In my tests with my 3" bbl. and a 637 with Smith's 1-7/8" bbl., it's very hard to get over 900 fps with bullets in the 150+ grain weights. I'd have to chrono that claimed 1000 fps load before I'd believe it...and that speed comes with recoil as you well know.Underwood with gold dot HP seem really hot at 1k-fps from a 2” barrel .
Back in the cop revolver days the go-to was the .38 Special +P, 158 grain, lead, semi-wadcutter, hollow point.
This was known, according to where you lived as the FBI load, Fed load, Chicago load, St Louis Load, LAPD load, etc.
Today, the +P loads have been down loaded by manufacturers due to people using them in older small frame revolvers that were never made for use with hotter ammo.
One that is still made to the early spec is the Buffalo Bore load that's made of a soft lead with a gas check to prevent leading and allow driving it that fast.
These are pushing Magnum levels....
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=108
I carry 135 gr Gold Dot .38 Spl +P
I don't have any ammo specs, but today's .38 +P loads are typically about what the older original standard .38 Special load was.
Back in the 70’s, guys who carried 38 snubs for back up guns, used hollow based wadcutters loaded backwards, so the hollow base faced forward. Of course, everyone says today to not use hand loads for defense, for reliability reasons.