i bought a 357 snubby ..with standard 38s the penetration on 2by 4 is about equal to
the high performance 22 hollowpoint.velocitor and quik shok.. while the entrance hole is larger of course,, the exit
holes of the two are not that different..
i tried the plus p and while some better still almost no expasion of the round..
now to be sure,, it would really take some work to ever be accurate with this and 357 rds..
advice needed on the most effective manstopping rd in 38..i know most will say,, just shoot the 357 but this little pistol is somemore hard to control with them..with 38s i believe ive got the advantage on most muggers an such,, landing an rd to the chest first.. so for now just advice on the most deadly 38 rd.. thanks for any input..
ps the whole idea is a concealed carry light enuff,, but with the power to do the job ,,close in..

good idea...use what you are better at handling. Good .38 loads aren't really a bad choice for you.

Would try penetration in something softer than wood for rough comparisons....the .22 isn't really short on penetration, but in a softer media, will be better able to judge what bigger/heavier bullets can do.

Plus P Speer 125 grain Gold Dots have a very good rep and is what I carry in my 38 snubby.

It's quite common for hollowpoints not to expand in wood -- wood plugs the cavity in the bullet and prevents expansion. Pick a decent hollowpoint .38 round that shoots well in your revolver, practice with it -- and try to avoid gunfights with wooden badguys! :-) You'll be fine.

Wet newsprint is a better test media. Federal Hydra-shoks, Speer Gold Dots, and Hornady XTPs are all excellent bullets for personal defense.

Wet newsprint is a better test media. Federal Hydra-shoks, Speer Gold Dots, and Hornady XTPs are all excellent bullets for personal defense.

The 110gr Sierra Blitz is pretty good, even at .38 velocities, and with a dose of Blue Dot, isn't too bad in a .357 case. If you've never used Blue Dot like that in a short barrel, you need to try it. Even if you missed, the flames would get 'em.:D

Red a article that 158 lead +P hollow points were good stoppers. Don't remember who wrote the article. They were about as fast as 125G hp's. I've shot Win +P lead hp's in my Colt Diamond Back and the newer colt SV- both with 2 inch barrels. Both guns shoot good with them. Kick a little not like a 357.

thanks much fellas.. im gonna try avoiden any wooden muggers;) for sure.. i have the speer gold dot 125 +p gdhp here now..
it does shoot harder than the practice ammo.so i dont guess i get to try any new ammo. i had seen a round somewhere that looked like a midevil torture tool of some sort after it had expanded.. uh oh.. my secrets out.. i want the sucker to drop like a rock and if hes feelin anything i want it to hurt real real bad..like most of you im sure i pray i never have to use the pistol for what i bought it for..its sad what these pitiful folks will do for a dime rock..but i know they will kill you or somebody you love for that little high they get,,so i got no sympathy forem at point of confrontation..thanks for sharing u knowledge..

You might want to check out this site. Evan Marshall has been a long time researcher on this subject.
Evan Marshall - Handgun Stopping PowerStoppingPower.net is the definitive source for ammunition stopping power or performance information. StoppingPower.net also provides excellent information ...
www.stoppingpower.net/