Best 38 Special Ammo for Self-Defense: Personal-Defense and Range Day Ammo

Many shooters love the 38 Special because it's accurate, low-recoil defense rounds have been proven to stop threats at close range. Combine that with a snubnose revolver, and you have the recipe for an excellent concealed-carry firearm.

So, what is the best 38 Special ammo for self-defense? I'm glad you asked!

Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P 110gr JHP is the best overall, thanks to the unique hollow point Hornady has developed.

If that defense load is a little pricey, don't worry; we will discuss many more options as you continue reading.

Recommended .38 Ammo For Self-Defense

Testing Procedure: How to Choose The Best .38 Special Ammo For Self-Defense

I have a straightforward process for choosing ammo for my firearms. It's always based on the intended use, which determines how well the ammo needs to perform. If you're having a fun day at the range, you don't need expensive hollow point bullets, but you do need those bullets in a home defense situation. That's why I've taken the time to explain my thought process for choosing the best ammo for snubnose revolvers based on the scenarios below.

During the ammo testing process, we consider many critical factors, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Was the round designed for self-defense?
• Ballistic performance
• Price
• Performance at the range
• Accuracy

Various bullets perform better when designed for specific tasks. Since we’re talking about personal defense and training for those situations, the rounds I selected to test were JHPs or had similar enough ballistics to make training with them worth the effort and time.

We’re already at a ballistic disadvantage when firing a 38 SPL, so using the rounds that perform the best out of the muzzle and terminally is a must.

Cost is my biggest consideration when training, plinking, and target shooting, but I’m willing to pay more when my family's lives depend on it. In a self-defense situation with a gun that has a short barrel length, two things matter most: accuracy and knockdown power. You have to be able to hit the threat, and you want your hits to be as effective as possible so you stop the bad guy quickly.

I’m most concerned with performance at the range. How reliable was the round? Does it have enough stopping power to end a threat? Am I capable of being accurate with this round, or am I just hoping it hits the target?

I tried to answer all these questions while shooting these rounds at the range. I hope I never have to use them in self-defense, but I need to know how they’ll perform if that scenario ever happens.

Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P 110gr JHP - Best 38 Special Ammo for Self-Defense

Specs

Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P Ammo - 25 Rounds of 110 Grain JHP Ammunition (Cases Not Nickel-Plated)

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$29.99

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• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Jacketed Hollow Point (FTX)
• Bullet Weight: 110 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,090 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 290 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P 110gr JHP is the best 38 Special ammo for self-defense overall because it's made by a trusted brand, uses a unique bullet, and hits the target hard and fast.

The bad guys won't know what hit them!

I use Hornady Critical Defense in my Springfield 45 ACP, Smith & Wesson 9mm, and my wife's Ruger LCR. That's how much I trust this brand of ammo. It's never let me down and has remained incredibly accurate in various firearms.

That's thanks in part to the specialized FTX bullet that Hornady uses. A polymer tip sits inside the jacketed hollow point to increase accuracy and aid in expansion. This means you don't have to worry about over-penetration when engaging a threat.

The 110gr FTX bullet is also very fast when paired with + P ammo, which translates to more accuracy and energy to dump into the target when it hits. This gives the round more knockdown power than standard pressure self-defense ammo.

While I often praise Hornady Critical Defense, I must mention a couple of downfalls to be transparent.

The first is the cost. This + P round is expensive. I won't take it to the range to punch holes in paper with it, that's for sure!

However, it's not even the most expensive 38 Special round on the market, Winchester PDX1 Defender 38 Special 130gr JHP is even more costly and doesn't come close to matching the muzzle velocity of Hornady Critical Defense but it’s also a heavier projectile.

The other thing is for those that are a bit recoil sensitive, this isn't the round for you. My wife found it to be too snappy, and she wasn't comfortable shooting it from her short-barrel handgun.

If that's you, I recommend trying Hornady 38 Special 125gr JHP. It doesn't have the ballistics of the increased pressure load, which means the recoil will be much more manageable.

