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What .357 magnum bullets for SD?

7K views 27 replies 13 participants last post by  boscobeans 
#1 ·
I am new to reloading, and just starting to assemble components.

I have been doing some research online, and I think I have pretty much settled on a 125 grain bullet. I will be pushing it out of my 3" revolver at around 1300-1400 fps, but I am open to other opinions on what speed/weight combination is the most effective.

Pretty much I want to get opinions on what 125 grain projectile has the best ballistics at those speeds for self defense. If I do go with 125 grain bullets, I will probably buy the cheapest copper plated 125 grain bullets to shoot for fun (loaded to the same specs), so I am willing to pay a little more for the bullets that I will carry. They're not going to be shot very often, but if I need it, I want the best projectile there is.

So let me know. Would you go with Speer Gold Dot 125 gr? Golden Saber? Hornady XTP? Magtech?

Do you think I should go with a different weight bullet?

Open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks,

funk
 
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#5 ·
They're silver! What are they made out of? I know I said I didn't care about the price (and really I don't), but those things are more expensive then loaded ammo!

Guantes, I remember reading online that the consensus seemed to be 125 grain bullets were the best projectile against humans, why do you think a 145 grain bullet would be better.

BTW I also am referring to slugs for reloading. Bullet in the proper sense of the word, not a loaded cartridge. I could not find any of the other suggestions for sale (as bullets), they seem to be all loaded ammunition.

Does anyone know of a head to head study of .357 bullet (slug, not loaded ammo) expansion/penetration characteristics?
 
#6 ·
My suggestion for what it is worth, go with the cheapest cast bullets that you can for target work. Shoot as often as you can, learn trigger control and front sight view. Buy good SD ammo for your gun, to be only used for SD, I do not use my .357 for SD work, but used to like Federals, a long time ago. The difference that the hand loaded ammo and the good SD ammo will be minuscule at the short distances used for self defense, if you want to use jacketed bullets , that to is fine, just get as cheap of jacketed bullets as you can. Go out and shoot lots of paper, buy lots of painters tape, and get to where that gun becomes an extension of you. One other thing, at least for me, I do not load my practice ammo near as hot as the SD rounds, let your muscles learn the proper shooting "stance", in a SD situation, you will not notice the recoil.
 
#7 ·
Midway (and others) sell the silvertip bullets as components. They are not silver, and are not much costlier than any other quality bullet. The reason others are probably steering you towards a heavier bullet is your 3" barrel length. To get the velocity you are craving, muzzle flash WILL be an issue. Big and slow(er) will give you more energy at the target.

YMMV,

Terry
 
#9 ·
I like more bullet weight than 125 grains in the .357 Magnum. My revolvers seem to shoot them more accurately than they do the 110-125 grain bullets. The .357 Magnum has enough horsepower to make effective use of the 140-158 grain bullets. The 125 grain bullet weight in the .357 Magnum has an internet reputation that is out of proportion to its effectiveness in my view. Its reputation is the result of sustained repetition rather than true performance. 125 is no magic number and some other .357 bullets of different weights can perform as well as some 125 grain bullet offerings. Good hits are most important anyway.
 
#10 ·
Whatever you shoot best, really. Popular are 125 and 158 weights but either will do the job. Do some load development with a couple different bullets and try them out.
 
#12 ·
I'm thinking about the Montana Gold 125 gr bullet for reloading. I reload .357 for an SP101 2.25" and I load .38 special for a S&W 642 with a 1 7/8". I mostly practice with the .38 loads out of both.
Just a suggestion, buy factory ammo for SD. Practice with a load that mimics the recoil and POI of your SD ammo but only use factory ammo for SD. For SD I use Double Tap 125 gr bonded defense or Corbon 148 grainers.
 
#13 ·
Here's some data I compiled this year. The first load was fired into Clay Modeling Blocks, the wound volume is measured by water displacement in the permanent cavity.
Bullet Type: DPX Barnes Copper Bullet
Caliber: .357 Magnum
Bullet Wt.: 125 Gr.
Mfg by: Cor Bon / Dakota Ammo
Model of Gun: S&W 340
Bbl Length: 1.875”
Class: Undercover / Back Up Revolver
Wound channel by volume of water: 1360 Ml

Commentary: This load exhibited clearly superior performance in the Undercover / Back Up Revolver comparisons.

This second set of data is from BulletTestTube recovery, the conversion would be Ballistic Gel equivalent. I am convinced that these are the two BEST loads for the snub 38/357!

