if you use a 357 Mag.

[Model12Win]

From a 6" barrel I'd like at least a 140 grain pill, those 125 grain SJHPs and HPs are great for the velocities in a 4" tube but start to push it in a 6" gun. They might come apart too soon.

[Shooter 973]

I tend toward 140 gr Hormady hollow points. I like a bit more weight than a125 gr.bullet. 158 gr. bullets seem to add more recoil, and slower speeds.
The 140 seem like a perfect comprimise of speed and weight. If I load jacketed bullets I push them pretty hard, to compensate for the high costs. I use these in a couple of adjustable sight handguns, that some times get the nod for carry.
I shoot a 3 inch GP 100 that has fixed sights. My favorite cast bullet load shoots right to the fixed sights. A cast 150-158 gr bullet over7 gr. of Unique. I shoot this load about 95 percent of the time. This load is safe in my 357 mag.s but your mileage my vary. Use your own best judgement. Cheap shooting and stout enough to feel like a real 357. This gives 1000 rounds out of a pound of powder!
Add home cast bullets and the cost drops even further. What's not to like?

[rclark]

. 158 gr. bullets seem to add more recoil, and slower speeds.

How fast do you really need to go?.... Not punching through car doors, breaking engine blocks and such, nor shooting 100s of yards (for defense) ... just possibly a soft skinned upright biped which isn't that hard to do close quarters..... I like heavy, say a 158g SWC... and relatively slow. In .357 no faster than 1100 or so FPS. I like about 1000fps actually . In the woods defense department different story, but then I get a bigger gun, to again achieve big and slow as I absolutely despise the sharp crack of a full house .357 round that sets you teeth on edge even with ear protection. Just me though. My SD revolver is actually a .44Spec Bulldog again big and slow.

[mattL46]

I'm with the heavy crowd too. Heavy bullet more shock delivery. More weight retention which to me, stopping power looks good if I have to deal with someone trying to hurt me or the family. I'm no munitions expert but I would think the lighter jobs at the higher velocities may over penetrate. Also like previously mentioned, expand violently and not perform.

[Webleymkv]

It depends on what kind of revolver you're using. For most, I'd say anything in the 125-158 gr range should be fine but if you're using a S&W K-Frame (models 13, 19, 65, or 66) you'd probably be wise to stick to something in the 140-158 gr range. You see, S&W K-Frames have been known to occasionally crack forcing cones if fed large amounts of full-power .357 Magnum ammo with light (<140 gr) bullets. While a few hundred, or even a few thousand, rounds of lightweight magnums probably wouldn't them, many of these guns are being bought secondhand and you probably won't be able to tell how much of what ammunition the previous owner(s) shot through them.

Personally, because half of my .357 Magnum revolvers are K-Frame S&W's, I've pretty much standardized on the heavier bullets. I really don't think I'm giving up all that much because I can get the same bullet construction (SJHP) as the vaunted 125 gr loadings and they're still going plenty fast (I've chronographed 158 gr Magnums from both Federal and Remington at over 1300 fps from a 4" revolver barrel). I also like that the heavier bullets shoot to POA in my fixed sight revolver (which happens to be a K-Frame) and that their blast and flash is less severe than the lighter, faster 125's.

[Clark]

In the 60s they compiled police data to show the 125 gr 357 mag was the best one shot stopper.

In the early 90s I started reading the one gun forum on usenet, about these one shot stop stats.

I came up with my own personal theory, that that round was so loud it made the cop and the perp pause, and the perp got a second to fall down and avoid the second shot.

Just a theory.

[mattL46]

That theory works for me Clark.

[Andy Blozinski]

If you're considering going with a light weight bullet, I'm thinking you might as well get a 9mm. You can get some damn fast 9mm rounds these days.

I had packed 125 gr Hornady XTPs in my Rhino, but decided to go heavier with the 158 grain Hornady XTPs to get more penetration through...whatever it needs to.

[MR.G]

I like the Federal 357B 125gr .357 jhp in a full size 4", and a 110gr. jhp in a
2" J frame.

[ScaryWoody]

I'm in with a SP101, they suggest only using 158 grain.

[Colt46]

158's tend to over penetrate and aren't quite as well regarded as the lighter, faster bullet.

[bobmar]

shot placement and control for repeated shots is more important than bullet weight. Better to have 6 "22" center of mass shots than "ONE" miss with a 44 Mag. Be safe and control your shots Bob

[Kosh75287]

When I DID carry a .357 for defense, I used 8.8/Herco/158 SWC, or 8.0/Unique/158 SWC. It was shot in a Ruger 4" Barreled Police Service Six. The load was powerful, (semi-)controllable, and shot to P.O.A. through the fixed sights.
I experimented with the 110s, 125s and 140s, but either got minimal expansion or violent expansion. I couldn't see the former cases being at all superior to the 158 SWC, and the latter cases were useless if I needed to shoot through automobile glass or other barriers endemic to the urban jungle.
This was a number of years back, so I concede that expanding pistol projectile technology may have improved since I hung up the .357 for purposes of keeping my hide unperforated. But I went to a .45 A.C.P., which doesn't really require much expansion for effect.

[bamaranger]

On up into the late 1980's, "the" defense load in .357 was 125 JHP, and for some reason, Federal seemed to get the nod as a factory load. Writers Sanow and Marshall did a study, much discussed and bantered about, and that was their contention. Not everybody bought their data, but it was widely circulated. The 125 JHP is a loud, concussive, flash-bang number and some folks find it too much, espcially in a lightweight/short tube revolver.

The new trend seems to be the mid weights, 140 gr or there abouts.

Being a bit old school myself, my worn Highway Patrolman gets stoked with 125 Federals.

[Dan-O]

158 grains gets my vote.

[Deaf Smith]

Better to have 6 "22" center of mass shots than "ONE" miss with a 44 Mag.

Yes but one direct hit with a .44 Magnum tends to settle things.

Jeff Cooper was of the opinion which is easier to do, make one good shot or make several good shots in a row.

And that was why he was a big bore guy.

Deaf

[Mr.RevolverGuy]

Unless I missed it some where I can't believe no one has mentioned Speer 135gr. I know Speer markets as short barrel but it performs well out of a longer barrel also.

I know the original poster did not ask about 135gr but I figured maybe he wasn't aware it existed.

Brass Fetcher Ballistics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_BPDmy4SfQ

[Nick_C_S]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Speer 135gr. (GDHP SB)

Yes. Good round. Excellent for J-frames in particular.

Through my Smith 686 3", they chrono at 1176 fps (398 ft/lbs).
Through my Smith 686 4", they chrono at 1240 fps (448 ft/lbs).

They're great for what they're designed. Very tame and easy to control for follow up shots. But still deliver good punch. I do carry them from time to time. Come to think of it, they're in my carry 686 now

[Mike / Tx]

I have gone through several transitions over the years with my choices.

When I first got into handguns I went with the 125gr, then moved up into the 158gr range, then back down to the 140'ish grain range and am now back up to a 160gr cast HP.

I have never had to use any of them on an aggressor but I have used all but the latter on critters. They will all make a mean nasty hole in something, and I am sure the latter will as well. My main reason for switching to is that I believe in practicing with what your going to use no matter what that use is.

I began casting my own a couple of years ago and worked on the alloy to get it to hold together well and to expand without much if any fracturing of the noses. It took a bit of playing but I finally got it where I wanted it and was able to keep things together up into the 1300fps range.

So now both of mine sport the 160gr LHP's and I hope to never have to use them on a BG, but am hoping to find an unlucky hog sometime soon to try them out on. Here are a few I recovered from my bullet trap shot from 25yds,


Even loaded down into the 1150'ish FPS range they open up like this, but they still manage to make about 12+ inches into my 5 gallon sand filled buckets. I can only think that in something a bit softer than packed sand they should do much better.

[Deja vu]

I carry 140 grain loads (not the lever revolution). I feel its a good happy medium between 158 and 125. I have also gone to mostly shooting 140 grain out of my Marlin as well because it seems to like them more than the other weights.

[jimbob86]

158's tend to over penetrate and aren't quite as well regarded as the lighter, faster bullet

Started @1250 f/sec, 158gr XTP's won't go through a 150ish lb whitetail, broadside, from 3 feet.

[tallball]

This one likes just about anything between 125 and 158.