TexasCHLforum.com

Effective ammunition in a snub is scarce. Most JHP ammo in .38 Special is designed to work in 4" barrels there a few loads that are either designed for short barrels or work well in short barrels. One of the oldest and most effective is the +p 158 gr LSWCHP as loaded by Remington, Winchester, and Federal. The 125 gr Federal NyClad loading is another great performer. Speer's +P 135 gr short barrel load is what NYPD issues to those officers who carry revolvers and for backup/off duty ammo. CorBon DPX and 110 gr +P JHP have been optimized for short barrel use.

I carry the Nyclad in warm weather and the Speer short barrel load in cooler/cold weather when folks wear thicker clothing. I'm going to switch to DPX year round when I run out of the other two loads.