dad shoots federal hydrashocks out of his, about 20 bucks for 20 rounds

Any make of 135gr Copper-jacketed ball ammo should do the job for her. You will have to see what's available in your area. Hollow points rarely expand out of the snubnose anyway when under 1,000ps. The Cowboy loads I have seen are not much more than a big bee-bee's. They have very little use for self defense. Good luck.

#1. The Taurus web sight indicates that the 85UL IS +P rated.
#2. I keep my D.W. 2 1/2 in. bbl loaded with Federal .38 Special load #PD38HS3H. These are 110 grain Hydra-Shocks. I was told that they are designed for "shorter barrel revolvers". They also happen to be listed as "Low Recoil" loads. They are rated at a M.E. of 245 ftlbs. (6 in bbl)
If weather conditions warrant heavy clothing, I would opt for a heavier projectile.
Why can't you test mom's gun? You are evidently knowledgable and would have a better idea as to what to look for. Grab a few of her cowboy loads, and some other .38 Sp loads that you have, and go shoot it. ....Any excuse to go shooting is a good one.

After testing many different makes at the range for accuracy and recoil, I found that Hornady 125 gr JHP/XTPs work best for me in my snubbies. This is not a +P round and the recoil is about as manageable as you are going to find in a snubby .38 while all of the ballistics tests show it to be a good performer. One of my guns by the way is a Taurus 85 ULBH (Bobbed Hammer) and they work fine in the gun. I am 65 and I have arthritis in the hands and wrist so I am somewhat recoil sensitive. I practice with Winchester White Box (Wally World) 130 gr FMJ which hit at same point on target as Hornadys. The Taurus 85 does yeoman EDC duty alongside my S&W J Frames.

Originally Posted by wjh2657

After testing many different makes at the range for accuracy and recoil, I found that Hornady 125 gr JHP/XTPs work best for me in my snubbies. This is not a +P round and the recoil is about as manageable as you are going to find in a snubby .38 while all of the ballistics tests show it to be a good performer. One of my guns by the way is a Taurus 85 ULBH (Bobbed Hammer) and they work fine in the gun. I am 65 and I have arthritis in the hands and wrist so I am somewhat recoil sensitive. I practice with Winchester White Box (Wally World) 130 gr FMJ which hit at same point on target as Hornadys. The Taurus 85 does yeoman EDC duty alongside my S&W J Frames.

I'm gonna pick some of those rounds up. My mom has the same problems with hands and wrists. I'm afraid of her hesitating if she should need the gun. I'm also afraid she won't practice with it.

Originally Posted by drummin man 627

Why can't you test mom's gun? You are evidently knowledgable and would have a better idea as to what to look for. Grab a few of her cowboy loads, and some other .38 Sp loads that you have, and go shoot it. ....Any excuse to go shooting is a good one.

This is probably really silly of me, but I refuse to let anyone take the first shots out of a new gun of mine. Once I've emptied the gun once, anyone I know can have at my guns, but I get to bust their cherries, so to say. So, I felt it was only right to allow mom the same thing. I put a cylinder through the gun the night she finally shot the little guy. I, personally, didn't think it recoiled badly at all. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by it. It was accurate and actually pleasant to shoot. Mom thought otherwise. She thought it kicked like a mule on steroids and she couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it. She was actually a little flustered when she saw I grouped with it. I figure after shooting a Glock 21 for so long, it just doesn't compare, while she isn't used to a gun that light. My experience with the gun will always be way different than hers.

Putting cowboy loads through the gun makes me a touch nervous. I don't want to fool her into a false sense of security. My fear there is that she won't grip the gun correctly with full loads and drop it after the first shot during a time of need. She can't run, and she can't bend down to pick the gun up.

My 85UL handles Buffalo Bore 125gr GDHP +P loads just fine, and the combo is accurate out to 15 yards.

I was told that any Taurus Model 85 made after 2005 is +P rated. I used their customer service line to confirm that my pistol was made in May of 2006.

If I were not looking for a +P round, the Gold Dot short barrel load is said to be a good one. It is standard pressure, and 130 grains, I wanna say.