What is the best compromise of performance and control for use in my SP-101. It is basically a "night stand gun" but it is also my first choice for all-around use. I have always kept Rem. 125 gr Golden Sabre ammo in it and am happy with it, I find it hard to control with hot 158 gr stuff, is there anything as of late I should consider? Whatever factory ammo I keep in it I would like to be able to duplicate the basic load for cheap practice.
Best 3" .357 ammo?
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Brian Williams
Moderator Emeritus
Either the 45 or the 357 are going to cause about the same amount of hearing loss.
If you are going to touch off a gun in the house, tis better to be good with what you use and have a good load for thet gun, than worry about hearing loss, cause in my book tis better to survive and have a little problem hearing than to be done in by a Goblin...
Good load for 357 in the house is 158 gr LSWC over 6.3 gr of win 231.
Bulldozer
Member
I use my 3" M-66 for all purpose work. The standard load is R38S12 Remington 158-grain +P LSWC-HP. Rapid follow-up shots, excellent penetration and expansion. If touched off indoors, then neither my dog, my wife, nor myself will be as blind and deaf as if we had touched off a magnum round.
tbeb
Member
.38 special+P 158 gr. lead hollowpoints (brand doesn't matter that much) and .357 magnum Winchester 110 gr. JHP.
Stainz
Member
I agree with bulldozer and theb - those +P rated 158gr LHPSWC .38's were made for short barrels. I chrono-ed the R38S12 Remingtons I shoot at 834fps from my 2" 10 and 904fps from my 3" 65. They, from short barrels, have a proven record as one shot stoppers in close encounters. Additionally, anything sub-sonic, like the aforementioned LHP's, will do less damage to your hearing, not to mention to your neighbors after exiting your interior walls(collateral damage...), allowing more aural input during a stressful time. While the loud boom of a subsonic .45 will definitely desensitize your hearing at least temporarily, the supersonic 'crack' of a 9mm or .357M will cause more longterm damage.
My side of the bed has a 296 with 200gr Gold Dot .44 Specials (~804fps) while my wife's has the 3" 65 wiith the 158gr LHP's. A similarly loaded 10 resides close by as well. Of course, for wayward pachyderms, my .454 SRH is in another room with a myriad of loads just a few feet away...
Oddly, the first thing I grab at night when I hear a noise is still a flashlight... and my wife still has her baseball bat...
Stainz
My side of the bed has a 296 with 200gr Gold Dot .44 Specials (~804fps) while my wife's has the 3" 65 wiith the 158gr LHP's. A similarly loaded 10 resides close by as well. Of course, for wayward pachyderms, my .454 SRH is in another room with a myriad of loads just a few feet away...
Oddly, the first thing I grab at night when I hear a noise is still a flashlight... and my wife still has her baseball bat...
Stainz
Erich
Member
In my 3" . . .
I carry Buffalo Bore 158-gr .357 magnums (they say at 1398 fps from a 3" J-frame, chrono posts online seem to confirm this) when hiking, 158-gr .38 +P LSWCHP the rest of the time.
I carry Buffalo Bore 158-gr .357 magnums (they say at 1398 fps from a 3" J-frame, chrono posts online seem to confirm this) when hiking, 158-gr .38 +P LSWCHP the rest of the time.
Clemson
Member
I use the same load (125 grain Golden Saber .357 Magnum) in my 3" Model 66. I use that gun (among quite a few others) as a house gun and an occasional carry gun when the weather is right for clothing to conceal it.
Clemson
Clemson
It looks like I may need to rethink my home defense strategy from my current "load them as hot as they can be easily controlled " norm. Way back (when I was single) I kept my G.I. Colt 1911 A1 loaded with ball ammo and my old "3-screw" Blackhawk loaded (5 beans in the pot) with some wicked Super Vel 158 gr JHPs. After getting married, I retired the single action and loaded the .45 with MagSafe (96 gr 1,760 fps/660 ftlb) ammo. I knew I needed to get a double action revolver to replace the .45ACP since the wife (105 lbs) wasn't comfortable with the big auto. First came a Charter Arms 3" Bulldog 44 Special loaded with 200 gr Silvertips, the big soft slow (700 fps) bullets seemed to be a good choice for her but I am partial to the .357. Next addition was a Charter Arms 4" Bulldog Tracker (a poor excuse for a .357) loaded with "all it can handle" 140 gr JHP (1000 fps) hand loads. My disapointment in the too light "cheapo" .357 led me to the 3" SP-101 which I am very happy with as long as bullet weight is kept at 125 grs or I keep my heavierweight homebrew stuff toned down a bit. I really didn't think about flash and boom as being such a problem, I always worried about power and control as well as all around safety.
Bulldozer
Member
Remember that a bullet can and does penetrate through a target. In most modern houses with gypsum board drywall and wooden or aluminum frame construction, that magnum projectile will likely tear through your intruder and go through a wall or two before it expends its energy. I am willing to take the slightly reduced stopping power of a 38 +P and know that it will not unduly penetrate a wall and hit someone/something I love and cannot replace. That, plus the benefit of less flash/noise for a quicker follow-up shot makes it the choice for me.
I recently tested a cylinder full of 158 +P LSWC-HP versus 140 grain Corb-Bon 357 Magnum JHP for carry load in 3" Model 66 in my backyard overlooking the gully. I set up three wet phone books (simulating a human body), with a 1/2" thick section of gypsum board and a 2 x 4 board behind it (approximating my construction). The LSWC-HP were all found in either the last phone book towards the end or lodged in the wallboard. The JHP blew through all of them, except for two that ended up lodged in the rear part of the 2 x 4.
My own preference is for the Remington FBI load because the lead mixture is slightly softer than the Winchester version and this aids in expansion quicker. Of course, your mileage may vary.
I recently tested a cylinder full of 158 +P LSWC-HP versus 140 grain Corb-Bon 357 Magnum JHP for carry load in 3" Model 66 in my backyard overlooking the gully. I set up three wet phone books (simulating a human body), with a 1/2" thick section of gypsum board and a 2 x 4 board behind it (approximating my construction). The LSWC-HP were all found in either the last phone book towards the end or lodged in the wallboard. The JHP blew through all of them, except for two that ended up lodged in the rear part of the 2 x 4.
My own preference is for the Remington FBI load because the lead mixture is slightly softer than the Winchester version and this aids in expansion quicker. Of course, your mileage may vary.
nitesite
Member
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Al Thompson
Moderator Emeritus
Having had the dubious distinction of being in the room (at different times) when a .38 +P, .357 158 JS, .45 ACP and a .30-30 were fired 
what: ), I find that the noise issue is vastly overrated.
My hearing is just fine some 20 years later.
what: ), I find that the noise issue is vastly overrated.My hearing is just fine some 20 years later.
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