Best .357 ammo for my S&W model 65?

What ammo can you shoot accurately, with quick follow-ups?

There is a fair amount of opinion out there that you get more BOOM and flash from .357, but not that much terminal performance up-grade compared to .38+P or +P+. So if you shoot accurately with these, maybe stick with them.

Remington Golden Saber has a reputation as the "next step up" .357 lite. A lot of folks like the Winchester 110grains, too.

For full power SD loads, 125 g JHP or SJHP loads form Rem, Federal, and WW are all legendary. Similar loads form other makers should be very close.

Buy some boxes and get to the range. Then carry the most powerful round you shoot well.

The use of 125 grain bullets in the S&W K-frame revolvers can cause whats know as "flame cutting" with heavy use of said load. This is damage that occurs to the top strap and forcing cone of the revolver,that being said I think it is ok to use 125's on a limited basis in these guns. I've had a couple of K-frames and used a good deal of full power .357 125grain loads and never had this problem but a lot of people have.

And also I didn't exactly run case after case of this stuff through it either. If you gun is a 4" you could try Remington's golden saber 125grain these are a "midrange" load and I don't believe these were the culprits in the flame cutting thing. Or you could go with a 148-158gr load,but if used for defense I'd be concerned with over penetration. All in all I'd use ebough of your chosen 125gr load to be comfortable with it and carry that for CCW like I said unless you run boat loads of full power 125 grain ammo though your K-frame you should be fine,nice choice by the way the 65 is nice .357 magnum.

Magnum Choices

My agency used to issue S&W model 13's in .357 magnum. Unless your gun is of very recent manufacture, I would limit the number of 125 grain JHP rounds you fire through it.
We had a couple of cases where the guns were damaged from using this ammo.

My own branch used the 110 grain loads instead. These are still more powerful than the .38 Special ammo, but recoil is about the same as .38's.
They also lacked the flame, noise and muzzle blast of the 125 grain loads.

I used the 125 grain in my privately owned S&W 681 without problems, but this is built on the much stronger L-frame. It is a tremendous load, but hard on gun and shooter.

Skip the heavy bullets. The 125 grain has a long, long proven track record. The 158 grain loads are best used for hunting.

Jim

The poster before me says skip the heavier bullets, I say go for them, I like 158gr LSWC but really like 180 gr LRNFP with a gas check. Loaded with Lil' Gun it makes for a great load not a lot of flash or blast but plenty of ummph.

I too prefer the 158gr over the 125's. In my Ruger Service 6 it hits to poa out to 25 yards. Also, after providing medical care to inmates, I decided wanted something that could have the best odds of being able to penetrate ******* to appetite from any angle should the need arise. Some of these criminals are huge MF'ers. I wouldn't use the 125gr on deer, criminals deserve the same respect.

Apples and Oranges

I too prefer the 158gr over the 125's. In my Ruger Service 6 it hits to poa out to 25 yards. Also, after providing medical care to inmates, I decided wanted something that could have the best odds of being able to penetrate ******* to appetite from any angle should the need arise. Some of these criminals are huge MF'ers. I wouldn't use the 125gr on deer, criminals deserve the same respect.

Click to expand...

Generally, in the hunting field, a bullet that exits on the far side is desirable. Deer generally don't understand what it means to be shot and often run off if crucial bone has not been broken or the spinal cord severed. An extra hole on the far side, among other things, makes for a better blood trail.

Two-legged criminals, on the other hand, have an extensive record of ceasing to present a threat after being hit in the torso by the original loadings of 125 gr. .357 Magnum SJHP's, back when revolvers ruled the roost in law enforcement. In such an environment, a bullet that exits on the far side with any appreciable energy can be a serious liability.

More to the point, are you willing to take on the added recoil, flash and blast of using Magnum loads? When the FBI issued the M-13 and M-65 in the three-inch configuration, the normal issue of ammunition for it was a +P .38 Special 158 gr. LSWCHP (the "FBI load").

Secondly, what is your preference for extent of penetration? The 110 gr. 357 Magnum has generally been loaded to lower velocity than the original 125 gr. loads. It was used successfully for many years by the US Border patrol, where excessive penetration was a concern. On the other hand, it is not a deep-penetrating load and may not always go deep enough if you don't get a frontal shot or, if like me, you like that option of shooting to impact pelvic bone.

As mentioned, Remington's 125 gr. Magnum Golden Saber load is considred a mid-velocity load that will likely deliver more penetration than a 110 gr. load. If you want the extra energy of a Magnum load but don't want to pay a high price in recoil, blast, flash and undue wear on an out-of-production gun, you might want to take a look at Speer's short-barrel 135 gr. Gold Dot load. If you don't want to pay the extra price of using a Magnum load, its .+P 38 Special cousin would be my second choice, behind the +P .38 Special Cor-Bon DPX load.

I have a 3" Model 65. Like the rest of my .357s and .38s, I carry nothing in it for self-defense except the 158gr. +P .38 Special "FBI" load. I use the Federal version, mostly because I lucked into a LOT of it at a cheap price.

sp I'm more concerned about a miss than I am about overpenetration. If more than 1/2 the shots are a miss, do they not end up somewhere in the community? Again, I can hit better with the 158gr than I can with the 125gr. Furthermore, if the bullet has to travel through an outstretched arm, humerus, exit the offside skin/clothing, re-enter clothing/skin of the torso, break through rib or sternum and any subcutaneous fat or muscle, I want enough momentum to carry that round through to the vitals if my placement was conducive to that being accomplished.