When I had .38 revolvers I always used my hand loads with a cast semi-wadcutter. The bullets were sold pre sized and lubed at a local gunshop.
The bags of bullets had a label stating they were 168 gr, but I suspect this was a misprint.
Anyway I used 3 grains even of Bullseye, and accuracy was great.
I need to get another .38 Special one day soon. Friends and former customers have given me their leftover ammo when they sell off a pistol or rifle or trade it in for a different caliber, so I've somehow ended up with several hundred rounds of .38 Special ammo and nothing to shoot it in.
I'd had the same situation with .380 ammo several years ago, several boxes of ammo and no pistol of that caliber, then I lucked onto my FN 1922 which the previous owner thought was busted because it was plainly stamped as a 9mm but 9mm Luger cartridges would not fit. Got that one dirt cheap.
Anyway the .38 Special is inherently accurate if any pistol/ammo combo can really be described as such.
Even el cheapo european made cast frame snub nose .38 specials I've run across from time to time have shown remarkable accuracy.
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"But if you know a bad guy is coming though the door and two firearms are on the table next to you, one a .38,9mm,or .380 & the other a .40, .44, or .45, which will you grab?"
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I'd likely grab a revolver before an autoloader, revolvers are simpler to handle in a crsis situation, and for me at least they are better for point shooting.
If I had the choice of a .44 revolver I'd probably take it over the .38 for across a room ranges, but would pick a quality .38 if range was a factor, not due to power or trajectory, but only because a .38 is more likely to display the necessary accuracy in an unfamilar revolver.
Hard kicking revolvers may throw bullets high or to one side, and if sighted for one user may not be sighted properly for another user.
Same applies on a smaller scale with lighter kicking handguns.
Fractions of an inch at close range is no big deal, but if the gun prints several inches off at somewhat longer ranges then a BG with any cover is not as vulnerable to return fire when he exposes very little of his head and one hand/arm when firing.