Seeing as I only own one cartridge handgun right now I was looking for a load that would do almost everything. I know I will be doing a lot of plinking, so I want a bullet that will work well in a standard velocity load. I also plan on small game hunting. I've been told that LRNs don't create enough shock to keep small game from running off, so I was looking for something with a flat nose.
I also do a lot of camping and hiking. I don't live in big bear country, but blackbears and stray dogs aren't unheard of. I have camped many nights with no gun so the .38 would be just added insurance. What I would want there is a bullet that still penetrates well enough that if I had to shoot a bear it could reach something vital. I was thinking an LRN would be perfect for penetration, but it has shortcomings in many other areas. The noise alone would probably scare off most any bear in this part of the country. I don't have the funds or the inclination to get a gun specifically for bear defense because I don't see it as a major problem. Having some kind of gun with is better than nothing in the unlikely event I need it. Besides, there are some small game seasons open during camping season and I think it would be neat to shoot some meat for the pot on occasion.
I also deer hunt. Over the years I have sort of become the camp tracker. If I find the animal, usually it is already dead. I can just carry my deer rifle, which works fine, but I might want the handgun in some circumstances. If I don't know where the deer was hit, that is if I am tracking for one of my relatives at camp, I might need to make a body shot if the animal isn't dead and is capable of moving. This would not be a norma circumstance I don't think. Any ammo in any gun would work for a finishing head shot, but if I need to shoot for the body I would want something that would penetrate, yet create some shock as well.
I am thinking about buying a mould, so I want to get a design that will work well for almost anything. I suppose I can get a few factory made bullets if I have a need for something the mould can't do, but I want to make and practice with one all-purpose load.
I am leaning more towards the RNFP 158gr by Lee. This mould almost looks like a truncated cone bullet with a little bulge. Some RNFPs I've seen look like a cylinder with a radiused edge. The Lee has a sharp leading edge. In fact, it almost looks like a SWC where the nose blends into the forward shoulder.
Another issue I may face is how well the bullets feed in speed loaders. I don't have a CCW right now, but if I do I might want a speed loader or two in my pocket as well. I've heard where the sharp shoulders of SWCs can hang up on the edge of the cylinder. The LEE RNFP looks like it actually has a bigger flat on the nose than the LEE SWC, but the SWC has the front shoulder where as the RN doesn't. I think the RNFP would be slightly easier to use from a speed loader.
One final issue is the SWC takes a gas check. I know you can load a GC bullet without the GC, but I'm afraid that might lead to some leading, as the powder gasses might be able to work in behind the reduced lead shank of the bullet. I don't think it would be a major issue, but I would just as soon have a plain base bullet like the LRNFP by LEE.