Best .38 Special Ammo
Every load we price, sorted by cost per round delivered to your state
We track 24 .38 Special loads from 3 dealers. The cheapest delivered to AR, shipping included, is PMC Bronze .38 Special 132gr FMJ Ammo at $0.41 a round. By use: Target & Range from $0.41, Competition from $0.59, and Self-Defense from $0.64.
The .38 Special is a revolver cartridge. People carry it in snub-nose revolvers like the S&W J-frame and Ruger LCR, and shoot it at the range in larger revolvers and in any .357 Magnum. It fires a .357-inch bullet. Most loads on this page are 110 to 158 grains at about 700 to 1,000 fps.
For practice, 130 grain FMJ and 158 grain lead round nose are the common range loads, and the 148 grain hollow-base wadcutter is the traditional target load. For carry in a 2-inch barrel, pick a load built for short barrels, such as Hornady Critical Defense 110gr. +P loads add velocity and recoil; fire them only in a revolver marked or listed as +P rated, since older revolvers may not be. You can fire .38 Special in any .357 Magnum revolver, but not the reverse.
All .38 Special Loads
Compare ballistics and prices across 24 products
| PRODUCT ↕ | GRAIN ↕ | VELOCITY ↕ | ENERGY ↕ | BC ↕ | USE CASE ↕ | BEST PRICE ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Black Hills .38 Special 148gr HBWC
148gr
• 700 fps
• Target & Range
|
148gr | 700 | 161 | .059 | Target & Range | $1.33/rd |
|
Black Hills Cowboy .38 Special 158gr CNL
158gr
• 800 fps
• Competition
|
158gr | 800 | 225 | .15 | Competition | $1.25/rd |
|
Federal .38 Special American Eagle 158gr LRN Ammo
158gr
• 770 fps
• Target & Range
|
158gr | 770 | 208 | .206 | Target & Range | $0.75/rd |
|
Federal American Eagle .38 Special 130gr FMJ Ammo
130gr
• 890 fps
• Target & Range
|
130gr | 890 | 229 | .174 | Target & Range | $0.51/rd |
|
Federal Hydra-Shok Deep .38 Special +P 130gr JHP
130gr
• 900 fps
• Self-Defense
|
130gr | 900 | 234 | .145 | Self-Defense | $2.52/rd |
|
Fiocchi Range Dynamics .38 Special 158gr FMJ Ammo
158gr
• 730 fps
• Target & Range
|
158gr | 730 | 187 | .159 | Target & Range | $0.52/rd |
|
Hornady .38 Special 158gr XTP JHP
158gr
• 800 fps
• Self-Defense
|
158gr | 800 | 225 | .206 | Self-Defense | $1.24/rd |
|
Hornady American Gunner .38 Special 125gr XTP JHP
125gr
• 900 fps
• Self-Defense
|
125gr | 900 | 225 | .151 | Self-Defense | $1.00/rd |
|
Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special 110gr FTX
110gr
• 1010 fps
• Self-Defense
|
110gr | 1010 | 249 | .131 | Self-Defense | $1.28/rd |
|
Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110gr FTX
110gr
• 1090 fps
• Self-Defense
|
110gr | 1090 | 290 | .131 | Self-Defense | $1.31/rd |
|
Hornady Critical Defense Lite .38 Special 90gr FTX
90gr
• 1200 fps
• Self-Defense
|
90gr | 1200 | 288 | .099 | Self-Defense | $2.06/rd |
|
HSM Cowboy Action .38 Special 158gr RNFP Ammo
158gr
• 840 fps
• Competition
|
158gr | 840 | 248 | .159 | Competition | $0.59/rd |
|
Magtech .38 Special 158gr LRN
158gr
• 755 fps
• Target & Range
|
158gr | 755 | 200 | .149 | Target & Range | $0.44/rd |
|
Magtech .38 Special +P 125gr SJHP
125gr
• 938 fps
• Self-Defense
|
125gr | 938 | 244 | .163 | Self-Defense | $1.01/rd |
|
PMC Bronze .38 Special 132gr FMJ Ammo
132gr
• 917 fps
• Target & Range
|
132gr | 917 | 232 | .187 | Target & Range | $0.41/rd |
|
Remington Golden Saber .38 Special +P 125gr BJHP
125gr
• 975 fps
• Self-Defense
|
125gr | 975 | 264 | .142 | Self-Defense | $2.42/rd |
|
Remington UMC .38 Special 130gr FMJ Ammo
130gr
• 800 fps
• Target & Range
|
130gr | 800 | 185 | .145 | Target & Range | $0.51/rd |
|
Remington UMC .38 Special 158gr LRN Ammo
158gr
• 755 fps
• Target & Range
|
158gr | 755 | 200 | .165 | Target & Range | $0.57/rd |
|
Remington UMC .38 Special +P 125gr SJHP
125gr
• 945 fps
• Self-Defense
|
125gr | 945 | 248 | .14 | Self-Defense | $0.64/rd |
|
Sellier & Bellot .38 Special 158gr LRN
158gr
• 997 fps
• Target & Range
|
158gr | 997 | 349 | .17 | Target & Range | $0.91/rd |
|
Speer Gold Dot .38 Special 125gr JHP
125gr
• 865 fps
• Self-Defense
|
125gr | 865 | 208 | .141 | Self-Defense | $1.17/rd |
|
Speer Gold Dot .38 Special +P 125gr JHP
125gr
• 945 fps
• Self-Defense
|
125gr | 945 | 248 | .141 | Self-Defense | $0.67/rd |
|
Speer Lawman .38 Special 125gr TMJ
125gr
• 863 fps
• Target & Range
|
125gr | 863 | 208 | .147 | Target & Range | $0.52/rd |
|
Winchester USA .38 Special 130gr FMJ Ammo
130gr
• 800 fps
• Target & Range
|
130gr | 800 | 185 | .145 | Target & Range | $0.48/rd |
.38 Special Trajectory Calculator
Calculate drop, velocity, and energy at any range
Advantages and Disadvantages
Pros
- Over .357 Magnum: far less recoil and blast, and it fires in the same .357 revolvers.
- A revolver doesn't need ammo power to cycle, so light wadcutter and cowboy loads run as reliably as full loads.
- Wadcutters cut clean, round holes in paper that are easy to score.
Cons
- Lower velocity than 9mm, and some hollow points don't expand reliably from 2-inch barrels.
- Five or six rounds in most revolvers, against 10 or more in a 9mm pistol of similar size.
- Slower to reload than a magazine-fed pistol.
- Lead round nose loads leave lead fouling in the bore.