looking for recommendations on plated bullets for a s&w 642. i would like to use win 231-hp38. any tips for reloading 38spl for this combo would be appreciated.
Reloading for what purpose? Your 642 is rated for +p ammo so other than the felt recoil and muzzle blast, any .38 load will do. Mind you, if you want to tame that felt recoil some, go with a light bullet and target loads.
If you are planning to use a particular defensive load, since bullet weight has more effect on handgun-range point of impact than other factors do, I would match the weight of the practice bullet to that of the defensive load bullet. Your powder is fast enough to work with about anything in the .38 Special at about any pressure level you choose for practice.