The 38 sp is specal to me

158 or 125 grain is good. I like to stick with what the cartridge was designed in mind (for .38 Special I believe this is 158 grain).

Only time I'll dictate someones bullet choice is when I advise against 125 grain .357 Magnum.
 
It's the all around caliber. Competition, plinking, formal practice, self defense, kit gun. Heck I even have a lever action in 38 that will nicely handle a rabbit, varmint or coyote at 100 yards if needed. I don't know if you can call yourself a gun enthusiast if you don't own something in 38 special.
 
What weight in 38spl to you guys like the best? 125gr,158gr?
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I use mostly 125, but that's because my dealer had 125 Proofmark jacketed bullets in stock when I first started to reload only jacketed bullets. They work for both 38/357 of course so I've just never stopped using them.

When I used lead, I used 158 cast. The paper couldn't tell the difference.
 
While doing CCW classes the most often question fielded to me is what's the best caliber to use for self defense.

My answer is always to use what ever caliber you shoot best, it's what's between your ears that's the most determining factor in a gun fight.

Most of the time I'll be packing a 1911 Commander size gun in 45acp, however when I'm horseback I'm packing (actually my horse is packing it for me) a 3 inch barrel S&W J frame in 38 special.

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Nice rig, Hunter.
There's a couple of holsters just like that around here somewhere.
No horse or lariat, though.
I used to ride when much younger and my backside was tougher.
 
I find myself shooting my .38s more and more. I am only 58 but damage to my nerves in my right arm/hand have slowed me down considerably. It just is not so much fun to shoot the .41 and .44 magnums. It is so much more enjoyable when I shoot my wadcutters in my Ruger GP100. The past 4 years I seem to have a bunch of safe queen pistols, the big boomers stay at home, my hand can't handle them without pain.

Never saw that coming when I was adding to the collection over teh past several years.

David
 
sheepman, you have a few years on me, but I'm finding out that smoking hot Magnum ammo is not nearly as much fin to shoot as it once was. With two exceptions all my revolvers are chambered fir the .357 Magnum round. Yet I shoot 3-4 hot 38 special rounds for every .357 Magnum round fired.

I also agree, that Smith and Wesson K frames are one of the best revolver frames ever developed. I also believe that 2 1/2" - 3" round butt K frames are about the ideal self defense revolver, light enough to carry but have enough heft to fell like a real gun in my hand, unlike my J frames.
 
Same for me, the .41 mag is moderate loads with an occasional cylinder or two of full magnum loads. But the .38/.357 rules the roost for the vast majority of my shooting these days. It's just such a flexible and enjoyable platform, not to mention economical to load for. Especially since adding my Henry Big Boy Steel .357.
 
I'm also a big fan of the .38 Special..I have owned several over the years.I now own & carry either the Ruger LCR or an older COLT Det. Special.

..both the 100% reliable...easy to shoot & will get the job done. :cool:
 
I have moved mostly to semis, but I still have the first handgun I shot, a .38 special that belonged to my dad. It is a Taurus model 80, not an especially high quality revolver, and its accuracy is just so-so, but it still locks up nice and tight and looks nice after being a drawer gun (not carried in a holster) all these years. It is staying with me because it was my dad's, but it goes to the range fairly often for fun, too. I load fairly light for it, because the rounds are just for punching paper and the lighter load makes for less wear.
 
Another .38 Special convert here. Twenty-five years ago I sneered at the "weak" .38 Spl. Wanted nothing to do with it. I now own ten .38 Spl revolvers (7x S&W, 3xColts) and a Colt Official Police in 38/200. I've seen the light.
 
Bill Jordan once said that .38 SPL was the most gun any normal man could ever master.

The Model 10 is my hands down favorite revolver.

I can't remember the last cylinder of .357 Magnum loads I put through my Model 66.
 
Another lover of the 38/357 round.
I have 5 Colts, and 11 Smith and Wessons in that caliber.
They go to the range more often than all of my auto's combined.!
 
volkstrm said:
What weight in 38spl to you guys like the best? 125gr,158gr?
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Depends on the gun and purpose. I have three 38s at the moment. My pocket carry is the LCR357 that I carry Hornady 110+P and practice with either 130gr Magtech or Remington - lightest recoil I've found. An older Model 36 has been relegated to bedroom duty and has Hornaday 90gr Lite in it. My GP100 I like 158gr but Magtech has a hot 125gr I like even better. This hot 125gr is also a good substitute in the LCR for the carry load.
 
I have way more 38 specials than any other revolvers. I love the K frames - have a 5" M & P and a nice Combat Masterpiece (pre 15). Great shooters. The only thing I'll disagree with is that I also love my two Model 36 J frames as well. I have a snub and a 3" - both fun to shoot BUT, I did switch the factory grips out to some Pachs - much easier on the hand.

The question often gets asked . . "If you could only have one . . . "

Mine "only 1" would be a 38 spl. K frame . . . it's just a sweet caliber of of a sweet revolver . . . doesn't get any better than that! :)
 
I too have a fond liking for the 38SPL, it was one of the first rounds I started to reload for and is a pleasure to shoot in a K frame size revolver. I do love my J frames 649's but its hard to pass up a good heavy barrel model 10 when going to the range.

One of my favorite 38's is my PPC S&W 14, it sat unloved in a LGS for months before I made the decision to give it a good home. It just had to grow on me.
 

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Nice rig, Hunter.
There's a couple of holsters just like that around here somewhere.
No horse or lariat, though.
I used to ride when much younger and my backside was tougher.
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Thanks g.willikers, get back in the saddle it won't take long to toughen up the back side.;)

I actually have 5 revolvers that I can shoot 38 specials from, two 357's and 3 38 specials.

Here's my favorite.

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A few weeks back, while lookin' at a .38 for my youngest son, I had the LGS clerk tell me that the .38 is dead and everyone was like him and carried a 9mm. I told him some folks claim God is dead too........
 
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