View Poll Results: Which one for a home defense carbine?

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  • 158 grain Hydrashok Personal Protection

    2 11.76%
  • 135 grain Critical Duty

    3 17.65%
  • 135 grain Gold Dot Short Barrel

    0 0%
  • 125 grain Winchester SJHP

    1 5.88%
  • 158 grain American Eagle JHP

    9 52.94%
  • 158 grain Fiocchi XTP

    4 23.53%
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Thread: Load for .357 Winchester 94, 18" Barrel, home defense

  1. #1
    Member Baldanders's Avatar
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    Load for .357 Winchester 94, 18" Barrel, home defense

    Pick a load out of my actual options.

    That should be American Eagle JSP, not JHP.
    Last edited by Baldanders; 11-18-2019 at 12:12 AM.
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  2. #2
    Site Supporter Totem Polar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Baldanders View Post
    Pick a load out of my actual options.

    That should be American Eagle JSP, not JHP.
    The short barrel/lighter bullet options will be driven way beyond their optimal velocities in a carbine. Unlike .45acp or 9mm, .357 is a completely different animal from a rifle barrel. Of your choices, I might actually do the JSP. For sure, a 158 prone to less expansion. JMO. The 158 hydra-shok could be hitting close to 1800 fps, depending upon the specific carbine.
    Last edited by Totem Polar; 11-18-2019 at 12:26 AM.
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  3. #3
    The Nostomaniac 03RN's Avatar
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    I think the 158 JSP is perfect for the carbine. The rest of those loads might be unpredictable at the higher velocity.

    I've wanted to try the Remington 125 sjhp on coyotes from my 20" M92

  4. #4
    Member Tennessee Jed's Avatar
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    That American Eagle 158 JSP is my go-to cartridge in 357 mag lever action rifles. I've found it to be pretty accurate in a 16" barrel M92, and a 20" barrel Henry Big Boy. Light recoil, very inexpensive, and at least according to that gel test above, pretty effective. What's not to like?
    Ordinary guy

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Tennessee Jed View Post
    That American Eagle 158 JSP is my go-to cartridge in 357 mag lever action rifles. I've found it to be pretty accurate in a 16" barrel M92, and a 20" barrel Henry Big Boy. Light recoil, very inexpensive, and at least according to that gel test above, pretty effective. What's not to like?
    Ditto. I carry it in my 1894c and my 4" GP100.
    I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.

  6. #6
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    For home defense, if it will feed Specials with 110% reliability, I think they're the way to go. A standard-pressure 125-gr should get close to 9mm pistol 124gr velocities out of the longer barrel. I'd also look hard at 135gr Speer options. Lower pressure may do a little less damage to ears when fired in a hallway.

    If you're going to go with actual Magnum loads, any of your options should be fine, except the 125gr HP. Likely to be going way too fast and fail to penetrate.

    Is the Fiocchi XTP the HP or the FP version? Hornady makes both in that weight. The FP has a higher expansion threshold and is made for long barrels.
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  7. #7
    Member Baldanders's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OlongJohnson View Post
    For home defense, if it will feed Specials with 110% reliability, I think they're the way to go. A standard-pressure 125-gr should get close to 9mm pistol 124gr velocities out of the longer barrel. I'd also look hard at 135gr Speer options. Lower pressure may do a little less damage to ears when fired in a hallway.

    If you're going to go with actual Magnum loads, any of your options should be fine, except the 125gr HP. Likely to be going way too fast and fail to penetrate.

    Is the Fiocchi XTP the HP or the FP version? Hornady makes both in that weight. The FP has a higher expansion threshold and is made for long barrels.
    XTP is the HP version. I am skeptical about it hitting anything near advertised velocity, as it is milder than 130 grain .38 Special Wolf FMJ out of my snubby. Might be great out of a long barrel.

    I also have a bunch of .38 options, including 135 grain Speer.

    I am buying the arguments for the JSP so far. I wish now I had included loads I am thinking about: Remington 158 and 180 grain SJHP, and Hornady 158 and 180 grain XTPs. My current ammo choices are odds and ends, mostly leftover from my search for a good pistol load.

    Thanks for the opinions and data!

    Bad news: I will not be putting this advice into action until I can run a lever worth a damn. Which I can't yet. But I am getting there. I want another option besides 12 gauge and my 9mm carbine.
    Last edited by Baldanders; 11-18-2019 at 06:42 PM.
    REPETITION CREATES BELIEF
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  8. #8
    Member Baldanders's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 03RN View Post


    I think the 158 JSP is perfect for the carbine. The rest of those loads might be unpredictable at the higher velocity.

    I've wanted to try the Remington 125 sjhp on coyotes from my 20" M92
    125 sjhp does strike me as a coyote load, too. Or rabid raccoon.

    Which leads me to thinking about setting up the 94 as a specialized small critter gun. But I don't know how I feel about having a "go-to" that is sub-optimal for H.sapiens. It seems like it would be easy to grab the wrong set-up when things go down.
    REPETITION CREATES BELIEF
    REPETITION BUILDS THE SEPARATE WORLDS WE LIVE AND DIE IN
    NO EXCEPTIONS

  9. #9
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    110gr XTPs over a full load of H110/W296 from the 1894 would be spectacular on anything under 40 lb. Not for if you want to keep the fur...
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  10. #10
    I would be inclined to stick with magnum length ammo vs .38... for the sake of smooth feeding. It seems like some guns run .38 fine, but others not so much. Just something to keep in mind and test in your gun before using it for social purposes.

    I'd be interested to see the 135gr Gold Dot .357 load fired from a 16" carbine barrel in gel. The 158gr Federal JSP is well liked for carbine use, but doesn't expand much, if at all from a handgun (if ammo commonality is a requirement). I'd probably be inclined to stick with a more heavily constructed 158gr load, as I feel like they would probably hold up to carbine velocities better... something like the Fed JSP or a 158gr XTP.

    I don't own a .357 carbine yet, but an 1894 CSBL (or the new Dark, if they make them in .357) is on my short list.

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