[jerry]

i have an older 85 stainless 2" i carry daily .what do you guys feed yours ? ???

 

[Dave]

If it's not rated for +P I'd use standerd loads for practice and Fed. Hydroshock 129+P 38spl. for a carry load. Test a few to see ware they hit. I read this load is not as hard on guns as the other +P Brands. Some may not agree, but I haven't had a problem.

 

[NativeTexan]

+P 158 grain SWCHP or JHP. The FBI load. The gun is +P rated, but I mostly practice with wadcutters to keep wear and tear down. I've had the gun 10+ years and it's still tight and shoots straight. Also, mine's an ultralite, aluminum frame. You have absolutely no worries with a stainless gun. The 85UL was the first alloy gun I ever found that was +P rated at the time. I still don't use a lot of +P in it because of the alloy construction, but steel is a lot stronger.

But, test good defense loads and find one that shoots to POA. The 158s do that for me.

 

[Dave]

Thats your best bet. POA is the first concern.

 

[Tailwind]

Hands down, the best defense round for an older Model 85 snub, Is the Buffalo Bore standard pressure 158 gr LSWC. If you want reduced recoil and more penetration for bigger game, go for the Buffalo Bore standard pressure 158 gr Hard Cast Wadcutter. They FLY out of your gun.

Remember, expansion is not always certain in a snub, so a wadcutter is a serious option. I've seen penetration tests that put that wadcutter at 20+" in BG. A Speer Gold Dot is at about 10".

Any Thoughts?

 

[Big Ugly Tall Texan]

I used to carry a customized Model 10 for back up when I was a cop. I used lead hollow-based wascutters loaded with the hollow base facing forward and loaded HOT. Two cylinders full and I had leading problems.

I ran tests on jugs of water, and expansion on those things was almost explosive.

They were strictly a very close range round.

 

[badge851]

Hands down, the best defense round for an older Model 85 snub, Is the Buffalo Bore standard pressure 158 gr LSWC. If you want reduced recoil and more penetration for bigger game, go for the Buffalo Bore standard pressure 158 gr Hard Cast Wadcutter. They FLY out of your gun.

Remember, expansion is not always certain in a snub, so a wadcutter is a serious option. I've seen penetration tests that put that wadcutter at 20+" in BG. A Speer Gold Dot is at about 10".

Any Thoughts?

Actually the load you are referring to is a LSWCHPGC. I agree with you, it is THE LOAD to carry in a snubnose 38 Special. My wife & I carry this load in our 38 snubbies.

 

[.452dia]

I used to carry a S&W Mod 60 with a Alberts 158 gn, swaged, SWCHP. Those are some nasty rounds over a healthy dose of Bullseye much like the Hollow Base Wadcutter reversed. They would expand easily and penetrate. Too bad they are out of business.

 

[Qwiks draw]

As has been stated the point of impact with a given load is going to factor in. And yes, Buffalo Bore makes actually three standard pressure loads that act like +P rounds with out the recoil and high pressure.
Standard Pressure Short Barrel Low Flash Heavy .38 Special Ammo - 125gr. Jacketed Hollow Point (900fps/M.E. 225 ft. lbs.) - 20 Round Box

Due to customer demand, we've developed this defensive 38SPL ammo. Our customers wanted some devastating 38SPL loads that would fill the following criteria.

1. It won't hurt older/fragile/alloy revolvers. (Non +P)
2. Is effective as a "fight stopper" through the use of proper bullets.
3. Is more powerful than typical/standard, weak 38SPL ammo.
4. Generate much less recoil than our +P 38SPL ammo.
5. Is flash suppressed.
Standard Pressure Short Barrel Low Flash Heavy .38 Special Ammo - 158 gr. Soft Lead SWC-HC (850fps/M.E. 253 ft. lbs.) - 20 Round Box

Due to customer demand, we've developed this defensive 38SPL ammo. Our customers wanted some devastating 38SPL loads that would fill the following criteria.

1. It won't hurt older/fragile/alloy revolvers. (Non +P)
2. Is effective as a "fight stopper" through the use of proper bullets.
3. Is more powerful than typical/standard, weak 38SPL ammo.
4. Generate much less recoil than our +P 38SPL ammo.
5. Is flash suppressed.
Standard Pressure Short Barrel Low Flash Heavy .38 Special Ammo - 150 gr. Hard Cast Wad Cutter (850fps/M.E. 241 ft. lbs.) - 20 Round Box

Their LSWCHP standard pressure round has the velocity of the +P variety with the benefits written in this post above.

There is also a 125gr. load that they have that would work as well.

The other is a hard cast bullet that is more appropriate for shooting critters with and even that is chancy. The 150gr. cast version will get little or more likely no expansion. That's not ethical or moral from a defense shooting perspective. Fully through the body shots that go on to kill or horribly wound others is not in the cards.

If one has no ethic, morals, or scruples they have no business having a gun of any kind.

There is enough penetration with the other loads mentioned by others and in this post to get the job done.

My recommendation if you want something light recoiling,but effective is the Federal Nyclad 125gr. standard pressure round.
Smoke Wagon Gear Federal .38 Special ? 125 FEDERAL PREMIUM 38SP - 125 GRAIN - 50 ROUND BOX $23.95 50 $0.48

Here's the reasoning.

This started 3 decades or more ago out as a practice round to keep lead exposure to a minumum. It worked.

Then it was found out that it will dynamically expand for defense shootings. it was used in documented shootings. Even from snub revolvers it expanded from .40 caliber to .55 caliber. Federal produced a 158gr.version of this, but the lead was stiffer and did not expand much. The 158 grain load was stopped a along time ago.


Even the 125gr. number was dropped for a while and them reappeared.
I have an older 20 years plus 85CH. I have no fear of using sometime +P use, but with the Federal and Buffalo Bore rounds available, I have no reason to shoot +P in it anymore if I choose not to.

I probably will shoot a very limited number of +P rounds in it, but with a case of Federal Nyclad I have little reason to do it.

If you use other rounds that others have mentioned you'll be well protected as well.