ammo for home defense

[SabbathWolf]

Yep.
What type of 357 and what barrel length would be helpful info.

 

[Stainz]

If one is recoil sensitive, basic target rounds - .38 Special 148gr full wadcutters - are great holemakers - better than 158gr LRN or even LSWC's at making large wound channels. Even a small woman can handle them shot from an Airweight snubby, like a 642. If you can handle the recoil, a 642 stoked with Remington R38S12 +P 158gr LSWCHP's, aka the 'FBI load', has a proven track record. The Remingtons are made of a softer lead, meaning more opening in soft tissue at the lower muzzle velocity attainable from a snubby. From a 4"+ .38/.357M, the harder lead Georgia Arms uses in their version will be as effective - at a lot lower cost. I keep speedloaders & moonclips loaded with the Remington load for all of my 38's & .357M's. I reload many .357M's - at plinker .38-level. The hottest ammo I have for a .38 or .357M is the same thing - the aforementioned Remington load.

For example, here is my 2 5/8" PC627 UDR with a loaded speedloader and moonclip:



If I ever want to hunt large animals, like Doug Wesson did with that first .357 Registered Magnum nearly 77 years ago, I'll finally get some real .357 Magnums. Otherwise - for HD - I'm good to go with +P .38's! YMMV.

Stainz

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

Stainz, beautiful firearm.

 

[j1]

action

I did what I said by shooting yesterday. Five shots out of my chiefs special rapid fire is extremely controllable. I was shooting my reloads of plus P ammo. I shoot mine for practice and commercial for carry or loaded in my home protection revolver. The protection has a four inch barrel. All went extremely well. That chiefs special is small and light and easy to carry but I think is up to the task. Not being an LEO I can only forsee shooting really up close.

 

[duns]

If I were dependent on a 357 for home defense and also assuming that there were nearby neighbors; I'd load it with the old standard FBI load. This round consists of a 38 Spl case and a 158 gr LSWC bullet loaded to almost +P pressure. This way you would have an excellent man stopper and a bullet that won't go through two or three layers of wall board and hit one of your neighbors.

My impression from reading numerous articles is that all effective rounds have no problem passing through several layers of wall board.

I think there is a lack of hard data on terminal effectiveness, muzzle blast and noise. My approach is simply to go with any reputable round. I have a number of revolvers but the one I would reach to first is my S&W M&P 340CT. Since it has a short barrel, I'm partial to the Gold Dot .357 Magnum Short Barrel 135gr (nominal muzzle velocity 930 fps) or the Gold Dot 38 Special +P 135 gr (865 fps). Probably the latter is more sensible for indoor use but I carry the former when out and about and don't normally reload or switch guns when at home.

 

[j1]

Got some 220 grain loads handy now for the 06. Stopping an agressive bear I would think that 220 is the way to go.

 

[Remllez]

The Gold Dot load on paper seems to be very effective and the FBI load has street data to back it up. Anyone that thinks a .38 or .357 won't penetrate more than 3 or 4 layers of wall board is kidding themselves! You must be very concerned where that slug goes should it miss your intended target.

Like someone mentioned earlier the slug is your responsibility until it comes to rest. I'm of the opinion that if neighbors are present you should be looking for a round that expands reliably and make shot placement your number one concern. Low flash and quick recovery are high on my list as well.

 

[easyg]

In my Ruger GP100 the first four rounds are Speer 125g .38+P Gold Dots, the last two rounds are Hornady 125g .357 XTP.

 

[Warp]

My GP100 lives on my living room coffee table (it's right behind the laptop as I type this).

It is currently loaded with 125gr Barnes as loaded by Buffalo Bore.

 

[Steve C]

My .357 magnums are all loaded with 125gr JHP's full power loads. It is highly unlikely that I will have to use one of them for self defense, just the basic facts of probabilities in life, but if it comes down to life or death I want most effective loads in the chamber and those are magnums not specials. Voluntarily giving up any advantage no matter how small when the stakes are you or your familys life and health seems foolish to me.

 

[Warp]

Steve C: Keep in mind that there ARE advantages to .38spl. It isn't necessarily a clear cut decision with one best solution, especially when you start applying your decision to other people

 

[SabbathWolf]

Nothin' against the 38, but I agree with Steve.

 

[dprice3844444]

if you have to use it,you will not notice or remember the flash or the sound.it's just like shooting my compensated glock 19 in low light conditions.they keep saying the flash from the compensator will ruin your night blindness.i paid particular attention to this last time i had to qualify with it.while fixating on the sights and the target,never saw the flash,slide go back an forth,etc,. besides the recoil and the brass bouncing off my head,nothing else was remebered.

 

[easyg]

Voluntarily giving up any advantage no matter how small when the stakes are you or your familys life and health seems foolish to me.

