What loads are approved or recommended for self defense in the .357 magnum revolver. I can’t seem to find any info from DocGKR’s list that addresses this caliber. Suggestions? These will be fired from a 6" GP-100 used for homestead protection.
In .357 Mag for anti-personnel self-defense, the Barnes all copper JHP’s usually work well, as do the Win 180 gr Partition and older 145 gr Silvertip.
Quick follow-up question.
Would you recommend going with .38 special or .357 magnum loads for home defense for something with a longer barrel, say 4"+?
Thanks.
Thanks Doc for the speedy reply. I will probably give the Silvertip a try and see how they shoot through my gun.
I keep the 145gr Silvertip in my 3" K-Frame and shoot it pretty well. However, my reloads are 140gr Hornady FTX. If you’ve ever tried for quick reloads on the clock under match pressure with wide mouthed hollow points, you’ll appreciate why I recommend the tipped rounds for reloads. Bonus points that they shoot to the same POI, at least in my gun.
If this is strictly for HD, I’d opt for Speer 135gr Gold Dot .38+P (standard load for 4+" barrels). They will have a lot less flash & blast.
We had a .357mag thread going awhile back, I posted some of the gel test results from Winchester on the legacy loads that were tested back in the 80s and 90s. The Silvertip is pretty good, as are the major brand 158gr JHPs