Speer Gold Dot 125-grain runs at the caliber's usual pace: 1,350 fps and 506 ft-lbs at the muzzle. Gold Dot is Speer's bonded jacketed hollow point, made for defensive carry. Its power factor of 169 makes USPSA major by 3.8 points, which is about 30 fps of velocity; a pistol that clocks it under 1,320 fps scores it minor. From a 25-yard zero it prints 0.9 inch low at 50 yards and 7.4 inches low at 100.

Winchester USA 125 matches it exactly at the muzzle: same speed, same energy, same recoil in the same pistol. The difference is the bullet, a plain jacketed hollow point against Gold Dot's bonded one. Federal HST 125 is 10 fps faster with about 1 percent more recoil energy, and it drops 0.2 inch less at 100 yards, which no pistol shooter will see. Sellier & Bellot 124 is the load that changes the feel: 126 fps faster, about 15 percent more recoil energy and 1.4 inches less drop at 100 yards. The heavier bullets go the other way. Hornady Critical Duty 135 leaves 125 fps slower with about 1 percent less recoil energy. The Hornady Custom 147, also 125 fps slower, has about 17 percent more recoil energy than the Gold Dot and drops 1.0 inch more at 100 yards.

Buy it for carry if you want a bonded bullet at standard .357 SIG speed and recoil, and a thin margin over major does not matter to you. A shooter who wants the most velocity should take the Sellier & Bellot and train for its recoil. For practice, Federal American Eagle 125 leaves at the same 1,350 fps with the same recoil energy in the same pistol, which makes it a close practice match for the Gold Dot.