I see what you're saying, but if I chose full house .357 magnum loads I would be giving up the advantage of quicker and more accurate follow-up shots.
Either way you're giving up an advantage, no matter how small.

 

[Archangel14]

Go get yourself some Corbon .38 +P JHP. I think they sell 125 grainers. Just enough to stop any man at 10 feet, but not too powerful that it will blow through 3 walls and hit some kid across the street. I've done much research in this regard. You don't need a hand cannon to stop a threat that entered your home. One well placed shot will do the trick. Get the ammo you choose, practice, practice, practice, and do all things necessary to prepare for the eventual PROPER use of the firearm within the bounds of your home. And remember, if some creep decides to enter your home and is faced with a man with a pistol, the intruder is not likely try to calculate the type of pistol you have. The simple fact that you have a pistol will likely stop the intruder in his/her tracks without having to discharge.

 

[Warp]

Go get yourself some Corbon .38 +P JHP. I think they sell 125 grainers. Just enough to stop any man at 10 feet, but not too powerful that it will blow through 3 walls and hit some kid across the street. I've done much research in this regard. You don't need a hand cannon to stop a threat that entered your home. One well placed shot will do the trick. Get the ammo you choose, practice, practice, practice, and do all things necessary to prepare for the eventual PROPER use of the firearm within the bounds of your home. And remember, if some creep decides to enter your home and is faced with a man with a pistol, the intruder is not likely try to calculate the type of pistol you have. The simple fact that you have a pistol will likely stop the intruder in his/her tracks without having to discharge.

Unless you disable their central nervous system (headshot, maybe spinal) there is absolutely no guarantee that one shot will stop their attack...especially if that one shot is from a handgun

 

[sgtstryker]

The 158 gr LSWC HP +P is a standard that has stood the test of time. Sure, lots of newer loads with newer powders are always being developed.You can see the 125 gr rounds are popular. I load the 158 gr in my .357's. Sometimes, GAARMS has this load at a reasonable price, when they aren't "out of components" lol. It'll do what you want.

 

[SabbathWolf]

The 158 gr LSWC HP +P is a standard that has stood the test of time. Sure, lots of newer loads with newer powders are always being developed.You can see the 125 gr rounds are popular. I load the 158 gr in my .357's. Sometimes, GAARMS has this load at a reasonable price, when they aren't "out of components" lol. It'll do what you want.

The 125gr 357 JHPs are "popular" because they have an outstanding track record for self-defense performance.
I don't see this as a "popularity" contest really at all either way though.
When it comes to the defense of my family, a lot of people just prefer to stick with things that are "KNOWN" to work well, and have the history to back it up.

I think the 125gr would "not" make a very good hunting round as an example however. That's different too. This is where the heavier grain bullets really shine in my humble opinion.

 

[j1]

thanks

I really love this site and all of those who posted. I am old but can still learn. Why not three plus P and three 357 mag. That is one of the great things about a revolver. Versatility.

Several have asked about the gun. It is a Ruger four inch barreled revolver in 357 Magnum. Sorry for having been so long in answering.

 

[Loosedhorse]

One well placed shot that brings the fight to an immediate end is 100 times better than 10 or 15 rapid fire wild misses

Sure. But there is no guarantee that "one well placed shot" will bring "the fight to an immediate end", is there?

Frankly, there is no guarantee that 6 rapid, well placed shots will immediately end the fight, either--but the odds are better.

I am not sure if you felt in my post I was advocating practicing "rapid fire wild misses." To be clear, I was not. I was advocating, as I said, all A-zone hits--as rapidly as you can do that. And that rapidity can be affected by ammo choice.

Why not three plus P and three 357 mag.

What's the point? If you shoot .357 well, make 'em all .357. If you don't, why load .357 at all?

 

[SabbathWolf]

Sure. But there is no guarantee that "one well placed shot" will bring "the fight to an immediate end", is there?

Frankly, there is no guarantee that 6 rapid, well placed shots will immediately end the fight, either--but the odds are better.

I am not sure if you felt in my post I was advocating practicing "rapid fire wild misses." To be clear, I was not. I was advocating, as I said, all A-zone hits--as rapidly as you can do that. And that rapidity can be affected by ammo choice.What's the point? If you shoot .357 well, make 'em all .357. If you don't, why load .357 at all?

No. I wasn't meaning you were advocating shooting like a wild man....lol
That's not what I meant, and if it sounded that way, then I apologize for the confusion.

I'm just pointing out that there are two different schools of thought here.
For instance...
I own a six-shot revolver in 357 mag.
But I also own a 12+1-shot semi-auto 45acp as well.
My approach to shooting changes depending on which gun is in my hand at the time.

I am much more likely to rapid fire with the semi-auto than I am a revolver because it holds more rounds and it's quicker to reload too.