Not Dr. House, but most of us run the Federal Gold Medal - match grade wadcutter - https://www.federalpremium.com/produ...-handgun/gm38a
If one uses the Fiocchi WCs and they hit POA - Fiocchi also has a 148 grain, non +P, Semi-JHP. It is highly unlikely that said bullet will expand from a snub, but it can be used as a reload to your wadcutters and should hit pretty close (maybe a bit higher, it's a bit faster).
ETA: The load is the Fiocchi 38E and it's actually slower than the Fiocchi WCs. It's rated at about 750 fps. Which should put it in the ballpark of the Federal WCs too. I've shot a couple of boxes of it, it's pretty mild. If you setup WCs for carry, these will make a nice companion load for reloads and should shoot to the sights (if your WCs do).
Last edited by RevolverRob; 09-15-2018 at 10:55 PM.
My 442-2 is carried with Winchester Bonded 38B 130 grain +P hollow points. All of my older .38 snubs get the 158 grain LHP +P due to being regulated for 158 grain bullets. My ‘70s M60 and Colt DS shoot low with the 130 grain loads.
My practice load for all of my .38 snubs and 4” service guns is a 158 grain cast bullet loaded with 4.6 grains of BE-86 which yields around 775 FPS from a snub and 890 FPS from a 4” service revolver.
Last edited by deputyG23; 09-16-2018 at 04:55 AM.
Wadcutters in gun expanding ammo in speed strips/loaders. HST 38 would not be ideal for reloads.
S&B and Fiocchi wadcutters have low recoil and low velocity. Federal or Winchester are at 650 plus and seem to penetrate hard stuff (random crap nothing scientific) much better. Buffalo Boar 150 grain WC is at 850 fps out of a 2 inch gun.....more recoil than GD 135. A hard cast or plated with sharp edges at 700 fps out of a 2 inch would be ideal. Still quite shootable in an Air Weight.