.38 Special: Gold Dot +P 135gr vs. Federal 158gr +P SWCHP

[rcjackrabbit]

Which do you think is the better self defense load in a 3" GP100 Revolver?

Gold Dot .38 Special +P 135gr GDHP #53921

or

Federal .38 Special +P 158gr SWCHP #38G

 

[earplug]

Federal .38 Special +P 158gr SWCHP #38G. Less to go wrong. Less blast and flash I predict.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I use both because of accuracy. The best ammo for a SD handgun is the one that is most accurate in that gun.

In my S&W M442 the short barrel 135gr GDHP ammo is most accurate so that's what it gets loaded with. My older M36 Chief's Special is most accurate with the FBI Load so that's what I use in that revolver.

As a side note, in my S&W M640 I carry 145gr Winchester Silvertip .357 Magnum ammo because it's scary accurate in that revolver. I'm just making the point, let your revolver tell you which to carry.

 

[1KPerDay]

for your consideration, FWIW
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/revolver-ballistics-test/#38spl

 

[rcjackrabbit]

The Winchester Ranger or PDX1 in 130 grain look like the best in terms of penetration and expansion.

 

[stormyone]

I like the Buffalo Bore Heavy .38 Special +P Ammo - 158 gr. L.S.W.C.H.P.

1143 fps (458 ft. lbs.) -- Ruger SP101, 3-inch.

 

[Panzerschwein]

FBI load.

Proven.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The Winchester Ranger or PDX1 in 130 grain look like the best in terms of penetration and expansion.

The best ammo in the world will do you no good unless you hit what you shoot at. Shot placement and accuracy are extremely important like I said in Post #3.

Tests in jelly will tell you how well a round does in jelly, not the real world. Accuracy in your gun counts.

 

[CZ9shooter]

I like the Buffalo Bore Heavy .38 Special +P Ammo - 158 gr. L.S.W.C.H.P.

Me too. But I prefer their standard pressure version of it in my aluminum Jframe for better recoil management. It still does 850 fps in that tiny barrel, which is what most of the other guys' +P loads do.

 

[AZAndy]

You might enjoy looking through the data at the link 1KPerDay provided. Heck, it's good enough to link to again.
Neither of the loads you mentioned did very well from a short barrel, and I was surprised by the iffy performance of the Gold Dot, as I used to carry those. The Federal didn't expand and overpenetrated. Between the two, the Gold Dot did better in the tests.

Winchester seems to have really hit one out of the park with their Ranger bullet, and not just in .38, though they're hard to find. Their Train and Defend does pretty well too.

 

[Dave T]

The Luckygunner link doesn't test the Buffalo Bore load. To bad because I think it would blow away the performance of the other offerings.

Dave