I carry a full-size 357 with a 4.68" barrel, 42oz gun so I can cope with serious recoil.
I decided to use the Gold Dot 125gr projectile driven as fast as I can get it going - to that end I currently load Doubletap Ammo's version. I've not chronied them, but I did blow up a bowling ball with one
and I'm convinced that at least this batch (getting near four years old now!) will perform at close to the claimed speed of 1,600fps from a 4" revolver.
What that means is, expansion is more or less a given, and because I'm way up over the 1,200fps boundary it's actually not going to punch all that deep. The Gold Dot jacket is a heavy electroplate over the lead core, so it should hold up OK even when "overdriven".
Now...I strongly suspect the 158gr Gold Dot would work well at 1,300-1,400fps as my gun can drive it as loaded by Buffalo Bore in particular, probably Doubletap as well. But then I'd start to worry about overpenetration. Might get a boost in accuracy though...the Doubletap 125s I have now are basically good for 5" groups at 25yds, which is...suboptimal but still OK. The gun can do better, and does with other ammo.
I'm going to start reloading soon. I'm pondering various 140gr options. The Gold Dot is out but there's also the Barnes X in 140gr, a superb round. Or the classic old Sierra 140 isn't bad - Cor-Bon still loads it, has a good rep despite being low-tech. Heck, Speer's REALLY old-school 148 jacketed-but-with-an-exposed-lead-tip critter is still out there, works fine within it's known speed range...sheds it's jacket like a cheap stripper looking for meth but still works...