Description
.38 Special +P 158 grain Bear Defense- The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc (pronounced “thirty-eight special”) is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. Known for its accuracy and manageable recoil, the .38 Special remains one of the most popular revolver cartridges in the world more than a century after its introduction. It is used for recreational target shooting, formal target competition, personal defense, and small-game hunting.
The .38 Special was designed and produced in 1898 to be a higher-velocity round, with better penetration properties than the .38 Long Colt that was in government service in the Philippines during the Spanish–American War. The .38 Special held a minimum of 21 grains of black powder, 3 grains more than the then-current .38 Long Colt, and muzzle velocity (with a 158 grain bullet) was 100–150 feet per second greater. Due to its black-powder heritage, the .38 Special is a low-pressure cartridge, one of the lowest in common use today at 17,000 psi. By modern standards, the .38 Special fires a medium-sized bullet at rather low speeds.
In response to continued complaints over ineffectiveness of the standard .38 Special 158-grain cartridge in stopping assailants in numerous armed confrontations during the 1950s and 1960s, ammunition manufacturers began to experiment with higher-pressure (18,500 CUP) loadings of the .38 Special cartridge, known as 38 Special +P (+P or +P+ designation indicates that the cartridge is using higher pressures, therefore it is overpressure ammunition). The higher-pressure .38 Special +P loads at 20,000 psi offer about 20% more muzzle energy than standard-pressure loads, which places them between the .380 ACP and the 9mm Parabellum. These loads are generally not recommended for older revolvers or ones not specifically “+P” rated.
With the popularity of the .38 Special, the team at Choice Ammunition tasked themselves with creating a round suitable for the caliber, that will deliver deep penetration and stopping power for bear and other predator protection. It is also an excellent round for hogs and gators at close range. Our +P round for the .38 Special boasts 478 foot pounds of energy from a 5.5″ barrel at 1,169 feet per second. We hand load each and every round to create consistent performance, reliability and superior accuracy compared to traditional “factory” produced rounds. We also produce our own exclusive “Hard Cast” bullet for this round, with a true 22-23 brinell hardness, which optimizes the round for deep bone and tissue penetration.
The Bullet:
Our own Hi-Tek coated Chey-Cast bullet (22 BHN) Wide Nose Flat Point bullet is specifically designed for Bear Defense. Transferring maximum energy and stopping power with deep penetration and bone crushing stopping power.
- Velocity: 1,169 fps
- Energy: 479 ft pounds
- 100% Hand-Loaded
