.38 ammo

Mind you, exactly which .38 revolver she buys matters somewhat.
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That's a good point. If she goes with the 4" model 67 the OP mentioned later in his thread, she has adjustable sights and a heavy gun. That is a lot different than a fixed sighted Airweight with a 2" barrel.
 
Jab, it's been known for decades now that the flat point swc/Keith bullets cause far more damage along the path through the target. They had been the default hunting rounds until reliable expanding rounds were easily available. The sharp edges cause damage that a ball shaped bullet won't. The target wadcutter is lighter and slower, but especially at the first points of penetration where the edge is still sharp. It will also expand because of the flat point, even if it is minimal. Round ball profiles tend to slide through and do minimal damage, just opening a hole to bleed from.

The match wadcutter will probably do more damage than a standard round nose bullet but it probably won't penetrate as deeply as the heavier, faster round nose. It's a good trade off to get the easiest shooting .38 round.
 
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Spats is right, you are going to get dozens of recommendations. The fact is that whatever round is used, if it is a modern combat round, the modern combat rounds will perform pretty much the same. No two shootings are alike. One may perform better than the other in different individual hits. My choice in my 4" barrel is the 125 +p, I have gold saber, hornady, and Sig v crown. They just get rotated around once in a while.
 
I rarely carry any of my j frames anymore but when I do they are stoked with Remington 158 gr. LSWCHP+P rounds same as always,they work just as good today as they did thirty years ago.
 
Here's another vote for the ARX Inceptor ammo (formerly Polycase). Pairs well with short barrel firearms
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So they claim....
I'll pass on (way overpriced) plastic bullets until they've proven themselves.

Anything that claims "hydraulic" anything @ a velocity of under ~ 2500 fps. is suspect in my book..
 
When I carry my snub, Remington Golden Sabers.
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Great suggestion, Spats...my wife and I both carry with them loaded up. My tests with them, shot into water show superb expansion...similar to the long gone, Winchester Black Talons. Nickle sized mushrooming with serated edges. Rod
 
The very FIRST "specifically for 2" bbl" ammo was


HOT

HOT HOT HOT !!!

I shot some of those and they turned the cases blue from the heat.
Although I did carry Nyclads for a long time.

But...overall... I like the wadcutters.

Speaking close range, of course. :)
 
My sister has decided she wants a .38 revolver. I haven't carried one in decades. Looking for a good SD round.
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Some depends on what revolver, her experience, and recoil tolerance.
My choice in a light weight snubbie, Ruger LCR, is Speer Gold Dot +P Short Barrel. But the recoil can be too much for some people. On the other end of the spectrum is Hornady Critical Defense Lite. It even comes in a pretty pink trimmed box.
Has she picked out what gun she wants?
 
I like just plain old 130 grain plated flat nosed blasting ammo. You know the cheap stuff available at Wally World. A 38 isn't a death ray nor is any handgun. Thugs health is negatively affected by holes in their bodies. Every critter I ever shot with a 22 either dropped or ran off. Isn't that wwhat self defence is all about.
 
Hydraulic is used in a lot of ways. The temporary cavity that most rounds produce is not the same as what happens at 2,500 fps. Both are generally described in the same terms.
 
Hydraulic is used in a lot of ways. The temporary cavity that most rounds produce is not the same as what happens at 2,500 fps. Both are generally described in the same terms.
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Maybe I'm dense (not an unknown idea..), but, for the life of me I can't make heads or tails out of what you're saying there.
 
I think one argument for wadcutters that I haven't seen yet is expansion.

When we're talking about snub nose revolvers we are sacrificing velocity. Ammunition has certainly improved but a normal hollow point needs a certain amount of velocity to expand effectively. A wadcutter is going to expand in almost any situation because its just lead. Of course, this makes them not so great for barrier penetration but in my opinion makes them a good option for most self defense scenarios.
 
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