I have found the 140-146 grain bullets to be a good all-around choice for use in the field and very accurate.

The various 125-129 grain bullets are the top choices for personal defense against 'bad guys', but have not provided top accuracy in my. I have found Winchester W231 and Hodgdon HS-6 powders excellent for low and medium velocity loads and H-110, W296 and Hercules 2400 powders excellent for maximum loads with bullets weighing from 125-158 grains. These figures are all for a 4' revolver barrel. For the 158 grain JHP the MV is 1235 fps and the ME is 535 ft. For the 140 grain JHP the MV is 1360 fps and the ME is 575 ft. 357 Magnum factory ballistics tables call for a muzzle velocity of 1450 fps for the 125 grain JHP with 583 ft. 38 Special ammunition.38 Special +P loads make particularly good practice ammunition and with 125 grain bullets shoot sufficiently flat for small game hunting. 357 remains the best selling of all magnum handgun cartridges and among the top 10 best selling handgun cartridges.Īny. Newer magnum cartridges eventually surpassed it in power, but not in popularity or usefulness. For over 20 years it was simply known as 'the Magnum,' as there was no other. 357 Magnum, the original magnum pistol cartridge, was introduced in 1935 by Smith & Wesson as the world's most powerful handgun cartridge. By Chuck Hawks Illustration courtesy of Hornady Mfg.