As far as I have been able to tell, in reading quite a bit of information on the subject of ballistics, I can find no source of information that disputes the fact that heavier bullets are affected by coats more so than lighte ones, and so must disagree with the statement that the 125gr bullets will out penetrate the 158gr ones. While there is the "possibility" that they may not expand as well, I would rather they actually penetrate the torso rather than expand in the coat lining or a layer of blubber. It's always a give and take in ballistics. Luckily, the .357mag is quite capable with just about any load you can come up with. I only feel comfortable using the 125gr loadings for home defense. When I carry about, I keep 158gr golddots in it. I have seen enough footage and listened to enough training to know that the 125gr loads do not work well on large individuals or through barriers very well. They cannot be relied on to penetrate the torso with anything but a direct frontal body shot, and that exludes large amounts of fat, muscle, or heavy clothing. Even with direct frontal body shots the 125gr loads only penetrate the bare minimum of 8 to 10 inches, if they do not encounter bone. If they manage to clog and penetrate farther, then you have lost nothing by going with the 158gr to begin with. In the end, you will form your own opinion and probably carry the 125gr loadings because the false myth of energy transfer refuses to die.