Dealing with the Magnum Option
As you may have guessed, I don’t really enjoy shooting full-boat .357s much out of anything in the way of handguns, let alone a cherry old K-Frame. However, if you really feel the need to exceed Plus-P .38s and are allergic to high blast levels, there are .357 alternatives that are less likely to bang you — or your gun — up on a steady diet.
The original https://www.remington.com Golden Saber 125-grain Brass Jacketed HP clocked around 1,250 fps, on par with Hornady's new 130-grain Monoflex load. Yes, it’s below what you’ll be getting from those blistering 125s at 1,450–1,500 fps but essentially, they’re like a “triple Plus P” .38 and I’ve found them to be pretty accurate out of just about any barrel length. Out of a 2-1/2" barrel, they’re still running around 1,100 fps — “medium stout” for a snubbie but more controllable than those 125-grain full-house screamers.
If you prefer something heavier than 125 grains, an excellent choice for the 2-1/2" M66 is Buffalo Bore's</a Heavy Plus-P 158-grain .38 Special. This can be had in Hardcast Outdoorsman format or the somewhat slower Soft Cast Semi-Wadcutter Hollowpoint. Either will top the old “FBI Load” numbers, even from a 2-1/2" barrel but for day-in, day-out practice I’ll use the least-expensive standard-pressure 125- or 158-grain .38s I can find. That’s fine with me. Smith isn’t turning out old-style M66s anymore and I want to be kind to this one.