Commercial 38 Super ammo is not overly expensive or hard to find.
Let's review briefly...
Federal, Remington, Winchester, UMC, Armscorp, Fiocchi, Prvi Partisan, Magtech, PMC, American Eagle, Geco, Aguila and a few others all sell 38 Super ammo in what I consider the practice class. This is range ammo and for self defense will do as well as ball ammo does. 125-130 gr. ball ammo at from $17.00 to $30.00 for a box of 50 rounds. These usually do from anywhere from 1100-1200 fps a couple up to 1300 they claim.
Mi-Wall and Load X also sell reload 38 Super ammo in fmj form.
You can find these online, at gunstores, and gun shows. If you can't order it online for some reason have a store do it for you.
A few of the above companies also sell hollow point. The Winchester STHP ain't bad at 1230 fps or so. It'll work.
For the stuff that gets closer to what the 38 Super is capable of the smaller companies offer a number of loads. Some defense and some hunting. These are:
Buffalo Bore, Cor-Bon, Double Tap, Georgia Arms, Wilson Combat, and I believe one or two more offer a few options. They are pricier but not so much more than good quality 9mm+P+ or 357 Sig.
You can do a lot with the Super with available commercial ammo. You could do all most folks need to do with a handgun.
If you want to do more and get more from the round, then handloading comes in.
You are pulled to the 38 Super not because other rounds won't do what it does but because you like the way it does what it does. Like the 10mm, the 41 Magnum, and the 44 Special. It's not that they are "better" than other rounds it's that they fill a niche. Their history and the way they work appeals to shooters. From compensated race guns to self defense to hunting small game the Super works well. It was the original U.S. made service caliber for a semi auto. It predates the 9mm and the 45 acp.
tipoc