http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 117AAbL1QM
The ballistics on the 147 gr Subsonic load in 9mm are very, very close to the old 38 Special 158gr Round Nose loads that were nicknamed "Widowmakers," not because of their effectiveness, but the opposite! These weak old rounds were carried by cops for a hundred years.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/ammo/32019 ... r-rnl.html
Seriously folks, while there is some utility in 38 Spl round nose bullets, it's pretty limited in practical applications. In Police circles, the 38 RN loading was called "The Widowmaker", and for good reason, stopping power was abysmal, unless you made perfect hits under stress, you may as well stab your assailant with a pencil. Semi-wadcutter ammo improved your odds of making it home safely at night, and quality hollowpoint ammo really improved your chances. Still, many departments required the lowly RNL bullet. Some officers would load their revolvers with RNL for inspection, and then reload with privately purchased hollowpoint ammo for the street. Others would load their revolvers with target wadcutter ammo, which actually had greater stopping power. If caught, they would claim that they must have forgotten (wink, wink) to change back to duty ammo after range practice. Some officers even cut X's in the noses of the bullets so they'd expand and fragment if they were involved in a shooting. When cops go to this much effort to turn the odds in their favor, you need to accept that the 38 Spl RNL is bot a manstopper, and shouldn't be considered for such use. As far as shooting cute little bunny wabbits, an Idaho cowboy whose name escapes me (Keef, or something like that), said the same thing, and more about the 38 Spl. His remarks about law enforcement use are especially scathing.
