Pick home defense load for 2 3/4" Ruger .357

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tbeb

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My friend has a 2 3/4" barreled .357 magnum Ruger Speed Six. He is looking for a home defense load. He is not interested in a 110 gr. bullet, other than possibly the Corbon DPX. He is not interested in a 700 FPS, from a 4"barrel, 148 gr. wadcutter.

Please do not list loads such as the following (velocity is from 4" barrel): 125 gr. faster than 975 FPS, +P Speer Gold Dot 135 gr., 140 gr. faster than 850 FPS, 148 gr. faster than 800 FPS, and 158 gr. faster than 755 FPS. General speaking, if 4" barrel velocity times bullet weight equals more than 121,900 then it recoils too much.

Choices are
1.Corbon +P DPX,
2.Federal Classic +P 125 gr. JHP,
3.Hornady 140 gr. XTP JHP,
4.Speer +P 125 gr. Gold Dot JHP,
5.Remington +P 125 gr. Golden Saber,
6.158 gr. LSWC,
7.Winchester +P 130 gr. SXT JHP,
and
8.Other
 
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Sistema1927 and Checkmate, why spend the time to post if your not gonna say anything?:rolleyes:

<stroking egos> I want to know what you use in your .357's <stroking egos>
 
Since you've eliminated my favorite load the only one I would choose is the CorBon DPX.

You have a very narrow "window" and I suspect you did this to limit yourself to your already chosen load. I have to ask, are you a bureaucrat by any chance?

Biker
 
...You have a very narrow "window" and I suspect you did this to limit yourself to your already chosen load...

Guess again. My 2" load was +P 158 gr. lead hollowpoint. I just switched to Speer +P 135 gr. Gold Dot. My 2 1/2" is loaded with Winchester .357 magnum 145 gr. Silvertips.
 
If the 4 inch barrel velocity divided by the bullet weight must equal 121,900 or less, your friend is pretty much limited to standard pressure 158 semi-wadcutters or the like. 121,900/158 = 771.52 fps. That means #6. Hornady and Magtech both make standard pressure 158 JHPs that might fit the bill, though I doubt you'll see much expansion from a 2.75 inch barrel. Given your parameters, that's what I would choose. Maybe a dead soft lead cowboy load at 800 fps (126400) wouldn't be too far over your limit. Or just about any +P 125 grain .38 Special, 975x125 = 121875. Good luck.
 
My Stainless Speed Six with a 2 & 3/4 inch barrel
is loaded with Corbon 357 DPX.

coach22
 
I give up.

(Corbon .357 magnum 125 gr. DPX is not the answer, because manufacturer says velocity from a 4" barrel is 1300 FPS. It recoils about 33% more than a .38 special +P doing 975 FPS from a 4" barrel.)
 
Sistema1927 and Checkmate, why spend the time to post if your not gonna say anything?

<stroking egos> I want to know what you use in your .357's <stroking egos>
Click to expand...

Why say anything? Because the whole thread is kind of silly when it says: "Tell me what you think I should use but only if you agree with my suggestions".

(I don't need my ego stroked, but my Speed-Six is stoked with a hot hardcast 158.)
 
I'm not exactly sure what you are looking for. Low recoil?

I keep Speer Gold Dot 158gr. maggies in my SP101. I've shot quite a few through it to get a feel for them and then again to make sure the POI=POA when I swapped in a tritium front sight. They aren't bad at all. They didn't seem as snappy as the 125gr magnums I tried. I find the recoil to be less than the Speer SB 135gr Gold Dot 38s in my 642. A Speed Six is surely heavier and provides a better grip than my SP101 too.

I don't know what these do in a 4" barrel, but isn't that kind of irrelevant since he doesn't have a 4" barrel?

However, if a person is very recoil sensitive .38 +P could be the way to go.

I know ammo is expensive, but your friend is just going to have to buy a few boxes of ammo and see what he likes the best (and to find a load that shoots to point of aim in his gun). Any good brand HP round in .357 (such as any of the loads you listed) is going to be quite sufficient for self defense.

The main concerns are that the gun will group the ammo well, that the groups will go where the sights are aimed, and that your friend can tolerate the recoil well so he won't flinch or pull the shots. Nobody here can tell you any of that. Only experimentation with your friend's gun will.
 
My 2 3/4" Ruger Police Service-Six is loaded with 135gr Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel .357 Magnum rounds.

From what you are telling us even most .38 Special +P rounds are not what you are looking for. With the tight limits you have set I'm thinking the best round for you might be Remington's 158gr Lead Hollow Point round, #R38S12 or the Remington Golden Saber +P round. Both are proven SD rounds.
 
I don't enjoy shooting .357 Mag from my SP-101. I use .38 special .158 grain, and if anyone tries to tell me that it is insufficient as a mankiller I welcome them to take the place of my silly target. I want to have the option of a quick second, and besides my daughter may find the need to use it as well.
 
#8/other: Magsafe .357mag or maybe Glaser Silver safety slugs in .357mag

These "exotic" loads are not cheap but for straight-up home protection they are worth a hard look. I used .357magnum Magsafe rounds in my Ruger SP-101 in the early/mid 1990s. :D

For non fragmented loads check the Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P JHP short barrel round or the standard/96% 1 shot stop warhorse; 125gr JHP .357magnum from Remington Golden Saber or Federal.

Rusty S :cool:
 
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