Quality wadcutter running something like 700-800 fps. Low recoil, good terminal ballistics.
The Hornady Lite Critical Defense would be a good choice my Grandmother really like it in her Smith
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Handgun :: Choose by Caliber :: 38 Special :: 38 Special 90 gr FTX® Critical Defense® LITE
^^ This, OR a heavier snubby with a +p load (i.e. not an airweight). OP, what snubby are we talking about?
Just picked up a LCR. The Hornady "Lite" doesnt seem to have good performance on the all knowing YouTube though....
All good thoughts, Im thinking of going with the new woopey doo ARX Polycase..
Or you can buy one 20 round box of Speer short barrel loads. Fire 5 of them to check accuracy and function (which will be spot on and perfect). Then practice with Wadcutters. Every so often rotate out the carry ammo by firing 5 crusty gold dot (which will continue to be perfect). Rinse and repeat. No reason the gun or or wife needs a steady diet of defense ammo. Besides its not like they are super charged magnum anti vehicle rounds.
Yeah they kick harder. That is what they are supposed to do. Everything in life is a trade off. In full disclosure I practice with light Wadcutters and carry duty ammo.
I have to agree here. In a life or death situation, recoil and noise are rarely noticed.
The whole thing of life vs death, it won't be noticed......mostly true.
But....one must be able to handle the gun well, shoot one handed, shoot one handed weak hand and shoot wounded/dragging a loved one. For this I truly believe in a little less power that can be handled much better. Over the last 10 years or so I have shot hundreds of rounds of 38 spl out of J frame guns, both steel and alum. I have settled on the Hornady 90 grain pink tip load for my wife as she has the alum frame 642. If I was carrying the 640 in steel frame, I would likely have the Speer Gold Dot 135 +p short barrel ammo. The Hornady 90gr does not have all the energy of others but I believe the ability to handle it well much outweighs the energy factor. My wife is no wimp, but the J frames can be a handful for females. She shoots around 3000 handgun rounds per year and around 1500 shotgun rounds per year. While not the 38 spl in question......there is valid reason why SO MANY law enf agencies are and have been dumping the 40cal round and returning to 9mm.
Quality wadcutter running something like 700-800 fps. Low recoil, good terminal ballistics.