When reloading, I usually try to anticipate what purpose that my rounds are intended to achieve. If I was hunting, then slow burners such as H110 or 2400 would be appropriate. I don't hunt so that using such powders for punching paper is sub optimal. Self-defense rounds, I purchase rather than reload for. For my purposes, since I normally fire at an indoor range, I don't really want a lot of muzzle blast, range is less than 25 yards for most shots, and lighter loads does not bother adjacent shooters as much. I could fire .38 Special rounds but in a .357 cylinder, it creates an aggravating crud at the end which can sometimes be a pain to remove. So, I use .357 brass in .357 and .38 Special in .38 chambered revolvers.
Titegroup does a good job punching paper using 125 grain semi and full jacketed bullets--it is also relatively position insensitive which is important when you have a relatively large case with a small amount of powder. I have also used Unique and Hodgdon's Universal but Unique doesn't meter as well as Titegroup using my powder drop system. Universal is fine as well but I haven't seen much of it lately and allegedly it can be a bit spiky on pressure. That being said, I use a powder checker die to make sure that I do not double charge and I fire the rounds in a GP 100 revolver.
I have used 6.7 grain Titegroup .357 Magnum loads with a Speer 125gr JSP and it behaves quite well. According to the Hodgdon's Manual in 2015--my load is just below the 6.8-7.5 gr. range recommended for the 125 gr. HDY XTP. Chronograph has it running about 1425 fps to 1497 fps coming from a 10 inch pressure testing barrel. As usual, YMMV but I have found Titegroup makes a good practice round to come close to simulating 125 gr. self defense rounds on POA and recoil. At .357 pressures, it is also relatively clean burning.
