.38 Super +P Buffalo Bore 124-grain JHP

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posted on October 23, 2012
124grain.jpg

Were I to carry a .38 Super handgun for self-defense, I'd give this load strong consideration. With more than 1.5 times expansion, well deeper than a foot of penetration and massive destruction in the gel block, I'm not sure what else you could ask for from a defensive-handgun load. The downside, however, should be obvious—there are no free lunches when it comes to ballistics. If you push a 124-grain bullet at this velocity from a .38 Super, you're going to feel it in your hand, you're going to see a fireball and it's going to be loud. Of course, the bad guy on the other end will not care about any of that.

Load Handgun MV (fps) PEN (inches) EXP (inches) RW (grains)
.38 Super +P Buffalo Bore 124-grain JHP Les Baer 1911 (4.25-inch barrel) 1,252 18.75 .55 124

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