Convince Me: 357 Golden Saber vs Basic JHP for SD

A

Aristides

New member
For my S&W 686, I have been carrying 125 grain HPJ Golden Saber 357 Magnum. But at the range, I generally shoot Remington Express 125 grain SJHP 357 Magnum or the PMC equivalent, because the latter two types are not as expensive. These target rounds have a little more zip and recoil than the GS, but nothing unmanageable.

I'm wondering...why not just carry the Remington Express or the PMC, since that's what I'm practicing with anyway? They are both JHP, and they have a bit more energy than the Golden Sabers. Surely they would be very effective in a self-defense situation. Can the "technology" of the Golden Sabers make that much difference? Is the bad guy really going to notice? The only advantage for the GS that I can readily notice is that they shoot a little softer, thus perhaps making follow-up shots a little easier. But that's due to less recoil, not bullet design. So, softer recoil aside, wouldn't zippier "basic" JHP be essentially as good as the Golden Sabers?

I like the idea of carrying "state of the art" ammo for my self-defense needs, but, you know "...I'm just askin'..."
 
The only advantage for the GS that I can readily notice is that they shoot a little softer, thus perhaps making follow-up shots a little easier. But that's due to less recoil, not bullet design. So, softer recoil aside, wouldn't zippier "basic" JHP be essentially as good as the Golden Sabers?
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You got it,IMHO that's probably the biggest difference with the Golden Sabers is the same performance with less recoil and flash.That's a big plus to me.YMMV
 
I would not hesitate to carry the Remington Express SJHP and, so long as recoil is not an issue, would actully prefer them over the Golden Saber for the increased recoil and energy. The Reminton 125grn SJHP and its Federal counterpart are the loadings that helped to earn he .357 Magnum its legendary status as a manstopper (these were the two that were rated as 96% one-shot-stoppers by Evan Marshall if one takes stock in his studies). While bullet design has improved since these loadings were introduced, they are still just as good today as they were back then. Personally, I carry the Remington Express 158grn SJHP in my .357's because I prefer that weight over the lighter, faster 125grn. If you want state-of-the-art, full-power .357 ammo, I'd look at Speer Gold Dots in either 125grn or 158grn (the 135grn Short Barrel loading is even milder than your Golden Sabers).
 
Provided we're talking about a 3-4" barrel I'd have no problem carrying 125 grain Remingtons. If we're talking about a 2-2.5" barrel I'd want something with a heavier bullet, a more modern bullet design, and a little less powder :D.
 
My .357s are often loaded with the Remington SJHP load. Out of my 5 inch Model 27, that load averages just shy of 1550 fps, and makes on hell of a mess in tissue.

My only concern is that it might not penetrate enough, and hence the reason I'm trying to find a suitable replacement. The 125 Gold Dots don't seem to do the same amount of damage, even though they are loaded only slightly slower than the Remington loads.
 
I would much perfer Gold Dot HP's, or Winchester Talons to either of the rounds you mention..

IMHO they both perform better in ballistic gel, the test on Sabers show a tendency to fragment under a lot of conditions that they really shouldn't.
 
If you have the GS, us them. Better expansion.

I personally (If I load .357) us Remmington SJHP .357 125g, or Gold Dot HP .38 +P 135g. for home. What ever I pull out of my candy/ammo jar because that's what I have.:D
 
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