Newbie to the snubbie type revolver .  
1. What is the best/ most cost effective range ammo to shoot in the Ruger LCR 38 special +P revolver?
What would be recommendation for target shoot.

2. And more importantly. What Ammo for personal defense.

I found that there are too many load, bullet choices for the 38 special.
The revolver has short barrel and is rated for up to +P

Some expert advise would be appreciated.

I use the Speer short barrel +P's in my S&W J frame. Same size pistol.
What I did was to try a few different types of SD loads.
The Speer load printed the best for my J frame.
RJ

Duh!

38 ammo

Speer 135gr +P short-barrel load for defense.

I sell a lot of the Speer SB as well as the Winchester PDX1 or Ranger Bonded for these guns. Target ammo use whatever you can find cheap.

For range ammo, just use whatever you find that's cheap. I like federal, since the price is good, shoots clean, and shoots consistent.

If the LCR is like a S&W J frame the Fixed sights are zero in using 158gr POA/POI  (148gr is darn close )


For range fun shooting the simple 38spl 148gr WC is my all time favorite next would be the 38spl 158gr SWC  or  158 SWC HP
( I get a single ragged hole shooting 5rds at 21feet using the 148gr wc.)

For SD  theres
Standard Pressure 38spl 148gr WC wich wont expand but will cut . almost no recoil  EDIT TO ADD  and the 110 standard pressure Critical Defence

Then you got the 38spl +P AMMO

WIin Ranger Bonded 130gr
Speer Gold Dot 135gr

Corbon 110 DPX or copies

Now I wish Federal would make a 147gr HST in 38spl+P  so I can have the same POA/POI

CCI Blazer for range duty

Speer Gold Dot or CorBon DPX for personal defence

For defensive ammo, I carry the 158g +P LSWCHP.

thanks for the info.

personal defense looks like the Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P  ( short barrel)  is the way to go,  actually found it on sale today.

whatever is on sale cheap  is the range choice........

Have you shot the pistol much? I bought my wife a Charter Arms Pink Lady which is similar to the LCR (12 oz. weight) and recoil is somewhat vicious even with standard loads using bullets from 148 to 162 grs.. I can only imagine what it'd be like with +P's, but intend to find out soon.




 I agree with the wadcutters suggestion for practice. They're normally very accurate and easy to shoot. I don't think I'd use them for self defense in a 2" barrel because velocity is likely to be in the 600-650 fps range.

 I personally don't trust expanding bullets in short barrels regardless of how they performed in gelatin, but that's just a personal thing. If they do happen to expand, penetration will be reduced due to the large frontal area of the bullet. If prior to penetration a light expanding bullets comes in contact with something like a heavy coat, something in a pocket like a cell phone, a button, a bone (i.e.- rib, sternum)...almost anything....this will likely change how the bullets performs and decrease penetration. So if I have to pick, I'll penetratiob over expansion 100% of the time, but like I said, it's a personal thing.

 The lightest SD bullet I load for my wifes 2" 38 Spec. is a hand-cast 150 gr. SWCHP, but if I don't have any of those handy, a standard 158 gr. SWC. Right now it's loaded with some of my cast 162 gr. SWCHP's:

I use to carry the FBI load for many years 158 SWC HP +P
Until I had my First failure!!

During recoil the SWC HP slip the case some and jammed up the cylinder!  S&W 640  in a Steel frame

Since I had a range in my yard Ive put lots of lead down range.

It only happen to me 1 time but that was enough for me to stop using the 158  SWC HP +P for SD


The 148gr WC for SD
Doc Roberts use to use the 148gr WC  and a reload of JHP for a fast reload.

I might do the same  since Im deadly accurate with the 148WC and it has hardly any kick so more rounds on bad guy.

plus Ive been told they penetrate DEEPLY havent seen any gel data yet hence my topic

 I know exactly what you mean with regards to the bullet slipping the case. I'd loaded some cast SWCHP's for the wifes 2" 38. One day while I was gone, she decided to do a little shooting and after a couple of shots her pistol "jammed" as she put it. I found one of the bullets protruding out of the business end of the cylinder. Pushed it back and removed the cartridge. the pistol only weighs 12 oz., so of course recoil can be pretty snappy.

 In the last week we've fired close to 200 handloads out of the little Charter Arms all of which were either WC's, SWC's or SWCHP's. This time I applied a good crimp to the bullets. Not a crushing crimp mind you, just a good crimp. Not a single bullet slipped and some of those loads were pretty stout including a 165 gr. bullet at almost 800 fps.

 I think one secret is to control the recoil of the pistol. When I first bought here the pistol and we fired it, it shot quite high even at close ranges due to muzzle flip. Just in the last week I figured out if I tighten my grip with the ring finger and pinky, it shootsvery close to point of aim with just about every load.

 FMJ  I posted a link to a 148 gr. WC vs. ballistic gel video in the [URL=http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_5_20/127224_38spl__148gr_WC.html]38spl 148gr WC [/URL]   thread.

So far I have only put 50 rds thru revolver, Winchester 38 Special FMJ 130 gr Target.
The recoil is not bad and after a short time I overcame the anticipation of too heavy a recoil ( which did not happen but was expected.)

I don't have access to reload options posted, but will look to wad cutter suggestion for practice, my wife and I need to get ramge time with the new Ruger LCR. I am sure I can find wadcutter ammo locally.

If you can't find Gold Dot Short Barrel I would use the Winchester PDX1, a 130gr +P round.  I have found it online and the local Wal-Mart even sells it.

Thanks for the Link

If I remember right I think fackler did some 148WC testing? I remember seeing a gel test drawing. Like the ones in the Black Book .
I might do some more searching


Yeah the 158SWC  incident happen only once in my life. And Ive been shooting lead for a few decades.
I was surprised to have it happen in a M640 in 357mag .

I also have had the brass case stuck under the extractor happen only once so far.  That would be a bitch to clear during a SHTF.

Ive been thinking hard about Charter Arms 38spl ? hows the accuracy?

I bought a Colt Detective Special when colt brought them back out in the market in the mid 90`s
I had to send it back to Colt because I didnt catch the canted barrel at the gun shop.

Colt fixed it pretty fast. I liked it because it held 6rds 38spl  and is about the same size as a J frame
But for some reason it wouldnt group as well as my Jframes . 5rds at 7y = single  ragged hole group.

 I've not really tested the Charter Arms for accuracy because it's such a close range handgun. However, when I did all the chronograph testing, I had a plywood back board. When shooting through the screens I'd make a point to aim at specific places on the plywood, not necessarily shooting for groups, but aiming at knotholes, dark spots, etc.. At the 20' or so the little pistol grouped surprisingly well, with some loads grouping better than others. The worst loads easily shot palm-size groups offhand. What more would a person need?