I am using 125 grain .38
fed hydro shock...looks like a nice round

[bpisler]

You might try the cor-bon 38 spl +p 125gr or the golden sabre MV 125gr 357mag.

[BlkHawk73]

Mine loves the federal 125 gr. Hi-Shocks. Recoil isn't that bad either.

[Lord Grey Boots]

Stick to 110 or 125 grain JHPs. Remington 125grn JHP is a good one. I avoid the 158 grain loads, the recoil from those will leave me with a bloody hand.

[makdaddy03]

I load my Taurus 605 2in barrel up with 158gr. Semi Jacketed Hollow Points. I like Master Reloads. But, In a 357 mag any 158 grainer would be nice.
;)

[Trisha]

I load and shoot 158gr Gold Dots (practice/range loads are SJSP) with VV N110 to chrono 1185fps out of my pet snubbie. Accurate as can be, thumps nicely, and after over 2,200 rounds shows no ill effects in the revolver.
It's reassuring, when confronting the occasional semi-feral canine up here in the mountains, to know that if a shot must be taken that the animal will stop immediately.

Trisha

[Desert Dog]

White box Winchester 110 gr, JHP's...

[Nick96]

The great thing about the SP101 is it will handle any factory loaded .38Spl or .357 Mag that will fit into the cylinder. It then becomes a matter of tolerance for recoil, flash & blast - shooting comfort - and accuracy.

If you plan to shoot a lot of .357's, you will likely find that bigger, recoil absorbing grips are going to be prefered. I like the Hogue rubber grips since they fit my hand well, help distribute & cushion recoil and give me more to hang onto with just a slight increase in size over the factory grips (cost under $20). There isn't a factory .357 I've tried that I find uncomfortable or difficult to control with the Hogue grips. The factory grips resulted in a sore palm and brused middle finger from hitting the back of the trigger guard with stout .357's though.

Blast & muzzel flash will be a consideration with any short barreled gun. The full power 110 and 125 grain .357's tend to be the loudest and flashiest (though there are exceptions). But are generally easy to control. The heavier .357's (158 grain) are less so - but do have noticably more recoil. Most any .38 Spl will be somewhat mild compared to .357's of equivilent bullet weight (blast, flash & recoil).

Personally, I find that the heavier the bullet, the more accurate they tend to be (.38 or .357). At typical self defence ranges (20 feet or so), there really isn't a great difference. An inch of variance off point of aim isn't that big a deal. But the further out you go, the spread is more pronounced.

So, I guess the point of all this is that you just need to get different types of ammo - and maybe change the grips - and see what suits you. But again, the SP provides a platform suitable for a wide variety of loadings. In my opinion (and it's just my preferance & opinion) the best loadings are:

Home/Close Quarters Defence (in an enclosed space, limited lighting) - 158grain .38 +P LSWCHP. Good control, low flash, low noise (realitivly) & an effective round.

Personal Defence (outside, moderate lighting) - 125 grain .357 SJHP. Best ballance for proven performance, control and accuracy. Or, Rem. MV .357 Golden Sabers. Many of the above characteristics of the full power 125's, but reduced recoil, flash & blast (a plus with smaller frame revolvers).

Hiking & Camping - 158 grain .357 SJHP. Increased penetration, energy on target and better longer range accuracy.

[Dr.Rob]

My 3 inch Ruger likes 125 gr stuff, while my 2.25 inch Colt MC likes the 158 grain fodder. Personally, I think heavier bullets are better and more versatile.

In fact one of my fave loads is a hard cast 158gr semiwadcutter, accurate and hard hitting.

[gunsmith]

THANKS!

[Rob96]

I keep alternating between 125gr loads and the 145gr Winchester Silvertip.. I bought some more of the 145gr load, and now have the gun and speedloaders loaded up with it. The 145gr Silvertips are really accurate out of my 2.25" SP-101.

[TonyB]

I use Federal 38+p+ JHP(Controlled expansion).This is my carry round.A little stout ,but controllable.
BTW..love the SP!!
Although if I'm going to bear/cougar country,I'd use 357 125gr.or better yet a 44mag.:cool:

[Gordon]

Did you say bear? Then the Norma 180 grain flatpoint full metal jacket would be #1 followed by the Corbon 200grain hard lead flat point. Should not use a .357 load under 170 grains on bear. All the 180 grain loads are reccomended by the factories for deer/black bear, and they work well. Lastly don't think the 110 and 125 grain loads are magic for people either, in my opinion/experience they are only good on something that weighs under 100 pounds!;)

[TonyB]

Never heard of the 180 gr......thanks,good to know.:)

[raveon59]

SP101 & BEAR DON'T MIX-unless it's got you in a death grip and you can shoot it in it's eye-a little to close for comfort-either get yourself the Marlin .44mag guide gun or if you can handle the kick the 45.70...or find another less volatile environment to rec in.

[Corelogik]

My SP101 loves .38 spl. Winchester 130 Gr SXT +P's

I don't doubt that the .357's would perform much the same, but with the attendant increase in recoil.