Does a 38 Cal. hollow points vs 357 Cal. 9.07 mm 38 special,have same power ?

[.38 SPL+P-Judge]

I've heard that shooting a revolver 38 Cal.special hollow point cartridge, has the same power as a revolver 357 Cal. 9.07 mm cartridge.True or False ?
I'm thinking about using hollow points in my 38 Cal. revolver.

 

[bofh]

I assume you are asking about the difference between .38 Special +P vs. .357 Magnum. Take a look at .38 Special Ballistics and .357 Magnum Ballistics. Also, understand that barrel length plays a significant role. Take a look at Ballistics by the Inch | .38 Special and Ballistics by the Inch | .357 Mag. 357 Magnum can have twice as much energy than .38 Special +P, for example .357 Magnum 125 Grain XTP JHP and .38 Special +P 125 Grain XTP JHP. Look at the .38 Special and .357 Magnum Terminal Tests to select an appropriate round if you have a revolver with a short barrel. I suggest Speer Gold Dot .38 Special +P 125 Grain GDHP.

 

[gunnerbob]

I've heard that shooting a revolver 38 Cal.special hollow point cartridge, has the same power as a revolver 357 Cal. 9.07 mm cartridge.True or False ?
I'm thinking about using hollow points in my 38 Cal. revolver.

Depends on the length of barrel but, in general, no. Even with a lose of velocity using a short-barreled .357mag, it will still be moving faster than the .38Spl cartridge. There is a benefit, IMO, to shooting .38Spl in snub nose revolvers though: Less recoil and blast, if you're skilled enough that can aid in faster follow-up shots. Search the forum, I've posted some credible data showing the minimal velocity advantage that .357mag has when similarly compared with a .38Spl. Me personally, I usually carry a snub nosed .38Spl revolver.

EDIT: Found it for you...

 

[Shockwave]

Take a look at these cartridges side by side:

They are not the same. If you have a gun that can fire both, you'll feel the difference when shooting. But this isn't really the question; rather, the issue is what to load your .38 revolver with. There's a lot of opinion about that. High-performance ammo like CorBon DPX JHP will get the most out of your .38 caliber revolver. I use it in my S&W 638, because in any ranking of SD ammo, it consistently performs at or near the top of any comparison, and the expansion is second to none.

I also have this:

Both wad-cutter and semi-wad-cutter lead-nose ammo have an excellent reputation for getting the most out of the .38 spl round. As a matter of practicality, you'll find that a .357 revolver is a lot of weight to port around. Very doable, sure, and a lot of people opt to do that, but personally I've found the .38 airweight revolvers from S&W to be far easier to carry. They're in the "forget you're even carrying" category. Load with solid SD ammo and you're good to go.

 

[BC1]

Muzzle velocity comprises roughly 40% of the ballistic stopping power. The .357 has a much higher MV.

 

[gunnerbob]

Muzzle velocity comprises roughly 40% of the ballistic stopping power. The .357 has a much higher MV.

Yes, I don't think anyone would try to argue that .38Spl is more effective (ballistically speaking) than .357mag, just that in the right hands it is good enough for close-range SD work. I'm by no means saying it's ideal, depending on the capabilities of the shooter there may be far batter options.

 

[.38 SPL+P-Judge]

I assume you are asking about the difference between .38 Special +P vs. .357 Magnum. Take a look at .38 Special Ballistics and .357 Magnum Ballistics. Also, understand that barrel length plays a significant role. Take a look at Ballistics by the Inch | .38 Special and Ballistics by the Inch | .357 Mag. 357 Magnum can have twice as much energy than .38 Special +P, for example .357 Magnum 125 Grain XTP JHP and .38 Special +P 125 Grain XTP JHP. Look at the .38 Special and .357 Magnum Terminal Tests to select an appropriate round if you have a revolver with a short barrel. I suggest Speer Gold Dot .38 Special +P 125 Grain GDHP.

I do have the short barrel .38 SPL +P,good advice.Thanks bofh.

 

[.38 SPL+P-Judge]

Depends on the length of barrel but, in general, no. Even with a lose of velocity using a short-barreled .357mag, it will still be moving faster than the .38Spl cartridge. There is a benefit, IMO, to shooting .38Spl in snub nose revolvers though: Less recoil and blast, if you're skilled enough that can aid in faster follow-up shots. Search the forum, I've posted some credible data showing the minimal velocity advantage that .357mag has when similarly compared with a .38Spl. Me personally, I usually carry a snub nosed .38Spl revolver.

EDIT: Found it for you...

Thanks gunnerbob.

 

[.38 SPL+P-Judge]

Take a look at these cartridges side by side:

They are not the same. If you have a gun that can fire both, you'll feel the difference when shooting. But this isn't really the question; rather, the issue is what to load your .38 revolver with. There's a lot of opinion about that. High-performance ammo like CorBon DPX JHP will get the most out of your .38 caliber revolver. I use it in my S&W 638, because in any ranking of SD ammo, it consistently performs at or near the top of any comparison, and the expansion is second to none.

I also have this:

Both wad-cutter and semi-wad-cutter lead-nose ammo have an excellent reputation for getting the most out of the .38 spl round. As a matter of practicality, you'll find that a .357 revolver is a lot of weight to port around. Very doable, sure, and a lot of people opt to do that, but personally I've found the .38 airweight revolvers from S&W to be far easier to carry. They're in the "forget you're even carrying" category. Load with solid SD ammo and you're good to go.

Thanks Shockwave,my revolver is airweight to only it's a Taurus, i'm going to check out the SD ammo!

 

[.38 SPL+P-Judge]

Muzzle velocity comprises roughly 40% of the ballistic stopping power. The .357 has a much higher MV.

Thanks BC1