Federal .38 special +P snub revolver ammo?

[Chris17404]

Hi all,

Does Federal make any Hydra-Shok .38 special +P loads specfically designed for snub revolvers like Speer does? If so, what are they? Regardless, what Hydra-Shok loads do you recommend for a defensive snub revolver, such as a Ruger SP101 (2 1/4 inch) or S&W J-frame (1 7/8 inch)? Thanks.

Chris

 

[runninmike]

I know Federal Hydrashock comes in 110, 129, & possibly 140s & 158s as well for .38 special. I have fired some HS 110gr rounds from my 2.25" Sp101 and they are manageable and accurate. I do not know if they are specifically formulized to give higher velocities like the speer 135hp.
Best-MC

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The one +P HydraShok loading in .38 Spl. is a 129-grain, per Federal's website. I saw nothing about specific tailoring for snub barrels. There is also a "Personal Defense" 110-grain HS, in non-+P (standard pressure). I have used the latter in my Colt Agent, which is not rated for sustained use with +P, and it was reliable, accurate and shot to point of aim. I see no reason why either would not serve you well.

 

[ChristopherG]

The secret to the speer loadings is the projectile, not the loading. If you get a chance to take a look at their 'short-barrel' loads, you'll see that the hollow point is simply cavernous. Together with the bonded jacket, it makes for a bullet that will expand reliably--including after penetrating barriers--while retaining its integrity. It's a more recent design and flat-out a better bullet than the Federal.

No hydrashock loading is designed to compensate for the velocity loss of a short barrel, to answer your question more directly. What leads you to want to use the hydrashock specifically?

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The secret to the speer loadings is the projectile, not the loading. If you get a chance to take a look at their 'short-barrel' loads, you'll see that the hollow point is simply cavernous.

OK, that makes sense.

 

[Chris17404]

Thanks for the info, guys. ChristopherG... I wasn't looking to use Hydra-Shoks specifically. I just wanted to know if they make something specifically for snubbies. Right now, I'm getting ready to purchase my first snubbie and am researching possibly self-defense ammo. Thanks!

 

[Jet22]

The secret to the speer loadings is the projectile, not the loading. If you get a chance to take a look at their 'short-barrel' loads, you'll see that the hollow point is simply cavernous.

Like the 125 grain Remington Golden Saber bullet. They have one for 38's and one for 357's. At a casual glance, the unloaded bullets look the same. Closer inspection reveals that the 38 has a deeper hollow point and little flutes down the side from the nose.

Fireing into water (I live on the river) the 38's start to open up at as little as 700fps and come apart at about 1050fps. The 357's are open at 1000 and still don't come apart at 1500fps. Bullet science!

 

[ChristopherG]

I'm getting ready to purchase my first snubbie and am researching possibly self-defense ammo.

Good plan. If you read around enough, I'm pretty sure you'll find that the majority opinion is that the best snub loads are either the Speer 135 g. +p, or the classic 'FBI' load with a 158 g. Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollowpoint, also +p. Some would add the DPX load from Corbon, which is a 110 grain all-copper (i.e., no lead) bullet going real fast.

To warn you, though, none of these loads is particularly gentle to shoot (one of your criteria in the initial post). That's because of the consensus that a snub-nosed .38 is just about at the bottom end of the scale of acceptable power in a handgun that's to be relied on to actually stop a fight. There is no free lunch, and in order to milk all the power you can from this little weapon, to bring it up to the speeds where bullets will 'work' (i.e., reliably expand and cut the largest/deepest wound channel possible for the caliber), you need maximal pressure and velocity in addition to a well-designed projectile. Federal's 'personal defense' loads are a flat-out hoax in this respect. They are nothing but a standard Federal projectile with a reduced charge. Yes, more pleasant to shoot--but also less likely to work.

I suggest you search for write-ups by our own Stephen Camp, who has done diligent and clear testing of his own of these rounds, and writes his results up in a lovely fashion. Shoot, here's a link to one of the pages on his own website, which is well worth browsing around:

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Feedingthe38Snub.htm

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. If you think it might be of use, here's an informal comparison of the Corbon 110-gr. DPX +P, Speer's 135-gr. Gold Dot +P, and Remington 158-gr. LSWCHP +P:

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/38 Snub Ammo Test.htm


Best.

 

[ChristopherG]

Behold the man!