You're not sure of the exact gauge -- ie 22 or 24 or 26?  With either solid steel or wound strings that can be quite a difference.  Depending on the VSL, of course.  Not many of us use solid steel strings above about 14 gauge, although I personally do -- on my traditional setup instruments -- use a 20 or 22 plain steel as it gives a crisper sound than a wound string of the same gauge.  

A wound string will be "softer" than a plain steel string of the same diameter, thus your "moves more towards the side" if you aren't nailing the fingering straight down.  A plain steel string is solid metal -- much firmer than a piece of thin nylon or very thin steel spiral wrapped with even thinner steel or bronze wire.  The consensus is that a wound string is easier to play (takes less energy to move) than a solid steel string of the same gauge -- gauge being the external diameter of the string, wound or not.

Just to clarify, this is not a bass dulcimer... I am just talking about the bass string or lower string...

On a three string DAD set up... The lower D string -   Just wondered about gauge and sound differences.   I have a 2

Phosphorous Bronze wrap   - 22 to 26 gauge

Steel no wrap   - 22  to 26 gauge

On one of my dulcimers I have the steel and it's nice and smooth and blends well.   On the other identical dulcimer I have the wrapped phosphorous wrap...    

I think the wrapped bronze it a little harder to play... It moves more towards the side of the fretboard, which I don't like, but it is deep sounding.   Not sure it blends as well.. 

 

Just wondered what you all have experienced on this...