The 158+P .38s in lead semi-wadcutter hollowpoint (also known as LSWC-HP 158+P) is a splendid choice for that gun. They'll do their part, if you hit 'em where it counts.
This is basically a very old police load. The total lack of a jacket means it expands faster than normal at lower velocities than most of the super-modern-wonder-ammo can operate at. Also known as the "Chicago load", "FBI load", "Metro load", etc.
The same basic round is made by Winchester, Remington and Federal - Federal makes 'em in plain lead and in nylon-coated (Nyclad - although I think they're being discontinued?). Of these the Winchester is very commonly available and has a good rep, the Remington is reputed to be loaded a tad hotter but is harder to find. My vote: look around for the Remington variant at your next gun show, meanwhile just go with Winchester.
The next step UP in horsepower would be the ProLoad "Tactical Lite" 125grain .357 JHP. This was designed for use in the various 2" barrel true snubbies like the S&W J-Frames, Ruger SP101, etc. Your gun can eat a ton of 'em and not flinch.
I'd decide between the above two based both on how much recoil I wanted to deal with, and how accurate each was in my gun.
WAY up there in power is "King Kong" - the Remington full-house 125 JHP. Too many of these could indeed eat your gun alive, but some people carry one of these loaded "last at bat" - last shot fired in the first cylinder. It becomes your gun's way of telling you "I'M DRY, FOOL, GO TO PLAN B!" as the enormous recoil tries to rip your arm off
. If you go with this concept, you do NOT need to ever shoot one in practice - you don't need the flinch, and point of aim will be close enough at combat range. You also don't need to learn to come back down off of the crazy recoil for the next shot, because there won't BE a next shot - that's the only round of that type you carry, there's none in your speedloaders.
One of these shot every few years in actual combat (if ever) won't hurt your gun. A box a year won't either, the 66 ain't THAT delicate. But based purely on recoil, I'd call these "overkill" - the gun doesn't do you any good pointed skywards from recoil, unless the shot that put it there was the last in which case it don't matter
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Then there's frangibles.
The RCBD has developed a following of late - see also recent threads on this round in the general handgun forum. Glaser SILVER labels are also good (avoid BLUE). If you do try frangibles, stick with .357 versus .38 - they don't tend to stress the gun very much, you won't be firing many (not at $2 to $3 a round!) and recoil tends to be moderate. You DO need to fire a few to see where they're going though...in some guns, point of aim could be way off in which case, avoid that type.
The really creative folks load their six-gun .357 with two rounds of frangible "first at bat", then three rounds of their standard JHP (in your case, either the old Chicago load or the ProLoad Tactical Lite) and then King Kong last up. Sounds like "Crack/Crack/Bang/Bang/Bang/BOOOOM"
. Theory is, the frangibles are safer for bystanders, by shot number three the bystanders have DUCKED and hollowpoints are a bit more of a "known factor", and then that last slam tells you the gun is dry while seriously screwing up whatever it hit.
And then your speedloaders should be nothing but the standard hollowpoint you chose! Don't try a "mixed pattern load" in anything but the first cylinder.
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So what am *I* doing? My best gun is a lowly .38 five-shooter, and without CCW yet it's mostly home defense with two roommates. either side of my room. So I load four Glaser Silver frangibles first up, following by a Winchester 130+P JHP with a HUGE hollowpoint cavity and a sharp recoil in my gun, followed by two speedloaders worth of Winchester 158+P Chicagos.