Even with the drawbacks, Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P 110gr JHP is the best 38 Special ammo for defense situations overall because it's accurate, fast, and has the needed knockdown power to stop a dangerous threat.

Speer Gold Dot 38 Special +P 125gr JHP - Best .38 Self-Defense Ammo for Personal Defense

Speer 38 Special +P Ammo - 50 Rounds of 125 Grain JHP Ammunition

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$40.99

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Specs

• Casing: Nickel-plated Brass
• Bullet Type: Jacketed Hollow Point
• Bullet Weight: 125 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 945 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 248 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

Speer Gold Dot 38 Special +P 125-grain JHP is some of the best 38 SPL self-defense ammo because it's trusted by law enforcement officers across the US. Whenever I ask a law enforcement buddy, "What ammo do you prefer to shoot?" Speer Gold Dot is always near the top of the list.

Speer Gold Dot ammo is loaded with high-quality components. So, when you pull the trigger, you know it will go bang and hit where you're aiming—two fundamental aspects of self-defense.

Another reason Speer Gold Dot uses excellent materials is because it gives its ammo solid ballistics that meet or exceed the FBI load standards for bullet penetration into ballistics gelatin regarding personal defense ammunition.

For me, the most surprising thing about this Speer ammo is the price. It was incredibly low compared to Remington Golden Saber and Federal Hydra-Shok Deep 38 Special +P 130gr JHP, which replaced Federal HST in its lineup.

My biggest complaint about the Speer Gold Dot 38 SPL +P 125gr JHP rounds is that they're a little snappy (lots of recoil) when shot from a snub nose 38 Special revolver like a S&W J-frame. This is expected when you're shooting +P ammo, though.

Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to load Speer Gold Dot 38 SPL +P 125gr JHP into my grandpa's Ruger 357 Magnum or S&W 38 Special revolvers for self-defense purposes because it's accurate, hard-hitting, and ultra-reliable.

Blazer 38 Special 125gr FMJ - Best .38 Training Ammo for Small Revolvers

Specs

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• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket
• Bullet Weight: 125 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 865 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 208 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

For the best .38 Special training ammo, choose Blazer 38 Special 125 Grain FMJ because the full metal jacket lead bullets have similar flight characteristics to hollow point bullets in similar weights, and they're inexpensive. That means you can spend all day at the range without selling your right arm.

CCI Blazer has a reputation for making quality ammunition for all scenarios at an affordable price, including training for self-defense situations.

Generally, I like to train with the ammo I plan to carry, but that gets expensive. So, I'll supplement my carry ammo with rounds that have similar ballistics, which is the case with this Blazer 125-grain bullet.

Another thing I love about these rounds is the low recoil, so your hands won't get sore after shooting hundreds of these rounds from a revolver with a short 2-inch barrel.

However, you must also deal with the drawbacks to get the benefits of these rounds. The biggest is that Blazer 38 Special 125 Grain FMJ costs more than Magtech 38 Special 158gr Lead Round Nose (LRN bullets) and Sellier and Bellot 38 Special 158gr, which has a flat nose soft lead bullet.

But it's still cheaper than the ever-popular Federal American Eagle 38 Special 158-Grain LRN.

So, the next time you're headed to the range to do some training, don't hesitate to pick up a few boxes of Blazer 38 Special 125 Grain FMJ because it's reasonably priced, shoots well, and has lower recoil than +P ammo.

Underwood 38 Special +P 125gr XTP - Best .38 Special Hollow Point Ammo

Underwood 38 Special +P Ammo - 20 Rounds of 125 Grain XTP Ammunition

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$19.99

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Specs

• Casing: Nickel-plated Brass
• Bullet Type: Jacketed Hollow Point (XTP)
• Bullet Weight: 125 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,250 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 434 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

Underwood 38 Special +P 125-Grain XTP uses one of the best hollow point bullets on the market, the XTP. eXtreme Terminal Performance bullets are among the most popular handgun bullets because they offer top-notch performance for target shooters, hunters, and concealed carriers.

