I practice with full load 158 gr lead SWC in the 38's and keep all of them loaded with +P Federal 158gr lead SWCHP.
I sight all my handgun lasers at 25 yards, (rifles at 50 yards), except a couple laser equipped practice guns.
This will place the bullet hit within a couple inches of the laser dot from arms length to about 40 yards.
For instance,
Too much is made of the sighting in distance of the laser. Just sight it in about 10-15 yards and the bullet strike will be within a inch or two of the laser dot at most any distance you are likely to use a hand gun.
I practice a good bit in low light and darkness with lasers and laser lights.
Slow fire, near dark, while sighting in the CT 2 inch S&W J Frame at 25 yards. I still had to finish adjusting to the right a little more and down a hair.
Blasting away in the dark, at 25 yards, as fast as I could load and fire the CT equipped 2 inch S&W J Frame. The light is just for taking the picture. There was enough background light to see the target as a gray blur. Fun shooting.
A CT equipped S&W Model 17 22LR I use for inexpensive laser practice.
CT equipped Beretta Mod 21A 22LR used for inexpensive close up (5-15 yards) laser practice with a small semi auto.