.38 Super +P Buffalo Bore 124-grain JHP

by
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

Latest

BulletSafe CLS Armor
BulletSafe CLS Armor

First Look: BulletSafe CLS Armor

A concealable vest with that meets NIJ Level IIIA standards.

The Thinking Man’s Defensive Gun

The power and flexibility of the tactical shotgun are hard to beat.

First Look: Davidsons Beretta 92XI Speed Series

Italian style teams up with a racing heritage.

Scout Rifle 2.0

Every so often, a writer’s zeal to report on something or someone in the past tense is a tad bit premature.

I Carry: Glock G30 Gen5 .45 ACP Pistol in a DeSantis Holster

In this week's episode of "I Carry," we have a Glock G30 Gen5 .45 ACP pistol carried in a DeSantis Holster's Cozy Partner leather holster with a CRKT Soldotna fixed-blade knife.

First Look: Nextorch UT51L Safety Bracelet

Keep yourself safe and let others know you're nearby.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Illustrated delivered to your inbox.