Underwood Ammunition strives to keep its high-quality hunting and self-defense ammo as affordable as possible. They're doing a great job with the pricing of these rounds, considering they use high-quality materials like XTP bullets and nickel-plated brass casings.

Another great thing about Underwood's use of the best components is that its cases are reloadable. So, if you ever get the itch to reload a few rounds, you can with the nickel-plated brass casings and Boxer primers.

Honestly, the biggest downside to these rounds is that Underwood Ammo is still a baby ammo company by its competitor's standards. So, it hasn't had the time to build a positive reputation like Remington with its Remington HTP 38 Special +P 125gr SJHP or Winchester.

Even though it's a relatively new company, Underwood 38 Special +P 125-Grain XTP is worth ordering because it's reasonably priced with solid ballistics, and Underwood uses quality components, so you know you can count on these rounds if needed.

Black Hills Ammunition 38 Special 158gr CNL - Honorable Mention

Specs

Black Hills Ammunition 38 Special Ammo - 50 Rounds of 158 Grain CNL Ammunition

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$43.99

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• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Conical Nose Lead
• Bullet Weight: 158 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 800 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 225 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

I couldn't neglect to mention Black Hills Ammunition 38 Special 158gr CNL because Black Hills Ammunition is synonymous with accuracy, reliability, and consistency in the shooting industry.

If you're into Cowboy Action Shooting with your Colt revolver, these are the rounds to stock up on since you're not likely to find a more accurate bullet than these. They also make excellent range day loads because they're reloadable, which helps reduce the overall cost in the end.

Since Black Hills Ammo uses the best materials for their rounds, you can count on them to go bang and hit the spot where you're aiming when you pull the trigger.

However, I wouldn't use them for home defense because they're intended for competition use, so the bullet is more prone to over-penetration.

Even though they're more expensive than many other Cowboy Action and target loads like Sellier and Bellot 38 Special 158-Grain LFN, which is the biggest con against these rounds, they're still cheaper than Winchester Super-X 38 Special 158gr Lead Semi-Wadcutter (LSWC, not to be confused with LSWCHP or Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point).

Considering all the benefits of Black Hills Ammunition 38 Special 158gr CNL, it's a no-brainer to grab a few boxes before you head to your next Cowboy Action Shoot because Black Hills is known for producing accurate and reliable ammo.

Federal 38 Special +P 158 Grain LSWCHP - Most Powerful 38 Special Ammo

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Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point
• Bullet Weight: 158 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 900 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 284 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

Federal 38 Special +P 158 Grain LSWCHP is the most powerful 38 Special ammo because it fires a heavy 158 grain semi-wadcutter hollow point bullet and is supercharged +P ammo.

Federal Ammunition is one of the most respected brands in the firearms and ammo industries. I’ve used Federal ammo for years and truly believe they make a quality product because they use good components.

The 38 SPL isn’t known for heavy projectiles, which is often associated with a more powerful round. However, these rounds shoot one of the heaviest bullets coupled with the increased pressure of +P ammo to offer 38 Special shooters unmatched ballistics. Yes, you’ll find rounds with a higher velocity, but they won’t be the same bullet weight.

Another thing I really liked about this ammo is the price. It’s a round you can carry and take to the range without worrying about taking out another mortgage.

The biggest drawback is that this bullet design has been around since the dinosaurs, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t perform well in a revolver. 

If you want the most powerful .38 Special ammo that doesn’t cost a fortune, then pick up some Federal 38 Special +P 158 Grain LSWCHP today!

Parting Shots: Best 38 Special Ammo for Self-Defense

Despite many shooters opting for larger calibers, a 38 Special revolver can be an excellent carry gun, especially with the right ammo. I’m always on the hunt for a reliably accurate round that offers plenty of stopping power to protect my family, and the rounds listed above meet that criteria.

Choosing the wrong ammo for the application can lead to disastrous results. Thankfully, that won’t be you; now that you've finished reading the best 38 Special ammo for self-defense because you can grab a couple of boxes of Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P 110gr JHP from Ammo.com to use in your 38 SPL snubnose revolver.

Written by

Chris Dwulet