What kind of .357 ammo is in your .357 for SD?

[9x19sig]

I know a lot of people like to keep .38+p in their .357 magnum for home defense or for carrying. I'm more interested in finding out your favorite .357 ammo for self defense/home defense.

Personally, I keep Federal 125 grain .357 Hi-Shock hollow points (357B) in all of my .357's.

Yes, I do understand they are extremely loud and have ferocious muzzle blast, but I could really care less about all of that because of their superb reputation as an anti-personnel round.

 

[wnycollector]

Doubletap 158gr gold dots in ALL of my .357's for 2 legged predators in town. DT 180gr cast FP's in my Security Six while hiking/camping/fishing or canoeing...just in case I run into 2 or 4 legged predators.

 

[Bearhands]

what ever is handy They'll all do the trick.

 

[hillbillydelux]

Gold dot .357 mag.

Oh yea. 125gn

 

[scf4003]

Federal or Hornady 125 grn ....

 

[3446]

125 grain Gold Dots. Or as was stated earlier, anything thats handy will do just fine.

 

[357mag.]

Cor-bon 125gr.hp's now.I am going to pick-up some 158gr.er's and see how they do.If they shoot well for me,i'll probley start carrying them when I retire my current carry ammo.Also,I just don't understand why many carry 38's in their 357's.The recoil of the mag's just don't seem that bad out of my sp101.As far as follow-up shot's,i'm pretty happy with that too.Perhap's other's set the "bar" a little higher than I do.To each his own I guess

 

[Maj Dad]

I tend to use lighter, high velocity loads if I'm considering that I have family members on the other side of walls. I vacillate between the full-bore, boss-hogg 158 gr HPs of several types, and 110 gr 38 +P DoJ loads I acquired some years back. On the whole, I have sh_t-hot 357s in my 357s, and the 110 +Ps in my gold-standard 4" Mod 10 HB. I also like to have an M14 and an M1 carbine with GI ball available in case of boarders...

 

[earlthegoat2]

158 gr LSWCHP +P 38 special rounds

 

[Confederate]

I think the loads recommended by wnycollector are a bit heavy in bullet weight. The optimum weights for use against people are 125-140 JHPs. Lighter than that and the bullets tend to come apart in heavy clothing; heavier tends to overpenetrate. There was a shootout years ago in California and the State Police all had .357s loaded with 158gr JHPs. The bad guy had a .45 auto and he had no problem taking out two of the cops, even though he was badly wounded. In the review that followed, it was determined that the severe recoil, coupled with the overpenetration of the 158gr round, combined to give the advantage to the bad guy.

I like the magnum rounds for traveling in the car or outdoors, but in the home I use .38 Special +P 110 gr. JHP.

 

[pps]

158gr remington sjhp. My sights are adjusted to this round.

 

[Big_John1961]

Federal 125gr

 

[CSA 357]

158 jhp over 14.8 gr of 2400

 

[Fumbler]

When I used my 6" GP-100 as a house gun, I kept 125gr Speer 357 Gold Dots in the house, 158gr 357 Gold Dots in the woods.

If I didn't have 357 Gold Dots then I wouldn't mind using any 125-135gr JHP in 357 or 38+P; the Gold Dots are just my personal preference.

I gave the GP-100 to my father in law as a house gun. He doesn't shoot often and I consider him a "beginner" shooter, so I gave him a box of 125gr Gold Dots in 38 Special +P to go with the gun.

 

[pmbiker]

Remington Golden Saber 125 while in the house and Winny Silvertip 145 for out and about. Only one elevation click between them so it's easy to adjust.

 

[sidheshooter]

Right now, it's Winchester 145 gr. Silvertip in a 3-inch model 65. I have a 2 1/2-inch snubbie that typically has 110 WWB in it, but it's in the lock box since I'm taking the 65 to the range tomorrow.

I just picked up some of the buffalo bore tac lite 158 gr. GDJHP, I'll see how it compares to the silvertip in recoil and poi/accuracy and take whichever seems easiest to control to stuff the cylinder with on my way out.

I personally find my stash of 125 (both federal and remington sjhp) to be a bit hot for my tastes and I also don't want to run too much through K-frame sized guns.

It'll all work; I've also stuffed the 65 with some older cor bon 158 gr. LSWCHP +P+ .38 spec (a little over 1050 fps in the 3-incher) in days past and not felt under gunned at all.

 

[Crowbar Muldoon]

Bearhands knows, quite correctly, that whatever is in your cupboard is best

I wish I could use a .357 for home defense in town, but it would not be prudent for my situation, so I use .38+p GDs. However, when in the country, Remmy Golden Saber 125 gr(GS357MA) is my current SD fave.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

145gr Winchester Silvertip

 

[Rio Laxas]

Double tap 200 grain wide flat nose gas check hardcast. It's what I carry daily. If large animals were not a consideration, I would choose double tap 158 grain gold dots.

 

[Koos Custodiet]

Can't find SD ammo locally. So I carry reloads, 125 grain Hornady XTP that I've clocked at 1400 fps from my 3" barrel.

I plan to go on a "night shoot" sometime to evaluate the flash. Using moderately fast powder, so it shouldn't be too bad.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I plan to go on a "night shoot" sometime to evaluate the flash. Using moderately fast powder, so it shouldn't be too bad.

Which powder are you using?

 

[Pistolhunter]

GA Arms "Deer Stopper" 158gr gold dots.

 

[Elvishead]

For the most part the all copper Corbon DPX (Deep Penetration and Expansion).

 

[Stainz]

My .357Ms are in the safe. I do keep speedloaders or moonclips, where appropriate, loaded with the same my ammo my dedicated HD & CCW use - Remi R38S12 158gr LHPSWC .38 Special +Ps. I keep speedloaders/moonclips loaded with defensive ammo for everything else in the safe, too... you just never know!

Stainz

 

[snooperman]

Speer Gold Dot in Ruger SP101 3 inch and 3 inch S&W model 65 Lady Smith.