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Which .38 Special..Buffalo Bore or Speer Gold Dot?

15K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  marcclarke 
#1 ·
Does anyone have any opinions or facts on which one of these rounds they think would be better to use out of a S&W 642? I'm trying to find the best defensive load for carry.

Heavy .38 Special +P Pistol and Handgun Ammo
Heavy .38 Special +P Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

Standard Pressure Short Barrel Low Flash Heavy .38 Special Pistol and Handgun Ammo
Standard Pressure Short Barrel Low Flash Heavy .38 Special Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

38 SPL +P BUFFALO-BARNES LEAD FREE, Short-Barrel, Low-Flash
38 Special +P LEAD FREE BARNES Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

Or the .38 Special +P 135Grain Speer Gold Dot?
http://www.speer-ammo.com/products/short_brl.aspx

Thanks for the opinions.
 
#2 ·
All I can contribute is I shot a deer with a TSX bullet and those copper hollowpoints open fast and sharp and tear stuff up. Don't know if anyone's done any testing on how they do after passing thru clothing. The GD load seems to lose too much energy in a snubbie. I'd see which you like shooting best out of the Barnes load and the Heavy load and look for performance through clothing on the Barnes load.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Lots of folks swear by the Speer Gold Dot 135 grain load. I've not shot any over the chronograph but ought to do so.

The heavy .38 Special +P 158 grain load is everything it's cracked up to be by the company. It will get the relatively heavy bullet well beyond 1000 fps from a 2-inch barrel. Recoil would be brisk from a lightweight Model 642.

I've not tried either of the other Buffalo Bore bullets but the factory is showing the standard pressure 158 grain bullet to be fully equal to +P 158 grain loadings from other companies. Recoil will still be enthusiastic from the Model 642 but more tolerable. I've not tried the lead free offering but am not a huge fan of lighter bullet weights for the .38 Special.

I keep both Remington and Winchester +P158 grain lead SWC ammunition on hand for use in all .38 Special revolvers carried for personal defense, no matter the barrel length and also handload to achieve similar performance with a 158 grain bullet.
 
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#4 ·
135Grain Speer Gold Dot

Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo

.38spl/.357mag

Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P (53921), specially designed for snubnose guns.


-----Penetration -----Recovered Diameter -----Recovered Weight
Bare Gelatin 13.1" ------------0.56" -------------134.5gr
4-layer denim 13.6" ----------0.53" -------------134.1gr
Auto windshield 9.4" ----------0.51" -------------129.6gr





 
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