.38 Super vs .38 Special: A Caliber Comparison

Factors that Influence Bullet Performance

There is a lot that goes into bullet performance. First, a bullet – for this discussion – is the part of the round that flies off to hit the target -the projectile. The rest of the round includes the casing, primer, and primer mechanism, plus the powder. So, the terms “round and bullet” are quite different also.

Factors that impact bullet performance often come from the round itself. It includes:

• Grain size – the weight of the projectile -bullet
• Casing dimensions
• Bullet type – hollow point, solid, fully metal jacket, etc.
• Powder type – black, smokeless, gray, etc.
• Condition of the round and primer – corrosion, damage, packing errors, etc.
• How you configure what goes into the round impacts the environment in which the bullet acts. That can include higher pressure when the powder burns, increased or decreased muzzle velocity, Whether the recoil is manageable – too weak or too strong, and how much muzzle energy there is.

Higher pressure generally means that the bullet has more muzzle velocity whereas; lower pressure may mean that the bullet has increased muzzle energy. Energy is the force of impact and velocity is the speed at which the bullet reaches the target. These also indicate to some degree the bullet diameter or weight.

Grain and Bullet Rating

Whether we are talking about S&W, Underwood ammo, or another brand, grain and bullet ratings are important, especially for those who choose to self-load their ammo.

Grain is a confusing topic for shooters. The grain or (gr) is a measurement of weight. The higher the grain the more the bullet weighs. The smaller the grain the less the bullet weighs. If you want a close-distance bullet a good choice is a heavier-grain bullet – It weighs more so it will have more punch when it hits the target. if you want a bullet that will perform well at a longer distance, it is not a heavy bullet. The heavier the bullet the more the force of gravity impacts it. A heavy bullet that fires a longer distance will probably fall short of the mark – pushed down by gravity. For longer-distance bullets, you want a lighter grain rating. Lighter objects have less trouble with gravitational force.

It is also important to understand that a round is made up of the casing, primer, primer mechanism, and bullet. As you load your own rounds, keep in mind that all of these factors of the round will impact the performance of the bullet.

.38 Super Grain Bullets

130 grain round nose bullet
This is a fast bullet allowing you to pummel a target quickly with manageable recoil and also

Uses

.38 SPECIAL USES

Hunting – Not a great round for hunting. It is too powerful if you shoot smaller animals and will do too much damage to the carcass. You might be able to take down a deer with a precise shot using a .38 special. This is a heavier bullet and more designed for close-quarter fighting.

Self-defense – Very useful for self-defense and home defense. The .38 special saw a lot of combat time as a sidearm for the US armed forces. It has a heavier bullet weight and is a thicker diameter bullet making it a good option for defending yourself or your property. The drawback of a .38 special for self-defense is that most revolvers only hold six or so rounds. That is the reason that many law enforcement officers went to 9 mm. Not only is there lower kinetic energy in a 9 mm, but you can get off more rounds with less recoil making you better at accuracy.

Target shooting/competition – You find plenty of shooters who will fire a .38 special in competition. It is not a great round for long-distance, but it will plink targets at close range. There are also better options for target shooting for both handguns and rifles – There is a .38 special rifle.

.38 SUPER USES

Hunting – Not a great round for hunting. It offers a little more range than the .38 Special and you can find grain loads that might work for deer, but your accuracy would need to be spot on 100 percent of the time. The .38 Super like the .38 Special is often too big of a round for smaller game and not quite in the power range of what you want for deer.

Self-defense – The .38 Super is an awesome round for self-defense. It is slightly more powerful than most 9 mm rounds and because Super ammo fits into semi-automatic handguns you get the benefit of launching many rounds for personal protection. The Super Auto rounds offer a nice blend of distance (velocity) and energy giving deeper round penetration against your target. You will gain higher velocity over the .38 special too. You also might find the .38 super in more police departments over the .38 special mostly due to the slightly flatter trajectory and smaller diameter of the rounds. The .38 special pistol cartridge limits how many rounds you can load.

Target shooting/competition – Super ammo is gaining a foothold in competitive shooting events. For those who self-load you can load the .38 Super hotter to give you more power and when done correctly allows you to stay within the Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute safety limits.

Even for home target shooting with an automatic colt pistol and .38 Super rounds you can notice similarities between the Super rounds and .45 mm rounds.