Are there any acceptable standard pressure .38 Special loads for defensive use?

Have you seen this yet?

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/rev...llistics-test/

If I weren't going to use a +P round, especially the 135 grain Gold Dot, in .38, I would honestly default to a full wadcutter - so mild a person can rapidly place (hope to God) surgical shots, and the square edge bites into bone and tissue. I don't trust any of the non-+P stuff to expand anyway, especially the XTP, it's just a very heavily built bullet, great for pushing fast and hard.

A .38 JHP that isn't expected to expand, or at least not much, is just as good as a semi-wadcutter.

And that's fine. Penetration is what matters.

I edited the title of your threat, the "30 Special" was driving me bugnuts.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SeriousStudent

I edited the title of your threat, the "30 Special" was driving me bugnuts.

---

Hahaha, serious threat here ;-)

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Inverted 148-grain wadcutters always seemed like a viable option. Atomic loads one but it's a +P. You could probably handload a standard pressure round.

http://www.vangargoyle.com/guns/not-pc.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sinister

Inverted 148-grain wadcutters always seemed like a viable option. Atomic loads one but it's a +P. You could probably handload a standard pressure round.

---

Heard these weren't as accurate as "normal" WCs.

They do look kind of like the new 130gr HSTs though.

Get some Glasier! :haha:

(I'm quietly sneaking away)

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/h...efense-lite#!/

As a few others have said, if not the Gold Dot +p, then I'd go with wadcutters - have carried them before with confidence.