I wouldn�t get too caught up in the marketing stuff � a bullet traveling at a given velocity is going to produce a certain amount of recoil and the markings on the box aren�t going to change that.
All of the major label manufacturers have optimized the performance of their powders to the point that you can expect reasonable performance from any load from any given barrel length.
Where .38special is concerned, that is not true; I have direct experience here doing ballistic gelatin testing. When in doubt, shoot a bullet into water...if a bullet is going to expand, it will be in water, yet .38 special often doesn't. That's because most .38 special is geared for a 4 inch barrel. The sad part is most modern use of . 38 special is in snubs. The short barrel ammo is specifically designed for snubs. Normally I don't sweat this load over that load, but with a snubbie, it's a good idea to match the load to the gun.
