Page 1 of 20 12311 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 191

Thread: .38 Special Snubby Ammo - Findings, Thoughts and Impressions

  1. #1
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    South Louisiana

    .38 Special Snubby Ammo - Findings, Thoughts and Impressions

    I thought I'd start a thread to talk about feeding .38 Special snubbies. You can talk about what you've found that works and doesn't. Factory ammo and/or handloads. Ammo for defense or plinking or practice or hunting. The more info, the better.

    I'll start. I found that my 642-2 hits to POA with 125-grain bullets. I got a couple of boxes of Remington GS 125-grain +P to try based on positive experiences with the 9x19 versions and the fact that it's usually available at a good price ($19/50 from Target Sports).

    I don't have the budget for factory practice ammo, so step one was to chronograph it to give me an idea of what velocity to shoot for (yeah, I wrote that ) in my handloads. Five rounds came in at 941 fps with an SD of 15. POI was right on top of the front sight at ten yards.

    Recoil was brisk but bearable. This isn't the cleanest ammo I've ever fired, but it left less residue than Federal wadcutter and in 11 cylinders full there were no issues of hard extraction, and the next rounds slid in with no binding.

    I couldn't find the correct gel testing for it. The closest I could come was Lucky Gunner's tests, where the GS showed almost the exact same penetration and expansion as Winchester's RA38B in the same medium. I'll be using it for carry ammo in the 642.

  2. #2
    Site Supporter Irelander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Venango County, PA
    Me and my 642-1 like slow wadcutters. I first tried the Remington Target 148gr wadcutters. Those bad boys are awesome. Super consistent, low recoiling, and shoot POA for me.

    Being the cheapskate that I am, I am currently using the Precision One 148gr copper plated wadcutters. They have a little more punch than the Remington Targets but still shoot POA and are very consistent.

    I've never tried +P ammo out of a snubby and I doubt I will. The data I have seen on wadcutters and how nice they are to shoot has me sold.
    Jesus paid a debt he did not owe,
    Because I owed a debt I could not pay.

  3. #3
    Modding this sack of shit BehindBlueI's's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Midwest
    I'm required to carry "quality expanding ammunition" so wadcutters aren't an option for me. I like the 130gr PDX-1 from my LCR. Sample size of one, but it worked as advertised in a chest shot of a pitbull that announced it's presence by biting my forearm.

    If I could carry wadcutters, I probably would.
    Sorta around sometimes for some of your shitty mod needs.

  4. #4
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    In the desert, looking for water.
    I used to carry 125gr standard velocity Gold Dots in my 642-2. They shot to point of aim, were very accurate, and pleasant to shoot. I have shot some +p 125gr Win JHP through it. They are not fun to shoot in it, and Win Ranger 130gr +p bonded are also not very fun to shoot. Full power 158gr lead factory loads, 158gr lead target level reloads, 130gr lead bunny fart handloads, 105gr mouse fart level handloads have all been shot through it. Heavy loads are not fun, most loads shoot to point of aim, and all loads function through it regardless of power level.

    I currently carry Hornady 110gr Critical Defense, which are okay. I just bought a few boxes of Federal GMM wadcutters, but haven’t had a chance to shoot them yet. If they are what they are supposed to be as far as ease on my hands/joints and hit to POA, I’ll probably switch to carrying them.

    I used to have a 1970 Detective Special. It was accurate and more fun to shoot than the 642, but the cylinder release was backwards and I didn’t want to ruin the finish on it, so I sold it. Just got a 60-9 Ladysmith in .357. It’s more fun to shoot heavier recoiling .38 Special loads through. I even tried 5 rounds of 110gr Winchester .357 Magnum, which weren’t as obnoxious as i thought they were going to be, but I don’t really think I’ll run many if any more magnums through it. If it gets carried in the mountains, it might have some 1100fps hard cast .357 loads in it. I didn’t get it to run magnums, though - I got it to train with instead of beating up my hand and wrist with the Airweight.

    I have a 3” 13-3 that I’ve shot a little bit. It’s only sort of a snubby, though. I tried to sell it, but nobody seems to want it. I like it, it’s really the ultimate expression of a fixed sight Kframe in my mind. I’m keeping my 6” 28-2 as a fun gun, and potentially for hunting and if I need to run any heavy loads on a regular basis.

  5. #5
    banana republican blues's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Blue Ridge Mtns
    S&W 642-1

    American Eagle 130 gr FMJ for training

    Winchester RA38B 130 gr +P JHP for carry
    There's nothing civil about this war.

    Read: Harrison Bergeron

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Rochester Hills, MI
    S&W 442-1

    Federal 158gr. GMM Wadcutters for carry

    Currently looking for a good practice load that’s FMJ. Any suggestions that’ll match my carry load fairly close?

  7. #7
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    In the desert, looking for water.
    Quote Originally Posted by spinmove_ View Post
    S&W 442-1

    Federal 158gr. GMM Wadcutters for carry

    Currently looking for a good practice load that’s FMJ. Any suggestions that’ll match my carry load fairly close?
    I just paid ~$19/50 for Federal GMM wadcutters. That’s about what I’ve been seeing lately for 130gr FMJ American Eagle, so unless you don’t want to practice with lead bullets, if you want to run factory practice loads, I’d stock up on the wadcutters and just run with them.

  8. #8
    Chasing the Horizon RJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Ruger LCR 5401 .38 with Federal Gold Medal Match Wadcutters. I shoot the GMM for practice as well as carry, in a pocket A Holster. Front sight replaced with a Novak Big Dot.


  9. #9
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Georgia
    Quote Originally Posted by spinmove_ View Post
    S&W 442-1

    Federal 158gr. GMM Wadcutters for carry

    Currently looking for a good practice load that’s FMJ. Any suggestions that’ll match my carry load fairly close?
    Why do you prefer the 158 semiwadcutter over the 148 wadcutter?
    Last edited by camsdaddy; 11-22-2019 at 09:49 AM.

  10. #10
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    In the desert, looking for water.
    Quote Originally Posted by camsdaddy View Post
    Why do you prefer the 158 semiwadcutter over the 148 wadcutter?
    I *assumed* there was a typo - either on the bullet weight, or on which bullet shape. I haven’t seen a 158gr full wadcutter, but I’m sure it could be done.

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •