Best .357 Magnum Ammo for Self Defense?

[Rvirostek]

Like you said there may not be a definitive answer

However if you look up your local law enforcement webpage or call them they will have a very short list of approved ammunitions for each caliber. Usually with a long list of not approved as well .
The agencies in both Oregon and Arizona where I've lived also publish the full testing reports .

You get the data and you get the added benefit that if you ever do need to use your firearm no prosecuting attorney will be rambling on about how you chose your ammunition out of a sick and twisted desire to inflict pain or to maximize injury.

[JERRYS.]

for personal protection against human attackers, you will be pleasantly surprised how well the wwb 110gr. does from a 4" .357.

one of the softest shooting magnums, still gives magnum performance, and is readily available in a box of 50 for the same price as mail order 20 round boxes.

[Doc Holliday 1950]

Confidence is an amazing thing. I can almost, with 99% surety, say that if you find or think that you shoot a certain brand 357 ammo better then any other brand, that will the one for you.

Do yourself a favor. Buy 5 or 6 of the brands mentioned in this post. Then go to your range and see which one you and your gun likes the best.

IMHO I personally have found that each gun that I have likes a certain brand and weight of ammo and I feel more comfortable shooting with those loads.

GOOD LUCK!

[Andy Blozinski]

Velocity and resulting muzzle energy used to be the trendy thing for rating stopping power. In more recent times, penetration has seemed to be the popular important factor. Heavy bullets are good for that. The .38/.357 was originally a heavier bullet at 158 grains. Just looking at some data a ways back, that seems to be where it works best for this round. I use 158 grain Hornady XTPs.

[Brian48]

I'm in the same boat as many here regarding any full house 125gr load.

That said, I keep Corbon 158gr +P+ LHP in .38Spl loaded up in my guns. Corbon doesn't make this load any more, but Buffalo Boar and Remington continue to manufacture these old "FBI" loads.

[stormyone]

I like the heavier rounds too. Make mine 158gr, please.

[Sequins]

The thing about a pistol round is that velocity diminishes but weight doesn't. You'd need a lot of velocity to get the same performance in velocity as in weight. In my opinion the best .357 defense round is either 158gr Speer GDHP .357 or 135gr Speer GDHP-SB. The SB stands for short barrel and it's designed to expand at lower velocities to the best of my knowledge.

[Mycin]

Might as well toss in my 2 pennies worth of free advice.

In reviewing many .357 Mag ammo test videos on YouTube, it seemed like all the 125gr HP bullets fell a little short in penetration (usually getting about 10 inches or so, IIRC), whereas the 158gr HPs tended to over-penetrate, going to about 20-22 inches.

I stumbled across the 140gr CorBon JHP ammo. I've yet to find any penetration tests for this load, but think it should make a good Goldilocks round.

http://shopcorbon.com/-357-mag-140gr...5B357%20Mag%5D

Mycin

[Boncrayon]

Again, I'll say, Hornady Critical Duty! Look at the specs that Hornady and the CIA collaborated on....12/12 requirements met! You did say, "Best for self defense".

[ThomasT]

I guess it must be a rite of passage for a new guy to bring up a 3 year old zombie thread.

[medic15al]

The Winchester 145 grn Silvertip is another option to look at. Also 140 grn loads. The Buffalo Bore .38 spl LSWCHP+P is very good as well.

I don't hold the Critical Defense/Duty bullets in any regard due to the shape and expansion. The ogive taper of the bullet is so steep that when the bullet does fully expand it barely is larger than the unfired diameter of the bullet. May as well be a solid.

That is NOT to say Hornady ammo is bad, they are excellent in reliably lighting off and very accurate ammo.

http://www.gunsandammo.com/files/201...tical-Duty.jpg

[Water-Man]

Cor-Bon DPX 125gr..

[Deja vu]

I like Hornady 125 grain. They seem to work well on ballistic gel both from a snub nose and from a carbine!

Im happy though id pick a heavier round for hunting.

[Arizona Fusilier]

I mostly carry semi-autos for defense. But a long time ago, I settled on Winchester 145gr Silvertip for my .357s.

And yes....I was born before Al Gore invented the Internet

[amd6547]

Winchester Silvertip would be great...if Winchester would make some.
I've looked for some for five years, haven't seen a round.
I emailed Winchester, and they replied that they "might" make some in 2016.

[98 220 swift]

I use 158 gr hydra shocks.
Why?

I shot a 125# buck at 40 yards with one of them. The deer ran about 100 yards and died within seconds. When cleaning the deer the damage was fairly impressive. Didn't look much different from a rifle shot. Granted this was from a 6" barrel. This load is not very hot btw. Bullet did pass through deer as well. I would believe if I ever had to use it for protection the results would be the same on a 2 legged critter as well. Even though I do no ccw it. It is used for home protection and still gets taken on deer hunts with the same load.

[TimSr]

Not many .357 mag projectiles will not easily pass through a man size target standing upright. Not many bad guys will advance when hit. For this reason, a light bullet that moves very fast, and expands rapidly and violently on impact. A 110 or 125gr semi-jacked HP fits that bill, even in a .357 mag mild load.

[V-fib]

another vote here for the 158gr. 158gr. lswc in either .38 or .357 should do the job.

v-fib

[sandbag]

125 JHP

[TraumaRN]

110-158 grain all work well in the hand(s) of the practiced. I have respect for high speed fragmenting projectiles that penetrate 8 to 10" in soft tissue. Simultaneous multiple high speed projectiles more so.

[Linegrind]

this was kind of a fun thread to read. I personally have my 5" Smith loaded with critical defense right now. I also have a box of DPX I'll probably run next once I've gone through my critical defense.

[KyJim]

If I'm not using a .38 spl +P, then it's usually a Speer 158 gr Gold Dot in .357.

[Andy Blozinski]

Don't just think soft tissue, the bullet may be hitting bone as well and heavier bullets are better for that.
I personally think "over-penetration" is an unlikely problem. What are the odds an innocent will be stacked up in line with the bad guy one is trying to shoot? Amazingly slim in the amazingly slim chance you'd need to use your concealed carry. A more likely situation is that you need penetration to get to your target. Penetration is also good for momentum shock value if the bad guy is wearing flexible kevlar armor. That kevlar may stop the bullet from going through, but you'll give the target a small area body blow that could temporarily take them out of the fight. A .22 LR actually penetrates kevlar better than a .357 due to surface area, but that .357 hurts one hell of a lot more.

[Smoke Jensen]

I know I will get flack for this but: I carry my load of a 158 gr. XTP driven at 1200 fps. Very accurate and hits hard with good penetration. I prefer heavier bullets even for self defense.

[Overkill777]

I carry my load of a 158 gr. XTP driven at 1200 fps. Very accurate and hits hard with good penetration. I prefer heavier bullets even for self defense.

Same here.