Which grain bullet for my SP101????

[Gideon]

I've been reading alot about .357's since I just bought an SP101 3". I've only shot it once and had to send it to Ruger for a binding issue but that's another story. The question is, which bullet weight createst the greatest felt recoil? I fired it with 125gr paritally jacketed reminton .357's and the kick was stout. I expected it and well, liked it

But in several other posts/forums, I've had a few people mention to me or to other's in their own posts that 158gr .357's have less recoil.

Now I've shot all my life and it's been my experience that when I want to tame some recoil I merely drop bullet weight and felt recoil is reduced. But I've just run across an unrelated thread in a different forum where I read this again. Is this an urban myth or is there actually something too it?

I was just curious what round do you find to be a mild .357 (if there is such a thing ) that you like to practice with? Obviously we can load up with light .38's but I'm looking for something that's .357 but maybe just a bit lighter than the 125gr.

Any thoughts?

Thanks and God Bless
Gideon

 

[V-fib]

When I had a 3" SP the lightest recoil load I shot was Winchester White Box 110gr JHP's. If the bullet didn't get ya the flame from the barrel would.

 

[PotatoJudge]

Velocities for 125 grain bullets run from around 1200-1700 fps. Remington UMC is half jacketed and may have been what you were shooting, at 1450fps. Remington's "premium" defense load is their Golden Sabre at a little over 1200 fps, a significant reduction in energy. Winchester also offers a 110 grain load at just over 1200 fps, which should also be relatively light in recoil.

 

[tantrix]

I've had a few people mention to me or to other's in their own posts that 158gr .357's have less recoil.

The 110gr and 125gr loads have faster burning powders which almost always results in harsher recoil when compared to the 158gr loads in smaller framed .357's. Try some 158gr and you should notice a slight difference and an improvement in accuracy. Ruger uses 158gr bullets when sighting in the SP101's.

In my SP101, the 110gr and 125gr were pretty stout. After reading up on the SP101 and ammo recommendations, I tried some 158gr Federal Hydra-Shoks and my SP101 loved them. They shot accurately and performed great on penetration/expansion.

 

[19-3Ben]

I have shot 125's through my SP101, and don't find them to be too bad.

When I bought the gun, the guy in the gun shop gave me a box of American Eagle "Extra Velocity" .357 mag 158gr SP rounds. Those beat the living hell out of my hands.
I actually enjoy shooting my defensive ammo (Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel .135 gr. .357Mag). But that other stuff was just plain brutal.

 

[.45&TKD]

I only shoot 158 grain.

The lighter bullets shoot low for me in the 2.25 inch barrel SP101.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

One thing I've found with sp101s in 357:

POA/POI match up well with full power 158 stuff. That seems to be what those fixed sights are regulated for.

 

[Serpico]

SPs are sighted in for 158s...mine shot low with 125s at 15 yards so I had my front sight taken down a bit since i only shoot 125s...

 

[DaleCooper51]

I would get a bunch of different types of ammo and see what works best for you and your particular gun. I had a 3" sp101 in the past and it really liked the remington golden sabre 125 grain bullets.

 

[Steve C]

Recoil is a function of momentum which is mass times velocity. If you compare the various loads for the different bullet weights as published by ammunition manufacturers you come up with the following numbers that represent relative recoil from light to heavy:

110gr x 1,295 fps = 142450 USA Q Load
125gr x 1,220 fps = 152500 Remington GS
125gr x 1,450 fps = 181250 Winchester Super X
158gr x 1,235 fps = 195130 Winchester Super X

Mathematically the 158gr load will have the most heavy recoil of the 4 loads. The 110gr load’s recoil is approximately 27% less than the 158gr load.

 

[Gideon]

Thanks for the input guys, guess it time to try some more ammo and especially those 158 grains

thanks for the input!

Gideon