Bullet Type: DPX Barnes Copper Bullet
Caliber: .357 Magnum
Bullet Wt.: 125 Gr.
Mfg by: Cor Bon / Dakota Ammo
Model of Gun: S&W 340
Bbl Length: 1.875”
Class: Undercover / Back Up Revolver
Actual depth of BTT Penetration: 9”
Penetration converted to Ballistic Gel: 12”

Commentary: This load exhibited clearly superior performance in the Undercover / Back Up Revolver comparisons.

Bullet Type: GC-SWCHP All Lead
Caliber: .38 Special +P
Bullet Wt.: 158 Gr.
Mfg by: Buffalo Bore
Model of Gun: S&W 340
Bbl Length: 1.875
Class: Undercover / Back Up Revolver
Actual depth of BTT Penetration: 9”
Penetration converted to Ballistic Gel: 12”

Commentary: The Buffalo Bore Load is a semi-custom premium load that also displayed optimal performance from the Undercover / Back Up Revolver
 
#14 ·
I am new to reloading, and just starting to assemble components.
Uh, maybe it's just me, but I don't think it's a good idea to carry reloads for SD. Especially if you're new to reloading.

so I am willing to pay a little more for the bullets that I will carry.
So buy quality factory loads. Don't try to save a few bucks on ammo that you will rely on for your life.

Open to any and all suggestions.
Think about the legal ramifications. Having to defend reloads in court is just another thing to worry about if you do end up shooting someone.

I have friends that are absolute experts at reloading, been doing it for decades. They say "Do not carry reloads for SD. Carry quality factory ammo."
 
#15 ·
This thread isn't about whether or not to carry handloads for defense, so please leave that discussion out of it.

Also sorry, but no one is an "expert" at handloading.
 
#16 ·
Sorry, I just noticed the "new to reloading" and "Self-defense" parts kind of contrast each other.

Don't know about your other comment, but this one guy I know was an armorer in the military, did 30 years, been retired for some time now. He's been reloading for literally 40+ years, why wouldn't he be considered an expert?

I was just noting that as experienced as he is, he still thinks it's a bad idea to trust your life to a handload.

On the other hand, none of the rounds he's reloaded for me have ever malfunctioned, so I suppose you could argue that hand-crafting might in some cases be better than relying on the factory stuff. I did have a 9mm round from a Winchester white box Walmart special fail to go off last year...due to a bad primer, apparently.

But that was target stuff, not premium self-defense ammo.

Anyhow, no offense intended and I was not trying to hijack the thread. I just thought it went against the conventional wisdom.
 
#21 ·
"Would you rather trust someone who is personally controlling the press by hand and visually verifying each step or someone drinking coffee while watching an automated machine churn away?"

Great point Tubby... Reminds me of Laverne and Shirley watching the beer bottles go by. LOL

bosco
 
#22 ·
Here is a small problem I have with the 145 gr bullet you guys are recommending.

One of the main reasons I want to reload the cartridges myself is I want a premium projectile when I need it, but I want an reasonably cheap cartridge as similar as possible to practice with (same powder charge, same primers, cheaper copper plated projectile).

For example, my thinking on the 125 gr bullets was that I can get reasonably cheap (like .09 a round) plated 125 gr bullets to practice with, and only load the nice bullets in the ammo I am actually going to carry. I am a big believer in practicing with what you carry, and I think that a slightly different shape bullet will not affect anything that much. However, if I go with the 145 gr bullet, I don't think there is any bullet of the same weight with which to load a cheaper round. So I don't care how much the bullet costs... as long as there is something very similar that is cheap.

So I guess my options are pretty much down to 125 grain vs 158 grain bullets, since that is the only thing that I can find reasonably cheap plated bullets to use in practice ammo.

and on the reloading vs factory ammo debate, I would be just as comfortable with ammo that I loaded as premium factory ammo. I know what components I put into my gun, and the loads with the expensive bullets will be to much higher tolerances than anything that rolls of an assembly line. I am new to reloading, in the sense that I do not have any of my own equipment. However many years ago, when I was younger I reloaded several thousand rounds of pistol and rifle ammo with my father. I would not call that very much experience, but it is enough familiarity with the process that I can see it is practically foolproof if you use quality components and take your time.


***edit, I did find a 148 grain plated bullet at a reasonable price, but it was a double ended wadcutter, and I really don't want to practice with that... ***
 
#25 ·
You might have to load a small batch of each to find out, but the 148 gain DE wadcutter might shoot very close to the same point of aim as the 158 grain SWC at less than 25 yards assuming velocities are approximately the same.
 
#26 ·
I was considering the 148 grain as a similar projectile to the 145 grain silver tips suggested earlier. I just really don't want to shoot such an ugly not aerodynamic bullet. Plus it would be difficult to use with a speedloader on the firing line. Basically it just comes down to I don't want a square bullet... ugh.
 
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