The downside to the .357 Mag. is recoil, but the benefit is terminal performance. Like with everything ballistic, the search is always for a perfect balance of recoil and performance. If your .357 Mag. is giving you the blues and bruises, consider this .38 Spl. load from Wilson Combat. For an expanding bullet from a .38 Spl., this load, in XTP bullet fashion, drives deep and the recoil impulse is much less intense than any .357 Mag.
| Load | Handgun | MV (fps) | PEN (inches) | EXP (inches) | RW (grains) |
| .38 Spl. 140-grain Wilson Combat Hornady XTP | Smith & Wesson Model 686 (4-inch barrel) | 953 | 22 | 0.46 | 140 |
