OBIWAN !,
I used to use the REMINGTON 155 grain .40 caliber jhp in my BERETTA 96D Brigadier and STOEGER 8040. It had a really noticeable flash and sharp kick in the STOEGER. I switched to FEDERAL HST, 180 grain jhp because some of the BERETTA 96's were so battered by the recoil of the REMINGTON load that they "PEENED" the locking lug slots. The gun would start to work in slow motion. I shot one gun where I could watch the slide go back and forth. It was not blurry and I could easily see it moving.
With modern premioum ammo, you can get the same performance in say a .38 Special that you previously obtained with .357 magnum ammo. I shoot FEDEERAL .38 Special 130 grain jhp HST ammo in my S&W model 15's and RUGER Security Six revolvers. I think that the performance advantage of say a .357 magnum 125 grain jhp load is small, if any for defense use when compared to this .38 Special HST load, Both expand rapidly, but the HST recoils a great deal less.
JIm