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gwnorth · February 9, 2009, 10:31 AM

In standard (non+p) .38spl, I'd suggest winchester silvertip 110gr JHP's.

For defensive handgun rounds, you want something with adequate penetration but also something that puts its energy into the target. The problem with FMJ is over-penetration, which means it exits the target with a lot of it's energy unspent. Sure it's effective if you hit a vital target (heart, liver, head-shot and so forth), but there is also a lot of body mass where it's just going to go clean through with minimal effect.

So I would say, for your self defense ammo, always keep some good quality HP's on hand. I too buy mostly FMJ, for range use. But I also have a smaller stock of JHP's for all my calibers (9mm, .38/.357 and .45acp). I will usually shoot off some of it every 3-6 months in a practice session, and promptly replace whatever I've used up.

February 9, 2009, 10:31 AM	#5
gwnorth Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 692	In standard (non+p) .38spl, I'd suggest winchester silvertip 110gr JHP's. For defensive handgun rounds, you want something with adequate penetration but also something that puts its energy into the target. The problem with FMJ is over-penetration, which means it exits the target with a lot of it's energy unspent. Sure it's effective if you hit a vital target (heart, liver, head-shot and so forth), but there is also a lot of body mass where it's just going to go clean through with minimal effect. So I would say, for your self defense ammo, always keep some good quality HP's on hand. I too buy mostly FMJ, for range use. But I also have a smaller stock of JHP's for all my calibers (9mm, .38/.357 and .45acp). I will usually shoot off some of it every 3-6 months in a practice session, and promptly replace whatever I've used up.