[Victor]

I have a simple question because there are so many of my FRiends with CCW.

I have a .357 mag wheelgun; for home protection I keep it loaded with 158 grain hollowpoints; yet it seems that load would be excessive for CCW, I am thinking of bystanders, etc.

Would it be better to load with, say, 38 special hollow points (which I have) for up close and personal confrontations?

[MrPiper]

Best load for your weapon is 125 gr whatever brand. Any hollow-point will not over penetrate.

[omega4179]

It is very common to load .38 half jacket HP in a .357 revolver for controllability.

[Malsua]

Would it be better to load with, say, 38 special hollow points (which I have) for up close and personal confrontations?

Standard pressure .357 JHP should be fine. It's a proven round against humans. A 38sp +p JHP has roughly half the energy.

If you're worried about it, use the 38sp +p in warm weather and .357 when you're likely to be dealing with heavy clothing.

[Vaquero]

high velocity 125gr loads quicker energy release than the traditional 158gr....less over penetration.

that's just what I read....

....personally I keep 230 grain hollow points for my .45acp 1911 home gun and 100gr hollow points .380 for CCW as my back can no longer handle the weight of carrying a full size weapon anymore. I gave my Model 19 S&W .357 to my son and I loaded 158gr for home and carry, but I have read the 125 grainers are superior man stoppers.

all my loads are hand made....to the chagrin of Lawyers everywhere.

[DarthVader]

158 grain JHP Federal Hydra Shok’s are great and I use them in my S&W Model 27.

Here are some great .357 Magnum JHP rounds that are great CCW loads:

Corbon 110 & 125 grain
Winchester Silver Tip 145 grain
Remington Golden Saber 125 grain
Federal Defense Hydra Shok 125 grain
Speer Gold Dot 135 grain for short barrel revolvers

Also consider 38 Special +P JHP rounds:

Hornady Critical Defense 110 grain FTX
Corbon 110 grain
Federal Defense 129 grain Hydra Shok

All of these rounds have excellent ballitics and stopping power. If you are thinking about bystanders the 38 +P’s are a good choice. I carry the Corbon 110 grain 38 +P and .357 Magnum in my Ruger SP101.

[Parley Baer]

For my .357 I use the 125 grain Federal Hydra-Shok ammo.

[Stentor]

I have a simple question because there are so many of my FRiends with CCW.

They must live in Pennsylvania.

[rsobin]

Concealed carry 357’s are usually 2 or 2.5 inch barrels. I would probably opt for a 110gr hollow points because a 125 grain or heavier bullet would not achieve the velocities the 357 is depended on to produce.

[mad_as_he$$]

My preference is semi wad cutters loaded backwards. They expand and dump all energy very quickly and are the size of a nickle after wards.

[PubliusMM]

Best round I’ve found for .357 CCW is 125gr JFP over 8.5 grains of Unique and touched off with a CCI550 SPM primer.

I’ve been carrying that load for several years, from back in the LEO days. In clean brass, with a moderate crimp, it’s a wonderful load in my DWesson, regardless of the barrel I have on it. Predictable, not harsh...just nice.

Same load in .38SPL, but drop the powder back to 6.7 grains, works pretty good, too.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I used to load 18.5 grains of 2400 behind a 110 grain jacketed hollow point. It will do the job!

[20yearvet]

Ask a police officer friend what round they use, and then use that one. If you ever have to use your gun for self defense you can always say “I used the round the police use because if they use it it must be safe.”

[garyhope]

I would like to know if there any statistics about what distance and circumstances most public “confrontations” take place.

Are there really Terminator type guys out there who can't be made to run away at the sight of a .38 or 9mm or stopped after being shot with a regular .38 or 9mm? Who are these guys?

How many people can keep on coming after being shot with a 9mm hollow point?

Maybe I'm a big sissy (or just reasonably intelligent), but personally I wouldn't even want to be shot with a .22. I'd run away if I could. How much “stopping power” do you really need?

Aren't most public robbery or assault confrontations within just a few feet or no more than 10 to 20 feet? Wouldn't a central mass shot with a .38 or 9mm be enough to convince almost anyone except Rambo or The Terminator to leave the premises?

Aren't the statistics about criminal behavior that most perps will flee when confronted with a gun? Anybody here ever actually been shot? Anybody here ever had to actually shoot someone? (You don't have to answer, I'm not trying to pry into personal business)

Please educate me. Thank you.

[yarddog]

Just about any JHP would be OK but I have to agree with everyone else, a 125 gr. would be about perfect.

[MindBender26]

Get rid of the .357. Horrible weapon for self defense. Rounds, even hollow points, way over penetrate.

Light weight bullets are also bad.

Get a .40 or .45 from H&K or Glock. It’s a cheap investment to save your life.

[edpc]

You're going to lose significant muzzle velocity and stopping power with shorter barreled weapons. I would spend the extra money and get the Glaser Safety rounds in .357 mag. If you're not familiar with them, they are loaded with #12 shot which deploys in a conical pattern on impact. They won't over penetrate and deliver excellent stopping power.

They offer a silver and blue model. Silver is better for cooler weather and heavier clothing. I carry the blue tips in .45ACP for my Kimber Ultra Carry II.

[Chode]

Shock-em...

[sig226]

All of the quality hollow points have proven themselves in testing and in actual shootings. Gold Dot, Golden Saber, HydraShok, Cor-Bon, etc. are all good loads for self defense.

I caution you on two issues.

First, any bullet that is capable of killing a human being is capable of killing the person behind that human being. I am not a big advocate of frangible bullets. Test results don’t agree with the manufacturers’ claims. So don’t assume that your hollow points will ensure the safety of innocents.

Second, the biggest determining factor is barrel length. If you’re using a full sized gun with a four or six inch barrel, use the heavy loads. They’ll develop their full energy in these long barrels. Shorter barrels take away acceleration. Lighter bullets accelerate faster and will be closer to their published speeds when they leave the muzzle of a short barrel. If you have a gun with a two or three inch barrel, use the 125 grain bullets.

If your gun is full sized, use the heavier bullets. They are more powerful.

[Mr Rogers]

Some info here:

http://www.snubnose.info/docs/38-snub_vs_357-snub.htm

A fair bit of good reading on guns at that site, IMHO.

[bravotu]

Dang FReepers are Long Winded

SNAKE SHOT !

For the first Two rounds,
Kind of Warning Shots,,,,,,